Why is Glenn Beck giving up his show on Fox News ? The host addressed the question at the end of his show yesterday, but left his future plans something of a mystery, Mediaite notes. Beck made it clear to his viewers that he feels “we are heading for deep…
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Anti-corruption campaigner says he will continue to ‘fast until death’ as campaign inspires millions to stage their own protests A 73-year-old Indian anti-corruption campaigner has refused to end his “fast until death” despite government concessions on his demands for a powerful new body to stamp out graft in the country. Anna Hazare ended his third day of hunger strike on Thursday saying he had lost weight and “felt a little weak” but could continue without food for at least another week. Hunger strikes – which invoke the memory of those undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi – are popular political tactics in India and are frequent features of public life. However, this most recent campaign against corruption has mobilised millions of Indians. Hazare’s Facebook page has more than 80,000 friends and supporters mobbed the Jantar Mantar observatory, the site of his hunger strike, in central Delhi on Thursday. Tens of thousands also joined the protests, ranging from hunger strikes to candlelit vigils in cities around the country including Mumbai, Lucknow and Jaipur. A number of Bollywood stars have also come out in support of Hazare, a former soldier and veteran social activist. Corruption in India is endemic and ranges from the small fees that need to be paid to avoid fines for trumped up traffic offences to an alleged £24bn fraud in the telecoms sector, which saw a former government minister jailed last month. “This is a corrupt government, full of corrupt ministers in a corrupt country. We have had enough,” said Peta Singh, an 18-year-old student from Noida, a satellite town of Delhi, who had travelled to the centre of the capital with friends to demonstrate. The telecoms scandal was just one of a series to hit the Congress-led coalition in the last year. Others included alleged kickbacks connected with the hugely expensive 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. The protesters want speedy adoption of a law to create a powerful anti-corruption ombudsman which would be able to ensure rapid investigation and prosecution of offenders. Current authorities – described as either politicised or toothless by protesters – would be placed under the ombudsman’s control. The activists reject the current draft of the law as too weak. It suggests the ombudsman, known as the Lokpal, be a recommending authority without prosecuting powers. The wealthy and powerful in India usually escape any charges against them or succeed in drawing out the legal process for many years, sometimes decades. A bill to set up a powerful anti-graft mechanism has been repeatedly introduced into parliament but has never passed. Many lawmakers make huge fortunes illegally. Keshal Gunjal, 28, had come to Delhi from the southern city of Pune to support Hazare. A science graduate who had given up his government post in protest against “the system”, he said Hazare and his followers would achieve their aims. “We will definitely reach our objectives. All of India is united against corruption – except the corrupt people of course,” he said. Another demonstrator, PN Jha, said he had personal experience of “scams” while working in the oil and gas sector. “No one believes the politicians any more,” he said. In the global list of perceptions of corruption compiled by Transparency International, India is ranked the 87th least corrupt along with Albania, Jamaica and Liberia. China ranks 78th and Pakistan 143rd, local commentators have noted. Brahma Chellaney, a respected Indian international affairs analyst and author, has called corruption an “existential threat” to India. Negotiations between the campaigners and the government are set to continue on Friday. India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Anti-corruption campaigner says he will continue to ‘fast until death’ as campaign inspires millions to stage their own protests A 73-year-old Indian anti-corruption campaigner has refused to end his “fast until death” despite government concessions on his demands for a powerful new body to stamp out graft in the country. Anna Hazare ended his third day of hunger strike on Thursday saying he had lost weight and “felt a little weak” but could continue without food for at least another week. Hunger strikes – which invoke the memory of those undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi – are popular political tactics in India and are frequent features of public life. However, this most recent campaign against corruption has mobilised millions of Indians. Hazare’s Facebook page has more than 80,000 friends and supporters mobbed the Jantar Mantar observatory, the site of his hunger strike, in central Delhi on Thursday. Tens of thousands also joined the protests, ranging from hunger strikes to candlelit vigils in cities around the country including Mumbai, Lucknow and Jaipur. A number of Bollywood stars have also come out in support of Hazare, a former soldier and veteran social activist. Corruption in India is endemic and ranges from the small fees that need to be paid to avoid fines for trumped up traffic offences to an alleged £24bn fraud in the telecoms sector, which saw a former government minister jailed last month. “This is a corrupt government, full of corrupt ministers in a corrupt country. We have had enough,” said Peta Singh, an 18-year-old student from Noida, a satellite town of Delhi, who had travelled to the centre of the capital with friends to demonstrate. The telecoms scandal was just one of a series to hit the Congress-led coalition in the last year. Others included alleged kickbacks connected with the hugely expensive 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. The protesters want speedy adoption of a law to create a powerful anti-corruption ombudsman which would be able to ensure rapid investigation and prosecution of offenders. Current authorities – described as either politicised or toothless by protesters – would be placed under the ombudsman’s control. The activists reject the current draft of the law as too weak. It suggests the ombudsman, known as the Lokpal, be a recommending authority without prosecuting powers. The wealthy and powerful in India usually escape any charges against them or succeed in drawing out the legal process for many years, sometimes decades. A bill to set up a powerful anti-graft mechanism has been repeatedly introduced into parliament but has never passed. Many lawmakers make huge fortunes