The astronomer royal Martin Rees has accepted the annual prize from the Templeton Foundation, which critics say makes a virtue of belief without evidence • Read a transcript of Ian Sample’s interview with Rees • Martin Rees’s acceptance speech A British scientist whose work has touched on some of the greatest questions in physics, from the nature of the big bang to the size of physical reality, has won the largest monetary prize on the planet. Sir Martin Rees , the astronomer royal and former president of the Royal Society , was named as the recipient of the £1m annual Templeton prize in London on Wednesday. He will be awarded the prize by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh , at a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace in June. The award has drawn criticism from some scientists, including the Oxford evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins , who claim that the Templeton Foundation – which funds the prize – blurs the boundary between science and religion and makes a virtue of belief without evidence. Set up in 1973 by the late John Templeton , a Wall Street billionaire who described himself as “an enthusiastic Christian”, the prize honours a living person who has made “exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension”. Templeton stipulated that the cash value of the award must always be higher than the Nobel prizes. Previous winners have included Mother Theresa , the US evangelist Billy Graham , and last year, a molecular biologist and former Dominican priest, Francisco Ayala , who advised Bill Clinton and helped overturn legislation in Arkansas that would have permitted schools to teach Creationsim alongside evolution in science classes. Lord Rees, a churchgoer who neither believes in God nor subscribes to any religious dogma, said he attends chapel on a regular basis as Master of Trinity College, Cambridge , as part of a “traditional ritual”. He also cites the choir – rated fifth in the world by Gramophone magazine – as a reason for his attendance. “Doing science made me realise that even the simplest things are hard to understand and that makes me suspicious of people who believe they’ve got anything more than an incomplete and metaphorical understanding of any deep aspect of reality,” he told the Guardian. “I participate in occasional religious services which are the customs of the society I grew up in. I’m not allergic to religion.” Rees was raised in the traditions of the Anglican church and thrived at Cambridge University under the supervision of Dennis Sciama, one of the most influential physicists of the postwar era , who counted Stephen Hawking among his other students. Rees was one of the first to work on big bang theories, which in the early 1960s superseded ideas of an everlasting, steady state universe. In 2003, Rees put humanity’s odds of surviving the next 100 years at 50-50, citing threats from high-tech catastrophes to environmental impact in his book, Our Final Century . Speaking ahead of the announcement, Rees criticised the confrontational stance that Dawkins and other “professional atheists” take in debates over science and religion. “I think all of us are concerned about fanaticism and fundamentalism and we need all the allies we can muster against it,” he said. “If you are teaching Muslim sixth formers in a school and you tell them they can’t have their God and Darwin, there is a risk they will choose their God and be lost to science,” Rees said. In a previous spat over Rees’s open attitude to religious matters, Dawkins labelled the Cambridge cosmologist a “compliant quisling” . Rees launched another attack on his Cambridge colleague Stephen Hawking, who in the week his latest book hit the shelves last year declared there was no need for a creator God . “I know Stephen Hawking well enough to know that he has read little philosophy and less theology, so I don’t think his views should be taken with any special weight,” Rees said. “I’m not prepared to pronounce on these things. I think it’s rather foolish when scientists do.” In the journal Nature last month , Jerry Coyne, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago , said the Templeton Foundation was “sneakier than the Creationists” and alleged that the organisation tried to instil religious values in science. “It claims to be on the side of science, but wants to make faith a virtue,” Coyne said. Sir Harry Kroto, a British scientist who won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1996 and works at Florida State University , told the Guardian that the “congenital wishful thinking” embodied by religion made it incompatible with science. “There is no problem, with a million-quid lure to hook a few eminent scientists, to say that they personally see no conflict between science and religion, but they are suffering from a form of intellectual schizophrenia,” he said. Rees, who has yet to decide what to do with his winnings, said concerns over the Templeton Foundation’s agenda seemed “excessive” to him. He said grants from the foundation had made possible scientific meetings, events and major projects such as the Darwin Correspondence Project at Cambridge , which is putting online more than 6,000 of Darwin’s letters. John Templeton Jnr, president of the Templeton Foundation , said: “The questions Lord Rees raises have an impact far beyond the simple assertion of facts, opening wider vistas than any telescope ever could. “By peering into the farthest reaches of the galaxies, Martin Rees has opened a window on our very humanity, inviting everyone to wrestle with the most fundamental questions of our nature and existence.” In 2006, the Templeton Foundation funded a study to investigate whether heart bypass patients recovered more quickly if people prayed for them. The study concluded that prayer at best had no effect. In this particular study, patients who knew they were being prayed for fared worse than others . Science prizes People in science Martin Rees Religion Ian Sample guardian.co.uk
