Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Australia plans plain-packaging rule for cigarettes
Australia is to announce new rules which will force tobacco companies to use plain packaging, reports say.
Manufacturers will be required to drop all colour and branding logos from cigarette packets within two years.
The move, which is being billed as a world-first, comes after recommendations were made by the World Health Organisation.
PM Kevin Rudd, who is to hold elections this year, aims to cut smoking-related deaths to under 10% by 2018.
The decision is expected to be confirmed by Australia's Health Minister, Nicola Roxon.
Smoking kills 15,000 Australians every year and is the largest preventable cause of disease and death in the country.
The law will require all tobacco products to be sold in a standard colour and style with government health warnings by 2012.
It follows regulations on tobacco advertising which have helped cut smoking significantly, from 30.5% of the population aged 14 and over in 1988 to 16.6% in 2007.
An Australian think-tank has said that the rules amounted to compulsory acquisition of physical property and warned that it could result in expensive compensation claims.
In 2008, the Australian tobacco market generated revenues of $7.6 bn (£5m).
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Police publish report into death of Blair Peach in 1979
A police officer is likely to have "struck the fatal blow" which killed a protester in west London 31 years ago, a Scotland Yard report reveals.
Anti-racism activist Blair Peach died after he was hit during clashes with police officers in Southall in 1979.
The previously secret report attaches "grave suspicion" to a policeman only identified as "Officer E".
Mr Peach's family have long campaigned for the report - written by Commander John Cass - to be released.
Mr Peach, a 33-year-old teacher from New Zealand, was taking part in a demonstration against the National Front.
The protest led to clashes with the police and he was later found with fatal head injuries.
A police radio or truncheon is thought to have delivered the fatal blow.
The Cass report does not name any of the implicated officers, but said six were on board a van belonging to the now disbanded Special Patrol Group identified as carrier U11.
It said there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone over the death but recommended action for perverting the course of justice for three officers, including "Officer E".
The 1979 report said: "Whilst it can reasonably be concluded that a police officer struck the fatal blow, and that that officer came from carrier U.11, I am sure that it will be agreed that the present situation is far from satisfactory and disturbing."
It went on: "The attitude and untruthfulness of some of the officers involved is a contributory factor.
"It is understandable that because of the events of the day officers were confused, or made mistakes, but one would expect better recall of events by trained police officers.
"However, there are cases where the evidence shows that certain officers have clearly not told the truth."
Last year, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the report should be published after being reviewed by lawyers.
The Crown Prosecution Service completed that review and advised Scotland Yard that charges could only be brought if there was sufficient new evidence, such as a confession.
Monday, April 26, 2010
IPL cricket probe of chairman Lalit Modi outlined
Indian cricket officials have demanded the suspended chairman of the highly lucrative Indian Premier League answer a raft of accusations of corruption.
The investigation of Lalit Modi includes alleged franchise bid rigging and broadcasting rights irregularities.
The Indian cricket board, the BCCI, named an interim IPL chairman after crisis talks on Monday. It said that "ethics and transparency" were vital.
Mr Modi has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The IPL started in 2008 and has become a multi-billion dollar industry, attracting some of India's wealthiest businessmen and women to its franchises. The Twenty20 format competition features many of the world's top cricketers.
Franchise bids
After its meeting in Mumbai (Bombay) on Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) spelled out the main accu
It said they related to the initial bids for the Rajasthan and Punjab team franchises; the IPL's broadcasting deal; alleged bid rigging for two new franchises that will start next year; the IPL's internet rights and what was described as the behavioural pattern of Mr Modi.
The BCCI asked Mr Modi to reply to the allegations in 15 days, saying: "If Modi's reply convinces the members, proceedings will be dropped, so we will wait for his reply."
The BCCI named Chirayu Amin, an industrialist and head of the Baroda Cricket Association, as interim chairman.
It said a number of documents were missing from the IPL office which tax officials had been asking for.
The BCCI appointed a board member to oversee their collection.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar said: "The IPL is a great property and commercial aspects in certain events is an important thing. However, ethics and transparency is more important."
He added: "Everyday the income tax department is asking for documents but we don't have them in our custody."
Former India national captains Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have been appointed to organise the next season of the IPL.
Mr Manohar said the suspension had not been imposed until after Sunday's final of this year's IPL, because the BCCI had not wanted to disrupt the tournament.
After the final in Mumbai, in which the Chennai Super Kings beat the Mumbai Indians by 22 runs, Mr Manohar issued a statement saying: "The alleged acts of individual misdemeanours of Mr Lalit K Modi... have brought a bad name to the administration of cricket and the game itself."
Mr Modi was suspended from "participating in the affairs of the board, the IPL, the working committee and any other committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India".
Mr Modi was originally scheduled to attend Monday's meeting in Mumbai but declined to do so.
On Sunday he changed course and said he would attend but that the charges against him would have to be made in writing. The meeting took place without him.
This is the worst crisis to hit Indian cricket since a match-fixing scandal involving senior national players in 2000.
Modi defiant
The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says the IPL is Mr Modi's brainchild and has been a huge success.
But he says there is now mounting evidence that there has been almost no financial oversight and this could do serious damage to its global sporting brand and to the image of India itself.
When he heard of the suspension, Mr Modi reacted defiantly.
"Good for them," he told Indian TV channel NDTV. "Are they so scared of me attending? Are they so scared of the truth?
"I will not be able to attend the meeting, but I will wait for my turn," he said.
Earlier, in an address to the crowd after the IPL final, he insisted the league was "clean and transparent".
"There have been some off-field unpleasant dramas based on the unknown, half-truths and motivated leaks from all sorts of sources," he said.
"I reassure you that if there has been any flouting of the rules and regulations or if there have been any irregularities, I shall take full responsibility."
The crisis erupted after Mr Modi revealed on his Twitter account that a female friend of Shashi Tharoor, a junior government minister, had invested in a consortium awarded a new IPL franchise in Kochi.
That revelation caused a storm which sparked Mr Tharoor's resignation and also led to government investigations into the teams, sponsors, broadcasters and event managers associated with the IPL.
sations against Mr Modi.
Shops ordered to pay £20m over 'toxic sofas'
A number of High Street chains has been ordered to pay up to £20m ($31m) to 2,000 people who received chemical burns from sofas.
The victims are expected to get £1,200-£9,000 each plus other expenses for loss of weddings, holidays and wages.
The group that owns Argos and Homebase, furniture chain Walmsleys and other smaller firms had admitted liability for selling the Chinese-made sofas.
Some Land of Leather customers will not get a pay-out, after an earlier ruling.
Richard Langton, solicitor for law firm Russell Jones and Walker, said: "People's lives were put on hold. Some people thought that they were dying, that they had skin cancer.
"Their doctors couldn't tell them what was wrong. A lot of psychological symptoms.
Burned through clothes
"Some cases were not so severe, fortunately, but for many people they say it was the worst period of their lives ever."
Mr Langton said there would be another hearing on 21 May when 2,500 further cases would be considered.
The £20m figure includes legal costs, as well as compensation.
Up to 100,000 of the sofas were sold with a fungicidal chemical inside, to stop the furniture going mouldy in storage.
When the sofas went into people's homes the solid sachets changed into gas that burned through clothes and on to skin.
An earlier hearing ruled more than 300 customers who bought from the now bust Land of Leather will not receive pay-outs.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Foreign Office apologises for Pope 'condom' memo
The Foreign Office has apologised for a "foolish" document which suggested the Pope's visit to the UK could be marked by the launch of "Benedict" condoms.
Called "The ideal visit would see...", it said the Pope could be invited to open an abortion clinic and bless a gay marriage during September's visit.
The Foreign Office stressed the paper, which resulted from a "brainstorm" on the visit, did not reflect its views.
The Bishop of Nottingham said, if anything, it was "appalling manners".
The Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon said: "I think it's a lot worse that we invite someone into our country - a person like the Pope - and then he's treated in this way.
"I think it's appalling manners more than anything else."
The junior civil servant responsible had been put on other duties, the Foreign Office said.
Details of the document emerged after it was obtained by the Sunday Telegraph.
'Song with Queen'
The UK's ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Campbell, has met senior officials of the Holy See to express regret on behalf of the government.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband is said to have been "appalled" by the incident.
The paper was attached as one of three "background documents" to a memo dated 5 March 2010 inviting officials in Whitehall and Downing Street to attend a meeting to discuss themes for the papal visit.
It suggested Benedict XVI could show his hard line on the sensitive issue of child abuse allegations against Roman Catholic priests by "sacking dodgy bishops" and launching a helpline for abused children.
The document went on to propose the Pope could apologise for the Spanish Armada or sing a song with the Queen for charity.
It listed "positive" public figures who could be made part of the Pope's visit, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair and 2009 Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle, and those considered "negative", such as Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and prominent atheist Richard Dawkins.
The civil servant responsible for sending round the memo said in a cover note: "Please protect; these should not be shared externally. The 'ideal visit' paper in particular was the product of a brainstorm which took into account even the most far-fetched of ideas."
An investigation was launched after some recipients of the memo, said to have been circulated to a restricted list, objected to its tone.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the department was "deeply sorry" for any offence the document had caused.
"This is clearly a foolish document that does not in any way reflect UK government or Foreign Office policy or views. Many of the ideas in the document are clearly ill-judged, naive and disrespectful," he said.
"The text was not cleared or shown to ministers or senior officials before circulation. As soon as senior officials became aware of the document, it was withdrawn from circulation.
"The individual responsible has been transferred to other duties. He has been told orally and in writing that this was a serious error of judgement and has accepted this view."
'Blue-skies thinking'
The Foreign Office said the memo had resulted from discussions by a group of three or four junior staff in a team working on early planning for the papal visit.
A source told the BBC News website the individual since moved to other duties had called the group together for "some blue-skies creative thinking about how to make the visit a success", but their discussions had become "a joke that has gone too far".
The source added that others in the group had been spoken to about the incident, but had not faced any formal action.
Bishop McMahon said he hoped it was meant to be "light hearted".
But he added: "That in itself can be dangerous if these memos move around the departments, they tend to gain momentum."
He said he did not think Catholics would be upset by the memo as they "are used to getting a bad press".
Jack Valero from the organisation Catholic Voices said he was not taking the memo seriously.
"I think it's a joke that has gone wrong - light relief that has gone out of control. And I think Catholics will just take it like this, you know, that they'll think about it today and then they will forget about it."
He said those that have been scarred by abortion would find the joke "a bit thin".
But he added: "In the Catholic church we are used to forgiveness, it's part of our culture to forgive people's mistakes."
Earlier this year the Pope announced 2010 would see the first papal visit to the UK since John Paul II's visit in 1982.
Pope Benedict XVI's visit will take place from 16 to 19 September, during which time he is expected to visit Birmingham, as part of the planned beatification of Cardinal John Newman, and Scotland.
The visit will come in the autumn of what is proving to be a difficult year for the Pope with a wave of allegations that Church authorities in Europe and North and South America failed to deal properly with priests accused of paedophilia.
The Pope himself has been accused of being part of a culture of secrecy and of not taking strong enough steps against paedophiles when he had that responsibility as a cardinal in Rome.
However, his supporters say he has been the most pro-active Pope yet in confronting abuse.
UK economic growth slows to 0.2%
The UK economy continued to recover from recession in the first three months of the year, according to official estimates.
GDP grew by 0.2% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
That was weaker than the 0.4% growth predicted by many economists, but the figure may be revised.
The last quarter of 2009 saw GDP growth of 0.4% - revised up from an initial estimate of 0.1%.
The ONS said the bad weather seen at the beginning of the year may have had an impact on output - particularly in the retail and industrial sectors.
But despite that, manufacturing output grew by 0.7% over the quarter, while the utilities sector saw output rise by 2.5%.
Manufacturing boost
However, the bulk of growth came from the financial and business services sector, which saw growth of 0.6%.
Meanwhile the sector including retail, hotels and restaurants shrank by 0.7%.
BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders said the rise in manufacturing output was a particular cause for optimism.
"What many will find most cheering in these numbers is the stonking 0.7% estimate for growth in the production sector," she said.
"That's the strongest quarterly performance for that part of the economy in many years. Hopes of an export-led recovery are not dashed yet."
Other analysts were also optimistic, despite the growth figure coming in below expectations.
Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, argued that the lower-than-expected growth figure was "not in itself overly worrying".
"Overall growth in the first quarter was clearly dragged down appreciably by the very bad weather in January, and most indicators suggest that there has been a marked pick up in activity since then," he said.
"Furthermore, there must be a very good chance that first quarter GDP growth will be revised up in future releases as more data for March become available and show improved activity."
The ONS will release two further estimates for growth in the first quarter, based on more detailed economic information not yet available.
But Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds TSB, warned that the growth could equally be revised lower.
"The economy is still recovering," he told the BBC.
"The declines of 2008 are still having an impact [and] the recovery will remain rather weak and could disappoint."
The Institute of Directors, which represents business leaders, also said it expected the recovery in the economy to "look much more L than V-shaped".
The British Chambers of Commerce added that the new figures underlined the challenges still facing the economy.
"It is important for policy-makers to focus on ensuring that the recovery continues and a double-dip recession is avoided," said the business group's chief economist David Kern.
Gunmen ambush security official's convoy in Mexico
Gunmen in Mexico have attacked a convoy with the top security official in the western state of Michoacan, killing four people and wounding 10.
Officials say Public Safety Secretary Minerva Bautista was among the injured, but is now recovering.
Some 20 people with assault rifles and grenades carried out the attack.
The identity of the gunmen was not immediately known. Michoacan is home to one of Mexico's most feared drug gangs, known as La Familia.
Ms Bautista's convoy was ambushed as she was returning from the opening of a regional fair on Saturday, officials say.
The attackers used assault rifles, grenades, a grenade launcher and a sniper rifle capable to hit through bullet-resistant materials.
"In the ambush, they used concentrated fire from these types of weapons, forcing her [Ms Bautista] and her escort to crash into a trailer truck that they had pulled across the road," State Attorney General Jesus Montejano told Mexico's Milenio TV station.
Two of Ms Bautista's bodyguards and two bystanders were killed in the attack. Most of the wounded were bystanders.
The attack comes a day after seven people, including six police officers, died in a shoot-out with suspected gang hitmen in the city of Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the US.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has poured thousands of armed police and troops to wrest control from the powerful gangs.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Dreams 'can help with learning'
Napping after learning something new could help you commit it to memory - as long as you dream, scientists say.
They found people who dream about a new task perform it better on waking than those who do not sleep or do not dream.
Volunteers were asked to learn the layout of a 3D computer maze so they could find their way within the virtual space several hours later.
Those allowed to take a nap and who also remembered dreaming of the task, found their way to a landmark quicker.
The researchers think the dreams are a sign that unconscious parts of the brain are working hard to process information about the task.
Dr Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School, one of the authors of the paper, said dreams may be a marker that the brain is working on the same problem at many levels.
He said: "The dreams might reflect the brain's attempt to find associations for the memories that could make them more useful in the future."
Study tips
Co-author Dr Erin Wamsley said the study suggests our non-conscious brain works on the things that it deems are most important.
"Every day we are gathering and encountering tremendous amounts of information and new experiences," she said.
"It would seem that our dreams are asking the question, 'How do I use this information to inform my life?"
The research, published in the academic journal Cell Biology, could have practical implications.
The scientists say there may be ways to take advantage of this phenomenon for improving learning and memory.
For example, students might be better studying hard before bedtime, or taking a nap after a period of afternoon study.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Leaders prepare for second prime ministerial TV debate
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are once more set to go head-to-head in the second prime ministerial TV debate, focused on global affairs.
The Lib Dems enjoyed a poll boost after the first debate. Sky News hosts the second, from 2000 BST.
Mr Clegg has denied wrongdoing after political donations were paid into his private bank account in 2006, before he became leader.
The party says he is being "smeared" because of his debate success.
It follows a story in the Daily Telegraph that three donors paid up to £250 a month into Mr Clegg's account for a few months. The Lib Dems say that was done for administrative ease to pay a researcher and was all "properly given, accounted for and declared".
Poll boost
The Sun, Mail and Express also attack the Lib Dem leader on their front pages. A Lib Dem spokesman said: "We believe that a concerted effort at political smear is under way but we are confident the public will see it for what it is, a kickback by vested interests against the prospect of change."
A number of opinion polls placed the Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour and gaining on the Conservatives after last week's prime ministerial TV debate.
The second 90-minute debate is being held at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol later. Sky News is presenting the debate, hosted by its political editor Adam Boulton.
Unlike the first debate, which was shown only on ITV1, it is being screened simultaneously on a number of channels - Sky News, Sky 3 and the BBC News Channel. It will also be re-run on BBC Two from 2330 BST. The Lib Dems hope the debate's foreign affairs theme may work to their advantage due to their opposition on the Iraq war and their criticism of the conduct of military operations in Afghanistan.
'Great tribute'
But Labour and the Conservatives believe Mr Clegg will be vulnerable because of his party's hostility to renewing Trident and its policies over Europe.
Mr Clegg said he would prepare by going for a long walk in the countryside, which "seemed to help a little bit last time". He said he had done "next to nothing" since last Thursday to prepare for the second debate, blaming "the intensity of the campaign".
"I will sit with my team and we will just go over some questions. We are not going to do any dress rehearsals or anything like that," Mr Clegg said.
An internal Lib Dem dossier left in a taxi and obtained by The Sun newspaper suggested party strategists had urged Mr Clegg to copy Mr Cameron's approach in the debates.
Mr Cameron said he took the advice as "a great tribute" to his own style, but added: "I think I will just be more like me."
'Best for jobs'
The Tory leader said he enjoyed trying to answer voters' questions as directly as he could, adding: "That is what elections should be about. That is what the debate should be all about. And that's why I am looking forward to it on Thursday."
Meanwhile, Mr Brown admitted he lost out to Mr Clegg in presentation terms last week but said his concentration on policy would win out in the end.
He said: "If it's a competition about substance and who's got the policies of the future, who's best for the NHS, who's best for jobs, who's best for the economy, then I believe that people will look at the policies for the future that we have... and I believe that is the set of issues that people will finally make up their mind on."
The debate's audience will be made up of about 150 people from Bristol and the surrounding area - 50 fewer than last week because the venue is smaller.
This time the Lib Dem leader will be in the middle of the three leaders, with Mr Cameron on the left when looking at the screen, and Mr Brown on the right, which is where he stood last week.
The historic first debate on ITV1 was watched by 9.9m people at its peak, during which the three leaders clashed over issues including tax, immigration and expenses.
Meanwhile, Mr Clegg has indicated to the Independent newspaper that his party will demand a fully proportional voting system for Westminster elections as the price of their support if they hold the balance of power following the general election.
He said the Alternative Vote (AV) system proposed by the prime minister was "a baby step in the right direction", and said he would not settle for "a miserable little compromise thrashed out by the Labour Party".
The Lib Dem leader told the newspaper he wanted the AV-plus system recommended by Lord Jenkins' 1998 report for Tony Blair on voting reform, which would retain MPs' constituency link but deliver a result which was more proportional to the number of votes cast.
On Wednesday the three would-be chancellors clashed over whether a hung parliament could be harmful for the UK economy.
• The second prime ministerial TV debate is being shown simultaneously on Sky News, Sky 3, and the BBC News Channel from 2000 BST to 2130 BST. It will also be streamed live on the BBC News website, and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It will then be re-run on BBC Two, starting at 2330 BST.
Manchester United is world's richest club says Forbes
Manchester United is still the most valuable football club in the world, according to Forbes magazine.
The Premier League title holders, who came second in a list compiled by Deloitte in February, again topped the table ahead of Real Madrid.
Forbes values United at £1.19bn($1.84bn), Real at £859m ($1.32bn), and Arsenal, in third, at £767m ($1,181m).
It uses data on income streams such as broadcast rights, sponsorship and sales of tickets and merchandise.
Barcelona is fourth in the 20-team list which includes six clubs from the Premier League plus Newcastle United who have spent this season playing in the Championship.
Liverpool, Chelsea and AC Milan all made the top 10, but the trio's value had each fallen by 19% in the 2008/09 season according to the Forbes calculations.
Juventus and Olympic Marseille had the two biggest increases in value - each gaining 9% on the previous year.
Increasing sponsorship and media revenue meant "the news continues to be good for investors" said Michael Ozanian, national editor at Forbes.
However the average worth of the clubs in the list fell 8.5%.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Google reveals government data requests and censorship
For the first time Google has released details about how often countries around the world ask it to hand over user data or to censor information.
Brazil tops the list with 3,663 data requests while the US made 3,580 and the UK came a distant third with 1,166.
Just last month the internet giant pulled its search engine out of China over online censorship issues.
