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LulzSec Claims Hack of Arizona Law Enforcement Info

Click here to view this media Hmmm… I wonder if we’ll be hearing anything about our buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio with this news? LulzSec claims hack of Arizona law enforcement info : Hacking group LulzSec took aim at law enforcement in the state of Arizona on Thursday, saying it was releasing “hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords” belonging to those in law enforcement. The group, which has claimed responsibility for various denial-of-service attacks in recent weeks, ranging from the CIA and U.S. Senate’s public websites to those of various video game companies, said it specifically targeted Arizona “because we are against SB 1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona.” SB 1070, a tough immigration law, was passed a year ago by state legislators, but immediately challenged. A preliminary injunction by a federal judge has blocked most of the law from going into effect. Arizona is planning to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the injunction. Read on… Breaking: LulzSec leaks Arizona law enforcement papers (Updated: Details!) : LulzSec just now announced a trove of leaked material it claims is from Arizona law enforcement agencies, made available as a 446MB torrent . We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement. We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona. The documents classified as “law enforcement sensitive”, “not for public distribution”, and “for official use only” are primarily related to border patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to infiltrate various gangs, cartels, motorcycle clubs, Nazi groups, and protest movements. Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarassing personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to terrorize communities fighting an unjust “war on drugs”. Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common oppressors – the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world. See you again real soon! ;D Many of the documents seem to be mundane, but the sheer size of the dump means that it’ll take some time for reporters to parse. After the jump, I’ll post anything newsworthy that I spot on a skim-through.

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Andy Murray v Ivan Ljubicic – live! | Tom Lutz