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With local listings magazines and newspapers in trouble, arts organisations across the UK must embrace the blogosphere Bristolians got a bit of shock last month: Venue , Bristol’s weekly listings magazine, announced abruptly that it was to cease publication in two issues’ time. Twitter went mad. A hashtag was set up. Talk of “doing a 6Music ” was bandied about as people across the city wondered where they would find out what’s on. Joe Spurgeon, the magazine’s editor, told readers: “A relatively small decline in readership, soaring print costs and a gut-punch of a drop in advertising revenue has meant that what we do is no longer sustainable.” The cover of the next issue was a parody of the ubiquitous Keep Calm and Carry On poster, proclaiming: “Keep Calm and Buy Venue”. It’s hard to know how to react to these things. It’s no secret that local print media is up the Swannee – newspapers are collapsing left, right and centre, listings magazines are struggling on – Edinburgh’s the List is going monthly imminently. Who should we blame? The internet for making everything free? The BBC for monopolising local news? Rupert Murdoch for being Rupert Murdoch? I did what any arts professional would do in this situation – I had a bit of a fret about what it would mean for me. I’m one of the artistic directors of Mayfest in Bristol and we rely heavily on Venue for preview coverage and general hype. On the day they announced the magazine was to close, we were negotiating a media partnership for this year’s festival, which was thrown into disarray. It seemed that without Venue, we would be left with shrinking column inches in the Bristol Evening Post , which has a decent readership, but of a different demographic. So why do arts organisations and companies rely so much on a declining media to bolster ticket sales? First, a review from a credible publication sells tickets. But those of us working outside the capital find it hard to get national coverage and reviews, unless you’re a big hitter like Bristol Old Vic or have a substantial run or tour, a decent review from a magazine like Venue is a useful thing to put on your poster. Second, online or “citizen” journalism is still relatively young, and many audiences don’t trust it yet. The challenge for arts organisations outside London is to embrace the blogosphere, and fast. I think we need to work hard to nurture the brave souls who are often spending their free time running what’s-on sites and blogs – invite them to our shows, treat them like proper journalists, buy them lunch, encourage our suppliers to buy advertising space on their websites, link to their sites from ours and so on. If we help listings sites and blogs to grow, we’re safeguarding the future of arts criticism. We also need to persuade our audiences that the web is where the interesting and richest content can be. There are no pagination or space restrictions, fewer deadlines and instant publication of reviews. It seems to be growing in Bristol – there are a few decent sites, including Suit Yourself , Make Me Neon , Crack and of course Venue Magazine ‘s site, which has recently been revamped – but it has nowhere near the glut of sites that London has, many of which, like the Arts Desk , are populated by professional journalists, many of whom used to write for print. Venue has since been reprieved. It’s going monthly, and will be free. So while it’s good that it’s been saved, it means that we’re going to have to plan further ahead to ensure coverage, and reviews may come out long after a run has finished. I’m glad though, that it’s not disappearing forever. There is still a place for magazines such as Venue and the List, but I think the more we encourage online criticism and writing, the richer the content around our work will be for audiences. Theatre Regional & local newspapers Newspapers & magazines Blogging Digital media Internet Matthew Austin guardian.co.uk
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Full coverage as the inquest hears a third day of evidence from PC Simon Harwood, the police officer who struck Tomlinson at the G20 protests moments before he died 10.54am: We’re now being shown another piece footage, from a few seconds later, at the other end of Royal Exchange Buildings passage (near Threadneadle Street). This Google map shows the scene. A man comes into frame who (off camera) Harwood has said demanded to get through a police cordon with clenched fists. The man is in a beige trench coat and I think is wearing glasses. He looks like a City worker. Previously, Harwood said he pushed the man with an open palm strike. Ryder : “Did you baton him?” Harwood : “I have never suggested I did, no.” Ryder : “So you pushed him first and didn’t need to baton him, is that right?” Harwood : “I didn’t find a need to baton him.” Ryder: “Because you pushed him first and he had moved?” Harwood : “Yes.” Ryder : “And this is a man facing you with clenched fists saying he wants to go in the precise direction that you say he can’t go?” Harwood : “Yes.” Ryder : “And you push him, and he goes in the other direction?” Harwood : “Defensive strike to the shoulder, yes.” 10.44am: Another exchange: Ryder : “I’m going to suggest to you, PC Harwood, that you are deliberately being evasive here and that you are deliberately not facing up to what is happening in the video.” Harwood : “No, I’m not being evasive.” 10.43am: The footage appears to show Falshaw being pulled and falling backwards on to the ground. Harwood repeatedly denies having pulled the cameraman from behind and, when offered the chance to see the video again, replies: “No.” 10.39am: Another clip, showing Harwood clashing with BBC cameraman Tony Falshaw. The inquest has already heard that Falshaw said he was pulled to the ground. Ryder : “You took hold of him and pulled him to the floor, didn’t you? Harwood : “No.” Ryder : “Do you agree you pulled him to the floor?” Harwood : “From seeing the video evidence I agree I grabbed his, I believe, left arm.” Ryder : “And pulled him to the floor.” Harwood : “No, I pulled him away from myself.” Asked by Ryder if he was “shocked” the cameraman fell to the ground, Harwood said he could “not recall”. 