The government has described the leak as ‘substantial’ and estimates that it could be several hundred tonnes An oil spill in the North Sea is estimated to amount to several hundred tonnes, making it the biggest such leak in more than a decade, according to UK government figures. The spill – far greater than annual totals dating back to 2001 – was described as “substantial” by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). The total amount of oil discharged into the North Sea in 2009 was 50.93 tonnes. Shell, which operates the Gannet Alpha platform about 112 miles east of Aberdeen, said the subsea well was shut on Wednesday, but it has not confirmed the quantity of the leak. A Decc spokesman said the energy firm is still trying to “completely halt” any further leakage. The spokesman said: “Although small in comparison to the Macondo, Gulf of Mexico, incident, in the context of the UK continental shelf, the spill is substantial – but it is not anticipated that oil will reach the shore and indeed it is expected that it will be dispersed naturally. “The UK continental shelf oil spill record is strong, which is why it is disappointing that this spill has happened. We take any spill very seriously and we will be investigating the causes of the spill and learning any lessons from the response to it.” He added: “Current estimates are that the spill could be several hundred tonnes. “However, it is always very difficult and takes time to get an accurate assessment of the size of a spill and this is subject to ongoing revision. “So these estimates are subject to continuing analysis and change. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are making twice-daily flights to monitor the situation.” Mick Borwell, from the offshore industry body Oil and Gas UK, said he is convinced the energy firm is doing all it can to tackle the problem. “Any oil company operating in the UK takes oil spill, any volume of oil spill, very seriously,” he told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme. “It’s one of the reasons we have one of the most robust response mechanisms to oil spills. “I think this level of spill is not normal for the UK continental shelf and I’m absolutely convinced that Shell are doing what they need to do to deal with it.” He added: “It’s important to remember that oil degrades and disperses very quickly in the marine environment, more so as the weather conditions increase. “The UK strategy for dealing with an oil spill is to wait and see how it behaves.” Environment groups raised their concerns for wildlife in the area. Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: “We know oil of any amount, if in the wrong place, at the wrong time, can have a devastating impact on marine life. Currently thousands of young auks – razorbills, puffins and guillemots – are flightless and dispersing widely in the North Sea during late summer. So they could be at serious risk if contaminated by this spill. “If Shell is confident that the situation is now under control we must now start to assess what happened and make sure the relevant precautions are in place to stop this happening again.” Oil spills Oil Oceans Oil Energy Fossil fuels Oil and gas companies Energy industry Royal Dutch Shell Wildlife Marine life Birds guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …In one of the British forces’ wackier schemes to rid the world of Adolph Hitler’s violence, secret agents plotted to slip estrogen in the fuhrer’s food in a bid to tame his aggression, according to a new book. The estrogen would be tasteless and the transformation gradual as Hitler changed…
Continue reading …The small British island of Jersey has been rocked by the mystery stabbing deaths of three children, two women and a man, reports the BBC . The suspected killer, a 30-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital for emergency surgery after trying to kill himself at the crime scene, said…
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• Midfielder completes transfer on five-year contract • Barcelona say Fábregas deal worth potential £34m Cesc Fábregas left London with tears in his eyes and urged Arsenal to stick with Arsène Wenger – describing the coach as “the best person I have met in football”. The Catalan also insisted that Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey have the talent to take control of Arsenal’s midfield for the future. Wilshere, he said, will be the England captain within three years and that Ramsey is on course to become Arsenal’s “next star”. The saga finally came to an end on Monday when Fábregas was at long last presented as a Barcelona player after a three-year pursuit. He said that he was very happy to fulfil a childhood dream but admitted that there were “mixed emotions.” He admitted that the frustration of not winning anything in the last six years weighed heavily and revealed that he had been unable to articulate his gratitude during his last meeting with Wenger without crying. “I spoke to [Wenger] on Friday to say goodbye and got very emotional because he has been like a father figure,” Fábregas said. “I couldn’t even talk when I wanted to say how grateful I was for what he has done to me, so I had to send a message afterwards saying thanks for everything. If it was not for him I would not be here today to live my dream. I will never have enough words to say how grateful I am. I went from being a boy to a man and they gave me absolutely everything in football. I have mixed emotions. Life goes on: Arsenal will always be there, the fans will always be there. Players come and go; the club will always be bigger than them.” “At Arsenal, there were finals and semi-finals but we always lacked that little extra push to win something. That was hard to take. It was not that we didn’t win titles it was that we kept going through the same routine, the same things happening to us and us messing up. I gave everything for Arsenal but it didn’t show in the [trophy] cabinet because I only won one FA Cup. That is the biggest regret I will have in my career – not to be able to lift a trophy as Arsenal captain.” Fábregas also noted his sadness at the way that he ultimately left the Emirates. “I will have time to talk about [my departure]. I am sure I will do an interview especially for them [the Arsenal fans] at some stage,” he said. “I am sorry I couldn’t say anything for the last two and half months, Arsenal would not allow me to talk, I was disappointed and upset about that but it had to be like that. I still have, personally, a great relationship with them and I am disappointed to have maybe lost [the affection of] some of the fans. “I am sorry I couldn’t say anything, I am sorry. I was very, very sad to be leaving. I spent a third of my life there – eight years.” Despite those frustrations, Fábregas added: “If Arsenal want to keep being the club they have been, they must always remain under his [Wenger's] control because he is the best and everyone respects him. He will always be the best person I have met in football.” He also insisted that Arsenal have the squad to continue to compete. “But I am sure that they will be a strong team again – they are one of the biggest teams in the world. They will be OK without me as they were without Vieira, without Henry, without Bergkamp,” Fábregas said. “There is not even a question [over whether or not Arsenal's midfield is in good hands]. I have seen them play for years, both Aaron and Jack. Jack will be the England captain in the next two or three years, there is no doubt. You don’t have to be a magician to see that. He has the passing game and he will be an even better player in the future. There is not even a question in my mind about that. As for Aaron: his engine is unbelievable, his final ball will get better and he will be the next big star at Arsenal. They are winners and they will be amazing for the club for sure.” Cesc Fábregas Arsenal Barcelona Transfer window Sid Lowe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Turns out the hacker group Anonymous wasn’t willing to wait for this afternoon’s protest to strike at the evil empire that is San Francisco public transit. Hackers hit a BART website yesterday, defacing the site and releasing the private information of more than 2,000 BART customers, reports the San…
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A 20-year-old is due in court after police discover plans for a Colchester water fight circulating on BBM and Facebook A man will appear before magistrates in September for attempting to organise a citywide water fight on his mobile phone. The 20-year-old from Colchester, south-east England, was arrested on Friday after Essex police discovered the plans circulating on the BlackBerry Messenger service and Facebook. The unnamed man has been charged with “encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence” under the 2007 Serious Crime Act, police said. He was arrested the day the water fight was due to take place along with another 20-year-old man. He has been bailed to appear before Colchester magistrates on 1 September. The second man was released without charge. The BlackBerry Messenger service, a closed communications network, was the social network of choice for organising many of the raids on shops and businesses during the riots across parts of England last week. A police spokesman declined to disclose whether Essex police had been monitoring the messenger service since the riots. “Essex police use appropriate measures for whatever the crime and wherever our investigations lead us,” he said. Speaking during last Thursday’s parliamentary debate on the riots, David Cameron said he would investigate whether social-networking sites should be shut down if they helped to “plot” crime. The prime minister said he would “look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality”. He has received support from some Tory backbenchers, including Louise Mensch, who likened such a ban to closing a stretch of rail network after an accident. In 2008 there was a spate of mass water fights in UK towns and cities that were organised through social networking . Most remained peaceful. This month a water fight attended by thousands of young Iranians attracted the attention of Tehran’s morality police and led to a series of arrests. Social networking BlackBerry Facebook Police Mobile phones Internet Shiv Malik guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Two workers were saved from drowning in an elevator, cars were up to their windows in water, and subway service shut down in a New York City rainfall yesterday that shattered a 116-year record. An astonishing 7.7 inches of rain pelted the city in a single day. The normal…
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• ‘Mega-rich get extraordinary tax breaks’ • Investor says move needed to tackle US debts • Strong Tea Party opposition to tax rises The days of ‘coddling’ America’s super-rich with low taxes must end if its debt problems are ever to be solved, according to billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Buffett has called on US politicians to impose higher taxes on his fellow wealthy Americans, who he says are currently indulged with an unfairly generous tax regime. Writing in the New York Times on Monday , Buffett argued that the richest members of US society are not making a fair contribution to repairing the country’s finances. “While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks,” wrote Buffett, whose personal fortune was estimated at $50bn (£30bn) by Forbes this year. “These and other blessings are showered upon us by legislators in Washington who feel compelled to protect us, much as if we were spotted owls or some other endangered species. It’s nice to have friends in high places,” the 80-year old investor added. Buffett, a long-time critic of the US tax system, has calculated that he handed over 17.4% of his income as tax last year – a lower proportion than any of the 20 other people who work in his office. Under the debt ceiling deal agreed in Washington, a “super committee” of 12 congressmen and senators must find $1.5tn worth of savings and cuts to help cut America’s national debt. Tax rises are hugely unpopular with elements within the Republican party, with the Tea Party movement adamant that America should balance its books by cutting public spending. Buffett argues that this super-committee should raise the tax rate paid by those earning more than $1m a year, including earnings from capital gains which are currently taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income. Those raking in upward of $10m a year could then pay even more. The package of tax cuts brought in by President George W Bush are set to expire at the end of 2012, although they could be extended. Many of the leading Republicans who hope to challenge Barack Obama at the next presidential election have argued for lower taxation to stimulate the US economy. On Saturday Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, argued that it was an “injustice” that almost a half of all Americans currently pay no federal income tax. “Spreading the wealth punishes success while setting America on a course for greater dependency on government,” Perry argued as he announced his bid for the 2012 Republican nomination . It was not clear whether Perry hopes to increase the percentage of US citizens paying federal income tax by bringing more of them into better-paid jobs, or by lowering the income tax threshold. Either way, Buffett argues that the US political class should be looking at the other end of the spectrum. As he put it: “My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.” Warren Buffett US economy US domestic policy United States Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
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• FTSE 100 rises in early trading • Italian public holiday helps steady nerves • Gold falls back from recent records • Japanese economy not as sickly as feared Calm returned to financial markets on Monday following last week’s turbulence, as traders awaited fresh developments in the European debt crisis. Most major stock markets posted early gains, and the only major swing on the foreign exchange was a sharp fall in the swiss franc. Gold lost ground, falling back from its recent highs. In London the FTSE 100 rose by 41 points in early trading, hitting 5361.89, as City workers enjoyed a more sedate session after recent volatility. “A calmer tone has settled over the markets after last week’s turmoil,” said Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank. There was widespread encouragement that the Japanese economy shrank by 0.3% between April and June, a smaller contraction than feared. In Japan, the Nikkei index closed 1.37% higher, with other stock markets in the region also registering solid gains. Foley said the Japanese GDP data, and encouraging US retail sales data released last Friday, had prompted “a collective sigh of relief across the global investment community”. Franco-German summit in focus Traders said that a public holiday in Italy – the source of much of the fear that swept markets in recent days – had helped to steady investors’ nerves. However, the picture could change on Tuesday when Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel will hold crucial discussions on the future of the eurozone . The talks, taking place in Paris, will consider how the two biggest eurozone economies can prevent the region’s debt crisis escalating further. Failure to agree clear plans could prompt another sell-off in the financial markets, traders believe. “If nothing is agreed tomorrow then we could see another market wobble,” said Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets. “I’m afraid we’ll see more delays and more prevarication … and the markets are losing patience.” One option to resolve the euro crisis would be for weaker countries to issue “eurobonds”, backed by the rest of the community. France and Germany, though, have indicated that eurobonds are not on the agenda this week. Hewson warned that the financial markets are currently “in the eye of the storm”, suggesting that Monday’s placid scenes may be short-lived. A week to forget Last week’s drama began with heavy losses as the European debt crisis threatened Italy and Spain, sending the FTSE 100 to its fourth triple-digit fall in a row – a record . The recovery then stumbled on Wednesday over fears about the French banking sector, which prompted another sell-off . The blue chip index ended with two days of triple-digit gains, clawing back 6% of its total value . “Many traders will doubtless welcome a quiet start to the week after the extreme volatility that has been seen of late,” said Cameron Peacock, analyst at IG Markets. Peacock pointed out that the markets could be moved by US manufacturing data due for release later on Monday. At 2.30pm BST, the European Central Bank will reveal how much it spent in the last week buying up the sovereign debt of Italy and Spain. Akif Ince, credit data analyst at Markit, reported that the cost of insuring corporate and government debt had declined on Monday – a sign of “positive sentiment” in the market. “While we seem to be retracing for the time being, there are many moving parts and an air of uncertainty is lingering in the market as ideas of eurobonds and naked sovereign CDS [credit default swap] bans re-emerge,” Ince added. The Swiss franc fell by 2% against other currencies, following reports that the Swiss Central Bank was planning to peg the currency against the euro. The Swiss franc has soared in recent months as investors sought a safe haven. Gold, the other classic refuge, dropped around 0.5% to $1,740 an ounce. Stock markets Market turmoil Global economy FTSE Dow Jones Currencies Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …After 52 years of marriage, crook Bernard Madoff’s wife is finally calling it quits. Ruth Madoff, 70, hasn’t seen her 73-year-old hubby for more than 8 months, reports the Daily Mail. She’s cutting ties with Madoff in an effort to reconcile with her remaining son, Andrew, and her dead son’s…
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