• Hit F5 or use the autorefresh for the latest updates • Email your thoughts and gags to tom.lutz@guardian.co.uk • Follow Tom on Twitter , if that’s your thing • Read about Laura Robson’s defeat to Maria Sharapova Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 5-4* Ljubicic Murray, a break up, decides he may as well have a swing or two. Murray will need to serve this one out though. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, *5-3 Ljubicic Murray’s not hanging around, he can still squeeze out 30 minutes of My Family if he plays the next game well. Hold to love. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 4-3* Ljubicic Murray won’t sit back on the ropes during Ljubicic’s service game. He tears around the court and only just misses a backhand down the line after being moved about by Ljubicic. Woah! Murray picks up a half-volley between his legs and actually wins the point. His casualness made it all the better. Ljubicic still holds though. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, *4-2 Ljubicic Murray had been merely competent up until that last game but started to attack. He really is a terrifying player when he works up some momentum. The cameraman is building up some steam as the match goes on, he’s picked out Ian Hislop, Bob Willis and Brian Moore in the last couple of games. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 3-2* Ljubicic Wow. Murray is starting to unleash some viscous shots now. A skimming backhand makes it 15-15 and soon enough it’s deuce. Another great backhand – he’s hit 13 winners off that wing – takes us to break point, which he converts. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, *2-2 Ljubicic Bad news My Family fans: if this game doesn’t end by 9.30 it’s going to be shunted to BBC2. I don’t think the BT man is in it now, so you’re not missing anything. Ljubicic reels off a wicked forehand at 30-30 but Murray hits an equally stunning crosscourt backhand to make it 40-30. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 1-2* Ljubicic A nasty dose of net-itis from Ljubicic after a great return from Murray opens up a 0-15 lead. Murray stretches his hamstring, we’ll see how that develops. A wonderful lob brings up break point for Murray, he landed it right on the line. His next shot isn’t quite as precise though and Ljubicic goes on to hold. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, *1-1 Ljubicic The match goes to two hours and I’m now an hour into overtime, meaning I’ve clocked up a free packet of prawn coacktail at the canteen*. Ljubicic is still fighting though and looks twice the man he did in the third set. He notches a break point after yet more great play at the net. Murray saves with a rocket down the line. Ljubicic prangs an easy forehand into the net and groans in frustration. Murray seals the game shortly afterwards. *Offer only applicable between 3am and 6am on Tuesdays in November. Fourth set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 0-1* Ljubicic A mad dash for a toilet break from Lutz, who makes it back just in time to see Ljubicic win the first game of the set. “Surely Sue Barker is kind of generically everywhere,” says Clare Davies in response to the Barker Paradox. No, you’re thinking of Michael McI***re. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, *6-1 Ljubicic Murray sends down an ace to bring up set point. Ljubicic sends his return long on the next serve and it’s two sets to one. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 5-1* Ljubicic An actual game for Ljubicic there! Four whole points! The man’s on a roll. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, *5-0 Ljubicic I’m guessing Ljubicic is conserving energy for the fourth set now. One shot doesn’t even make the net. The problem is for him, that Murray gains momentum. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 4-0* Ljubicic Sue Barker is now on two channels: on Question of Sport on BBC2 and telling us about Question of Sport on BBC1. Hopefully this won’t create some kind of Sue paradox where she exists in two places at once and the universe ends just as Murray is hitting form. I should say Ljubicic is looking tired now. Those groundstrokes don’t quite have the power they did in the first set and Murray secures the double break. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, *3-0 Ljubicic “This ‘come on Tim’ nonsense could be the making of Murray,” says Lloyd. All it needs, is for Murray himself, upon winning some stunning point to scream ‘Come on Tim’ as loud as he can, and he’s sorted. Loved forever more.” He’s doing OK without that. Just took the game to love. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, 2-0* Ljubicic Murray executes a delightful drop shot to make it 0-15. Not a bad shot to make against a man whose top speed is around 7mph. Murray gets a hand when Ljubicic smacks a forehand into the net and he’s got two break point. Ljubicic saves the first with a wide serve but can’t save the second. Third set: Murray 6-4, 4-6, *1-0 Ljubicic “If you want to keep up the Hamlet superiority, you can always shout ‘a hit, a palpable hit’ during a rally,” giggles Peter Hillmore. Murray as gone to the toilet and Ljubicic has called the trainer on to see to a blister. Blisters are why I always lose my five setters. It’s what did for me in the Chantry Road Under-12s tournament. That and my opponent’s dad was the umpire. He reversed a call when his son got in a huff. The injustice still burns inside me. I was later kicked out of the club for fighting: the blazers couldn’t handle someone with my talent and attitude. Talking of dodgy temperaments: Murray looks ragged, missing a few clear openings – including paffing a shot into the net at 40-30. He takes the game though. Just about. Second set: Murray 6-4, 4-6* Ljubicic Ljubicic sends down an ace to make it 30-0 and that sets him fair to take the set. He wins it with another ace. Second set: Murray 6-4, *4-5 Ljubicic “Hamlet doesn’t say ‘I knew him so well’: he doesn’t even say ‘well’. He says ‘Alas, poor Yorick / I knew him, Horatio’,” says Justin Horton. “What did they teach you at school?” Look I did Coriolanus, alright? There are zero good lines in that. I don’t even know if I spelled Coriolanus right. Murray looks much better on his serve there as drops just one point. Second set: Murray 6-4, 3-5* Ljubicic “This ‘Come on Tim’ thing … it’s got nothing to do with the relative popularity of Messrs Henman and Murray, has it?,” says Max Dowler. “It’s just that getting it deliberately wrong was quite funny the first time someone shouted it back in 2007 or whenever, isn’t it?” Completely true. I still think it’s funny now but that says a lot about me. COME ON VIRGINIA! Second set: Murray 6-4, *3-4 Ljubicic One of those lovely moments where someone shrieks in fear at completely the wrong time: a Ljubicic forehand is going way long and a lady screams. Actually, it could have been Ljubicic fan. Murray serves his sixth double-fault of the game to make it 30-30. A great backhand down the line brings up 40-30, a beautiful shot. Second set: Murray 6-4, 2-4* Ljubicic I was up at 5.55am to buy my Olympics tickets this morning – women’s football final and weightlifting since you don’t ask – so apologies if I drop off at some point. Murray plays some nice stuff to make it 0-30 