10.32am: Another video clip. After being beckoned away from a wall by Harwood, an officer in a flat cap gets punched by a protester. Harwood said of his attempt to get the other officers to follow him: “At the time, I was trying to make all the officers make a cordon with me across that junction.” 10.29am: The video clip then shows Harwood gesturing to other officers to walk up the street. He tells the jury he was seeking to form a protective “cordon” around the corner with other officers. He said he did not know how many other officers were around the corner. The officers in the frame did not initially follow him. 10.25am: Another piece of footage – shot just after 19.14pm. PC Harwood joins another officer by the Royal Exchange Buildings. There is a protester blowing a toy trumpet near an officer. The second officer does not react, but Harwood, joining the officer, flicks his jacket at the protester. At one stage Harwood is asked if he wants to see the footage again. He replies: “No thank you.” 10.20am: Fair exchanges are as frosty as they were yesterday. Ryder has asked for video footage showing the crowd at the time he made his attempted arrest. Ryder says the footage shows that Harwood’s carrier was “the safest place you could be at that time” (after the arrest), and points out that his colleague, PC Hayes, was able to return to his van. 10.14am: Matthew Ryder, counsel for Tomlinson’s family, has taken off from where we left yesterday – shortly after Harwood tried to arrest a protester he found spraying graffiti on a colleague’s van. If you recall, Harwood said he was in fear of his life and unable to return to his carrier. 10.06am: There are a couple of delays, so just before we get started, let me respond to a question from a reader, who asks why the prose-heavy live-blog looks different to blogs we use to cover breaking news stories. Six months ago, journalists were not allowed to send text messages from a courtrooms, let alone use laptops. That changed in December when the Times journalist Alexi Mostrous was granted permission by a district judge to tweet from a Julian Assange extradition hearing. The lord chief justice then released interim guidance which provided judges with the discretion to permit journalists to use “live text based communication” in courtrooms. There is an official consultation ongoing to decide a more permanent set of rules on broadcasting information from inside court, and that explains why – given there is a jury – I am required to be more cautious. Twitter has been used extensively by journalists in courts in recent months, with mixed reviews. I haven’t seen any live-blogs written from inside an inquest courtroom yet, so to a degree we are experimenting. 10.04am: The jury has entered the room – we’re about to start. 9.55am: I’ve had some questions about the venue. We’re at the International Dispute Resolution Centre at 70 Fleet Street. Inquests are often held in odd places, and it was hard for the coroner to find a space big enough within the Square Mile. This is it. It’s sunny outside, but we’re in a room with close blinds and artificial light. The set-up here is professional. As a hack you get used to our creaking and opaque courts system. This is maybe a taste of how things should be. The inquest has its own website, where transcripts of evidence are uploaded onto the website each evening , a helpful press team and a fridge full of water. We had biscuits and coffee too, until they disappeared. (Austerity cuts?) 9.50am: Good morning. We will shortly begin the third day of evidence from PC Simon Harwood, the police officer who struck Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests moments before he died. If yesterday’s proceedings are anything to go by, we could have some more gripping exchanges. Here is a quick recap of Harwood’s previous two appearances this week: Monday: Harwood made his first appearance at the inquest into Ian Tomlinson’s death . His opening remarks, in which he said he hoped to “help” the family, caused some offence. Most of his evidence concentrated on the minutes leading up to his encounter with Tomlinson. The officer described trying to arrest a protester he caught daubing graffiti on a van, saying the angry reaction from the crowd left him “in fear of my life”. Earlier in the day, Harwood’s senior officer, Inspector Timothy Williams, revealed he tried to persuade the van driver he could not possibly be the officer in the footage after hearing a rumour that another officer, based in Hackney, had been identified. Tuesday: Harwood gave his first account of his use of force against Tomlinson . He said he struck him with a baton and pushed him in the back to “encourage” him to move away from a police line, adding that he was “amazed” when the father of nine fell to the ground. However, he conceded Tomlinson was “no threat” to him or anyone else, and offered a partial apology. The day ended with Harwood undergoing a grilling from the barrister representing Tomlinson’s family and, in one of the last exchanges of the day, the police officer admitted some of his account of the day had been incorrect. Ian Tomlinson Police London G20 Protest Paul Lewis Sam Jones guardian.co.uk
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Two Afghan women die in road accident and third civilian shot dead, say Kabul police British troops have killed two Afghan civilians in a car accident in western Kabul and shot dead a third man when local people tried to prevent the soldiers leaving the scene, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief said. “A British military vehicle killed two women in a road accident and when people tried stop them [leaving], they shot and killed another man,” said Hashmat Stanekzai. A child was also wounded in the shooting. More details to follow. Afghanistan Military guardian.co.uk
