Two people treated for minor injuries and residents evacuated as black smoke drifts over city Fifty firefighters are tackling a spectacular fire in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne that has sent clouds of black smoke billowing over the famous Byker Wall flats. Residents have been warned to stay inside and shut all doors and windows as thick smoke poured from tyres and oil-soaked car wrecks at a scrapyard in nearby Albion Row. A small number of local people were evacuated from their homes in Northumberland Row but are expected to be allowed back within hours. Six staff working at the yard left after raising the alarm, when smouldering smoke in a six-month-old pile of scrap suddenly burst into flames. The column of smoke could be seen from miles and led to anxious calls to police from people across Northumbria and county Durham. Hundreds of people gathered to watch as crews fought to stop the fire spreading to a neighbouring timber yard. The scrapyard’s managers said there was a 2,000-litre fuel store on the site, and emergency services are trying to check whether the scrap contained potentially dangerous chemicals. Two people have been treated by paramedics for minor injuries. No other buildings have been affected. Northumbria police closed local roads, including Leighton Street and Byker Bank, which runs by the 1960s Byker Wall above the Tyne. A further two roads, Ford and Lime Streets, were later closed and Albion Row was sealed off. The alarm was raised at 12.25pm. It has been too dangerous for forensic teams to start checking for possible causes of the blaze. The Byker Wall was designed as a “village in the sky” by the architect Ralph Erskine. Its 620 flats and maisonettes were built in the 1970s and have been the setting for many TV series and films. Newcastle Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Two people treated for minor injuries and residents evacuated as black smoke drifts over city Fifty firefighters are tackling a spectacular fire in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne that has sent clouds of black smoke billowing over the famous Byker Wall flats. Residents have been warned to stay inside and shut all doors and windows as thick smoke poured from tyres and oil-soaked car wrecks at a scrapyard in nearby Albion Row. A small number of local people were evacuated from their homes in Northumberland Row but are expected to be allowed back within hours. Six staff working at the yard left after raising the alarm, when smouldering smoke in a six-month-old pile of scrap suddenly burst into flames. The column of smoke could be seen from miles and led to anxious calls to police from people across Northumbria and county Durham. Hundreds of people gathered to watch as crews fought to stop the fire spreading to a neighbouring timber yard. The scrapyard’s managers said there was a 2,000-litre fuel store on the site, and emergency services are trying to check whether the scrap contained potentially dangerous chemicals. Two people have been treated by paramedics for minor injuries. No other buildings have been affected. Northumbria police closed local roads, including Leighton Street and Byker Bank, which runs by the 1960s Byker Wall above the Tyne. A further two roads, Ford and Lime Streets, were later closed and Albion Row was sealed off. The alarm was raised at 12.25pm. It has been too dangerous for forensic teams to start checking for possible causes of the blaze. The Byker Wall was designed as a “village in the sky” by the architect Ralph Erskine. Its 620 flats and maisonettes were built in the 1970s and have been the setting for many TV series and films. Newcastle Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk
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Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Former Celebrity Rehab patient Jeff Conaway is in critical condition in a California hospital after an apparent drug overdose. The 60-year-old actor, who starred as bad-boy Kenickie in Grease and as wisecracking Bobby Wheeler in the sitcom Taxi , “is in a coma and unresponsive at this time,” his rep tells…
Continue reading …A Texas woman has been arrested and charged with the murder of her 6-year-old son, whose body was found on a road in rural Maine . Julianne McCrery, 42, was arrested after a state trooper spotted the pickup truck with Navy insignia embossed on the license plate that had been seen…
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Former US vice-president says media giant is forcing his liberal Current TV service off air in Italy for hiring Keith Olbermann Former US vice-president Al Gore has hit out at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, accusing it of “an abuse of power” by forcing his liberal TV station off air in Italy because it did not fit in with the media giant’s “ideological agenda”. In an interview with the Guardian, Gore said the Current TV news and documentary channel was told unexpectedly three weeks ago that it could no longer be carried by Sky Italia because of its decision to hire a US left-leaning commentator often critical of Murdoch’s company. He added that the decision reflected how News Corporation operated worldwide. “News Corporation is an international conglomerate with an ideological agenda. It seeks political power in every nation they operate. They wield that power to shut down voices that disagree with the agenda of Rupert Murdoch,” Gore said. The decision, he added, was “a complete shock” but Current TV executives were told “off the record that the decision was taken on News Corp instructions from New York”. The primary reason, he said, was “because Current is launching Keith Olbermann next month”. Olbermann – who styles himself as a leftwing alternative to the rightwing shock jock journalism of Fox News – worked at rival cable news network MSNBC until he left abruptly in January. This came after he was briefly suspended by MSNBC in November for making donations to three Democratic candidates in the midterm elections without seeking prior approval, in breach of company rules. “Olbermann has often been critical of News Corporation,” Gore added. Current TV broadcasts around the world, including the UK, but the channel has been more successful in Italy, where it claims that “one in three” Sky Italia viewers watch at some point during the week. However, Gore said that decision to not renew the channel’s existing distribution deal also had implications in the UK – where News Corp’s takeover of BSkyB is under review on the grounds of “media plurality”. “I know that News Corp is close to reaching an agreement to buy BSkyB. Now I may not be a party to that debate, but if anybody believes that [News Corp] will remain hands off if there are diverse opinions that do not agree with its ideological agenda then they are fools. This is proof positive of their abuse of power,” Gore said. However, Current TV’s existing agreement with BSkyB does not expire until next year, so there is no immediate threat to its UK position on the satellite service in this country. Gore also said he understood there has been “a rapprochement” in the struggle between News Corp and Silvio Berlusconi’s media empire in Italy. Current TV has run several documentaries critical of the Italian premier and his government. “Sky Italia is in the midst of negotiations to enter the digital terrestrial television market and the need Berlusconi’s support,” he said. Gore added that he had a “pleasant personal relationship” with Murdoch dating back to the former vice-president’s time in the White House, and said that he wasn’t sure exactly on whose authority the decision was made to order Current TV off the air in Italy. He said that he didn’t want “to make this ad hominem” but added it was clear that Murdoch and News Corp had too much power. Programming aired by Current TV in Italy has included Citizen Berlusconi, a documentary first produced by the US PBS network, and about the consequences of handing a media mogul formal political power. “Anglo-American political theory highlights the problem. Too much power in the hands of one person is dangerous, no matter the ideology,” Gore said. “The conversation of democracy, which used to happen in newspapers or in other public places now happens on the television screen. But this is a public space in which gatekeepers charge rents.” He cited the example of the 2003 Iraq war, in which News Corp had acted as “an aggressive cheerleader” for the US-led invasion, to the point where “three quarters of the American public got the impression that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the attacks of 2001″. This journalism, Gore said, “has consequences” and he argued that “our democracy is much better when there are diverse viewpoints” to inform decision-making. News Corp had not returned a request for comment at time of publication. •
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