Frontman Gerard Way responds to conservative broadcaster’s claim that song used in Glee episode is propaganda My Chemical Romance have waded into a spat with conservative US pundit Glenn Beck. The Fox News talkshow host chose the New Jersey band as his latest target on his programme last week. Claiming that “our whole culture right now is set up for you and the values that we grew up on to lose”, he discussed the hit TV series Glee – and, in particular, the use of My Chemical Romance’s Sing on an episode that aired in the US in February. Beck accused the band of propaganda, urging parents to remain vigilant against the song, which has just been re-released as a charity single for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief: “Pay attention to the lyrics,” Beck said. “It’s an anthem saying ‘Join us’. How can you and I possibly win against that?” The track features the lyrics: “Cleaned-up corporation progress/ Dying in the process/ Children that can talk about it/ Living on the railways/ People moving sideways/ Sell it till your last days.” Beck appeared to take lyrics from the song, which is set in a post-apocalyptic California, literally. My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has responded to Beck’s comments via a blog on the band’s website . “I think the word Glenn Beck was looking for was ‘subversion’ not ‘propaganda’, because I don’t know what it would be considered propaganda for – Truth? Sentiment? And I can’t tell what he’s angrier about – the fact that it’s how I feel about the persistent sterilisation of our culture or the fact that it’s on network television for everyone to hear. And railways? Is it 1863? Seen any children living on these lately instead of the internet? “I’m actually shocked that no fact-checking was done on the lyrics,” Way wrote. “I mean Fox is a major news channel, covering factual topics in an unbiased and intelligent – oh wait – to quote the man himself – ‘You don’t have to live by the standards that society has set’. I couldn’t agree more.” The band has had previous run-ins with the rightwing media. In 2006, they were forced to respond to an article in the Daily Mail by Sarah Sands that portrayed them as part of a “cult of suicide” . My Chemical Romance headline the Reading and Leeds festivals in August. My Chemical Romance Pop and rock Glenn Beck US politics United States Glee US television Dan Martin guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Frontman Gerard Way responds to conservative broadcaster’s claim that song used in Glee episode is propaganda My Chemical Romance have waded into a spat with conservative US pundit Glenn Beck. The Fox News talkshow host chose the New Jersey band as his latest target on his programme last week. Claiming that “our whole culture right now is set up for you and the values that we grew up on to lose”, he discussed the hit TV series Glee – and, in particular, the use of My Chemical Romance’s Sing on an episode that aired in the US in February. Beck accused the band of propaganda, urging parents to remain vigilant against the song, which has just been re-released as a charity single for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief: “Pay attention to the lyrics,” Beck said. “It’s an anthem saying ‘Join us’. How can you and I possibly win against that?” The track features the lyrics: “Cleaned-up corporation progress/ Dying in the process/ Children that can talk about it/ Living on the railways/ People moving sideways/ Sell it till your last days.” Beck appeared to take lyrics from the song, which is set in a post-apocalyptic California, literally. My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has responded to Beck’s comments via a blog on the band’s website . “I think the word Glenn Beck was looking for was ‘subversion’ not ‘propaganda’, because I don’t know what it would be considered propaganda for – Truth? Sentiment? And I can’t tell what he’s angrier about – the fact that it’s how I feel about the persistent sterilisation of our culture or the fact that it’s on network television for everyone to hear. And railways? Is it 1863? Seen any children living on these lately instead of the internet? “I’m actually shocked that no fact-checking was done on the lyrics,” Way wrote. “I mean Fox is a major news channel, covering factual topics in an unbiased and intelligent – oh wait – to quote the man himself – ‘You don’t have to live by the standards that society has set’. I couldn’t agree more.” The band has had previous run-ins with the rightwing media. In 2006, they were forced to respond to an article in the Daily Mail by Sarah Sands that portrayed them as part of a “cult of suicide” . My Chemical Romance headline the Reading and Leeds festivals in August. My Chemical Romance Pop and rock Glenn Beck US politics United States Glee US television Dan Martin guardian.co.uk