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Speaking on the first day of the new tax year, shadow chancellor claims tax and welfare changes represent a ‘dangerous cocktail’ for the economy Working families face losing up to £1,560 a year under the coalition’s new tax and benefit regime, the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, has claimed, triggering a row with the Treasury, which said that only the richest 20% will lose out. The shadow chancellor also warned that a combination of high prices, spending cuts and the VAT rise presented a “dangerous cocktail” that would hit women and children particularly hard. Balls made his comments on the first day of the new tax year, when a raft of tax and benefit measures kick in, as tax thresholds are increased, child benefit and working tax credits are frozen and the rate of childcare element of the working tax credit is reduced from 80% to 70% of total costs. Balls said the reforms amounted to a “black Wednesday” for families but Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, insisted that the increase in the personal tax allowance and other changes meant that only the richest would be significantly worse off. The official Treasury analysis – which it said included all tax and benefit changes bar the increase in VAT from earlier this year – showed that the majority of households will be better off, with the bottom 80% gaining on average small amounts over the year and only the top 20% losing significantly. Balls cited figures that suggest that the childcare cuts alone would cost families with two or more children up to £1,560 a year while the freezing of the basic and 30-hour element of the working tax credit would cost some families £391. Talking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, he said the VAT rise had “massively swamped” all the other changes. “I think you’ll find that government ministers will not be willing to say that the effect of these budgets is progressive because they know it is regressive, because of the VAT rise, which outweighs by far the personal allowance rise,” said Balls. “However, even on today’s figures, if you are a family with children, if you are a woman rather than a man, in particular if you are a woman in part-time work, you lose very substantially. The IFS have said that a family with two kids on £18,000 plus will lose… up to £1,500.” He added: “I think the thing today is not only the fact that it is unfair, or that it is hitting women and children harder. This is quite a dangerous cocktail. The reason is that if you’ve got simultaneously high food and oil prices and petrol prices, and spending cuts on this scale bigger than any other economy in the world, and these hits to people’s living standards, the danger is – as we are now seeing – that it hits the economy really hard.” Alexander said he did not want to “belittle” the impact of the spending cuts already coming through the system, but insisted that on average 80% of people would be better off as a result of the changes coming in on Wednesday. He told Sky News that the increase in the income tax personal allowance would save people about £200 on their income tax bill, adding that the two-pronged aim of the government’s welfare and tax reforms was not only to reduce the deficit, but also bring down the pressure on the less well-off. “Obviously the big picture is that we’re trying to clean up the mess that Labour left in the economy, and that means taking some very difficult decisions that mean that we can reduce the deficit, which means reducing public spending in some areas, and of course some tax increases like the VAT rise that came in at the beginning of the year. “But in terms of what happens today, which is what we’re talking about, the start of the new financial year, the changes that we’re making today are ones that are designed to help people, particularly those on lower or middle incomes to cope with some of the financial pressures they are facing.” The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies said the poorest 10% of households would lose 2% of their income as a result of changes coming into force on Wednesday, the increase in VAT in January and the budget decisions made by George Osborne last month. It said that within 90% of households the amount lost as a result of the tax and benefit changes decreased as income rose. But the richest 10% of households are the biggest losers from the changes overall, seeing their incomes fall by more than 3.5% on average. Tax and spending Welfare Income tax Tax Economics Global economy Ed Balls Danny Alexander Social exclusion Childcare Children Hélène Mulholland Polly Curtis Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
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Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo remains holed up in a bunker in his palace in Abidjan and is believed to be looking to negotiate the terms of his surrender 10.53am: A Gbagbo representative claims French forces are firing on the embattled Ivorian leader’s residence, AP reports. A French government spokesman has told Reuters its forces are not participating in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence palace. 10.44am: The BBC’s Andrew Harding tweets: I can hear heavy bombardment in Abidjan. Has Gbagbo been haggling too long in his bunker? Country badly needs calm ending to this. 10.41am: Fabrice Zagbayou, a Gbagbo supporter and business analyst from Abidjan, says he fears for his life in the current assault . Zagbayou, an active Twitter user in the city, told the Guardian: Laurent Gbagbo won the election. We don’t need bombing, we don’t need another leader. The French army bombed civilians, the French army bombed the president. This is not democracy. It is not acceptable. Sounding close to tears he added: “The French army say they want to secure Abidjan. It is wrong. It is wrong. We think they are going to kill Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara militia and French troops are shooting now. I’m afraid for my life. I’m afraid that if the Ouattara militia find me they will kill me.” A French government spokesman has said French forces are not participating in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence, according to Reuters. 10.36am: Forces loyal to Ouattara have stormed the palace where Gbagbo is sheltering in a bunker, a spokeswoman for the forces told Reuters. Affousy Bamba said: Yes they (Ouattara forces) are in the process of entering the residence to seize Gbagbo, they have not taken him yet, but they are in the process, they are in the building. 