From the showpiece of the Olympic stadium to the cutting-edge sustainable design of the Velodrome, our 3D map of the Olympic Park takes you on a tour of the architectural stars of London 2012 Paul Scruton Martin Shuttleworth Paddy Allen Mark McCormick
Continue reading …
UK economic growth forecasts of 1.7% now look unrealistic, economists warn A slowdown in Britain’s growth in the second quarter means that the economy is weaker than thought and has no chance of meeting its official growth target this year. The eagerly awaited preliminary GDP estimate for April to June showed the economy growing by 0.2%, rather than contracting. Although this was better than some of the gloomier forecasts, it is still slower than the 0.5% growth seen in the first quarter, which came after a 0.5% decline in the fourth quarter of last year. City economists and thinktanks warned that the Office for Budget Responsibility would have to revise down its 1.7% growth forecast for this year. Will Straw, associate director of Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), estimates the UK will grow by just 1.2% this year. The weak growth is fuelling fears that Britain could lose its AAA credit rating unless the economy picks up sharply in the third quarter. The Office for National Statistics attributed some of the weakening in growth to a range of one-off events: the royal wedding, the additional bank holiday, the unusually warm April and also the impact of the Japanese tsunami on global supply chains. ONS chief statistician Joe Grice said taken together, these factors knocked 0.5% off GDP growth in the second quarter. He added that the economy’s underlying growth rate was higher than 0.2%. The service industries, which account for three-quarters of the economy, grew by 0.5%, as did the construction sector. But the production industries shrank by 1.4%. Most of that was down to a 3.2% fall in electricity and gas output due to warm weather in April while manufacturing, which was hit by the knock-on effects of the Japanese tsunami, dropped by 0.3%. Hotels and restaurants benefited from the April heatwave and the royal wedding however, growing by 2.2%. George Osborne welcomed the figures . “The positive news is that the British economy is continuing to grow and is creating jobs,” the chancellor said. “And it is positive news too that at a time of real international instability we are a safe haven in the storm. Our economy is stable at this time because this government has taken the difficult decisions to get to grips with Britain’s debts. Abandoning that now, as some argue we should, would only risk British jobs and growth.” However, Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, said the figures were “deeply worrying” and a sign that the economy is flatlining in the face of a global hurricane. “When there is a hurricane you do not rip the foundations out of your own house. That is exactly what George Osborne has done,” Balls told the BBC. In his official response, he accused the chancellor of being “in total denial”. “Families, pensioners and businesses can feel that tax rises and spending cuts which go too far and too fast are hurting, but it’s increasingly clear that they aren’t working,” Balls said. “It’s now almost certain that George Osborne’s growth forecasts will be revised down for a fourth time, which will mean government borrowing is revised up once again.” The “meagre and pathetic” growth figure also sparked fresh calls for an economic Plan B from Unite, Britain’s largest union. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “With every passing month, it is becoming clearer and clearer that the government’s monetarist and fiscal policies are not delivering the level of growth necessary for the British economy to recover. It is complacent of ministers to blame global economic problems for the bad figures. What we need to remember is that Britain stayed out the eurozone to give it more freedom of economic action – many of the problems we face are home-grown and can be laid directly at the door of George Osborne. “It is interesting to note the reports that there is rising tension between David Cameron and George Osborne about growth strategy – it is dawning on the Prime Minister that his friend is no economic genius.” Economic growth (GDP) Economics Economic policy Office for Budget Responsibility George Osborne Liberal-Conservative coalition Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Ettinger’s body is frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at the institute he founded, along with those of his mother and wives Robert Ettinger, a pioneer of the cryonics movement, has died and had his body stored at the facility he founded in the hope that medical technology will enable him to live again one day. Ettinger died at home on Saturday, aged 92, in a suburb of Detroit after weeks of declining health. His body became the 106th to be frozen and stored at the Cryonics Institute, which he founded in 1976. “My father devoted himself to doing what he could to enable his family, his friends and others to come back and live again,” said his son David. “Whether he will achieve that nobody knows at this point, but we think he has a good shot.” Ettinger, a university physics teacher, was seriously wounded during the second world war at the Battle of the Bulge and spent years in hospitals. The bone graft surgery that saved his legs inspired his optimism about the prospects of preserving life through technology, a statement from the institute said. . His son said Ettinger was also inspired by science fiction writings about deepfreezing the dead, and expected researchers to make serious progress toward developing the idea. But when nothing seemed to be happening, he wrote a 1964 book, The Prospect of Immortality, introducing the concept of cryonics. “If civilization endures, medical science should eventually be able to repair almost any damage to the human body, including freezing damage and senile debility or other cause of death,” he wrote. “No matter what kills us, whether old age or disease, and even if freezing techniques are still crude when we die, sooner or later our friends of the future should be equal to the task of reviving and curing us.” Ettinger promoted his theory in other writings and appearances on television. There are now similar facilities for preserving bodies in Arizona, California and in Russia. Ettinger also established the Immortalist Society, a research and education group devoted to cryonics and extending the human life span. The Cryonics Institute charges $28,000 (£17,000) to prepare a body and store it in a tank of liquid nitrogen. The first person frozen there was Ettinger’s mother, Rhea, who died in 1977. His two wives, Elaine and Mae, also are stored at the institute. Ettinger was never bothered by ridicule and was a “reluctant prophet”, his son said. “He did what he thought was necessary and appropriate and didn’t worry much about what people thought,” he said. “The people who are scoffers are like the people who said heavier-than-air flight won’t work.” Cryonics Medical research United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
