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Neil Wallis, the man behind the phone hacking for News Corp, was also hired by Scotland Yard to consult for them — right at the same time, coincidentally, that the Yard decided not to dig deeper into the phone hacking — which is unbelievable, when you wrap your head around it. Likewise, I’m sure you remember when climate-change deniers — especially those employed by Fox News — seized on some hacked emails and then had a field day. Keith Olbermann wonders if Wallis had a hand in the leaked emails and breaks it down. Ultimately, you have to wonder if the fake “ClimateGate scandal” was a product of hacking by News Corp as well. : The Murdoch Phone-Hacking Scandal may have just metastasized. The so-called “Climate-Gate” controversy — in which e-mails about global warming were stolen from researchers at Britain’s University of East Anglia in November, 2009 — now turns out to bear the stamp of Neil Wallis, one of the key figures in Murdoch’s hacking of the phones, voicemails, and other electronic communications of thousands of people. Wallis is unique in this scandal. He had been the Executive Editor of Murdoch’s News Of The World when hacking was at its peak. Yet in 2009 he wound up being hired by the police as a public relations consultant while the police investigated the hacking scandal. And he wound up spying for Murdoch’s people on what Scotland Yard was investigating. Wallis was, as the New York Times put it, “reporting back to News International while he was working for the police on the hacking case.” Moreover, while Wallis was keeping Murdoch’s organization apprised of what and whom the police were investigating, the police were trying to convince other news organizations not to cover the story — a suppression of evidence that benefited both the police and Rupert Murdoch. As the British newspaper The Guardian reported last Friday: “Scotland Yard’s most senior officers tried to convince the Guardian during two private meetings that its coverage of phone hacking was exaggerated and incorrect without revealing they had hired Neil Wallis…” It was neither exaggerated nor incorrect. Last Thursday, Neil Wallis was arrested. Last night, it was revealed that while acting as a double-agent for Scotland Yard and Murdoch, Wallis was also consulting Conservative Party Leader David Cameron during the 2010 election that saw Cameron rise to become the nation’s Prime Minister. Today, bobbing up to the surface through this vast ocean of ethical filth, comes Neil Wallis’s role… in “Climate-Gate.” On November 20th, 2009, somebody broke into a computer server at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, and stole thousands of emails and computer files. The documents were leaked to Climate Change Deniers, and although exhaustive analysis later proved that the emails merely revealed scientists’ anxiety that Climate Data and Research were being properly handled and studied, the Deniers have treated those emails as if they were a kind of Holy Grail of fraud. They claim the emails not only disproved all of climate change, but also that they proved that scientists had doctored data in order to exaggerate the urgency of an international conference on climate change coming up the next month in Copenhagen in Denmark. As the corporations and lobbyists who sought to feed the myth that there is no man-made climate change disseminated, exploited and deliberately misinterpreted the stolen e-mails — and used Fox News and other Murdoch enterprises as their principle venues — the victims, the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, decided they’d better hire a public relations pro to help them fight back. They hired… Neil Wallis… read on More and more information is coming out in the very real Rupertgate scandal, and Wallis is in the middle of it all. UPDATE: James Murdoch has now had his testimony questioned by former NOTW executives: Evidence on phone hacking given to MPs by News International chairman James Murdoch has been called into question by two former executives at the firm. He told the media committee on Tuesday he had not been “aware” of an email suggesting the practice went wider than a “rogue” News of the World reporter. But ex-NoW editor Colin Myler and ex-NI legal manager Tom Crone have now said they “did inform” him of the email. Mr Murdoch later said he “stands by his testimony”. Meanwhile, the BBC has learned the FBI plans to contact actor Jude Law following claims his mobile phone was hacked during a visit to the US. It is alleged a story published by the NoW in 2003 was based on information obtained from his voicemail which, if proved, could lead to charges in the US because his phone would have been operating on a US network. News International denies the claims.

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Media Mash: Despite MSM Slamming ‘Cut, Cap and Balance,’ 66% of Americans Want It

While the media have been busy persistently denouncing the Cut, Cap and Balance plan as Republicans “wasting time” with a “show” plan that has “no chance of passage,” the public aren't accepting the media spin. A CNN poll shows nearly 2/3rds of Americans favor that approach to tackling the national debt and balancing the budget, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell noted on the July 21 “Hannity” program (video follows page break):

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Derry police apologise for marriage blunder

Chief admits officers got it wrong when they arrested Neil McIlwee and Yanan Sun at their wedding ceremony A newlywed in Northern Ireland has rejected a police apology after officers disrupted his wedding ceremony to his pregnant partner, wrongly believing it was a sham marriage. Neil McIlwee and his Chinese fiancee, Yanan Sun, were about to get married at Derry Guildhall on Tuesday when police entered the building and arrested them. Later, it turned out that McIlwee’s wife-to-be was four months pregnant and the couple were very much in love. Jon Burrows, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s chief inspector in Derry, admitted his officers got it wrong but said they were acting in good faith. McIlwee, who is from Castlederg, said the apology would not make up for the distress caused. “It just doesn’t add up – something on that scale based on an anonymous letter and some paperwork faxed through about two hours before the wedding. It just doesn’t happen like that. So there’s a lot of questions that need answered and there’s a lot of people responsible for this mess-up.” Asked about the PSNI saying sorry, McIlwee said: “An apology? It’s just no good – apologies won’t give us our day back. It won’t make everything better.” After the PSNI realised their mistake and released the couple, they were married the next day. The police operation came 48 hours after a local Sunday tabloid newspaper ran a series of reports about sham marriages, involving local people and foreigners across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Police Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk

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Eight reported injured in blast which has damaged buildings including office of Norwegian prime minster Several people have been injured in a large explosion which has damaged government buildings in central Oslo, including the office of the Norwegian prime minster. A Reuters correspondent said he counted at least eight injured people after the unexplained blast. A photo posted online showed people looking on as smoke rose drifted through the streets . The caption for the picture said “an entire block exploded”. The tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building but the cause of the blast was unknown with police and fire officials refusing to comment. The explosion at around 3.30pm (2.30pm BST) blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing prime minister Per Stoltenberg’s office, as well as nearby ministries including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Video showed the pavement littered with shattered glass . Norwegian news agency NTB said the prime minister is safe. Newspaper offices in the area were also reportedly damaged. The city centre – which usually empties in July as Norwegians take holidays – is currently closed off with all public transport to and from the centre suspended. More details to follow… Norway Europe Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk

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Today's starter topic: Rick Perry. He's continuing to generate buzz in the context of the 2012 Republican presidential primaries and now for the first time, the Texas governor is favored by bettors on the oddsmaking site Intrade to actually get the nomination : Texas Gov. Rick Perry may not have formally declared his presidential candidacy yet, but bettors on the news-futures website Intrade already are giving him the same chance of becoming the 2012 Republican nominee as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumed front-runner. Mr. Perry’s nomination odds reached a high of 33 percent Thursday morning, eclipsing Mr. Romney for the first time. Mr. Romney, trading at 32 percent, had been Intrade’s 2012 favorite since betting on the GOP nomination began in 2008 and had even consolidated his front-runner status in recent months as his opponents stumbled and other would-be challengers opted not to run. But the reportedly imminent entry of Mr. Perry, a popular politician in his third term in office, has altered the equation for those seeking to profit from their ability to predict the race’s outcome. Mr. Perry’s surge seems to have come primarily at the expense of Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, who is another tea party favorite. Mrs. Bachmann’s odds have dropped from highs of 22 percent a few days ago to slightly less than 10 percent after a report by the Daily Caller revealed that she suffered from debilitating migraines. Will Perry run or is all this talk of him entering the race so much nonsense? Share your thoughts and comments on this thread.

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Thom Hartmann discusses the likely debt ceiling deal. Here’s an update from Ezra Klein this morning : What set off yesterday’s debt-deal panic among congressional Democrats wasn’t so much information about a new deal as a better understanding of the old deal. What Boehner and Obama appear to be discussing is the $4 trillion deal they were discussing a few weeks ago. In that deal, $1.5 trillion in immediate cuts would be followed by processes for making a further $1.5 trillion in deeper cuts — many of them to entitlement programs — and reforming the tax code to raise a trillion more dollars than it does now. The plan would also include some sort of enforcement mechanism that would make sure the future spending cuts and tax increases manifested. Congressional Democrats spent much of yesterday complaining that this plan doesn’t really have revenues while the White House spent much of yesterday swearing that it did. On this, congressional Democrats are mostly right . The revenue in this plan is approximately equal to the revenue from letting the Bush tax cuts on the rich expire — which is something Democrats could do with zero Republican votes in 2012, when the Bush tax cuts are set to expire automatically. In other words, Democrats are demanding, as part of this deal, that Republicans agree to let them do…something they could do even if Republicans refused to agree to it. The best way to understand the revenue in this plan, in fact, is that it’s a concession to Republicans, not Democrats. It effectively takes the 2012 expiration of the Bush tax cuts and all of the leverage that gives Democrats off the table, but doesn’t ask for more revenue in return. Rather, there’s about 25 percent as much revenue in this plan as there is in simply doing nothing and letting the Bush tax cuts expire, and half as much revenue in this plan as in the Simpson-Bowles/Gang of Six plans recommended, and this plan also gives up Democrats ability to go for more revenue in 2012 when the Bush tax cuts expire. See this graph/post for a clearer comparison. To understand why there are different spins on revenue from this deal, read this. H/t JB . Also this morning : The Times says a deal is close, USAToday says both sides are far apart — and the Washington Post reports Democrats aren’t happy : With more concerns than details, Democrats lashed out, saying that deep cuts to federal agency budgets and entitlements were too steep a price to pay. They questioned whether Obama shared their core values, and they sought reassurance — at a hastily arranged evening meeting at the White House that lasted nearly two hours — that the final legislative package would be the balanced approach that the president had promised. “There has to be a balance. There has to be some revenue and cuts. My caucus agrees with that. I hope that the president sticks with that,” said Harry Reid. “It would concern me greatly if these folks—the tea party group—have been able to convince the president to go along with a deal that basically gives them everything they want but yet still takes away from those who are our most vulnerable, ” said Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. Also: Once again, The Onion reports on the continuing debate in a conclusion a little too close to home.

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Home owner will not face charges over burglar’s stabbing death

Prosecutor rules Peter Flanagan acted in self-defence when he confronted four burglars, one of them armed with a machete A 59-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder following a burglary at his home has been released without charge after it was deemed he had used reasonable force after being confronted by four masked men. Peter Flanagan, 59, was detained after the death of John Bennell, 27, who died from a stab wound to the chest after a number of masked men, one of whom was armed with a machete, broke into Flanagan’s home. He had been due to answer police bail on Monday. Nazir Afzal, the chief crown prosecutor for the north-west, said: “I have today told the police of my decision that Peter Flanagan should not face any charges in connection with the death of John Bennell, an intruder who broke into his home in Salford on 22 June. “I am satisfied that Peter Flanagan acted in self-defence after being woken by noises downstairs in his house shortly before midnight. On investigating the disturbance he was confronted by intruders, one of whom was armed with a machete. “In a case such as this I have to ask myself whether the use of force was necessary and whether it was reasonable in the circumstances. People are entitled to use reasonable force in self-defence to defend themselves, their family and their property.” Greater Manchester police said they respected the prosecutor’s decision. Peter Flanagan’s 27-year-old son Neil and his girlfriend, who contacted emergency services, were also arrested following the incident, but were later released without charge. At the time of the burglary, John Bennell was on bail for another burglary in Staffordshire. His family have been informed of the decision not to pursue charges against Flanagan. Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan of Greater Manchester police said: “When presented with the circumstances of that evening we made the right and proper decision to make the arrests. We had a duty of care to John Bennell’s family, the occupants of the house and to the coroner to fully investigate this death to determine whether or not it was a criminal act or one of self-defence. I am satisfied that we provided the full facts of the case to the CPS and I respect their decision.” Martin Jamieson, 27, of Eccles, and Wesley Gibbons, 23, of Stretford, have been charged with aggravated burglary in connection with the incident. Christopher Troy, 23, of Hyde, is also charged with aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. Crime Manchester Helen Carter guardian.co.uk

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Somali rebels deny lifting ban on foreign aid groups

Al-Shabab spokesman says specific agencies still ‘not welcome’ in drought-affected areas, and rejects UN famine claims Somali Islamist rebels have denied lifting a ban on certain aid groups in drought-affected areas and rejected the UN’s claim that there is a famine in the region. The rebel group al-Shabab, which controls much of southern Somalia, had said earlier this month that it would allow all humanitarian groups access to assist with the drought response. But al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage has told a local radio station that the ban on specific aid agencies, which was imposed in 2009 and 2010, still stands. At the time, the rebels accused various humanitarian groups, including the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which is expected to lead the current drought response, of damaging the local economy, being anti-Muslim, and of spying for the government. “Those earlier banned groups are not welcome to serve in our area of control,” Rage said on Friday. Successive poor rainy seasons have caused a hunger crisis across the Horn of Africa , where 11 million people urgently need food aid. The situation is most acute in Somalia due to the ongoing conflict between pro-government forces and the al-Shabab rebels, as well as the Islamists’ mistrust of outside help. The UN this week declared famine in two regions, Lower Shabelle and Bakool, which are both largely under the insurgents’ control. In a media briefing on Thursday evening in Mogadishu, Rage accused the UN of ulterior motives, and said that there was no famine. “We say [the UN declaration] is totally, 100% wrong and baseless propaganda. Yes there is drought, but the conditions are not as bad as they say. They have another objective and it wouldn’t surprise us if they were politicising the situation.” The WFP plans to airlift food within the next few days into Mogadishu, to where many people have fled from the countryside due to hunger. The organisation is also looking at ways of getting food into the famine-hit areas if it can get assurances that its staff will not be harmed and aid will not be diverted. David Orr, spokesman for the WFP in Nairobi, said the organisation had not received any official communication from al-Shabab that the ban was still in place. “We are taking at face value the original statement that all humanitarian agencies will be allowed back in, and are proceeding on that basis. Our imperative remains getting into the famine zone as quickly as possible.” Somalia Drought Aid Famine Food Islam Africa United Nations Water Xan Rice guardian.co.uk

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Horde of ‘gay barbarians’ glitter Bachmann clinic

Click here to view this media A group of “gay barbarians” danced and threw glitter in the lobby of a Christian clinic owned by Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann after staff said that her husband Marcus would not be coming out to “discipline” them. ColumbusGoHome.com issued this statement: Today a horde of gay barbarians descended upon Michele and Marcus Bachmann’s “pray away the gay” clinic and demanded that Marcus come out and discipline them for their “deviant” behavior. Marcus Bachmann, who conducts “reparative therapy” at the clinic intended to convert homosexuals, has said that gays are “barbarians who need to be disciplined.” The horde requested to speak directly with Bachmann and experience some “discipline” for themselves. When Marcus was no where to be found, the barbarians glittered the empty waiting room and reception area while chanting, “You can’t pray away the gay — baby, I was born this way!”

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Cornwall moves toward its own bank holiday

Council committee votes in favour of turning St Piran’s Day into extra holiday in Cornwall Many Cornish people believe the far south-west of England is a nation apart from the rest of Britain. Now councillors have voted in favour of turning its “national” saint day into a bank holiday just for Cornwall. Members of Cornwall council’s corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee have approved the idea of making St Piran’s Day – 5 March – into a bank holiday. Supporters of the idea argue that many Cornish people already treat St Piran’s Day as an extra holiday and claim it may attract more tourists to the lively celebrations. Others worry that business will be harmed if Cornwall has a day off when the rest of the UK is hard at work and will confuse visitors. Doris Ansari, one of the longest serving councillors, said she was in favour of a St Piran’s bank holiday. “A lot of people take St Piran’s Day off anyway,” she said. Councillor Steve Double, said: “I am proud to be Cornish but I struggle to see how it will actually work if we have a different bank holiday to the rest of the country.” Double, who used to work in a bank, said he could foresee difficulties if banks were closed on 5 March in Cornwall but not across the rest of the country. Councillor Steve Eva, said: “I can’t support this. We should have the same bank holidays as the rest of the country.” St Piran is the patron saint of tin miners. He is accepted by many as Cornwall’s national saint and his flag – a white cross on a black background – will be familiar to many holidaymakers. According to the St Piran Trust , he was probably born in Ireland in the 6th century. One legend has him being tied to a millstone in Ireland and rolled off a cliff into a storm-whipped sea. The sea immediately became calm and he floated safely to Cornwall. In recent years there have been moves, some supported by the council and lovers of Cornwall’s heritage, to boost St Piran’s Day and make it more akin to St Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated joyously not only in Ireland but across the globe. Many pub landlords have seen the commercial benefits of hearty St Piran’s Day celebrations and put on themed events. The corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee was split 50-50 over the idea of a separate bank holiday and it took the casting vote of the chairman to push it through. The idea will now be debated by the full council. The department for culture, media and sport is consulting about moving the May Day bank holiday to a different date. A decision is expected early in 2012. Cornwall council attracted headlines, and some criticism, earlier this summer when it emerged it was mooting a £1-a-night tax on visitors. Cornwall Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

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