10.22am: There’s a useful Q&A on the crisis by Richard Downie, deputy director of the Africa programme at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic International Studies . His answer on what happens next is most pertinent: By holding out for so long, Gbagbo has lost any right to negotiate the terms of his exit. In an ideal scenario, he should prepare for a trip to the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutors have been closely monitoring events in Côte d’Ivoire. It remains to be seen whether another African country might help him escape this fate by offering him a quiet exile. President Ouattara faces the formidable challenge of healing a deeply divided country in which a sizeable minority openly questions his right to govern. Having been denied his right to win control of the country through the ballot box, he has ultimately claimed it by force. The heavy fighting of the past few days has led to excesses by both sides in the conflict. The FRCI has been accused by the International Committee of the Red Cross of being involved in a massacre in the town of Duékoué, although Ouattara strongly denies this claim. In addition, the incoming president will inevitably face the politically damaging claim that he was propelled to power by the French, Côte d’Ivoire’s former colonial masters. A All of these factors dent Ouattara’s credibility. For these reasons, his main priority on taking office will be to promote national reconciliation. Ouattara will need to act with restraint toward those who opposed him and would be advised to reach out to his erstwhile enemies by including some of the more moderate Gbagbo loyalists in his government. There remains cause for hope despite the challenges. Ivoirian political leaders have shown an impressive capacity to patch up their differences in the past; those skills will be needed again in the coming weeks and months. 10.08am: The Guardian’s stringer, Selay Koussi, says gunfire has restarted in Abidjan after the FRCI, the pro-Outtara forces, announced that they are going to “take Gbagbo out of his bunker where he is hiding”. They are heading to the presidential palace. It appears that they have lost patience with attempts to negotiate Gbagbo’s surrender. 10.01am: The Guardian’s Africa correspondent David Smith will be taking part in a Q&A in the comments section below at 1pm . – You may be interested in finding out more about the two sides of the conflict, tribal allegiances, their culpability for war crimes. – Or you may be interested in the international aspects of the conflict, the role of the UN and/or France and the scope the crisis has to affect other countries in the region. – Alternatively, you may have concerns about the humanitarian cost of the crisis. Simply post your question in the comments section and David will try to respond. 9.51am: Gbagbo is resisting pressure from the United Nations and France to sign a document renouncing his claim to power, in another setback to hopes that he will leave office imminently, Reuters reports. From his bunker where he is surrounded by troops loyal to Ouattara, Gbagbo told French Radio RFI today: We are not at the negotiating stage. And my departure from where? to go where? But Gbagbo government spokesman Ahoua Don Mello, who was taking part in negotiations, told Reuters the parties are still in talks. He said: “Some points are still being discussed. Nothing has been signed, Gbagbo has not signed anything.” 9.47am: There is heavy gunfire near Gbagbo’s residence, France 24 is reporting, citing witnesses. No further details have been given. 9.17am: Gbagbo’s refusal to surrender is prompting fears of more violence in Abidjan, our stringer in the city, Selay Koussi, reports . (There is brief echo on the line at first but it gets better). The place is quiet, but it is not safe because you some have militia men who are still faithful Mr Gbagbo who ransacking shops and supermarkets. Many many families are running out of basic foodstuffs and water. Many many people think that the UN and French forces again might restart the bombing to put pressure on him [Gbagbo] to relinquish power. Many people were disappointment that he said he was not going to recognise Mr Ouattara as the victor of the election. I’m afraid that if French troops and UN forces use helicopters and start firing rockets at the bunker of Mr Gbagbo the violence will raise again. People are very angry throughout Abidjan. They think that Mr Gbagbo is playing a nasty game with the international community. They think he is trying to get time to escape. This day is very crucial. If nothing is done in the next 24 hours the population might go on to the streets because they are running out of basic foodstuffs and water. This might bring the country on the verge of both chaos and collapse. _ 9.01am: The Guardian has a story up about Gbagbo’s denial that he is preparing to surrender . He told French news channel TF1: I won the election and I’m not negotiating my departure. I find it absolutely incredible that the entire world is playing this … game of poker. He also insisted he had no intention of being a martyr: “I’m not a kamikaze. I love life. My voice is not the voice of a martyr, no, no, no, I’m not looking for death. It’s not my aim to die.” – 8.56am: With most people assuming Gbabgo’s surrender is only a matter of time, attention is turning to what will happen after his departure. On Comment is Free, Adekeye Adebajo, director of the Centre for Conflict, writes that both sides have a case to answer : Both sides have been accused of committing atrocities. Gbagbo and Ouattara must thus be put on notice that they will be held accountable for war crimes committed by their fighters. The financial and travel sanctions recently imposed by the UN on Gbagbo, his Lady Macbethian wife Simone, and other associates, should also be extended to other peace “spoilers”. French troops must do more than just protect the airport in order to evacuate western nationals in yet another example of an “aristocracy of death”, in which the lives of foreigners are deemed to be worth more than those of Africans. In addition, genuine suspicions persist about the stance adopted by pro-Ouattara France, whose previous self-interested interventions in Africa, and continuing support for local autocrats, cast the Gallic power in the role of a fox guarding a hen-house. Adebajo also says other African countries have an important part to play in post-Gbagbo reconciliation: Nigeria and South Africa must use their presence on the UN security council effectively to help craft a peaceful outcome. The African Union should help to negotiate a safe exit for Gbagbo and press Ouattara to bring in his rival’s supporters into any future government. Nigeria, South Africa and Angola must speak with one voice to ensure that any agreement sticks. 