Vincent Van Gogh’s younger brother Theo was his closest ally and many found it strange that the artist never painted him. Researchers at the Van Gogh Museum, however, now believe that an 1887 painting long thought to have been one of Vincent’s dozens of self-portraits is actually a portrait of…
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Wellies and waterproofs are essential attire as the first of more than 170,000 ticket-holders arrive at Worthy Farm
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Wellies and waterproofs are essential attire as the first of more than 170,000 ticket-holders arrive at Worthy Farm
Continue reading …Chid care experts are backing supporters of a young Spanish mom whose baby was taken away from her by authorities who complained about her “chaotic” on-demand breastfeeding patterns and habit of taking her baby into her bed at night. She “uses breastfeeding as a pacifier and a toy, offering her…
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Swansea court told defendant lured Rebecca Aylward, 15, to woods in Bridgend and beat her with a rock to win bet A schoolboy murdered a former girlfriend by battering her with a rock after he was promised a free breakfast if he carried out the killing, a jury heard. The alleged killer, aged 16, lured Rebecca Aylward, 15, to woods near Bridgend in south Wales where he attacked her, Swansea crown court heard. To divert suspicion, he told her to tell friends she was meeting someone else. But she did not follow his directions and revealed his identity to her mother, the jury heard on Tuesday. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering Rebecca in October last year and blames his best friend. Greg Taylor QC, prosecuting, said the accused boy and Rebecca had briefly been in a relationship about a year before the murder and had kept in touch. The defendant used to meet friends at a local cafe for breakfast, the court heard. At one meeting, he openly discussed killing the girl. His friends assumed he was joking but, in a text,he asked one friend: “What would you do if I actually did kill her?” the court heard. The friend replied: “Oh, I would buy you breakfast.” Two days before the killing, the defendant contacted his friend to confirm he would attend their breakfast date. He added: “Don’t say anything but you may just owe me a breakfast.” His friend replied: “Sick, sick boy.” After the killing, the boy is alleged to have asked friends: “Do you know how hard it is to break someone’s neck?” The jury heard that the boy told them: “She was facing away from me and I thought: ‘This is it, I’m going to go for it.’ I tried to break her neck. She was screaming so I picked up the rock and started to hit her with it. The worst part was feeling and seeing her skull give way.” The jury was told the “academic” boy and Rebecca, also a bright child, had dated for three months and had a sexual relationship. Taylor said: “When they split up it was not amicable – all of their friends observed a love-hate relationship between them. They gave different reasons for the break-up. “The boy said Rebecca tried to trick him into getting her pregnant. She told him she was on the pill and he found out that she wasn’t and that she had lied to him. The boy was also telling people that Rebecca was going to go to the police and alleged that he raped her. “Rebecca’s version was that the boy refused to wear condoms and she asked him repeatedly to wear them but he refused.” The boy allegedly told a friend: “Wouldn’t it be easier if she wasn’t here? I am going to kill her – it would be real easy.” The jury heard another friend said the defendant claimed he would “kill her, cover it up and not get caught”. He also allegedly claimed he would make “a poison” out of foxgloves and kill her using that. The trial continues. Crime Wales Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
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Official statistics reveal that England’s primary and secondary schools are becoming more diverse England’s state schools are far more ethnically diverse than they were five years ago, with almost a quarter of all pupils in primary and secondaries from an ethnic minority, official statistics show . Some 24.3% of pupils in state primaries and secondaries are from an ethnic minority, according to figures collected in January and published by the Department for Education (DfE). Five years ago, the proportion was 19.8%. In primary schools, 26.5% of pupils are from an ethnic minority, compared with 21.9% five years ago. In secondaries, 22.2% of pupils are from an ethnic minority, compared with 17.7% five years ago. The statistics, taken from the School Census and surveys completed by local authorities, show the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English has risen to 16.8% in primary schools, from 13.5% five years ago. In secondaries, the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English is 12.3%, compared with 10.5% five years ago. In the east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, the proportion of primary school pupils whose first language is not English is 78% and 74% respectively. A spokesman from the DfE said that pupils whose mother tongue was not English did not necessarily have poor English skills. “The evidence is clear that once English is established, children catch up and even overtake their peers,” he said. Ethnic minorities will make up a fifth of Britain’s population by 2051 , compared with 8% in 2001, according to projections published by the University of Leeds. Some 121,420 more pupils in state schools are eligible for and claiming free school meals than five years ago, the figures also show. Around 18% of pupils now claim free school meals, compared with 16% in 2007. In nursery and primary schools, the figure is almost one in five – 19.2% – while in secondaries it is 15.9%. Local authorities that are offering all pupils free school meals as part