illegally. Keshal Gunjal, 28, had come to Delhi from the southern city of Pune to support Hazare. A science graduate who had given up his government post in protest against “the system”, he said Hazare and his followers would achieve their aims. “We will definitely reach our objectives. All of India is united against corruption – except the corrupt people of course,” he said. Another demonstrator, PN Jha, said he had personal experience of “scams” while working in the oil and gas sector. “No one believes the politicians any more,” he said. In the global list of perceptions of corruption compiled by Transparency International, India is ranked the 87th least corrupt along with Albania, Jamaica and Liberia. China ranks 78th and Pakistan 143rd, local commentators have noted. Brahma Chellaney, a respected Indian international affairs analyst and author, has called corruption an “existential threat” to India. Negotiations between the campaigners and the government are set to continue on Friday. India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Anti-corruption campaigner says he will continue to ‘fast until death’ as campaign inspires millions to stage their own protests A 73-year-old Indian anti-corruption campaigner has refused to end his “fast until death” despite government concessions on his demands for a powerful new body to stamp out graft in the country. Anna Hazare ended his third day of hunger strike on Thursday saying he had lost weight and “felt a little weak” but could continue without food for at least another week. Hunger strikes – which invoke the memory of those undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi – are popular political tactics in India and are frequent features of public life. However, this most recent campaign against corruption has mobilised millions of Indians. Hazare’s Facebook page has more than 80,000 friends and supporters mobbed the Jantar Mantar observatory, the site of his hunger strike, in central Delhi on Thursday. Tens of thousands also joined the protests, ranging from hunger strikes to candlelit vigils in cities around the country including Mumbai, Lucknow and Jaipur. A number of Bollywood stars have also come out in support of Hazare, a former soldier and veteran social activist. Corruption in India is endemic and ranges from the small fees that need to be paid to avoid fines for trumped up traffic offences to an alleged £24bn fraud in the telecoms sector, which saw a former government minister jailed last month. “This is a corrupt government, full of corrupt ministers in a corrupt country. We have had enough,” said Peta Singh, an 18-year-old student from Noida, a satellite town of Delhi, who had travelled to the centre of the capital with friends to demonstrate. The telecoms scandal was just one of a series to hit the Congress-led coalition in the last year. Others included alleged kickbacks connected with the hugely expensive 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. The protesters want speedy adoption of a law to create a powerful anti-corruption ombudsman which would be able to ensure rapid investigation and prosecution of offenders. Current authorities – described as either politicised or toothless by protesters – would be placed under the ombudsman’s control. The activists reject the current draft of the law as too weak. It suggests the ombudsman, known as the Lokpal, be a recommending authority without prosecuting powers. The wealthy and powerful in India usually escape any charges against them or succeed in drawing out the legal process for many years, sometimes decades. A bill to set up a powerful anti-graft mechanism has been repeatedly introduced into parliament but has never passed. Many lawmakers make huge fortunes illegally. Keshal Gunjal, 28, had come to Delhi from the southern city of Pune to support Hazare. A science graduate who had given up his government post in protest against “the system”, he said Hazare and his followers would achieve their aims. “We will definitely reach our objectives. All of India is united against corruption – except the corrupt people of course,” he said. Another demonstrator, PN Jha, said he had personal experience of “scams” while working in the oil and gas sector. “No one believes the politicians any more,” he said. In the global list of perceptions of corruption compiled by Transparency International, India is ranked the 87th least corrupt along with Albania, Jamaica and Liberia. China ranks 78th and Pakistan 143rd, local commentators have noted. Brahma Chellaney, a respected Indian international affairs analyst and author, has called corruption an “existential threat” to India. Negotiations between the campaigners and the government are set to continue on Friday. India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk
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One in six secondary schools now an academy, figures show The number of academy schools in England has trebled over the last year to one in six secondary schools, government figures show. Statistics from the Department for Education reveal that the majority of secondary schools are academies in six local authorities. These include Southwark and Bromley, in south London, and Plymouth and Reading. Academies are schools that have opted out of the control of their local authority and may receive funds from charities or corporate sponsors. Under Labour, the academies programme focused on turning weak or underperforming schools into academies. Michael Gove, the education secretary, envisages that the majority of schools are expected to turn into academies in the near future. He has used emergency anti-terrorism legislation to change the law to allow all schools to acquire academy status. Academies can set their own pay and conditions for staff, set aside parts of the curriculum and change the length of the school day. The statistics show that the academy model is far more popular in secondary schools than primaries. Some 547 secondary schools are now academies – 16.5% of the total. But just 82 primary schools are academies – 0.5% of the total. There are now 629 Academies open, compared to 203 in May last year. In London, the south-west and the east of England, schools are particularly likely to become academies. They are least likely to convert to become academies in the north-east of the country. The government said it would now consider applications from schools for children with special needs that wanted to become academies. Lord Hill, minister for schools, said that “by setting good schools free and improving performance in weak schools, we will raise standards for all children no matter what their background”. Academies Schools Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …One in six secondary schools now an academy, figures show The number of academy schools in England has trebled over the last year to one in six secondary schools, government figures show. Statistics from the Department for Education reveal that the majority of secondary schools are academies in six local authorities. These include Southwark and Bromley, in south London, and Plymouth and Reading. Academies are schools that have opted out of the control of their local authority and may receive funds from charities or corporate sponsors. Under Labour, the academies programme focused on turning weak or underperforming schools into academies. Michael Gove, the education secretary, envisages that the majority of schools are expected to turn into academies in the near future. He has used emergency anti-terrorism legislation to change the law to allow all schools to acquire academy status. Academies can set their own pay and conditions for staff, set aside parts of the curriculum and change the length of the school day. The statistics show that the academy model is far more popular in secondary schools than primaries. Some 547 secondary schools are now academies – 16.5% of the total. But just 82 primary schools are academies – 0.5% of the total. There are now 629 Academies open, compared to 203 in May last year. In London, the south-west and the east of England, schools are particularly likely to become academies. They are least likely to convert to become academies in the north-east of the country. The government said it would now consider applications from schools for children with special needs that wanted to become academies. Lord Hill, minister for schools, said that “by setting good schools free and improving performance in weak schools, we will raise standards for all children no matter what their background”. Academies Schools Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …One in six secondary schools now an academy, figures show The number of academy schools in England has trebled over the last year to one in six secondary schools, government figures show. Statistics from the Department for Education reveal that the majority of secondary schools are academies in six local authorities. These include Southwark and Bromley, in south London, and Plymouth and Reading. Academies are schools that have opted out of the control of their local authority and may receive funds from charities or corporate sponsors. Under Labour, the academies programme focused on turning weak or underperforming schools into academies. Michael Gove, the education secretary, envisages that the majority of schools are expected to turn into academies in the near future. He has used emergency anti-terrorism legislation to change the law to allow all schools to acquire academy status. Academies can set their own pay and conditions for staff, set aside parts of the curriculum and change the length of the school day. The statistics show that the academy model is far more popular in secondary schools than primaries. Some 547 secondary schools are now academies – 16.5% of the total. But just 82 primary schools are academies – 0.5% of the total. There are now 629 Academies open, compared to 203 in May last year. In London, the south-west and the east of England, schools are particularly likely to become academies. They are least likely to convert to become academies in the north-east of the country. The government said it would now consider applications from schools for children with special needs that wanted to become academies. Lord Hill, minister for schools, said that “by setting good schools free and improving performance in weak schools, we will raise standards for all children no matter what their background”. Academies Schools Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
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taya my best mate Kelly Clarkson – Miss Independent & Walk Away & Since You’ve Been Gone (Live on Ellen 04-06-2011) Kelly + Justin Kelly Clarkson Impresses On Ellen! | PerezHilton.com Last we heard from Kelly Clarkson , we were disappointed to learn that her new album will be delayed until September. Fortunately, we´ve got some video (above) of Kelly performing live on Ellen… Kelly Clarkson's greatest hits medley on 'Ellen': 'Miss … She segued into a rock-edged version of “Walk Away,” proving why she absolutely deserved to win the first season of “American Idol” ten years ago. VIDEO: ELLEN “ Kelly Clarkson ” Hits Medley | Culture Pop Miss Kelly Clarkson performed a medley of her greatest hits live on Ellen today. Check out the performance below. Loving her, Loving the outfit, Loving the Sunglasses, Loving the extra junk in the trunk, Loving it all! Get it! … Just Wallpaper: Kelly Clarkson Just Wallpaper is a free desktop wallpapers in various categories including celebrities, film ,Bollywood actress wallpapers,Hollywood actresses wallpapers, tv. Available in all resolutions. A Study of Kelly Clarkson's Hairstyles | Update Information Kelly Clarkson’s face is undoubtedly round. This does not mean that her face resembles a perfect circle. It means that the width of her face, measured across the cheek, is almost the same as with the length, measured from hairline to … theCULTUREQUEEN says: @TrazednConfused My December – Kelly Clarkson , West Side Story Soundtrack
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THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Three Kenyans appeared at the International Criminal Court Thursday, denying they had any connection with unrest in which 1,200 people were killed after disputed elections in 2007. Suspended government ministers William Ruto and Henry Kosgey and radio executive Joshua Arap Sang attended the court to hear charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, forcible transfer and persecution. “We have absolutely no reason to be here. We are innocent people,” Ruto told reporters, after singing the Kenyan national anthem outside the court with other Kenyan politicians….
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THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Three Kenyans appeared at the International Criminal Court Thursday, denying they had any connection with unrest in which 1,200 people were killed after disputed elections in 2007. Suspended government ministers William Ruto and Henry Kosgey and radio executive Joshua Arap Sang attended the court to hear charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, forcible transfer and persecution. “We have absolutely no reason to be here. We are innocent people,” Ruto told reporters, after singing the Kenyan national anthem outside the court with other Kenyan politicians….
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