8.46am: France’s armed forces chief Edouard Guillaud has told Europe 1 radio that Gbagbo is negotiating his surrender – the president has denied he is doing so – and could quit office in “a matter of hours”. He said: They (negotiations) continued through the night but unfortunately I see no breakthrough for now. Despite that, I believe it is a matter of hours, possibly during the day. Guillard also said strikes against Gbagbo’s camp could resume at the request of the United Nations and if he continued to refuse to step down. Earlier, the French foreign minister, Alain Juppe told France Info radio the only thing left to discuss with Gbagbo was his departure. Juppe said: “This obstinacy is absurd. Gbagbo has no future henceforth. Everybody’s dropped him. He’s holed up in his residence. With the United Nations, which is at the helm, we are going to continue to exert pressure on him to face up to reality.” 8.36am: As the standoff at the presidential palace continues, the pro-Ouattara television station TCI has been putting pressure on Gbagbo/mocking the incumbent president by playing extracts from Downfall, the film about Adolf Hitler’s final days in his bunker in Berlin. How long will it be before someone creates a Gbagbo-inspired parody of the famous scene where Hitler launches into a furious tirade upon finally realizing that the war is truly lost ? 8.23am: Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of events in the Ivory Coast. Here’s a summary of the latest developments: • President Laurent Gbago remains holed up in a bunker with his family and a handful of supporters at his palace in Abidjan . Forces loyal to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, surrounded his home on Tuesday after UN helicopters attacked Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases. • Gbago’s spokesman, the UN and the French have all said that the incumbent president is negotiating his surrender. However, in a telephone interview with French news channel LCI, the incumbent president insisted “no decision has yet been taken”. • A ceasefire declared by Gbagbo’s generals in Abidjan yesterday appears to be holding , although the UN says there has been “sporadic shooting” by gangs of youths not allied to either the incumbent president or his rival. • There are fears of a humanitarian crisis with people confined to their houses by the fighting . Food, medical supplies and water are all in short supply in Abidjan . Many people are also without electricity. There have also been armed, xenophobic attacks against west African nationals and Malian migrants, with guns and knives. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations France Haroon Siddique Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk
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Murdered Northern Ireland policeman’s family will be joined by politicians and sporting figures from both sides of border Leading figures from Irish politics, the police and sport, from both sides of the border, will join together to mourn the Catholic police officer murdered in Omagh at the weekend. Ireland’s prime minister, Enda Kenny, and Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, will attend a requiem mass for Constable Ronan Kerr in his home village of Beragh at midday. In a symbolic move, the country’s largest sporting organisation, the Gaelic Athletic Association, and officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland are both expected to be involved in a guard of honour flanking the coffin. The 25-year-old will be buried at the Church of St Patrick in Drumduff, Co Tyrone. He died when a bomb exploded under his car outside his home in the Highfield area of Omagh on Saturday afternoon. Dissident republicans are believed to have carried out the attack, although no group has claimed responsibility. The British government will be represented at the service by the Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson. It will also be attended by Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, the Irish opposition leader, Michael Martin, the Ulster Unionist party leader, Tom Elliott, and several church leaders. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has organised a lunchtime rally in Belfast at the same time as the funeral on Wednesday to allow people to express their condemnation at the killing. Books of condolence have been opened across Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland police service said on its Facebook page that it had been “overwhelmed by messages of sympathy and support”. The Crimestoppers charity offered a £50,000 reward on Tuesday for information leading to those responsible for the murder. Northern Ireland UK security and terrorism Police Ireland Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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Forces of Alassane Outtara surround presidential palace in Abidjan but incumbent says he will only agree to peace talks Ivory Coast’s voted-out president, Laurent Gbagbo, has denied he is surrendering to forces loyal to the president elect, Alassane Ouattara, who have surrounded the presidential palace where Gbagbo is in a bunker with his family. The UN has said it received calls from Gbagbo’s three top generals – the head of the armed forces, the head of the police and the head of the elite republican guard – offering to negotiate terms for surrender in return for guarantees of safety. But in a defiant television interview late on Tuesday Gbagbo said his forces were merely negotiating a ceasefire and insisted he was the winner of