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Job losses part of a five-year plan unconnected to Mark Thompson’s ‘Delivering Quality First’ initiative BBC News is to axe a further 45 jobs in the final stage of a five-year plan that will see the loss of more than 450 posts. The latest job cuts are unconnected to BBC director general Mark Thompson’s latest cost-saving initiative, “Delivering Quality First”, but the conclusion of another three-word initiative launched by Thompson in 2006, “Delivering Creative Future” . BBC News has already closed 420 posts in the first four years of the Creative Future plan. By the end of year five, with another 45 jobs to go, BBC News will have saved £161m, of which the corporation said £63.4m has been reinvested into journalism. Further cuts are expected in the news division as a result of Delivering Quality First, the review which is examining how to make 20% of budget cuts as a result of last year’s flat licence fee settlement. Ideas already been put forward include merging some local radio output, axing overnight programming on BBC1 and BBC2, a “slimmed-down” news channel and scaling back the Parliament Channel. Major savings are also expected in newsgathering when the separate operations of the BBC News and the World Service are brought together at the redeveloped Broadcasting House in central London. A final list of proposals is due to be prepared in June and the report will be presented to the BBC Trust in July . A BBC spokeswoman said the 45 posts would close by April next year. She said compulsory redundancies would be avoided “wherever possible”. “The closure of 45 posts proposed today are part of the BBC’s Delivering Creative Future project – a five-year plan to achieve savings. This is year five,” said the BBC spokeswoman. “In years one to four network news has radically changed the way it works and the way it is organised. 420 posts have closed and we will have saved News £161m by the end of Year five, of which about £63.4m has been reinvested in BBC journalism. “At the beginning of the five-year plan it was said that this would be a continuous process and so today in the final year it is proposed to close around 45 posts by no later than April 2012. “News has a very good record on redeploying people and the BBC remains committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies wherever possible. Volunteers for redundancy will be considered.” • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook . BBC BBC Trust BBC licence fee Television industry Radio industry Mark Thompson John Plunkett guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Job losses part of a five-year plan unconnected to Mark Thompson’s ‘Delivering Quality First’ initiative BBC News is to axe a further 45 jobs in the final stage of a five-year plan that will see the loss of more than 450 posts. The latest job cuts are unconnected to BBC director general Mark Thompson’s latest cost-saving initiative, “Delivering Quality First”, but the conclusion of another three-word initiative launched by Thompson in 2006, “Delivering Creative Future” . BBC News has already closed 420 posts in the first four years of the Creative Future plan. By the end of year five, with another 45 jobs to go, BBC News will have saved £161m, of which the corporation said £63.4m has been reinvested into journalism. Further cuts are expected in the news division as a result of Delivering Quality First, the review which is examining how to make 20% of budget cuts as a result of last year’s flat licence fee settlement. Ideas already been put forward include merging some local radio output, axing overnight programming on BBC1 and BBC2, a “slimmed-down” news channel and scaling back the Parliament Channel. Major savings are also expected in newsgathering when the separate operations of the BBC News and the World Service are brought together at the redeveloped Broadcasting House in central London. A final list of proposals is due to be prepared in June and the report will be presented to the BBC Trust in July . A BBC spokeswoman said the 45 posts would close by April next year. She said compulsory redundancies would be avoided “wherever possible”. “The closure of 45 posts proposed today are part of the BBC’s Delivering Creative Future project – a five-year plan to achieve savings. This is year five,” said the BBC spokeswoman. “In years one to four network news has radically changed the way it works and the way it is organised. 420 posts have closed and we will have saved News £161m by the end of Year five, of which about £63.4m has been reinvested in BBC journalism. “At the beginning of the five-year plan it was said that this would be a continuous process and so today in the final year it is proposed to close around 45 posts by no later than April 2012. “News has a very good record on redeploying people and the BBC remains committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies wherever possible. Volunteers for redundancy will be considered.” • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook . BBC BBC Trust BBC licence fee Television industry Radio industry Mark Thompson John Plunkett guardian.co.uk
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Supporters of deposed president had mounted last stand in Abidjan, as prime minister describes streets littered with bodies Government forces in Ivory Coast claim they have destroyed the last pockets of resistance from fighters loyal to the country’s deposed president. A dwindling band of Laurent Gbagbo supporters had made a last stand in Yopougon , a district of Abidjan, three weeks after he was prised from his bunker and arrested. But president Alassane Ouattara’s army said it now controls the whole of the city. Chérif Ousmane, the commander in charge of Wednesday’s operation, told Ouattara’s TCI television that Yopougon was “the only area that remained, and the entire district is now definitively occupied by us”. The final battles came at a heavy cost. The prime minister, Guillaume Soro, who had visited the scene, told the same TV channel: “I saw streets littered with bodies. At the militia headquarters we saw an improvised cemetery. “I can imagine the slaughter that took place. I’m still under shock after seeing all these dead, all these bodies.” Red Cross officials said residents of Yopougon had told them of a mass grave of about 30 bodies buried in a field where children used to play football. Franck Kodjo of the Red Cross, wiping tears from his eyes, told Reuters: “This land will never be used by youth, will never again be suitable for children’s games. It is a cemetery in the middle of the neighbourhood.” Red Cross workers have collected nearly 70 corpses since Tuesday from the streets of Yopougon, where many of the pro-Gbagbo gunmen were mercenaries from neighbouring Liberia. Residents said food and water were in short supply after pillaging and heavy fighting left shops and infrastructure in disarray. Stephane Bedjra, who lives with his wife and two children, said: “The situation was terrible. There were militants who terrorised us. “They were armed and they did whatever they wanted. We lived like this until the arrival of the FRCI [government army], who chased them from the area.” Gbagbo refused to cede power after a November election that he lost to Ouattara, sparking open conflict that killed more than 3,000 people and displaced a million – reopening the wounds of a 2002-03 civil war. Gbagbo was arrested on 11 April at the presidential residence in Abidjan and is being detained at a villa in the north of the country. The Swiss government says it has identified assets worth 70m Swiss francs (£50m) linked to Gbagbo which were blocked in January. In the west of the country, many families displaced by the fighting are still living and sleeping out in the open and lack access to clean drinking water. Save the Children has warned that thousands of children living without shelter face a health “catastrophe” as the rainy season approaches. Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara Laurent Gbagbo David Smith guardian.co.uk
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City economists had widely expected a ‘no change’ from the MPC, with some predicing that rates will not rise until this autumn Andrew Sentance and his fellow hawks have again failed to push through a rise in UK interest rates, with the Bank of England leaving the cost of borrowing unchanged again on Thursday. The Bank’s monetary policy committee voted to leave interest rates at the current record low of 0.5%, and also made no change to its £200bn quantitative easing programme. The decision means Sentance will end his stint on the MPC at the end of May without seeing the rate rise which he has consistently voted for since last June . Although inflation is double the official target of 2% , the latest economic data has suggested that the UK economy is too fragile to support a rate rise at this stage. The monthly Services PMI survey showed that growth in this dominant sector slowed sharply in April , echoing similar findings for manufacturing and construction – although all three sectors did register growth last month. City economists had widely expected a “no change” from the MPC, with some predicing that rates will not rise until this autumn. The minutes from today’s meeting will be released in two weeks time, showing how the MPC members voted. More details soon Interest rates Economics Bank of England Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
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Growth in construction and manufacturing have also slowed markedly , according to the latest CIPS surveys Growth in Britain’s services sector slowed in April according to a key survey, providing fresh evidence that economic growth is weakening, as the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee prepares to set interest rates. The closely watched Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s purchasing managers’ index, produced with Markit, declined from 57.1 to 54.3 – still pointing to growth, but at a considerably slower pace than in the first three months of the year. Growth in construction and manufacturing have also slowed markedly , according to the latest CIPS surveys, released earlier in the week. “Given the dominant role of the services sector, the survey fuels concerns over the fragility of the economy and its ability to withstand the fiscal tightening that increasingly kicked in from April,” said Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight. A sharp decline in government spending in the new fiscal year, which began in April, was one explanation for the deteriorating outlook, according to Chris Williamson, Markit’s chief economist. “There’s been a significant loss of momentum,” he said. “It’s particularly linked to government spending cuts. What companies were saying in the first quarter was that there was a surprisingly strong increase in spending from government departments, and that has gone into reverse.” The latest official figures showed that GDP had been flat – “on a plateau”, as the Office for National Statistics put it – since last autumn, even before the worst of the fiscal squeeze, and today’s survey will add to fears that the government’s austerity plans are stifling economic recovery. There was some good news in the CIPS survey – the increase in sales was the fastest since last March, and new business also rose. However, firms also said they were pushing up their prices at the fastest pace for two-and-a-half years, to try to offset rapidly rising costs. Williamson suggested that the three surveys – of manufacturing, construction and services – taken together suggested that the pace of growth in the economy may have halved between the first and the second quarters of the year. The reading is likely to be the final piece of evidence the more dovish members of the monetary policy committee needed to forestall an increase in interest rates on Thursday, from their record low of 0.5%. Services sector Economic growth (GDP) Economics Heather Stewart guardian.co.uk
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Growth in construction and manufacturing have also slowed markedly , according to the latest CIPS surveys Growth in Britain’s services sector slowed in April according to a key survey, providing fresh evidence that economic growth is weakening, as the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee prepares to set interest rates. The closely watched Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s purchasing managers’ index, produced with Markit, declined from 57.1 to 54.3 – still pointing to growth, but at a considerably slower pace than in the first three months of the year. Growth in construction and manufacturing have also slowed markedly , according to the latest CIPS surveys, released earlier in the week. “Given the dominant role of the services sector, the survey fuels concerns over the fragility of the economy and its ability to withstand the fiscal tightening that increasingly kicked in from April,” said Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight. A sharp decline in government spending in the new fiscal year, which began in April, was one explanation for the deteriorating outlook, according to Chris Williamson, Markit’s chief economist. “There’s been a significant loss of momentum,” he said. “It’s particularly linked to government spending cuts. What companies were saying in the first quarter was that there was a surprisingly strong increase in spending from government departments, and that has gone into reverse.” The latest official figures showed that GDP had been flat – “on a plateau”, as the Office for National Statistics put it – since last autumn, even before the worst of the fiscal squeeze, and today’s survey will add to fears that the government’s austerity plans are stifling economic recovery. There was some good news in the CIPS survey – the increase in sales was the fastest since last March, and new business also rose. However, firms also said they were pushing up their prices at the fastest pace for two-and-a-half years, to try to offset rapidly rising costs. Williamson suggested that the three surveys – of manufacturing, construction and services – taken together suggested that the pace of growth in the economy may have halved between the first and the second quarters of the year. The reading is likely to be the final piece of evidence the more dovish members of the monetary policy committee needed to forestall an increase in interest rates on Thursday, from their record low of 0.5%. Services sector Economic growth (GDP) Economics Heather Stewart guardian.co.uk
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Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak pleads guilty to manslaughter but denies murder The neighbour of landscape architect Joanna Yeates has admitted killing her. Yeates’s parents, David and Theresa, were at the Old Bailey in London as the Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak pleaded guilty to her manslaughter, but denied murder. The charge states that Tabak “unlawfully killed” the 25-year-old between 16 and 19 December. But the 33-year-old pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and was remanded in custody to face trial at Bristol crown court on 4 October. Yeates, who lived in Clifton, Bristol, disappeared on 17 December after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found dumped on a verge in a lane in Failand, north Somerset, on Christmas Day. Tabak appeared in court via a videolink from Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire. He spoke to confirm his name and to say he was content for proceedings to continue in English without an interpreter before entering his pleas. During the hearing he sat at a desk, occasionally using a piece of paper to make notes and sipping from a drink. His trial is expected to last four weeks. Joanna Yeates Crime guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak pleads guilty to manslaughter but denies murder The neighbour of landscape architect Joanna Yeates has admitted killing her. Yeates’s parents, David and Theresa, were at the Old Bailey in London as the Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak pleaded guilty to her manslaughter, but denied murder. The charge states that Tabak “unlawfully killed” the 25-year-old between 16 and 19 December. But the 33-year-old pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and was remanded in custody to face trial at Bristol crown court on 4 October. Yeates, who lived in Clifton, Bristol, disappeared on 17 December after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found dumped on a verge in a lane in Failand, north Somerset, on Christmas Day. Tabak appeared in court via a videolink from Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire. He spoke to confirm his name and to say he was content for proceedings to continue in English without an interpreter before entering his pleas. During the hearing he sat at a desk, occasionally using a piece of paper to make notes and sipping from a drink. His trial is expected to last four weeks. Joanna Yeates Crime guardian.co.uk
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