As Bonn talks begin, UN climate chief warns of temperature goals set too low and clock ticking on climate change action The world may have to resort to technology that sucks greenhouse gases from the air to stave off the worst effects of global warming, the UN climate change chief has said before talks on the issue beginning on Monday. “We are putting ourselves in a scenario where we will have to develop more powerful technologies to capture emissions out of the atmosphere,” said Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change. “We are getting into very risky territory,” she said, stressing that time was running out. The UN climate talks starting on Mondayin Bonn, which run for the next two weeks, will try to revive the negotiations before the next climate conference, taking place in Durban, South Africa, in December. But little progress is expected, as the negotiating time is likely to be taken up with details such as rules on monitoring emissions. Figueres tried to inject a greater sense of urgency into the proceedings by pointing to research from the International Energy Agency that found that emissions had soared last year by a record amount. The strong rise means it will take more effort by governments to curb emissions. Figueres told the Guardian in an interview that governments should act now to save money: “We add $1tn to the cost [of tackling climate change] with every year of delay.” However, as the latest talks begin, the world’s leading climate change official has upset governments by insisting that the aim of the negotiations ought to be to hold warming to less than 1.5C. That would be a much tougher goal than that set by governments last year, which seeks to limit the temperature rise to no more than 2C – the safety threshold, scientists say, beyond which warming becomes catastrophic and irreversible. “In my book, there is no way we can stick to the goal that we know is completely unacceptable to the most exposed [countries],” Figueres said. The difference between the two goals may not seem great, but since it has taken more than 20 years of talks for countries to agree on the 2C limit, many are unwilling to reopen the debate. Delegates are conscious that wrangling over whether to stick to 1.5C or 2C was one of the main sources of conflict at the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009; the hope has been that talks can move on to other issues such as how to pay for emissions curbs in poorer countries. The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change said: “Countries agreed in Copenhagen they would revisit the adequacy of the 2C goal in 2015. With the climate change negotiations seemingly stagnant, the focus now needs to be on doing what has already been agreed.” Other parties agreed. “This is an extraordinary intervention,” said one official, who could not be named. Figueres said that she had the support of the world’s least developed countries, most of Africa, and small island states. Another factor casting a pall over this year’s talks, which are intended to forge a new global treaty on climate change, is criticism of the South African government, which will host the Durban talks. No interim meetings have yet been set up, and countries have complained of disorganisation and a lack of enthusiasm. But Figueres said: “South Africa has been very carefully listening, trying to understand where there are commonalities and where the weaknesses are.” She also predicted the US would play a strong role in the talks, despite the Obama administration facing Republican opposition in Congress to action on emissions. “It’s very evident that the legislative body in the US has disengaged, but … the administration continues to be engaged.” she said. But Todd Stern, chief negotiator for the US, praised the spirit of co-operation he perceived in the talks: “People are rolling up their sleeves and being constructive.” Global climate talks Climate change United Nations Carbon emissions Switzerland Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Don’t be so fast to write off Sarah Palin’s chances at winning the presidency, warns former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, who tut-tuts Washington insiders for dismissing her out of hand. “Any time you have a contest—particularly when unemployment is as high as it is —nobody gets a…
Continue reading …Yemen’s No. 2, Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has temporarily taken control of the country following the exit of Yemen’s president to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, reports al-Jazeera . Opposition groups cheered today at news of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s departure, with speculation rampant that the rocket attack that injured…