‘Bidder No 70′, who won bogus bids for $1.8m of drilling rights, could face up to 10 years in prison An activist who disrupted a Bush administration auction for the oil and gas industry – bidding $1.8m (£1.1m) he did not have for the right to drill on remote areas of Utah – is due to be sentenced on Tuesday. As Bidder No 70, Tim DeChristopher put in bogus bids and won drilling rights to 14 parcels of land at the auction, seen at the time as a last scramble by the Bush administration to open up wilderness lands to oil and gas extraction. The action made DeChristopher a hero to some environmentalists, but he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $750,000 fine following his conviction last March of defrauding the government. “It is all up the judge. He can pretty much do what he wants,” DeChristopher, an economics student, said in a telephone interview. But he added: “I do think I will serve some time in prison. That is what I think will be the next chapter in my life.” Sentencing was scheduled for 3pm Utah time, or 10pm UK time on Tuesday. The severity of the sentence, in all likelihood, will be determined by negotiations between DeChristopher’s legal team and the prosecution on the extent of financial damage caused by his bogus bidding. The prosecution is pushing for four-and-a-half-year term, arguing that an example needs to be made of DeChristopher as a deterrent to other activists. DeChristopher’s legal team is urging a suspended sentence or probation. DeChristopher said he did not have a clear plan when he turned up at the Bush administration’s oil and gas leasing auction in Salt Lake City in December 2008. “At the time I went in with a very direct action kind of mindset thinking that if I can cause enough delay, stop this action and keep oil in the ground, then that would be worth it,” he said. He had come straight from writing one of his finals, unshaven and in an old down jacket. “I certainly didn’t look like anyone who was there,” he said. “I didn’t pretent to be an oil executive or anything.” Officials from the federal Bureau of Land Management asked if he wanted to bid. DeChristopher said yes, still thinking at that point that he just wanted to shout something or cause a disruption. But by the time the auction was over, DeChristopher had driven up prices on some parcels and made winning bids on 14 pieces of land – some of it near national parks. He knew he had no money to pay for it. The Obama administration later cancelled most of the sales, because of doubts about Bush’s leasing plan. However, the judge, Dee Benson, refused to allow DeChristopher’s lawyers to argue that the auction had been cancelled. DeChristopher, meanwhile, began acquiring a following on campuses and among an older generation of activists. He also founded a civil disobedience group, Peaceful Uprising . “Tim is a hero to me,” Peter Yarrow, the folk singer, and member of Peter, Paul and Mary, wrote in an article in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that likened DeChristopher to the leaders of the civil rights movement. “Throughout American history, acts of civil disobedience have led to change. Think about the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves to freedom, or about the courageous actions of people like Rosa Parks, who refused to stay in the back of the bus simply because of their skin color. Without this kind of defiance of unjust laws, our country would likely still be denying people of colour basic freedoms.” Activism Protest Oil Energy Fossil fuels Oil Commodities Oil and gas companies Energy industry Gas Gas Suzanne Goldenberg guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Beijing businesses told to install technology to monitor web users or face closure Police have told cafes, hotels and other businesses in central Beijing to install surveillance technology for Wi-Fi users or face fines and possible closure, in a further tightening of internet controls. China has the world’s largest and most sophisticated web censorship and monitoring system, which it has tightened still further after the Middle Eastern uprisings. Measures included blocking major virtual private networks, which allow people to evade internet controls. The new software, which costs about 20,000 yuan (£1,900), allows officials to check the identities of users and monitor their activity. Businesses that fail to comply face a fine of the same size and could have their licences revoked. Strict controls already apply at internet cafes, which poorer people rely on for access. It is unclear how strictly the measures will be enforced, and it appears that only Dongcheng district has told owners of the regulations. A staff member at its internet security unit said the initiative was city-wide, but Beijing police headquarters had not responded to a faxed query at time of writing. The Dongcheng police officer added: “This regulation is made to enhance internet security and to assist public security bureaux to break criminal cases. Details of implementation are confidential.” According to the New York Times, a notice from the district office said the measure would tackle offenders seeking to “conduct blackmail, traffic goods, gamble, propagate damaging information and spread computer viruses” . “This is undoubtedly an invasion of Wi-Fi users’ privacy,” said Jason Chen, a 22-year-old Beijing resident. “We have already felt the restriction on university campuses, since they have always been monitored. But this time, the control is stretching to cafes and people’s feeling of violation is sharper. If cafes cancel their Wi-Fi I will care a lot, and I believe young people will react strongly.” Some venues in Dongcheng complained they were already losing custom after cutting off Wi-Fi. “It is just unbelievable. Customers are not happy either,” said Leona Zhang, manager of the Contempio bar. “Some owners simply think this is for the public security bureaux to make money from us. The charge is the same regardless of size, even for small ones with only two or three tables.” Businesses in other parts of Beijing said they had not heard of the measure. “If the regulation was implemented here, it would struggle to be accepted. The cost is too high,” said a worker at the New Seven Day Bar in Haidian. “Furthermore, there is also the privacy of our