but Ljubicic shrugs and it’s soon 40-30. A huge serve and a forehand round things off. Second set: Murray 6-4, *2-3 Ljubicic “Murray has some of Hamlet’s northern froideur and plenty of the Prince’s angsty indecision,” says Gary Naylor. Where do you get this stuff from Naylor? Your mind is fascinating. “And, spookily, his girlfriend looks very like his mother.” Alas poor Dokic I knew her so well. That doesn’t really fit but I feel like I should get the last word in as your host for the evening. Murray takes the game easily-ish. Second set: Murray 6-4, 1-3* Ljubicic “Looks like a long evening for you,” guffaws my colleague Jacob Steinberg. “And to think McDonalds is just down the road.” I should point out Steinberg is on the 1.30am shift (aka The winner’s shift) so we’ll see who’s laughing at 10pm when Andy’s wrapped this up in four sets. While Murray growls and prowls, Ljubicic looks like a man who doesn’t give an eff. He doesn’t even care when he tries a drop shot so laughable it could have come from Murray. Second set: Murray 6-4, *1-2 Ljubicic “Has no-one even thrown Murray a curveball and yelled: ‘Marry me Steffi!!!’ yet? I thought at least one joker would pull that one out the bag,” says Pete Brooksbank. Sounds like you’re the man, Pete. If you get lucky Andy may even agree. You could do worse, he’s worth a few quid. Murray takes the game but there was another double fault in there. Second set: Murray 6-4, 0-2* Ljubicic “I think the sweatband makes Ljubicic’s head look a pie and crust,” says Ian McCourt from down the office. I am yet to have my tea, this pie talk is making things worse. Murray nearly rescues a rally from a seemingly hopeless situation but sends a simple backhand long. Second set: Murray 6-4, *0-1 Ljubicic Impressive stuff from Murray at the end of the set. Ljubicic was a break up and serving well but Murray moved him about and got back into the match. Ljubicic helped him with some loose shots though. And Murray shows his generous side, sending down a double fault and a loose volley makes it 15-40. Another double fault leads to the break. First set: Murray 6-4* Ljubicic “Good to see 80s singer Rick Astley in the umpire’s chair,” chortles Gary Naylor. “Filled out a bit since his heyday though.” Bet he’s never going to change his love for you, eh? That was Glenn Medeiros wasn’t it? Bah. Murray’s charge continues as he takes a 0-30 lead but he spoons an easy forehand way long. No matter, Ljubicic can’t handle a Murray lob – he hasn’t got the pace to chase it properly – and that brings up two set points. Murray converts on the second chance. First set: Murray *5-4 Ljubicic Play has ended on the other courts for the day, this is now the only show in town. An easy game for Murray, that break has geed him up. Now we see if Ljubicic can continue his calm start when he has to hold to save the set. First set: Murray 4-4* Ljubicic That’s not a massive surprise. Ljubicic has served more convincingly than Murray in this set and he also has a good record against the Scot. To prove my point he doubles faults on the first point. Murray has started to swear under his breath and for once it actually works as a very loose shot from Ljubicic brings up break point another double fault gifts the game to Murray. First set: Murray *3-4 Ljubicic I want to talk about Ljubicic head for a bit. He’s bald and wears a sweatband which crinkles his skin around the top of the skull. It looks like a crust on creme brulee and you want to put your fingers into it to see if they will break through to the brain underneath. Or you do after a long day. Anyway, while that was happening a shoddy game means Murray is broken to love . Anxious murmurs around Centre Court. First set: Murray 3-3* Ljubicic Apparently Murray has taken some of the pressure off himself by not reading the press anymore. Shame, he’ll miss out on my first world war tank analogy. He could have used it some time at a party or on Twitter. I believe it’s quite the rage among tennis players. What’s this? A double fault from Ljubicic? That makes it 0-30. Murray nearly takes the game to love but some lovely play at the net from Ljubicic saves the first break point. He then reels off a further two to make it deuce. Some more good work at the net eventually brings him a 10-minute or so game. First set: Murray *3-2 Ljubicic Now Murray has delivered some brilliant serves so far and a fair amount of filth. Ljubicic, on the other hand, has a lovely rhythm going. Murray does hit two aces to take the game but he still doesn’t look as steady as his opponent. First set: Murray 2-2* Ljubicic Ljubicic has some huge strokes but he lumbers around the baseline like a tank. A slow one. One of those first world war ones that was always getting stuck in the mud. Murray wins a challenge early in the game and Ljubicic shows a non-plussed face that would put a Parisian waiter to shame. hey! Two analogies in one game! I fear that may be my lot for the match. Anyway, game to Ljubicic with some ease. First set: Murray *2-1 Ljubicic Yet to hear a “Come on Tim” yet. People have heeded Murray’s warnings. Ljubicic shows that fizzing backhand of his smacking one cross court that Murray can do nothing about at 30-0. A decent forehand makes it 30-30 and Murray’s second double fault of the match brings up a break point. Murray pounces on a short ball though to take it to deuce and an 132mph ace seals the game. First set: Murray 1-1 Ljubicic* Let’s see what Ljubicic’s serve looks like tonight. His first one is dumped into the net but he’s got a good second serve too and makes Murray work before losing the point. He recovers though and a few booming ground strokes and an ace hand him the game. First set: Murray* 1-0 Ljubicic Murray starts off in style with two huge aces. Just to make things interesting he double faults at 40-0 but wraps up the opener the next point. 6.47pm: Murray and Ljubicic emerge from the depths of the stadium. McEnroe reckons Ljubicic has nothing to lose here – he’s 32 and a massive underdog. Technically he has got the match to lose but point taken. 6.38pm: And Azerenka takes the match. She does some decent pretend-my-finger-is-a-gun pointing and departs to cheers. 6.36pm: Looks like Azarenka v Hantuchova should be over fairly soon, so Murray will be on in the next 20 minutes or so. Barring some banana-skin themed accident on the way from the dressing room. 6.25pm: Four interesting things about your pantomime villain for this evening, Ivan Ljubicic : 1) He’s got a massive serve, but can’t return for toffee (or even Toffos) so I hope you like tie breaks. Actually, Andy Murray does like tie breaks, so he’ll be quite looking forward to this. 2) He has previously been the ATP Player Council president, so he’s a socialist rabble rouser and will no doubt take to court in overalls and a flat cap, and demand a go-slow from fellow players if the Robinson’s Barley isn’t chilled to the right temperature. 3) He was once world No3, but that was in 2006 and Kaiser Chiefs were cutting edge then. Actually, they weren’t. 4) His head-to-head with Murray stands at 3-3. Ljubicic won their last meeting. There’s only been one set that’s gone to tie-break in their six matches, so my first point now looks a little shaky. Andy Murray Wimbledon 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Tom Lutz guardian.co.uk