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Syrian state television reports at least 14 dead after attempted border breach by pro-Palestinians Israeli troops opened fire on Sunday at a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to break into the Israel-controlled Golan Heights from neighbouring Syria, killing at least 14 people and wounding scores of others. The casualty figures came from Syrian state television and were confirmed by the head of a hospital treating the victims. The Israeli military said it was not tracking casualties on either side. Israel accused the Syrian regime of orchestrating the violence – the second border clash in less than a month – to deflect attention from its bloody crackdown on the uprising against its president Bashar al-Assad. Syrian television said the melee was spontaneous and reflected built-up anger among Palestinians. The protests marked 44 years since the 1967 Middle East war erupted. Israel had mobilised thousands of troops to prevent a repeat of last month’s disturbance when hundreds of people broke through a border fence, entered the Golan Heights and clashed with Israeli forces. “Unfortunately, extremist forces around us are trying today to breach our borders and threaten our communities and our citizens. We will not let them do that,” the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu told his cabinet. He said security forces had been ordered to show “maximum restraint”. Despite Israel’s warnings, hundreds of demonstrators – a mix of Palestinians and their Syrian supporters – passed Syrian and UN posts and marched to the barbed-wire-lined trench the Israeli military dug along the border after last month’s unrest. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and threw rocks and debris over the fence. As the crowd reached the border, soldiers shouted warnings through megaphones. “Anybody who gets close to the fence is endangering his life,” they said. When the demonstrators pushed forward, troops opened fire, sending crowds running in panic. Several wounded people were taken away by demonstrators, but dozens more continued heading toward the trench. Those evacuating casualties shouted “shahid” (martyr). Protesters, most of them young men, eventually managed to cut through coils of barbed wire marking the frontier, entering a buffer zone and crawling toward a second fence guarded by Israeli troops. Dr Ali Kanaan, director of the Quneitra hospital, confirmed the television report of 14 dead – 12 Palestinians and two Syrians. He said 225 were wounded. The youngest victim was a 15-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Issa, who lived in the Neira refugee camp in Aleppo. Several protesters said they saw a landmine explode near two Israeli soldiers as they were chasing away the crowds at the border. “We were trying to cut the barbed wire when the Israeli soldiers began shooting directly at us,” Ghayath Awad, a 29-year-old Palestinian who was shot in the waist, told the AP at the hospital. Mohammed Hasan, a 16-year old student, was wounded in both feet. “We want on this occasion to remind America and the whole world that we have a right to return to our country,” he said. The recent protests are designed to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled from their homes during Israel’s war of independence in 1948. The original refugees, and their descendants, now number several million and they demand the right to return to the families’ former properties. Israel says such a move would spell the end of the country as a Jewish state. About half a million Palestinian refugees live across 13 camps in Syria, a country with a population of 23 million. Palestinians are allowed to work and study, but they do not have citizenship and cannot vote. The Israeli military put the blame on the Syrian regime, which has killed more than 1,200 citizens during three months of demonstrations against Assad. The Syrian military, which tightly controls access to the border, did not keep the protesters from reaching the fence. “This is an attempt to divert international attention from the bloodbath going on in Syria,” said Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman. “We are guarding our border. I wish they had obeyed our verbal warnings, but they chose instead to clash with the soldiers.” There was relative calm on Israel’s other borders on Sunday. Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Israel Syria Palestinian territories guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The southern Chile volcano Puyehue erupted yesterday, sending ash more than six miles into the air and forcing 3,500 people to be evacuated from their homes. The volcano erupted yesterday afternoon after a series of earthquakes in the morning, as many as 230 per hour, reports the AP . Much…
