Two of Moammar Gadhafi’s sons have offered a plan for Libya: they would push their father from power, allowing son Seif al-Islam to helm a constitutional democracy, an insider tells the New York Times . It’s not known whether Moammar himself is on board with the proposal, which would entail a…
Continue reading …Charlie Sheen may have totally bombed in Detroit , but with a few changes, he managed to score a standing ovation last night in Chicago. Gone was the “disjointed exercise in hero worship” from the first night of his Violent Torpedo of Truth tour, writes Steve Johnson in the Chicago Tribune…
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Witnesses say actor – who ran a drama project in a Palestinian refugee camp – was shot five times by masked men An Israeli actor and peace activist who ran a drama project in a Palestinian refugee camp has been shot dead by masked men, metres from the theatre he founded. Juliano Mer Khamis, 52, had received threats for his work in Jenin in the northern West Bank but continued to divide his time between Jenin and Haifa in the north of Israel. Witnesses said he was shot five times. Mer Khamis appeared in a number of Israeli films after his first film role in the 1984 production of the John Le Carre novel The Little Drummer Girl, about Mossad’s hunt for a PLO bomber. He was born to a Jewish mother and an Arab Christian father. His mother, Arna, was renowned for setting up a theatre group in Jenin during the first Intifada which started in 1987. Mer Khamis directed the film Arna’s Children, which celebrated her work, which he continued after her death in 1994. His wife, Jenny, a Finn, is pregnant with twins. She heard of his death from Israeli radio. Mer Khamis’s body was transported to an Israeli checkpoint, from where it was taken to Tel Aviv for a postmortem examination. While his work was widely appreciated by Palestinians, his bringing together of young men and women angered conservative Muslim elements in Jenin. In addition to threats, fire bombs were thrown at the theatre. However the project was supported by local militants. Zakaria Zubeidi, a leader of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, frequented the theatre as a child. Kadura Musa, governor of Jenin, said: “He was a Palestinian citizen of Israeli origin. An actor and an artist but most of all a true human being. We don’t know why this happened, but all the people of the camp condemn the death of this son of ours whose mother also did so much for the people of Jenin.” Alaa Eddin Saadi lives next to the theatre, and said that Mer Khamis was shot while in a car also carrying his one-year old son and his nanny, who was wounded in the hand. “I don’t think he was killed because he was Jewish. Some people were angry with the liberal values he was promoting at the theatre, but to me he was a very nice guy who worked hard for the people here.” Israel Palestinian territories Middle East Theatre Conal Urquhart guardian.co.uk
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Customers of Barclaycard US, Capital One and other companies warned after attack on marketing email provider Epsilon Computer hackers have stolen the names and email addresses of millions of people in one of the largest internet security breaches in US history. The names and email addresses of customers of Barclaycard US, Capital One and other large firms were taken in an attack on the marketing email provider Epsilon last week. British customers of Barclays Bank, which owns Barclaycard US, were not affected. A spokesman for Barclaycard US confirmed to the Guardian that it would continue to work with Epsilon despite the breach. Other information, such as passwords or credit card details, are not thought to have been exposed. However, some banks have warned customers to expect fraudulent emails attempting to solicit further login details. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which investigates data breaches of this kind, said it was making inquiries into whether any Britons were among those affected. Epsilon, which provides marketing services via email to about 2,500 companies, put a warning on its website on Friday stating that its systems had been “exposed by an unauthorised entry” into its email system. Epsilon said it would not be comment further on the breach when contacted by the Guardian. It is not yet known who perpetrated the attack, which US law enforcement agencies have begun investigating. “The information that was obtained was limited to email addresses and/or customer names only,” Epsilon said in its statement. “A rigorous assessment determined that no other personal identifiable information associated with those names was at risk. A full investigation is currently underway.” Over the weekend, dozens of Epsilon clients began to warn customers that their email addresses may have been stolen. Some of the largest financial institutions in the US, such as JPMorgan and Citigroup, are among the companies affected. Best Buy and Walt Disney subsidiary Disney Destinations also began warning its customers about the security breach. The list of companies affected is expected to continue to grow. TiVo, the US video-on-demand company, wrote to its customers on Sunday morning: “Please note, it is possible you may receive spam email messages as a result. We want to urge you to be cautious when opening links or attachments from unknown third parties.” A list of millions of email addresses with their source is likely to be incredibly lucrative for so-called “phishing” scams, where credible-looking emails are sent to people soliciting other sensitive information, such as bank account details. “Losing your email address via a service to which you already belong makes it much easier for scammers to hit you with emails which match your existing interests, at least loosely,” said Paul Ducklin of internet security firm Sophos. “That, in turn, can make their fraudulent correspondence seem more believable.” The attack has drawn parallels with other large-scale computer infiltrations, most notably the Heartland Payment Systems breach of 2008. More than 40m bank account details were stolen in that attack, conducted by a criminal gang led by notorious hacker Albert Gonzalez. Gonzalez was later sentenced to 20 years in prison. Last month an Iranian hacker claimed he stole digital security certificates used for online transactions by some of the web’s largest sites, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Skype. Data and computer security Hacking United States Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk
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Lawyer for victims of Lockerbie bombing and IRA attacks using Libyan-supplied Semtex meets revolutionary leaders in Benghazi A British lawyer representing victims of the Lockerbie bombing is meeting Libya’s revolutionary leaders in pursuit of evidence a senior rebel claims to have that Muammar Gaddafi ordered the attack. Jason McCue, head of the Libya Victims Initiative, is also seeking “an apology from the Libyan people” for the blowing up of the Pan Am flight in 1988 and the country’s supply of explosives used in IRA attacks. McCue said he had been invited to Benghazi by the chairman of its interim governing council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who served as Gaddafi’s justice minister. Jalil has said publicly that he has evidence of the Libyan leader’s involvement in the Lockerbie bombing but has not elaborated further. McCue is also seeking redress for 150 British families who were victims of IRA attacks. “There are evidential issues, particularly on Lockerbie. Jalil has made indications that he has evidence linking Gaddafi to it. We’ve fought for years and never had that information. It’s about getting that evidence [and] getting apologies which are worth their weight in gold to the victims,” he said. McCue is ruling out new litigation for now, saying that would be the wrong time to sue individuals such as Moussa Koussa, Gadaffi’s foreign minister who has defected to Britain and who allegedly established Libya’s relationship with the IRA. McCue said Gaddafi’s backing for the IRA probably continues to claim lives because the explosives that killed a Northern Ireland police officer in Omagh at the weekend likely came from the Semtex supplies sent by Libya in the 1980s. “I would not be surprised if Omagh was Libyan Semtex,” said McCue. “There were tonnes of Semtex. Gaddafi was waging war on the United Kingdom in this way.” The lawyer said the invitation from the revolutionary leadership had been welcome after attempts to negotiate with the regime in Tripoli proved futile. “We have been in talks for two years with the Gaddafi regime,” he said. “The arrogance of those that we spoke to on behalf of the regime and what was coming back down, apparently from Gaddafi, was disgusting. It does not surprise, the human rights atrocities he has committed in the last few weeks here.” McCue said that he believed an apology to victims of terrorist attacks sponsored by Libya would help establish the revolutionary leadership asbona fide supporters of human rights. “The IRA victims have never had an apology off the Gaddafi regime … Likewise the Lockerbie families have never had an unequivocal apology. It’s always been tongue-tied,” he said. “The Libyan people, it is so important for them to express their sorrow for what that regime did … and it’s important for the international victims to hear that. I think that is absolutely essential.” Asked if that should mean that the British people should apologise to Libyans for helping to prop up Gaddafi following the rapprochement with the west in recent years, including the training of his military, McCue said: “I know that the victims I’m representing spoke out very loudly against that rapprochement.” Lockerbie plane bombing Global terrorism UK security and terrorism Scotland Libya Middle East Muammar Gaddafi Chris McGreal guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …President Obama has announced his reelection bid via web video—though he doesn’t say a word in it. Instead, it’s a montage of supporters explaining why they’ll back the president in 2012. “We’re not leaving it up to chance,” or assuming he’ll win because he’s the incumbent, notes a supporter…
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Concert conducted by Sir Simon Rattle will be shown in 140 UK cinemas as orchestras hope the technology will raise funds When Sir Simon Rattle brought the Berlin Philharmonic to London for a series of rapturously received concerts in February, tickets rapidly disappeared. But fans who missed out will get another chance to see the acclaimed orchestra in cinemas next month, and for the first time in 3D. Britain’s most celebrated conductor is aiming to reach new audiences by screening 3D concerts in hundreds of cinemas across the world, including 140 in Britain. The technology aims to give cinemagoers the sensation of not only sitting in the front rows but right among the orchestra, offering close-ups of the virtuoso players. The first film features a performance of Mahler’s First Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, recorded in Singapore. Rattle, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, is hoping to replicate the success of opera, ballet and theatre in cinemas. The Metropolitan Opera in New York has reached 1,500 screens in 46 countries and last season tripled its audience, selling a record 2.4m tickets and raising $48m. The latest season looks set to earn $60m, an indication of the potential. Cineworld and Empire are among the UK cinema chains that will show the Berlin Philharmonic concert on 9 May, under the watchful eye of other orchestras. If it proves popular, such concerts could be lucrative as public funding is cut. The initial experiment is a recorded concert, but live performances are next. The concerts could also raise the profile of classical music’s unsung heroes – the rank-and-file musicians overshadowed by soloists and conductors. Stanley Dodds, a violinist with the Berlin Philharmonic, spoke of his excitement: “Nothing of its kind has ever been done before. It gives the feeling of being in an orchestra. When you see the winding tubes of a horn, or a very nice old Italian violin in 3D, you feel you could touch it. You can observe the concentration and intensity of the musicians’ facial expressions and body language.” Kate Pidgeon, of Arts Alliance Media, said the UK film distributor had jumped at the chance to take on world-class classical music. The Berlin Philharmonic’s recent concerts in London were sold out and drew rave reviews, suggesting there is a huge potential audience for classical music. She said: “If you live in Derby or Stroud, it’s a big effort to trek to London for a great performance. At your local cinema, you can go to a concert for the price of a cinema ticket rather than hundreds of pounds with travel and hotels.” Days after the Arts Council cut its grants to symphony orchestras, Horace Trubridge of the Musicians’ Union spoke of the potential for other orchestras: “UK orchestras are on red alert for any kind of new idea that’s going to help them get through this period. They are stripped to the bone in terms of their funding. The only way they’re going to survive is by developing new audiences.” Berlin Philharmonic 3D Arts funding Classical music Dalya Alberge guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …When the cheeky Toronto alt-weekly NOW published nearly nude photos of its large and loud mayor Rob Ford—obviously digitally altered and under the headline “The Naked Truth”—the mayor’s office probably should have just ignored it. Instead, it told all city of Toronto locations to “remove and dispose” of…
Continue reading …If you were terrified by the story of the five-foot-long hole that opened up in a Southwest plane Friday, you may not want to read further: The airline found small, subsurface cracks in three more planes that are similar to the cracks that may have played a role in that…
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By sealing up cells full of contaminated pollen, bees appear to be attempting to protect the rest of the hive Honeybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert. Scientists have found numerous examples of a new phenomenon – bees “entombing” or sealing up hive cells full of pollen to put them out of use, and protect the rest of the hive from their contents. The pollen stored in the sealed-up cells has been found to contain dramatically higher levels of pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals than the pollen stored in neighbouring cells, which is used to feed growing young bees. “This is a novel finding, and very striking. The implication is that the bees are sensing [pesticides] and actually sealing it off. They are recognising that something is wrong with the pollen and encapsulating it,” said Jeff Pettis, an entomologist with the US Department of Agriculture . “Bees would not normally seal off pollen.” But the bees’ last-ditch efforts to save themselves appear to be unsuccessful – the entombing behaviour is found in many hives that subsequently die off, according to Pettis. “The presence of entombing is the biggest single predictor of colony loss. It’s a defence mechanism that has failed.” These colonies were likely to already be in trouble, and their death could be attributed to a mix of factors in addition to pesticides, he added. Bees are also sealing off pollen that contains substances used by beekeepers to control pests such as the varroa mite , another factor in the widespread decline of bee populations . These substances may also be harmful to bees, Pettis said. “Beekeepers – and I am one – need to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask what we are doing,” he said. “Certainly [the products] have effects on bees. It’s a balancing act – if you do not control the parasite, bees die. If you control the parasite, bees will live but there are side-effects. This has to be managed.” The decline of bee populations has become an increasing concern in recent years. “Colony collapse disorder” , the name given to the unexplained death of bee colonies, is affecting hives around the world. Scientists say there are likely to be numerous reasons for the die-off , ranging from agricultural pesticides to bee pests and diseases, pollution, and intensive farming, which reduces bee habitat and replaces multiple food sources with single, less nutritious, sources. Globalisation may also be a factor, as it spreads bee diseases around the world, and some measures taken to halt the deaths – such as massing bees in huge super-hives – can actually contribute to the problem, according to a recent study by the United Nations . The loss of pollinators could have severe effects on agriculture, scientists have warned. Pesticides were not likely to be the biggest single cause of bee deaths, Pettis said: “Pesticide is an issue but it is not the driving issue.” Some pesticides could be improving life for bees, he noted: for many years, bees were not to be found near cotton plantations because of the many chemicals used, but in the past five years bees have begun to return because the multiple pesticides of old have been replaced with newer so-called systemic pesticides. Studies he conducted found that bees in areas of intensive agriculture were suffering from poor nutrition compared with bees with a diverse diet, and this then compounded other problems, such as infection with the gut parasite nosema . “It is about the interaction of different factors, and we need to study these interactions more closely,” he said. The entombing phenomenon was first noted in an obscure scientific paper from 2009 , but since then scientists have been finding the behaviour more frequently, with the same results. Bees naturally collect from plants a substance known as propolis , a sort of sticky resin with natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities. It is used by bees to line the walls of their hives, and to seal off unwanted or dangerous substances – for instance, mice that find their way into hives and die are often found covered in propolis. This is the substance bees are using to entomb the cells. The bees that entomb cells of pollen are the hives’ housekeepers, different from the bees that go out to collect pollen from plants. Pettis said that it seemed pollen-collecting bees could not detect high levels of pesticides, but that the pollen underwent subtle changes when stored. These changes – a lack of microbial activity compared with pollen that has fewer pesticide residues – seemed to be involved in triggering the entombing effect, he explained. Pettis was speaking in London, where he was visiting British MPs to talk about the decline of bee populations, and meeting European bee scientists. Bees Wildlife Insects Conservation Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk
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