customers to protect.” China Internet Censorship Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Trinity Mirror move comes as share price falls amid allegations that phone hacking was not confined to News of the World Trinity Mirror has begun a review of its editorial controls and procedures amid allegations that phone hacking was not confined to the News of the World. The six-week review is being led by Trinity Mirror’s group legal director Paul Vickers and will include all of the group’s national and regional newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, the People and the Daily Record. Trinity Mirror’s share price fell 9.8% on Monday amid investor concerns that the hacking scandal was not restricted to News International, following allegations about its papers over the weekend. Its shares were down another 1.4% by 10am on Tuesday, to 42.9p. Former Daily Mirror reporter James Hipwell reiterated his earlier claim that hacking was widespread at other newspapers, including the Mirror . A separate report on BBC2′s Newsnight alleged the use of phone hacking and private detectives was widespread at the Sunday Mirror . Trinity Mirror described both sets of allegations as “unsubstantiated”, saying its journalists “work within the criminal law and the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct”. A company spokesman said today: “We can confirm that we’re conducting a review of editorial controls and procedures.” Sources at the company indicated it was a “review rather than an investigation” into the company’s editorial controls and procedures and was a response to general concern about newspaper practices rather than to specific phone-hacking allegations. Rival newspaper group, the Daily Mail & General Trust, on Tuesday ruled out an internal review into phone hacking. The DMGT chief executive, Martin Morgan, reiterated comments by Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre last week that the company was not involved in any hacking. “I have received assurances that we have not published stories based on hacked messages or sources obtained unlawfully,” said Morgan . “We have strong processes and procedures right across the group.” •
Continue reading …
Higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, helped offset the costs of the Deepwater Horizon disaster Oil giant BP said it had benefited from higher oil prices as it reported quarterly profits of $5.3bn (£3.2bn). The British firm made a loss of £16.9bn in the same period a year ago – but this was in the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster . The group said production was 11% lower in the period following suspension of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and $25bn of asset sales. But this was offset by higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as higher refining margins – the difference between the value of crude oil and the products it is used for. The Gulf of Mexico clean-up continued in the quarter – with £6.8bn now paid out in claims and in government payments to fund economic and environmental restoration. Oil prices began to climb early this year as political turmoil spread from Tunisia through Egypt and on to Libya. Supplies were constricted by civil war in Libya, which pushed prices even higher. BP said the average cost of Brent crude in the period was $117.04 a barrel – a 50% increase compared with $78.24 in the same period last year. The company also said it was benefiting from improved refining margins – up to 13% from 11%. The improved margins come as the cost of petrol at the pumps hit 135.6p a litre in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. BP BP oil spill United States Oil guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, helped offset the costs of the Deepwater Horizon disaster Oil giant BP said it had benefited from higher oil prices as it reported quarterly profits of $5.3bn (£3.2bn). The British firm made a loss of £16.9bn in the same period a year ago – but this was in the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster . The group said production was 11% lower in the period following suspension of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and $25bn of asset sales. But this was offset by higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as higher refining margins – the difference between the value of crude oil and the products it is used for. The Gulf of Mexico clean-up continued in the quarter – with £6.8bn now paid out in claims and in government payments to fund economic and environmental restoration. Oil prices began to climb early this year as political turmoil spread from Tunisia through Egypt and on to Libya. Supplies were constricted by civil war in Libya, which pushed prices even higher. BP said the average cost of Brent crude in the period was $117.04 a barrel – a 50% increase compared with $78.24 in the same period last year. The company also said it was benefiting from improved refining margins – up to 13% from 11%. The improved margins come as the cost of petrol at the pumps hit 135.6p a litre in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. BP BP oil spill United States Oil guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, helped offset the costs of the Deepwater Horizon disaster Oil giant BP said it had benefited from higher oil prices as it reported quarterly profits of $5.3bn (£3.2bn). The British firm made a loss of £16.9bn in the same period a year ago – but this was in the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster . The group said production was 11% lower in the period following suspension of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and $25bn of asset sales. But this was offset by higher oil prices, driven up in the period by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as higher refining margins – the difference between the value of crude oil and the products it is used for. The Gulf of Mexico clean-up continued in the quarter – with £6.8bn now paid out in claims and in government payments to fund economic and environmental restoration. Oil prices began to climb early this year as political turmoil spread from Tunisia through Egypt and on to Libya. Supplies were constricted by civil war in Libya, which pushed prices even higher. BP said the average cost of Brent crude in the period was $117.04 a barrel – a 50% increase compared with $78.24 in the same period last year. The company also said it was benefiting from improved refining margins – up to 13% from 11%. The improved margins come as the cost of petrol at the pumps hit 135.6p a litre in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. BP BP oil spill United States Oil guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …