Anti-corruption campaigner refuses to leave prison despite release warrant Indian officials are locked in negotiations with the country’s best-known anti-corruption campaigner as the government of Manmohan Singh frantically tries to roll back a growing wave of popular anger over his arrest. Protests in support of Anna Hazare, the 74-year-old activist whose detention on Tuesday sparked the crisis, have showed no signs of dying down and tens of thousands are continuing to demonstrate across India. Despite a hastily arranged release warrant, Hazare is refusing to leave the high-security Tihar prison in Delhi until the government allows him to mount a public hunger strike. The crisis is one of the most serious to strike the beleaguered coalition government so far. Singh attempted to take the initiative in a speech to parliament on Wednesday, explaining that the government was not against the anti-corruption campaigner’s motivations and objected only to his methods and immediate goals . “I acknowledge that Anna Hazare may be inspired by high ideals,” Singh said, over shouts and catcalls from the opposition. “However, the path that he has chosen to impose a draft of the bill on parliament is totally misconceived.” Government officials accuse Hazare of being anti-democratic and trying to “blackmail” elected representatives. Hazare is refusing to leave jail, where he has started a hunger strike, unless the government allows his protest against corruption to go ahead as originally intended. Thousands of supporters gathered outside the jail on Tuesday, some spending the night outside. Prashant Bhushan, a lawyer and key aide of Hazare, said the campaigner would “come out of Tihar jail only if the government agrees to his demands and releases him unconditionally”. The arrests of Hazare and more than a thousand followers, which the government says were necessary on public order grounds, has sparked deep indignation across India and allowed a weak and fragmented opposition to score points against the ruling Congress party. “It is a wake-up call for all of us unless we put our house in order. The people of this country are becoming restless,” said Arun Jaitley, a senior leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Hazare, a controversial figure whom opponents accuse of having links to Hindu nationalist fringe groups, has successfully invoked the memory of Mahatma Gandhi to mobilise vast reservoirs of anger within Indian society at endemic corruption, poor services and patchy governance. The administration has been weakened by a series of corruption scandals involving party officials, appointees or allies. Hazare, who is demanding tougher laws against graft, insists that before he leaves jail he wants the right to return to the city park where he had planned to fast publicly. Officials said they were hopeful of reaching a compromise by Wednesday night. Whatever the outcome, the episode will reinforce the impression among people from right and left that the elderly Singh is out of touch and that his government is too clumsy to govern Asia’s third-largest economy effectively. “Corrupt, repressive and stupid,” was the verdict of the leftwing Hindu newspaper. “Anna has the government fumbling,” ran a headline in the Mail Today, which follows a centre-right editorial line. Though some of the protests across India have been organised by political opponents of the Congress party, most seem to be independent. Calls have been made for civil servants to take leave and rickshaw drivers to strike. Hazare has carefully built his image, stressing links to Gandhi at every opportunity. In a pre-recorded video, released after his arrest, he called for a “second freedom struggle” against corruption. Gandhi led the first against British imperial rulers. Shops selling the type of hat linked to Gandhi and habitually worn by Hazare have sold out. Anna Hazare India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Two more Democratic state senators have survived recall votes in Wisconsin, ending the state’s recall saga with the Republicans still in charge of the legislature—but with only a one-seat majority. Another Democrat survived an earlier recall vote, and four of six targeted Republicans held their seats after recall votes…
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Hundreds of tonnes of oil estimated to still be inside an offshore pipeline that has been leaking for a week Hundreds of tonnes of oil could still be inside an offshore pipeline that has been leaking for a week. The estimate was revealed as Shell continues to try to stem the flow on the seabed near the Gannet Alpha platform, about 112 miles east of Aberdeen. Since the leak started last Wednesday, more than 200 tonnes of oil has spilled into the North Sea, making it the worst single leak in the region for more than a decade . The initial large leak was stopped the following day, but it later emerged that a smaller flow from the same source had been detected. That leak was described as being in an “awkward” place surrounded by marine growth. Shell technical director, Glen Cayley, said the company’s pipeline maintenance programme had let it down, according to a report in the Press and Journal newspaper . “We are talking about hundreds of tonnes of additional oil in the pipeline that we need to preserve and keep there,” Cayley told the paper. “Until we have completely eliminated the leak and secured this pipeline, I would say there is still risk.” He added that work is continuing to figure out how to fix the breach. Environmental groups have strongly criticised Shell for its handling of the spill, complaining about a lack of timely information. Oil spills Oil Oil Energy Fossil fuels Oil and gas companies Energy industry Royal Dutch Shell guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Met police chief job applications close with at least four in the running
August 17, 2011 No Comment
Home office refuses to confirm list but Sir Hugh Orde, Bernard Hogan-Howe, Tim Godwin and Stephen House in the race At least four police chiefs have applied to be the next commissioner of the Metropolitan police. The deadline for applications closed at midday Wednesday for the £260,000-a-year post. Those applying are: Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers; the temporary acting Met deputy, Bernard Hogan-Howe; and the acting Met commissioner, Tim Godwin. Stephen House, chief constable of Strathclyde police, is also believed to have applied. Neither the home office nor the Metropolitan Police Authority have released a list of those who have applied. A number of top officers declined to apply for the job. The chiefs of the second and third biggest forces in England decided against applying to become commissioner. Chris Sims of West Midlands and Peter Fahy of Greater Manchester police did not apply, neither did the chief constable of Thames Valley, Sara Thornton, despite being admired by David Cameron. Andy Trotter, head of British Transport police also decided against. House is seen as having performed well as head of Strathclyde police after leaving the Met, where he was an assistant commissioner. His force won praise in the aftermath of the riots for its pioneering work countering gangs and House is believed to have been asked by home office officials to apply. If he does not get the Met job, he would be the frontrunner to become the new chief of a single Scottish force. Sir Hugh Orde, who came second in the last application process for Met commissioner, would probably be the choice of the police service. He has been robust in defending the force against the government. However, his outspokenness is said to have annoyed the government, which will have a big say in who takes the top job. He formerly served as chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The temporary acting Met deputy Bernard Hogan-Howe, who was seconded into the force by the home secretary, Theresa May, after Sir Paul Stephenson was forced out over his errors of judgment in the phone-hacking scandal, is also said to be highly rated by the prime minister. Hogan-Howe is a former head of Merseyside police, where he was viewed as having performed well tackling crime and modernising the force. Tim Godwin, who is serving his second spell as acting Met commissioner, is seen as able, but the damage caused by the police’s alleged mishandling of its initial response to the riots has not helped his cause. He is known as having lots of ideas about policing issues – in January 2011 he decided to order the new police phone-hacking inquiry, which was credited with being more robust than previous Met investigations. The candidates will first be interviewed by an MPA panel, with the shortlisted candidates interviewed by the home secretary. Interviews are expected to take place within a fortnight. Explaining her decision not to apply, Sara Thornton in a statement said: “There has been much speculation over the last few weeks about whether I might make an application for the role of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service. While it is flattering to be considered suitable for such an important role I have decided not to apply.” Whoever gets the job, which technically is awarded by royal appointment, will be come the third Met commissioner in the last three years. Under London mayor Boris Johnson’s administration, first Sir Ian Blair and then Sir Paul Stephenson, have resigned. Metropolitan police London Police Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
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Mexican chemistry student had planned to attack protest march against Pope Benedict’s visit, police say Spanish police have arrested a man suspected of planning a gas attack on marchers protesting against Pope Benedict’s visit to Madrid, which begins on Thursday. José Perez Bautista, a 24-year-old Mexican chemistry student, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police said he had declared on the internet that he intended to attack the march. He planned to use “suffocating gases” and other chemicals, and tried to recruit others to help him, police said. Bautista, from Puebla state, near Mexico City, was one of hundreds of volunteers recruited to help pilgrims arriving for World Youth Week, a festival organised by the Catholic church. He is a student at Spain’s Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain’s national scientific research organisation, and according to police had access to chemicals that could have been used in an attack. A pen drive and notebook containing information about chemical processes not related to his studies were found in his flat, police said. Police refused to say whether they believed Bautista was capable of mounting the attack, but said officers had been forced to taken online threats more seriously following the Norway shootings in July. Anders Behring Breivik boasted of his plans online before killing 77 people in Europe’s worst mass killing outside of war. The protest march on Tuesday evening in central Madrid was organised that included secularists, atheists and freethinkers to condemn the visit – said to be costing the city some €60m (£53m) at a time when Madrid faces high unemployment and austerity measures . The protesters complain that the government is contributing €25m to the cost of a religious festival. Although the majority of Spaniards are nominally Catholic, Spain has no official state religion. Two hundred white confession booths have been installed in Madrid’s Buen Retiro park as pilgrims from more than 100 countries descend on the city. The archbishop of Madrid, Antoni María Rouco Varela, has urged pilgrims to join the priesthood in order to stem the tide of “rampant relativism”. He gave mass from an altar adorned with an image of the Virgin of Almudena, the patron saint of Madrid, and a flask of Pope John Paul II’s blood. The late pope, Benedict’s predecessor, was beatified in May. Spain Europe Pope Benedict XVI Global terrorism Religion Catholicism Stephen Burgen guardian.co.uk
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Two hawkish members of monetary policy committee stop calling for rate hike as economic problems deepen The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee was united in voting to leave interest rates unchanged this month, with the two hawkish members of the committee abandoning their calls for borrowing costs to rise. Spencer Dale, the Bank’s chief economist, and external policymaker Martin Weale, fell back in line with the rest of the MPC and voted for interest rates to remain at their record low of 0.5%. Minutes from August’s meeting, published on Wednesday morning , also indicated that the prospects of a second bout of quantitative easing in the UK have increased. The meeting at which Dale and Weale changed their minds took place amid wild swings on world stock markets. The crisis in the eurozone, disappointing GDP growth in the US, and Britain’s own domestic economic problems all persuaded the committee that inflation would drop back to its 2% target without a rise in rates. “The slowing in world demand growth and the heightened tensions in financial markets meant that the balance of risks to the medium-term inflation outlook had clearly shifted to the downside,” the minutes explained. The 9-0 vote in favour of leaving rates unchanged was the first unanimous decision on interest rate policy since May 2010 – the month before Andrew Sentance, who has now left the committee, began his calls for a rise . Adam Posen was again alone in calling for the Bank’s quantitative easing programme to be increased by £50bn to £250bn. But several other members of the nine-strong committee considered whether a fresh round of asset purchases was needed, before deciding not to support Posen. “Those members concluded that the case was not yet strong enough, particularly in light of the lower path for Bank Rate now implied by financial markets. Further asset purchases might nonetheless become warranted were some of the downside risks to materialise.” Nida Ali, economic adviser to the Ernst & Young Item club, said the hawks had “thrown in the towel”. “The tone of the minutes was much more dovish than in recent months and more quantitative easing has gone from being a mere back-up option to being a genuine possibility in the near future,” Ali said. The pound fell by half a cent after the minutes were released, but then recovered to $1.6455. Jane Foley, senior currency strategist, pointed out that sterling had already weakened last week after Sir Mervyn King indicated that rates could remain on hold until 2012. “Clearly the minutes are dovish but even though the voting pattern of the MPC became more extreme in August, the Bank had already made clear that rates will be on hold for a prolonged period,” Foley said. Ross Walker of RBS said there had been a “clear dovish shift” within the MPC, while Victoria Cadman of Investec said the possibility of a rate hike had been kicked “well into the distant future”. Weale had been voting for a quarter-point rise in rates since January this year . Dale took his hawkish stance the following month, with both men arguing that inflationary pressures in the UK warranted higher borrowing costs. Euro fears The MPC had gathered in Threadneedle Street to discuss on rate policy on 3 and 4 August. The vote came at the end of the two-day meeting, as a stock market rout drove the FTSE 100 index below 5500 . The markets clearly dominated attention – with the minutes stating that “markets had been unsettled during the month, and had become particularly stressed in the days immediately preceding the committee’s meeting.” A week before the meeting, preliminary data had shown that the UK economy had grown by 0.2% during the second quarter of 2011. The MPC predicted that underlying growth in the economy was probably stronger, but cautioned that it will remain “significantly below the level corresponding to a continuation of its pre-recession trend”. The MPC also concluded that the European debt crisis was the single biggest threat to the UK’s economic prospects. The policymakers predicted that concerns about the euro area were already hitting household and business confidence, and having a negative effect on bank funding costs and asset prices. Interest rates Bank of England Economics Quantitative easing Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
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Sketch by Dutch painter worth £152,000 recovered 25 miles away from Los Angeles hotel where it was being exhibited A Rembrandt drawing stolen from a hotel in the Los Angeles area has been recovered at a church in nearby Encino. Owners of the drawing, known as The Judgment, verified that the recovered pen-and-ink artwork valued at $250,000 (£152,000) and measuring 28cm x 41cm (11in x 16in) was the original that had vanished from an exhibit on Saturday night , said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles county police department. An anonymous tipoff led investigators to the church on Monday, and experts from the Linearis Institute, which owns the drawing, verified its authenticity, he said. There are no suspects in custody, and authorities are not commenting on how the drawing ended up at the church about 25 miles from Los Angeles. They also are not confirming the name of the church. The drawing was in “a building on the church grounds, not in the sanctuary”, Whitmore said. It wasn’t hanging on a wall or otherwise displayed, he said. “We got an anonymous tip because there was so much news coverage,” Whitmore told Reuters. “That really was the turning point. The news coverage led people to call us and say, ‘Hey, I’ve seen this, and this is where I’ve seen it.’ We responded, and they were right. There it was.” The drawing by the 17th-century Dutch artist disappeared on Saturday night from an exhibit at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey. The theft happened while the curator was being distracted by a person who “appeared to be buying something, and that required the attention of the curator”, Whitmore said. “As the curator turned away from the exhibit momentarily and then turned back, he saw that the Rembrandt was gone.” Hi-tech specialists are scouring hotel security video, and authorities may release a sketch or stills of the suspects later this week or next week, Whitmore said. Rembrandt Painting United States guardian.co.uk
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Penguin who became focus of global media after washing up on New Zealand beach 2,500 miles from home to be returned to Antarctica A young emperor penguin that captured worldwide attention when it washed up on a New Zealand beach after straying thousands of miles from home will head back to the subantarctic in a specially designed cage on board a research vessel. The Wellington Zoo, where the bird – nicknamed “Happy Feet” by locals – has been living since June, said on Wednesday the penguin would be on the research vessel Tangaroa when it leaves on 29 Augustfor a fisheries survey. The penguin will be released from the ship about four days out at sea, en route to its final destination. “The NIWA team are looking forward to having this extra special guest on board the vessel with us for the journey,” Rob Murdoch of NIWA, the research organisation that operates the vessel, said in a statement issued by the zoo. “Happy Feet has captured the hearts of New Zealanders and people across the world, and we’re pleased to be able to help safely return him to the Southern Ocean.” A Wellington Zoo vet will accompany the penguin, which will be housed in a crate designed by Wellington Zoo staff to keep it cool and comfortable during the voyage. The animal will be fitted with a GPS tracker that will allow fans to monitor its progress online on several websites, including sirtrack.com and ourfarsouth.org The bird became the focus of the world’s media after it turned up on a beach some 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from its home, only the second emperor penguin known to have shown up in New Zealand. It underwent endoscopic surgery in June to remove 3kg (6.6lbs) of sand from its stomach and subsequently recuperated at the zoo, where a “penguin cam” allowed fans to observe its every move over the internet. Penguins normally eat snow to stay hydrated but vets believe Happy Feet became confused and ate sand instead. Emperor penguins are the largest penguin species and can weigh up to 30kg (66lbs). The previous sighting of an emperor penguin in New Zealand took place in 1967. Antarctica New Zealand Animals Marine life Wildlife Animal behaviour guardian.co.uk
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Security forces step up attempts to tackle rise in violence, terrorism and radical Islam in troubled western region Chinese security forces have launched a two-month “strike hard” crackdown against violence, terrorism and radical Islam following renewed ethnic violence in the restive western region of Xinjiang, the regional government has announced. The campaign, which began on 11 August and will last until 15 October, includes around-the-clock patrols of troublespots, identity checks and street searches of people and vehicles, according to a notice posted on the regional government’s website. Authorities would step up investigations of suspicious activity and deal with defendants even more harshly through accelerated trials, the notice said. “Public security units at all levels across the region must strengthen the work of security, take strict precautions, and create fear and awe,” it said. The region’s police department conceded that the number of violent incidents was on the rise and pledged to “uncover the masterminds and organisers behind such activities”. “The frequency with which terrorist activities are carried out in the region is rising and it must be curbed,” the department said in a statement. China rolls out campaigns on a regular basis despite criticism from rights groups and imposes tougher penalties for crimes from theft to endangering state security. Signalling the authorities’ determination to crush all opposition, Beijing this month dispatched to Xinjiang its elite Snow Leopard anti-terrorism unit, which was charged with securing the 2008 Beijing Olympics and specialises in anti-terrorism, riot control, bomb disposal and responding to hijackings. The unit will bolster security for the annual China-Eurasia Expo, being held in the regional capital, Urumqi, in the first week in September, along with National Day celebrations on 1 October. The crackdown follows fresh outbreaks of violence blamed on militants among Xinjiang’s native Uighur population, ethnic Turks who are culturally, linguistically and religiously distinct from China’s majority Han. Militants have for decades been fighting a low-level insurgency to gain independence for lightly populated but resource-rich Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and several unstable central Asian states. China generally keeps a tight lid on information about outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang. Uighur activists say even peaceful protests are often labelled acts of terrorism. However, official reports said at least three dozen people, including the attackers, were killed in three incidents in the cities of Hotan and Kashgar despite a massive security presence that was tightened following an anti-Chinese riot in Urumqi two years ago in which at least 197 people were killed. Beijing blames the violence on overseas-based militants, specifically those from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement who it says have trained in militant camps in Pakistan. Yet Beijing has provided no direct evidence, and analysts say they suspect its claims are driven more by ideology than proof. Uighur activists say harsh crackdowns only lead to greater anger among young Uighurs who already feel culturally and economically sidelined by waves of Han migration to the region. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the German-based World Uyghur Congress, said high-pressure tactics and “systematic persecution” of attempts to assert a Uighur identity would only encourage radicalism. “China is ducking responsibility for the turmoil its own policies have created,” Raxit said. Xinjiang China guardian.co.uk
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Police called to disturbance in Barrow used stun gun to arrest man in his 20s who later died in hospital A man in his 20s has died in Cumbria after being shot with a Taser by police during his arrest. Police were called to Hartington Street in Barrow at 6.30pm on Tuesday following reports of a man causing a disturbance. A Taser was used during the arrest of the man, who later complained of feeling unwell. He was taken to hospital, where he died. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed. The man has not been formally identified but was named locally as Dale Burns. A friend, who did not want to be identified, said: “Dale worked the doors around here at different pubs. He had a girlfriend and two young kids, aged four and two and a half. “I went to the hospital last night and his mum Donna was there. She didn’t know why he had been Tasered or what had happened. “Apparently he had been Tasered three times. “Dale was a really good lad, we went to the gym together, he’d been going since he was 15.” A Cumbria police spokesman said: “Neighbourhood police officers attended the scene and arrested a male on suspicion of causing criminal damage and, during the arrest, a Taser was deployed. “The man became unwell following the arrest and was taken to Furness general hospital by officers. “At around 9pm the man, who was in his 20s and lived locally, was pronounced dead.” Police Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
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