the November 2010 election. The former history professor turned politician told the French news channel RCI: “I won the election and I’m not negotiating my departure. I find it absolutely incredible that the entire world is playing this … game of poker.” Gbagbo insisted that he was not preparing to be a martyr. “I’m not a kamikaze,” he said. “I love life. My voice is not the voice of a martyr, no, no, no, I’m not looking for death. It’s not my aim to die.” He said talks with Ouattara were the only way peace could return to Ivory Coast. The pro-Ouattara television station TCI responded to Gbagbo’s intreview by playing extracts from the film Downfall, which is about Adolf Hitler’s final days in his bunker. The call for a ceasefire by Gbagbo generals on Tuesday added to the expectation that his departure was only a matter of time. The head of France’s armed forces said Gbagbo could surrender within hours. “The negotiations continued through the night but unfortunately I see no breakthrough for now,” armed forces chief Edouard Guillaud told Europe 1 radio. “Despite that, I believe it is a matter of hours, possibly during the day.” Gbagbo’s army is rapidly dispanding, with soldiers stripping off their uniforms and abandoning their weapons withing a few hundred metres of the presidential palace. There have been continued reports of sporadic fighting and on Wednesday morning gunfire could still be heard in the streets of Abidjan, where pro-Gbagbo fighters remain on the streets. “I think he’s playing for time,” a senior diplomat said. “His aim is always to buy himself just one more day.” The reports of negotiations came after a dramatic 24 hours in Ivory Coast. On Monday night UN and French forces opened fire with attack helicopters on Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases after columns of foot soldiers allied to Ouattara finally pierced the city limits of Abidjan. Although the four-month stalemate between the rival presidents seemed to be all but over, there are fears of revenge attacks and looting. Ouattara will face a massive challenge to unite the country and rebuild its shattered economy. “One might think that we are getting to the end of the crisis,” Hamadoun Touré, spokesman for the UN mission in Ivory Coast, told the Associated Press. “We spoke to his close aides. Some had already defected, some are ready to stop fighting. He is alone now, he is in his bunker with a handful of supporters and family members. So is he going to last or not? I don’t know.” The UN and French offensive on Monday night, an unprecedented escalation in the international community’s efforts to oust Gbagbo, was carried out in the name of civilian protection but also proved useful to the rebels backing Ouattara. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, spoke twice on Tuesday to Ouattara, whose election victory has been endorsed by the UN, US, African Union and EU. Barack Obama said he welcomed the role of UN and French forces in Ivory Coast. “To end this violence and prevent more bloodshed, former president Gbagbo must stand down immediately and direct those who are fighting on his behalf to lay down their arms.” “Every day the fighting persists will bring more suffering, and further delay the future of peace and prosperity that the people of Côte d’Ivoire deserve.” The president of Equatorial Guinea and current head of the AU, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, condemned foreign military intervention in Ivory Coast and Libya, saying Africa must be allowed to manage its own affairs. France said its military would intervene only if asked by the UN. Gbagbo’s camp already blames Paris for supporting his opponents in the 2002-03 civil war. Even before the latest offensive, post-election violence had killed at least 1,500 people – most of them Ouattara supporters – and forced up to 1 million to flee their homes. Many civilians in Abidjan, a city of about 4 million people, remain trapped in their homes and in urgent need of food and water. The prosecutor of the international criminal court, José Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has said he wants to open a formal investigation of last week’s massacre in the western town of Duékoué, where at least 800 people were reportedly killed. Moreno-Ocampo said on Tuesday that it was not yet clear who was responsible for the killings. The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders, called on Ouattara to unite the nation through reconciliation. Its chairman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said: “I urge President Ouattara to commit publicly to a process of accountability. His actions and words in the coming days are critical to the future of Côte d’Ivoire. The people need reconciliation, not retaliation.” Laurent Gbagbo Ivory Coast Selay Kouassi David Smith guardian.co.uk
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The decision to try 9/11 suspects in military commissions only highlights how the US has yet to reckon with detainee abuse On the same day President Barack Obama formally launched his re-election campaign, his attorney general, Eric Holder, announced that key suspects in the 9/11 attacks would be tried not in federal court, but through controversial military commissions at Guantánamo. Holder blamed members of Congress, who, he said, “have intervened and imposed restrictions blocking the administration from bringing any Guantánamo detainees to trial in the United States.” Nevertheless, one Guantánamo case will be tried in New York. No, not the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any of his alleged co-conspirators. This week, the New York state supreme court will hear the case against Dr John Leso , a psychologist who is accused of participating in torture at the Gitmo prison camp that Obama pledged, and failed, to close. The case was brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA) on behalf of Dr Steven Reisner. Reisner, a New York psychologist and adviser to Physicians for Human Rights , is at the centre of a growing group of psychologists campaigning against the participation of psychologists in the US government’s interrogation programmes, which they say amounts to torture. Unlike the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the largest association of psychologists in the world, has refused to implement a resolution passed by its membership barring APA members from participating in interrogations at sites where international law or the Geneva conventions are being violated. Reisner, a child of Holocaust survivors, is running for president of the APA, in part to force it to comply with the resolution. John Francis Leso is a US Army major, formerly chief of the clinical psychology service at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington, DC. According to CJA, Dr Leso “led the first Behavioural Science Consultation Team (BSCT) at … Guantánamo from June 2002 to January 2003″, where he “co-authored an interrogation policy memorandum that incorporated illegal techniques adapted from methods used by the Chinese and North Korean governments against US prisoners of war.” Reisner filed a complaint with the New York state agency that governs licences of psychologists, the New York Office of Professional Discipline (OPD), asking for an investigation and appropriate disciplinary action. He took this route, Reisner told me, because: “health professionals are privy to private information, to weaknesses, to psychological and physical compromises, and they are privy to that information because they take an oath not to abuse that information to cause harm. So when health professionals use that very information … to cause harm, we want to make sure that those people are held accountable and have their licenses revoked, if necessary.” The OPD declined to investigate , so Reisner is seeking a court order to force the agency to do so. Maj Leso recommended three categories of interrogation severity at Guantánamo, depending on the prisoners’ ability to resist. “Category III” included “daily use of 20-hour interrogations; the use of strict isolation without the right of visitation by treating medical professionals or the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); the use of food restriction for 24 hours once a week; the use of scenarios designed to convince the detainee he might experience a painful or fatal outcome; non-injurious physical consequences; removal of clothing; and exposure to cold weather or water until such time as the detainee began to shiver.” Leso is alleged to have participated in the interrogation of Mohammed al-Qahtani, a young man captured in Afghanistan and referred to as the “20th hijacker” . Al-Qahtani’s interrogation was so harsh that his charges were dropped. He is represented by the Centre for Constitutional Rights, which said in response to Holder’s announcement: “The Obama administration all but admitted political failure today, as it announced it would try the 9/11 defendants before the deeply flawed military commission system rather than in Article III civilian courts as originally planned. […] In the same breath that the US is calling for the rule of law in the Middle East, it is subverting it at home.” The roll call of US officials implicated in torture is long, yet not one of them has been held accountable: George W Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales, psychologists Col Larry James and John Leso, among others. As an Arab Spring is celebrated around the world, we should turn over a new leaf in the United States and celebrate an American Spring as well – one that rejects torture and is not afraid to use its judicial system, whether trying accused terrorists or torturers. • Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column. © 2011 Amy Goodman; distributed by King Features Syndicate Guantánamo Bay Torture Human rights US constitution and civil liberties Obama administration United States Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Amy Goodman guardian.co.uk
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Pressure on disposable incomes and higher commodity prices cited as reasons to be fearful by retailer Marks & Spencer has added to fears about the outlook for UK retail, despite disclosing a better-than-expected set of sales numbers for the first quarter of this year. The high street bellwether said it expected trading conditions to continue to be difficult as the impact of the government’s spending cuts were felt. “We expect 2011-12 to be increasingly challenging due to pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes and higher commodity prices. As a result, we are cautious about the outlook,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday morning. M&S’s warning came on the day in which a swathe of tax and benefits changes kick in, and just a day after former Asda boss Andy Bond predicted there would be two years of misery for high street retailers as the financial crisis hit home. “You’re kidding yourself if you think the worst is over and we’ve had a consumer recession – it’s ahead of us,” Bond told the Retail London conference. Figures for Marks & Spencer’s first quarter were, however, slightly better than analysts had expected . The retailer said on Wednesday morning that sales of general merchandise, which includes clothing but not food, fell 3.9% on a like-for-like basis. Food sales compensated for the drop, rising 3.4% on a like-for-like basis, to give the retailer an small overall uplift in like-for-like sales of 0.1%. Shares in M&S rose by 5.5% in early trading to 359p. Equally, the figures did not include the first five days of the Christmas sale, unlike last year’s numbers. Stripping out that calendar effect, the like-for-like sales overall were up 2.2% and general merchandise sales were up 0.7%. The company said the figures were in line with its expectations, saying that last year’s sales had been particularly strong, meaning the comparison would always be tough. “Menswear and lingerie performed particularly strongly and we had a good start to our new womenswear spring campaign with customers responding well to our interpretation of the latest fashions,” the company’s statement said. Marks & Spencer Retail industry Recession Economics Consumer spending Consumer affairs Alex Hawkes guardian.co.uk
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