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Tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered in Delhi in support of Swami Ramdev’s fast against corruption Indian police have used teargas and batons to break up a mass anti-corruption protest led by India’s most famous yoga guru, in the latest high-profile clash between authorities and campaigners over graft. At least 30 people were injured, several seriously, in chaotic scenes in the capital, Delhi, after negotiations between the government and the saffron-robed guru Swami Ramdev to end the protest broke down. After senior government figures appeared on TV threatening “firm action”, police appear to have been ordered in to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators, many from rural areas or small towns, who had gathered under tents in the centre of the city. Some of Ramdev’s supporters threw stones at police. Ramdev, who rose from a humble background to run a £20m empire of ashrams and alternative medicine, was arrested while trying to disguise himself in women’s clothing, and was flown to the northern city of Haridwar, where he has his headquarters. “You could not imagine a government handling it more clumsily,” said Professor Jayati Ghosh, a respected Indian analyst and economist. Ramdev, whose television channel draws audiences of up to 30 million and whose international network of ashrams includes one on a Scottish island, had begun fasting “unto death” on Saturday morning. The incident is likely to further embarrass the ailing government of the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and fuel broad public anger over a series of graft scandals. Corruption has long been a problem in India. Paying small bribes is a part of everyday life and senior ministers, bureaucrats, military officers and other officials are repeatedly found to have made vast sums illicitly. The issue has become a focus of frustrations with the current government, a coalition led by the Congress party. One recent scam may have cost the country as much as £25bn. Leaders of India’s main opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata, (BJP), attacked the Congress party and said the police action had been “a shameful chapter in the democracy of this country”. Ramdev criticised the Congress president, Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, saying she did not appear to love Indians, a charge frequently made by the rightwing in India. Congress party figures alleged Ramdev was linked to opposition parties including extremist Hindu nationalist groups. Digvijay Singh, a senior Congress leader who had earlier questioned Ramdev’s luxurious lifestyle and called his campaign a “five-star” protest, accused the guru of inciting people. “You can’t allow people like Ramdev to run riot in a capital like Delhi. Some laws, some rules have to be followed,” Singh said. “And whereas he has taken permission for yogic shivir [camp], what was he doing there? He was trying to agitate people.” Political analysts point out that the recent campaigns against corruption have gathered public support in part because they exist outside the domain of established politics. However, both Ramdev and Anna Hazare, a veteran social activist who launched a similar anti-graft protest in April, have deeply conservative views on many issues. Ramdev dislikes Coca-Cola and western clothes, believes the World Health Organisation is a western conspiracy and is openly homophobic. Hazare is a strict teetotaller, believes in flogging and has banned tobacco, meat and cable TV in the village where he lives near the central city of Pune. Both men favour capital punishment for offences of corruption. “Ramdev and Hazare are fundamentally very populist. They are authoritarian, with have a simplistic message and are extremely socially and politically conservative. They are presented as moral figures but are not,” said Ghosh, the analyst. Both men also contest the same political ground – one possible reason for the increasing intensity of their activism. On Sunday Hazare pledged to fast again. So too did Ramdev, who plans to launch a political party to contest the 2014 general election. “My hunger strike has not ended. I will continue fasting,” Ramdev told a news conference. The guru, who has made a fortune through alternative medecine, has called on the government to pursue billions of dollars in illegal funds abroad. Huge amounts of money have disappeared from India, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, in recent decades. Ramdev has also called for a ban on notes of large denomination – 500 and 1,000 Indian rupees (£7 and £14) – which represent huge wealth for the hundreds of millions of people in India who survive on less than £1 a day. Corruption is now on such a scale in India that it threatens the continued economic success of the country, depressing the stock market and worrying investors. Analysts are concerned that the latest incidents will again stall key reforms to facilitate overseas investment and improve India’s parlous infrastructure, which have already repeatedly been postponed, in part due to opposition protests over graft causing parliamentary deadlock. Corruption in India Recent high-profile Indian corruption scandals have included the 2G scam – named after the mobile telephone technology for which licences in India were allegedly sold off at cut-price rates in return for kickbacks – and allegations of fraud in preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The 2G scam is thought to have cost the country up to £25bn. An investigation has resulted in a former minister and the daughter of a southern Indian political leader being jailed. An