of a pilot project only included those pupils who are currently eligible for the benefit. Meanwhile, separate figures show the number of parents who appealed to get their child into their preferred state primary school last year grew by 10.5% on the year before. Some 42,070 parents appealed against their local authority’s decision, compared with 38,080 the year before. This means that just over five in every 100 primary school places were contested. The number of primary school appeals has doubled in the last four years. Demand for places has soared because of a baby boom. Some parents, to save money, have also changed their minds about sending their children to private schools. The number of parents who appealed because their child did not get into their preferred secondary school fell to 43,095 last year, from 50,195 the year before. However, the statisticians did not include the growing number of academy schools. The proportion of parents who were successful in their appeals against a primary school allocation dropped to 24.5% from 25% the year before. But the proportion who were successful in their appeals against a secondary school allocation rose to 34.4%, from 33.3% the year before. The School Census statistics also reveal that more than 8,000 children aged five and six are being taught in classes that are above the legal limit. In 2001, it became illegal for primary schools to teach children under eight years old in classes of more than 30 pupils, other than in exceptional circumstances. Some 310 classes for five and six year olds were above the legal limit, compared with 130 five years ago. Overall, the average class size for this age group has risen to 26.9 pupils, from 25.6 in 2007. Overall, the average class size in state primaries has gone up to 26.6 pupils, compared with 26.2 five years ago, but the average class size in a state secondary has gone down to 20.4 from 21.2 in the same period. Schools Primary schools Secondary schools School meals Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …A half-million-dollar line of credit wasn’t large enough to satisfy the Gingrich family’s bling appetite. It turns out Newt and wife Calista had a second line of credit at Tiffany’s worth close to $1 million, a spokesman has revealed. The second million-dollar tab was revealed yesterday ahead of the personal…
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Unite union says its members overwhelmingly backed settlement on new pay deal and travel concessions The British Airways cabin crew dispute ended on Tuesday when staff accepted a peace deal after 18 months of conflict. The Unite union said its members voted 92% in favour of what it described as an “honourable settlement”, with 8% against in a turnout of 72%. Just under 10,000 cabin crew were balloted. The union recommended the deal, which it said would see travel concessions returned to the BA crew who had the facility removed when they went on strike last year. Agreements have also been made on a new pay deal, and on safeguarding routes and working arrangements as the carrier introduces a new fleet of crew. There will also be a third-party binding arbitration process established to consider the cases of staff disciplined by the airline during the dispute. Len McCluskey, Unite’s general secretary, who drew up the deal with BA’s chief executive, Keith Williams, said: “Unite always firmly believed this dispute would be solved not through conflict but through negotiation. Thankfully we have reached an honourable agreement with BA. The overwhelming acceptance of this deal by cabin crew means that both parties can now move forward together on securing a bright future for the airline. “I want to pay personal tribute to the cabin crew for the principled stand they took. In these difficult times it takes courage to stand up for what you believe, but thousands of crew did so, at great personal expense and emotional cost … I hope it sends a message to employers everywhere that working with your workforce is the only way to secure productive change.” Thousands of staff took part in 22 days of strikes last year, which cost BA £150m, although the airline said it had made savings as a result of the long-term structural changes now in place with its crews. The changes made to the number of cabin crew on BA flights had given the airline an annual saving of £60m, said the firm. The two sides were locked in one of the longest disputes in the UK for years after cost-cutting moves taken by the airline. The conflict spread to other areas after BA withdrew travel concessions from Unite members who went on strike, and took disciplinary action against a number of staff. A BA spokesman said: “The skills and professionalism of British Airways cabin crew are second to none, and we are delighted this dispute is behind us. We have made permanent structural savings to our business, which is now ready to invest £5.5bn over the next five years for the benefit of our customers.” British Airways Airline industry Travel & leisure Unite Trade unions guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …World’s wealthiest people now richer than before the credit crunch, says study
June 22, 2011 No Comment
World Wealth Report reveals soaring numbers of rich individuals in Asia Pacific region – but slower growth in Britain • Read the full report here The world’s wealthiest people were richer last year than they were before the 2008 banking crisis. There were also more of them in 2010 – 10.9m – than there were before the recession struck, according to a new report. But in the UK these so-called high net worth individuals (HNWIs) – people who have more than $1m (£620,000) of free cash – have not enjoyed a return to pre-crisis levels of wealth as sluggish economic growth holds back their prospects. According to the annual world wealth report by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini, the wealth of HNWIs around the world reached $42.7tn in 2010, rising by 9.7% and surpassing the peak of $40.7tn reached in 2007. The report also measures a category of ultra-high net worth individuals – essentially those with $30m to invest. This class of wealthy people rose by 10% to 103,000, while the value of their investments jumped by 11.5%. The performance of investments made by wealthy individuals in shares and commodities helped drive their wealth, which in turn fuelled “passion” purchases of luxuries such as such as Ferraris, diamonds, Chinese art and fine wines, particularly by the growing number of wealthy individuals in the emerging markets. North America is home to the highest number of rich people – some 3.4 million – but for the first time the Asia-Pacific region, with 3.3 million HNWIs, now has the second largest number, overtaking Europe. European’s wealth rose 7.2% to $10.2tn while Asia Pacific gained 12.1% to $10.8tn. The wealth of the richest people in the Asia Pacific region is now up 14.1% since 2007, although individuals in North America and Europe are yet to recoup the losses they suffered during the banking crisis. The growth in the number of rich individuals in the UK was among the slowest among the top 10 nations, showing a 1.4% rise to 454,000 and remaining below the 495,000 recorded in 2007. The report said that while the UK stock market rose almost 30% and GDP grew 1.3% – after contracting 4.9% in 2009 – the fortunes of the rich were held back by falling house prices and the rise in unemployment. Their prospects might improve next year, however. “Construction spending for the 2012 London Olympics is expected to help propel the economy and the housing market recovery,” the report said. Adam Horowitz, head of UK, Ireland and Israel at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, said that the overall improvement in wealth in 2010 was because of the rise in the value of investments. “Global capital markets and major asset classes performed well over the year on the back of rising investor risk appetite,” he said. “The shift toward equities in 2010 by HNWI investors reflected the search for returns and the desire to recoup more crisis-related losses. We also saw HNWIs continue to favour specific asset classes, such as equities and commodities, based on market opportunity or long-standing preferences.” The 1.4% rise in the number of rich people in the UK compares with a 7.2% rise in Germany and 8.3% in the US – where there are 3.1m HNWIs – and the 3.4% rise in France. India moved into the top 12, with a 20.8% rise to 153,000, for the first time, while Italy, 10th in the table, endured a contraction in the number of wealthy people from 190,000 to 170,000. Rich lists United States India China Jill Treanor guardian.co.uk
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British designer emerges for one-day trial to face charges that he publicly made antisemitic comments in a Paris cafe Former Dior designer John Galliano has gone on trial charged with hurling antisemitic slurs in a Paris cafe, allegations that shocked the fashion world and cost him his job at the French high-fashion house. The outspoken British designer emerged for the one-day trial after spending months staying out of the public eye. In a conservative look for him, Galliano was dressed in black with a polka dot neckerchief, sporting a pencil moustache and long hair. Galliano is charged with “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity” and could face up to six months in prison and €22,500 in fines. The verdict is expected at a later date. The famed designer was escorted to a front-row seat in the wood-panelled, gilded courtroom at the Justice Palace, sitting next to an interpreter as he faced the three judges presiding over his fate. Journalists, including fashion writers, packed the wooden benches in the courtroom, which features a high ceiling painted with a woman holding the scales of justice. Television cameras were not allowed in the courtroom but trailed the designer as he went inside. A couple contends that Galliano made antisemitic comments to them in the cafe in February. Galliano was taken in by police for questioning, and a test showed he was drunk at the time. Another woman then came forward with similar claims about another incident in the same cafe last October. Both accusations were being addressed at Wednesday’s trial. Days after the February bar incident, a video was broadcast on the website of the Sun showing an inebriated Galliano insulting a fellow cafe client, slurring “I love Hitler”. His lawyer, Aurelien Hamelle told The Associated Press this week that the designer’s comments were “misplaced and hurtful” but attributed them to Galliano’s addition to alcohol and prescription drugs. Galliano issued a statement at the time saying: “Antisemitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologise for my behaviour in causing any offence.” He also said he was “seeking help” for personal failures, spending two months in rehab in the US. The lawyer said he will call witnesses at the cafe during both incidents who say they did not hear any insults by Galliano. Any conviction could depend on whether the court determines that the insults were made publicly or not. French law prohibits public insults toward others because of their origins, race or religion. The February cafe incident and the video reverberated throughout the fashion world because they emerged on the eve of Paris Fashion Week. Dior fired Galliano after 14 years with the company and denounced his comments. After joining the company in 1996, Galliano made an indelible mark on the storied house, with theatrical, often outrageous, runway shows that were among the most-anticipated displays on the Paris fashion calendar. The trial is being held on the opening day of another round of Paris fashion shows, the menswear spring-summer 2012 collection. John Galliano France Race issues guardian.co.uk
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