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Mao lives: how China keeps the new in touch with the old

The Chinese Communist party’s 90th birthday is the perfect excuse for a modern campaign to glorify the values of the past On a sultry summer afternoon, Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek stand face to face in Beijing’s Longtan Park. In spite of the oppressive heat and the vicious civil war they waged, the chairman gazes at his old foe with serene benevolence. For a moment, the passing tourists freeze. Then they break into grins and crowd around China’s best-known figure for photographs and handshakes. “We saw him on television and were impressed, but this time it was for real, standing in front of us. We’re really honoured to meet him in person,” said 40-year-old Wang Fei. Mao is not, of course, quite the person he was. Thirty-five years after his death, his shoes are filled by impersonator Shang Qingrui. And as the Communist party of China (CPC) prepares for its 90th anniversary , demand for his services has boomed, with guest appearances already lined up at a string of official events. The CPC has plenty to celebrate. It began in 1921 when 13 men gathered on a boat in eastern China to create an illegal organisation. Today it is the world’s largest and most powerful political party, with more than 80 million members and control of the world’s second largest economy. Despite this, it seems necessary to keep today’s members in awe of the glory of the past, hence a busy campaign complete with revolutionary tours, red song concerts and a new patriotic movie that sprinkles its account of the party’s creation with a host of star cameos aimed at younger viewers . As the party moves ever further from its roots – the new film is co-sponsored by Cadilllac – it exploits them to bolster its relentless, Leninist grip on political power. “This is an absurd era,” Professor He Bing of the China University of Politics and Law told graduates in a bold speech this month. “They encourage you to sing revolutionary songs, but do not encourage you to make revolution; they encourage you to watch [the new movie] The Great Achievement of Founding The Party, but they do not encourage you to establish a party.” He Bing’s view is clearly not part of the official campaign. “Let history tell the future!” booms Shang, in between drags on a cigarette that seems as much prop as habit. The impersonator is reliving the highlights of his last engagement – a party for cadres in Inner Mongolia – where he paid tribute to young red heroines who lost limbs to frostbite fighting to save a herd of sheep. His next booking is at a Beijing jail, to raise the morale of staff and re-educate prisoners. He also takes on corporate work although he drew the line at promoting a spa, judging it too undignified. He is one of several “Mao Zedongs”. When it comes to the impersonation business, you could almost say that Mao is China’s Elvis. They even share slicked-back, jet-black hair and instantly recognisable uniforms – although the chairman’s two piece is rather more sombre than the King’s jewelled jumpsuits. But imitating Mao is no joke: this act is deadly serious. Shang, who has also played the leader in television dramas, is hired not for boozy weddings but staid official events. Others make their living impersonating Song Qingline, revolutionary and widow of Sun Yat-sen, and Deng Xiaoping, who began China’s economic reform in the 1980s. But what does it take to become a successful impersonator? “First we need a person to look like them, and then we need the right character and a high level of thought like the great leaders,” said Shang. “Even though China is huge, it’s not easy to find someone combining those aspects.” Only bushy-eyebrowed former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai – Zheng Jianshan to friends – actually belongs to the party. But Shang, 56, sees their work as a vocation. “In Mao’s generation, the spirit was to serve the people. Now everyone has got their eyes on money,” he said. “We grew up learning this culture. It is my responsibility to pass it on, otherwise it will be lost and young people will be lost.” Others believe the real problem is too much reverence for an imagined past. Last month the Caixin website published a taboo-breaking essay on Mao by influential liberal economist Mao Yushi – no relation. It accused the chairman of wrecking the country and unleashing the turmoil of the cultural revolution to avoid blame for the Great Famine – observations commonplace to Westerners but heretical in China. While the party has admitted Mao made mistakes, it cannot dwell on them without jeopardising its own position. Though swiftly deleted, the piece sparked a mass petition demanding the arrest of the “traitorous” author. Some even threatened the 82-year-old with violence . For these Maoists, many of whom are relatively young and stand against what they see as capitalist excesses and foreign influence, this competing version of history represents a struggle between left and right. This is different from the paternal, patriotic, almost apolitical image of the party promoted by current leaders such as Bo Xilai, Chongqing province’s ambitious party secretary . Some think the red culture drive makes the rise of “princelings” such as Bo – the children of revolutionary leaders – look less like inherited opportunity and more like the continuation of a glorious tradition. But it also reflects his populist touch. While many young people dismiss the campaign as dull and irrelevant, others warm to its message of togetherness and the sense of something “purer” than individual consumerism. “The party may have moved far away from some elements of Marxism and Maoism, including the focus on class struggle,” said historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom, author of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know. “But it is easy to see why, when many people feel it stands for nothing other than maintaining its own position of authority, its leaders might want to invoke memories of a more ideological time.” China Communism Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk

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Milly Dowler family: we paid too high a price

Director of public prosecutions says Bellfield trial raised ‘fundamental questions’ about all aspects of victim support The family of Milly Dowler has attacked the justice system for their “truly horrifying” experience during the trial of the 13-year-old’s murderer, Levi Bellfield, saying that they had paid “too high a price” for his conviction. After their angry, emotional statements on the steps of the Old Bailey, Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, said the trial had raised “fundamental questions”, which would be examined during a Ministry of Justice review into all aspects of victim support. Surrey police apologised for failings made in the initial investigation when Milly was snatched by Bellfield nine years ago. Earlier the judge who sentenced “cruel and pitiless” Bellfield to life for her murder and kidnap dismissed the jury, which was still deliberating on allegations that Bellfield had tried to abduct another girl, Rachel Cowles, then 11, the day before Milly vanished. Jurors were discharged following what the defence said was an “avalanche” of prejudicial media reports after the Milly verdicts, and the charge was ordered to lie on file. There will be no retrial and the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, will consider whether newspaper and broadcast editors must face contempt of court prosecutions. Milly’s parents, Bob, 59, and Sally, 51, and her sister Gemma, 25, made highly charged statements outside the court on the eve of what would have been Milly’s 23rd birthday. Her father, who like her mother was subjected to brutal cross-examination by Bellfield’s defence, said: “We despair of a justice system that is so loaded in favour of the perpetrator of the crime. “We do not see this as true justice for Milly, merely a criminal conviction. My family has had to pay too high a price for this conviction.” Bellfield, 43, a former club doorman, from West Drayton, Middlesex, denied the abduction and murder of Milly, who vanished while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on 21 March, 2002, just yards from where Bellfield was renting a flat. A jury took seven hours to convict him unanimously on Thursday. Surrey police have apologised to the Dowlers, and to Cowles, now 21, for missed opportunities early on in the police investigation which might have led to Bellfield being caught sooner. He went on to murder students Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19, and he attempted to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, a convent school head girl. Bob Dowler said the trial had been “a truly mentally scarring experience on an unimaginable scale” and he and his wife both felt as if “we were on trial”. He condemned Bellfield, who refused to give evidence or appear in the dock for sentence, as “spineless and gutless” for hiding behind his defence QC and challenging the testimony of every witness. “Where is the fairness in a system which allows such behaviour?” he said. Starmer said of the Dowlers’ experience: “Those questions require answers and we will be contributing to the review by the Ministry of Justice into all aspects of victim support.” The Crown Prosecution Service said the adversarial nature of the trial system was “designed to test the evidence given by witnesses,” but it would consider the issues raised by the trial. The former home secretary David Blunkett said the case gave pause for thought. “Barristers have to ask themselves the question: are they merely the conduit, are they merely a paid cipher whose job is to do whatever hatchet job they can?” But Peter Lodder, QC, the chairman of the Bar, said: “This was an exceptional case. Whilst, naturally, our sympathy is with the family of the victim, we must be careful to recognise that the right of an accused person to defend himself is absolute.” Milly’s mother, a maths teacher at her daughter’s school in Weybridge, gave vent to her anger and disgust with Bellfield. “I hope whilst he is in prison he is treated with the same brutality he dealt out to his victims and that his life is a living hell.” She broke down after giving evidence, and physically collapsed after the verdict, and described the trial as an “awful experience,” that had violated the family’s privacy. “To actually see that man in court, a man capable of such a vile and inhuman crime, has been grotesque and distressing.” It was unfair, she added, the “length the system goes to protect his human rights” compared to what their family had endured. “For a mother to bury her child in any circumstances is truly agonising, but to bury your child when you know she died in such an appalling way is unutterably awful.” Milly’s sister, Gemma, said: “In my eyes, justice is ‘an eye for an eye’. You brutally murder someone then you pay the ultimate price … ‘a life for a life’. So in my eyes no real justice has been done. Seeing her parents cross-examined “was the worst day of my life”, worse, even than when she heard that Milly’s remains had been found. They had been put through “mental torture”. The way her sister was portrayed “as a depressed teenager has shocked me terribly”. Addressing the Dowler family as he passed sentence, Mr Justice Wilkie said he appreciated the trial process had been “excruciating for them by reason of the issues the defendant instructed his lawyers to raise in his defence”. “I understand that they feel let down by the trial process in that respect. Unfortunately given the nature of the defence it was unavoidable,” he added. Cowles, who sobbed in court as the jury was released, said she was “extremely hurt and angry that some of the media reporting of this case has now robbed me of the chance for justice for what happened in 2002″. The Dowlers said there had been times when the police investigation had left the family “in despair”. Detective chief inspector Maria Woodall said while it was “highly unlikely” that even a perfect initial investigation would have identified Bellfield, Surrey police acknowledged there was “poor initial response” to Rachel Cowles’s allegation of attempted kidnap the day before Milly went missing. The force also admitted that house-to-house inquiries following Milly’s disappearance “although extensive, were not exhaustive”, after it was revealed that they knocked 10 times on Bellfield’s rented flat without response, but did not follow it up. McDonnell’s uncle, Shane, said the family now wanted an inquiry into police handling of the Dowler case to see if lives could be saved. Milly Dowler UK criminal justice Crime Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk

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David Cameron enraged by brochure showcasing £270m EU building

Booklet was distributed to EU leaders as they sat down to dinner at a Brussels summit on Thursday evening David Cameron seized on an opportunity to voice “immense frustration” at the lavish spending of the Brussels elite after being handed a glossy brochure promoting the European council’s soon to be finished €300m (£270m) headquarters. The brochure was distributed to EU leaders as they sat down to dinner at a Brussels summit on Thursday evening, with Europe facing one of the gravest crises in memory amid predictions of the breakdown of Greece and the potential death of the euro single currency. Herman Van Rompuy of Belgium, the European council president, opened the dinner by passing round the booklet. A lavish, eco-friendly glass and steel construction which will function as a glowing lantern after dark, the Europa Building will house Van Rompuy’s offices and will be the venue for the summits after its completion in 2014. With the EU ordering Greece to cut billions in public spending and undertake a €50bn privatisation round, while itself struggling to generate a €100bn bailout fund to save the country, Van Rompuy’s brochure met with strong criticism. “The prime minister didn’t think this was very well-judged,” said a Downing Street source. “Taxpayers won’t thank us for reminding them how much it costs.” The Downing Street entourage ensured that the pictures were made available to the British media, amid expressions of outrage from government sources. At the press conference after attending his seventh EU summit, Cameron said: “I’m a practical, positive person. But when you see a document being circulated with a great glossy brochure about some great new building for the European council to sit in, it is immensely frustrating. “You do wonder whether these institutions actually get what every country, what every member of the public, is having to go through as we cut budgets and try to make our finances add up.” An aide to Van Rompuy was unapologetic. “This was decided years ago, before the crisis. It will cost more now to cancel than to complete. It’s good value.” Cameron said he found the current summit venue adequate: “I’ve only been to this building seven times in the last year, but it seems to do a perfectly good job of housing the European council.” He conceded that there was little prospect of halting the project – the contracts were awarded in 2005 – but said it should proceed with “economy and efficiency”. He said the European commission and the European institutions had to demonstrate greater frugality. “Our voters, our constituents, our publics want to see us saving, not spending, money.” In Brussels it is already clear that cutting the cost of the EU will be the central campaign of Cameron’s EU policy in the years ahead. The prime minister emphasised the point by announcing that Sir John Cunliffe, his official civil servant adviser on Europe, and the architect of the “five tests” used in 1997 by Gordon Brown when chancellor to keep Tony Blair from taking Britain into the euro, would be the UK ambassador to the EU from January. “The prime minister wanted to make sure that a hard Treasury man was coming over to negotiate” the seven-year EU budget, an official said. The commission in Brussels outlines its 2014-2020 budget proposals next week, signalling the start of an 18-month battle over rebates, farm spending and tax-raising powers. Cunliffe, said Cameron, is “a hugely accomplished civil servant with a great grasp of European issues”. European Union Europe David Cameron Ian Traynor guardian.co.uk

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EU targets Iran for supporting Syrian protest crackdown

Syria denies allegations as EU imposes sanctions against Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders EU sanctions imposed upon close relatives and business associates of President Bashar al-Assad over the repression in Syria have also targeted commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Syria has denied that Iran has been helping to crush unrest, despite claims by western governments and Syrian opposition groups, so the measures against regime figures in Tehran and Damascus, announced in Brussels on Friday, sent a strong message to both countries. Britain denounced Iran’s support for its Arab ally as “absolutely unacceptable” and “blatant hypocrisy”. General Muhammad Ali Jafari, the Revolutionary Guard commander, and General Qasem Soleimani, who leads its elite al-Quds force, both now face EU asset freezes and travel bans. They are already subject to US sanctions. The EU document cites three Iranians as “providing equipment and support to help the Syrian regime suppress protests”. Hossein Taeb is described as the Revolutionary Guard’s deputy commander for intelligence. The guard answers directly to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and works closely with Iran’s allies in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. It is a priority target for western intelligence agencies. Iran is accused of equipping Syria to block the internet, drawing on its own extensive experience of crushing protests, especially after its disputed 2009 elections. Israeli sources have claimed Iran supplied sniper rifles to Syria and organised a protest march by Palestinians to the occupied Golan Heights. Turkish media reported this week that President Assad’s brother Maher, who has masterminded the military crackdown, is working with Iranian intelligence organisation Savama, which has also been tracking Syrian opposition figures in Turkey. The Sabah daily also claimed Maher has recruited former Iranian Revolutionary Guards for $5,000 (£3,100) a month. Reports from Syrian troublespots have described mysterious bearded men who did not speak Arabic, or others speaking Arabic in the accent of Ahwaz, capital of Iran’s Khuzestan province. Others suggest Lebanese Hezbollah militiamen, allies of Syria, have been involved. Iran has denied any role and accused the US and Israel of “provoking terrorist groups in Syria and the region to carry out terrorist and sabotage operations”. Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, said: “The Iranian government’s provision of equipment and technical advice to help suppress peaceful protests is absolutely unacceptable. “Iran’s actions are in stark contrast to the will of the Syrian people. They also highlight again Iran’s blatant hypocrisy, claiming publicly to support freedom in the Arab world, while privately assisting in violent repression.” Western governments say the latest sanctions are designed to increase political and economic pressure on the Assad regime. They apply to Zou al-Hima Shalish, the president’s cousin and security chief who controls a huge contracting firm; Riyad Shalish, his brother and director of military housing, and Khalid Qaddur and Raif al-Quwatli, both business associates of Maher al-Assad. The EU has also targeted four Syrian business entities, two of them owned by Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf, the country’s richest businessman, who said last week he intended to make his profits available for public use. EU leaders adopted a declaration condemning the “unacceptable and shocking violence the Syrian regime continues to apply on its own citizens”. “By choosing a path of repression instead of fulfilling its own promises on broad reforms, the regime is calling its legitimacy into question,” it said. “Those responsible for crimes and violence against civilians shall be held accountable.” Iran Arab and Middle East unrest Syria Middle East Europe European Union Bashar Al-Assad Ian Black guardian.co.uk

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Former White House adviser Jared Bernstein is, of course, an economist and thinks in terms of what makes sense, and good policy. But that’s not exactly the game we’re playing here, is it? A journalist just asked me what I thought of Eric Cantor abandoning the budget talks because the Democrats are insisting that the deal include both spending cuts and revenue increases. I’ve been around this town awhile. I could easily slip into the cynical Washington insider mode and write off this kind of political theater as strategy or posturing. But not this time. It’s profoundly irresponsible and reckless behavior. Given the fragile recovery, the recent growth slowdown, and the looming debt ceiling, I don’t understand how someone elected to represent the best interests of the country can justify such an action. I know…the R’s really don’t want revenues to be part of the budget deal. But the reality is that they’re not running the country on their own and that means they’ll need to compromise. Anyone walking away from that table needs to take a hard look at the extent of economic hardship facing American families right now and ask yourself why prolonging that pain is worth the political leverage you gain from it.The time for such game playing is long past. Stop screwing around, cut the deal, and raise the debt ceiling .

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Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, in UK for state visit

While economic issues are likely to dominate, both he and David Cameron will be keen to discuss Libya Chinese premier Wen Jiabao arrives in the UK on Saturday night for the middle stretch of a five-day European visit that began in Hungary and concludes in Germany. The debt crisis will figure high on the agenda throughout. China has the world’s largest foreign exchange holdings and, while it does not disclose their composition, has said it has bought more in European bonds. “China is ready to continue to help European countries achieve a stable economic growth through co-operation with relevant countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in advance of the trip. China’s economic ascendancy will be underscored by Wen’s visit to Longbridge for the launch of the MG6 Magnette car; Shanghai Automotive owns the MG Rover plant. He will also visit Stratford-upon-Avon – because of his interest in Shakespeare – before going to London for talks with the prime minister and a speech at the Royal Society. While economic issues are likely to dominate, both he and David Cameron will be keen to discuss Libya and wider issues in the region. China has held talks with rebels and abstained from voting on UN Security Council resolution 1973, but complained about the air strikes as soon as they began. China’s decision to release the dissident artist Ai Weiwei on bail has taken one contentious case off the agenda, but the UK is still expected to raise human rights issues: the question will be whether it does so publicly or privately, and how strongly it does so. China David Cameron Economics Global economy Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk

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Google confirms FTC’s antitrust probe

Google confirms notification by US Federal Trade Commission of investigation into dominance of search ad market Google has been formally notified by the US Federal Trade Commission of a wide-ranging investigation into its dominance of the search advertising market, the company confirmed on Friday . The widely trailed investigation is the most significant in Google’s 12-year history, on a par with the lengthy Department of Justice probe into Microsoft, which led to tighter regulation and from which the technology giant’s image has never fully recovered. Google, which had revenues of $29bn (18.1bn) in 2010, was given notice on Thursday that the FTC will issue “civil investigative demands” – a civil law equivalent to subpoenas – compelling the search giant to share information about its business practices. One area of concern is whether or not Google’s search results rank its own websites and services above those of rivals, which could be seen as anti-competitive. Many critics claim Google automatically places its own websites, such as Google Finance and Google Maps, towards the top of the list in search results. In a blog published on Friday, Google search engineer Amit Singhal confirmed: “Yesterday, we received formal notification from the US Federal Trade Commission that it has begun a review of our business. We respect the FTC’s process and will be working with them.” Google’s share price has been falling since Wednesday as news of the inquiry leaked to the financial markets. At the time of publication, it had dropped $19 from Tuesday’s closing price of $493, to just under $475. Google is facing similar probes by the European Commission and the Texas attorney general, but previous FTC inquiries have focused on more peripheral matters such as a proposed partnership with search rival Yahoo! and its acquisition of advertising technology group DoubleClick. The new FTC inquiry will focus on the heart of Google’s search advertising business, which provides most of its revenue. The search engine has a near monopoly position. Despite the best efforts of Yahoo! and Microsoft’s Bing, Google accounts for two-thirds of searches in the US, and close to 90% in the UK. Google has always maintained that access to its rivals is a mouse click away and switching search engines costs nothing. It counters arguments from some quarters that it should be regulated like a utility, and says competition comes from across the internet. “Using Google is a choice,” writes Singhal, “and there are lots of other choices available to you for getting information: other general-interest search engines, specialised search engines, direct navigation websites, mobile applications, social networks and more.” Google Internet Search engines United States Digital media Advertising Juliette Garside guardian.co.uk

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Figures show surge in number of measles cases

More cases of measles in first five months of 2011 than in the whole of 2010, according to Health Protection Agency There have been more cases of measles in the first five months of this year than in the whole of 2010, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). It says 496 cases of measles were reported in England and Wales up to the end of May, compared with 374 for the whole of 2010. Most cases were in London and the south-east, with children and teenagers most commonly affected. HPA data also shows a rise in children having the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Among two-year-olds quarterly figures show 90% were vaccinated – the highest level for 13 years. PA MMR Health Children guardian.co.uk

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