inquiry into the Games is ongoing but has already led to the arrests of senior figures in the ruling Congress party. Other scandals have included a luxury housing development built for widows of war heroes that was appropriated by politicians, senior officers and bureaucrats in the commercial capital of Mumbai and revelations of corruption in government programmes to distribute subsidised food to the poor. In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where 200 million largely poor people live, the extent of the graft and the extent of the programme make it potentially the biggest single example of corruption in the world with tens of thousands of officials, thousands of politicians and more than £30bn worth of aid implicated. Few sectors are untouched. One recent scandal was less about cash than influence. A series of phone taps released to the media revealed corporate lobbyists apparently discussing cabinet appointments with ministers and journalists. There are regular scandals over “paid news” by which newspapers accept cash to run particular stories. Topbank officials have been accused of taking bribes to grant corporate loans. Many senior judges are alleged to be corrupt. An ex-chief justice is under investigation. India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk
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German health officials warn people to stop eating beansprouts as death toll rises to 22 German health authorities claim that locally grown beansprouts have been identified as the likely cause of an outbreak of E
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Polls show centre-right opposition leader Pedro Passos Coelho ahead, but winner still tied to tough €78bn bailout measures Portuguese voters have headed to polling stations to elect a new government whose hands are already tied by the obligations controlled by a €78bn (£69bn) bailout of its ailing economy. President Aníbal Cavaco Silva has urged people to vote, warning that they could not complain about what their politicians did over the coming years if they had not taken part in the elections. “The fact that the elections take place at a time of sacrifice and serious doubts about our future makes it especially important that each person expresses their will,” he said. By midday on Sunday, 20% of the Portuguese electorate had voted , four hours after the polls opened and seven hours before they closed. Total turnout at the last general election, in 2009, was 60%. However, both the socialists of caretaker prime minister José Sócrates, and the centre-right social democrats of opposition leader Pedro Passos Coelho have already accepted the bailout conditions imposed by what the Portuguese media call “the troika” of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. “The government that will emerge from this election will have the responsibility to honour the commitments taken (under the bailout plan), which are very demanding,” Cavaco Silva warned. The most recent opinion polls suggest that Passos Coelho will win and be able to form a government with the support of the rightwing People’s party. Voting takes place against a background of economic misery, with unemployment rising to over 12% – the worst in three decades – and spending cuts in education, health and pensions seen as inevitable. Portugal’s economy is expected to contract by 2% both this year and next as spending cuts bite and tax hikes are also used to bring down the budget deficit. The election follows months of political squabbling over how to cut the debt burden. Opposition parties refused to accept the outgoing Sócrates government’s last austerity plans, prompting him to resign and further worsening Portugal’s financial plight. Portugal has taken advantage of cheap eurozone loan rates to build up debt over the past decade, despite a meagre average annual growth rate of below 1%. Soaring yields on Portuguese government bonds over the past 18 months finally forced it to ask for a bailout in April. As with fellow eurozone members Greece and Ireland, which have also been given bailouts, it cannot devalue its currency to lower export prices and make its goods more competitive on the world market. Antonio Barroso, of the political risk consultancy Eurasia, said a rightwing coalition led by Passos Coelho was the most likely election outcome. “This would be the most straightforward option if the Social Democrats and [People's party] can secure an absolute majority between them,” Barroso said in a research note. “Both parties are strongly committed to the implementation of the bailout conditions and would easily negotiate a common economic programme.” A defeat of the Sócrates government would leave the 27-member EU with just five leftwing-led member states – in Spain, Austria, Greece, Slovenia and Cyprus. Portugal European debt crisis Euro European banks IMF European Union Giles Tremlett guardian.co.uk
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Soldier from 42 Commando Royal Marines died on patrol in Helmand, bringing toll among UK soldiers in Afghanistan to 370 A Royal Marine has been shot dead in Afghanistan as colleagues paid tribute to another serviceman who was killed “putting up a fight” against the enemy. The Royal Marine, from 42 Commando Royal Marines, was shot and killed on Sunday morning while on patrol in the Nahr-e-Saraj area of Helmand province. His next of kin have been informed. His death came two days after Corporal Michael Pike, 26, from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, was killed in the Lashkar Gah area after his patrol came under attack by insurgents armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades. A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick, said: “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of a Royal Marine from 42 Commando Royal Marines. “He was on joint patrol to meet local people and to disrupt insurgent activity in the Adensee area of Nahr-e-Saraj district in Helmand province when he was fatally wounded by small arms fire this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” The latest incident brings the total number of UK military personnel who have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 to 370. Pike’s colleagues, from 4th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, said his quick reactions as he returned fire at the enemy saved lives. They described the father of two as the “epitome of a Highland soldier” who would not have wanted the other men to dwell on his loss. Pike, described as a “loving and caring family man”, leaves behind his wife, Ida, and two children, Joshua and Evelynn. His wife said: “My husband would want everybody to know that he died doing a job he loved and that he loved our children with all his heart and soul.” Pike, second in command of 2 platoon, A Company, based at Check Point Pegasus, was on his second tour of Afghanistan. He was leading the patrol in the area of Pupalzay along Highway 601 when it came under attack. He fired back on the enemy and his colleagues praised his quick reactions, which allowed them time to move out of danger. His platoon said in a joint statement: “He passed away doing the job he loved but he didn’t go down without putting up a fight. “He was suppressing the enemy in order to cover the lead wagon, the ground call sign and to allow other call signs to manoeuvre out of immediate danger.” Lieutenant Robert Grant, 2 Platoon commander, A Company, said: “The loss of Corporal Pike, one of the funniest, most life affirming and professionally diligent men I have ever had the privilege to meet, strikes deep into the heart and soul of all those who knew him. “An exceptional soldier and inspirational leader, Corporal Pike will be forever missed.” Afghanistan Military guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …French Open 2011 men’s final: Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer – live! | Katy Murrells
June 5, 2011 No Comment
• Turn on the autorefresh button or hammer F5 for the latest • Email any musings to katy.murrells@guardian.co.uk • For more on the French Open click here Nadal 2-4 Federer* A rocket of a return from Federer gets it to 15-all. Nadal gives the line a fierce glare, before trudging over to serve again. He comes through to game to 30, finishing it off with a cross-court winner. Meanwhile Mick James is swearing at his TV: “Who is the BBC commentator who keeps saying “changeup” when he means “variation”? It’s so annoying, if this Wimbledon I’d suggest sending someone round to punch him.” Not sure Mick – I switched over to Eurosport when Sue Barker started flirting with Boris. Will get back to you on that one … *Nadal 1-4 Federer The longest rally of the match so far sees Nadal come out on top, 30-all. But Federer dismisses the danger by rattling off the next two points. He really couldn’t have asked for a better start. A few umbrellas go up on Philippe Chatrier, by the way. But thankfully they’re because of the sun rather than any imminent threat of rain. Nadal 1-3 Federer* At 30-all, Federer briefly thinks he’s brought up another break point with a forehand down the line, but the umpire overrules. Federer goes for another winner on the next point but miscues into the tramlines. Nadal gets his first game on the board, but he really hasn’t settled into this final yet. *Nadal 0-3 Federer Big serving from Federer. 15-0. 30-0. 40-0. 40-15. Game. What a start from apparently “fading” champion. And this from Matt Byron: “Is Nadal basically going to win this because of his fitness? He doesn’t seem as much of a tennis player as simply a human Duracell bunny, whose speed and power save him more often than his tennis abilities. For that reason, I think Federer is a much worthier champion. Even though he increasingly just looks like a faded star.” Nadal 0-2 Federer* Federer’s on the attack straight away, thumping a forehand drive volley and then forcing Nadal into an error. 0-30. Two points later and it’s 15-40. Two break points. Nadal saves the first with a great body serve and follow-up, and then Federer misses the second as he goes for broke on a forehand down the line. Deuce. Advantage Federer. Deuce. Advantage Federer. Nadal looks for all the world like he’s going to bury a short ball, but slams it into the net. Jeu and break Federer. And this from a slightly excited Gary Naylor: “Seeing the same individuals or teams in finals year-in year-out can get dull as familiarity breeds contempt. Doesn’t apply to these two though.” *Nadal 0-1 Federer (*denotes next server) Nadal sets out his tactics from the start, attacking Federer’s backhand in a lengthy exchange, but he goes long. An ace from Federer makes it 40-0, Nadal demands the umpire gets down from his chair to inspect the line but the call stands. Federer then dispatches a short ball to rattle through his opening service game to love. Tok, tok, tok, tok, tok, they’re warming up. Nadal is once again wearing his blue and white ensemble, Federer his red and white Swiss number. Not surprisingly, the Parisians sound quite up for this one. A few former champions are presented to the crowd, including Gustavo Kuerten and Jim Courier. And talking of former French Open champions, over on the BBC, Sue Barker is doing her best to flirt with Boris Becker. Meanwhile Federer will serve first. Here comes Roger. He does a quick interview in French, but the Eurosport translator comes to my rescue. Apparently Federer hopes things are going to be different to his previous French Open finals against Nadal and he’s out to do his very best. And here’s Rafa. He says it’s a big honour to play Federer and he’s looking forward to a really good match. And that’s about that. A weather update. British Eurosport are currently showing cycling and BBC Two seem more interested in the MotoGP, but according to Twitter at least the weather is holding at the moment, and there’s even a bit of sun. So we’re on for a 2pm start. Another name that can probably be added to the Team Federer list is Novak Djokovic. Should Federer win this afternoon, and prevent Nadal from equalling Bjorn Borg’s record of six French Open titles, Djokovic would be propelled to the world No1 ranking for the first time. If Nadal emerges victorious, he’ll keep hold of the top spot for another few weeks – at least until Wimbledon. In Nadal’s corner: Uncle Toni, Rafa’s girlfriend, probably a token Spanish sportsman or two. In Federer’s corner: Mrs Federer, coach Paul Annacone, the slightly scary Anna Wintour. Tale of the tape (well we do it for boxers, right?) Nadal-Federer 25 Age 29 6ft 1in Height 6ft 1in 13st 6lb Weight 13st 4lb 1 World ranking 3 45 Career titles 67 9 Grand slam titles 16 $40,052,402 Career prize money $62,497,310 16 Wins in past meetings 8 I think I’d rather sit on a sharp and rusty fence than call this one. Sure, Nadal’s the favourite with the bookies and rightly so, he’s priced at around 4-9 compared to Federer at 7-4. There’s no doubt he’s the better clay-court player, he’s only lost once at Roland Garros in 45 matches and has beaten Federer in the three previous French Open finals they’ve contested. But throughout this tournament it’s Federer who’s been playing the better tennis, and he produced the performance of the fortnight – and one of the best of the year so far – to end Djokovic’s unbeaten run. And having finally won the Coupe des Mousquetaires two years ago (after Robin Soderling accounted for Nadal in the fourth round), the pressure is off. For the first time against the Spaniard at Roland Garros, Federer can enjoy the occasion. And that might just allow him to pull off what would be, even by his standards, one of his greatest ever wins. Any thoughts? Ping them over on an email. Weather-permitting, play is due to get under way at 2pm BST. But the weathermen say there’s only a 20% chance of Roland Garros dodging the forecast storms this afternoon. Which could make it a rerun of the 2008 Wimbledon final. I doubt many would say no if it was. Afternoon all. So the ancien regime has been restored in Paris. For the first time since the 2009 Australian Open, and for just the second time since that Wimbledon encounter in 2008, it’s Roger versus Rafa in a grand slam final. Few at Roland Garros would have predicted this scenario a fortnight ago, when one bookmaker offered odds of 18-1 on Federer prevailing. The 29-year-old, down to No3 in the world and without a major final appearance in 16 months, was the half-forgotten man. All the talk was of Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s tussle for the No1 spot and whether Nadal could recover from back-to-back defeats to the Serb in the Madrid and Rome finals. But then Federer went and broke Djokovic’s 43-match, six-month stranglehold on the men’s game in a remarkable semi-final on Friday. “I wasn’t lying on the beach,’ said Federer after that match. “I continue to make sacrifices and, when it really counts, I’m at the big occasion. I have another opportunity here to beat Rafa and take another French Open title. I’m aware that I’ve got to play some extraordinary tennis, but I never stopped believing.” French Open 2011 French Open Rafael Nadal Roger Federer Tennis Katy Murrells guardian.co.uk
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