Google said it cannot provide statistics on requests from China which are regarded as state secrets.
Brazil also made the highest number of requests to Google to remove content with 291 calls between July and December 2009. In second place was Germany with 188, India with 142 and the US with 123 requests.
The search giant has launched an online tool breaking down the figures which it hopes will be "just the first step toward increased transparency".
"The vast majority of these requests are valid and the information needed is for legitimate criminal investigations or for the removal of child pornography, " said David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer.
" We believe that greater transparency will lead to less censorship. Unless companies, governments and individuals do something, the internet we know is likely to become ever more restricted - taking choice and control away from users and putting more power in the hands of those who would limit access to information."
Google has been at the centre of a high profile battle with China over the issue of censorship. It stopped censoring results earlier this year after the Gmail accounts of users associated with human rights groups were hacked.
The company said the attacks had originated in China while the Chinese authorities denied any involvment.
Inspiration
Google's "government's request tool" was unveiled on the same day that Canada's privacy commissioner sent an open letter to the company regarding privacy issues.
Officials from 10 nations backed the complaint sent directly to Google boss Eric Schmidt.
The California based firm said any suggestion that their release was done to deflect from that news was "unrelated".
"We have been noticing a trend with these requests and working on this initiative for a long time, " Scott Rubin, a senior spokesman with the company told BBC News.
"This is really about our ongoing quest to make information accessible and we are hoping this will inspire other companies to share data and become part of the conversation people are having about the scope of these kinds of requests."
Google said it was disclosing the information "in the spirit" of principles laid out by the Global Network Initiative, a group that promotes freedom of expression online. Yahoo and Microsoft are also part of the organisation.
Google said that to date 40 governments censor information compared to just four in 2002.
"Google's numbers are not nearly as transparent as they could be," said Tom Krazit of technology news site Cnet.com.
"The tool doesn't break out the data for the number of times Google complied or refused requests for information on individuals. It does say how often - in general - it complies with takedown requests, but does not provide specifics."
Google said it is working to perfect the information and that "it will get better". The next release will be in six months' time.
iPhone demand boosts Apple profit
Strong sales of its iPhone and Macintosh computers helped Apple profits to leap by 90% in the first quarter of 2010.
It made a net profit of $3.1bn (£2bn) while revenue rose 49% to $13.5bn in the three months to 27 March.
Apple said it sold about nine million of its popular smart phone - more than double the figure from a year earlier.
And it shipped almost three million Macs and about ten million iPods. The period did not include the iPad launch.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said the results were "our best non-holiday quarter ever".
The profits were well ahead of market expectations, and sent its shares about 6% higher.
Apple sold more than 300,000 of its iPad tablet computer, on its launch day in the US. The device goes on sale in Europe next month.
"We have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year," Mr Jobs added.
'Texting eclipses calling' among US teenagers
Texting has become the most popular form of communication among young people in the US, research indicates.
The study, by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, suggests that texting has eclipsed mobile phone calls among teenagers for the first time.
More than 30% of teens send more than 100 texts a day, it shows.
Researchers say more payment plans offering unlimited texts have helped to create the surge in the US, which used to lag other parts of the world.
'Communication hub'
The study found that two-thirds of teenagers are now more likely to text their friends than call them on the phone.
Girls on average send or receive more texts than boys - 80 messages per day compared to 30.
"Texting is now the central hub of communication in the lives of teens today, and it has really skyrocketed in the last 18 months," said Amanda Lenhart, a co-author of the report.
"The widespread availability of unlimited texting plans has transformed communication patterns of American teens."
"This is a shift in the location and style of teens' communication with friends, not necessarily a radical change or expansion of it," she added.
The study's authors said teenagers preferred texting to phone calls because it could be carried out under the noses of parents, teachers or other authority figures.
"We have kind of hit a tipping point where teens now expect other teens to respond to text messaging and to be available," Ms Lenhart said.
"There is definitely an element of text messaging that fits so seamlessly into their lives."
However, the study found that phone calls are still teenagers' preferred method for contacting their parents.
Banks and other financial institutions face paying two new taxes to fund future bail-outs, the BBC has learned.
Liverpool have left Paris for Bordeaux on their 1,200-mile journey to Thursday's Europa League semi-final with Atletico Madrid.
With the volcanic ash cloud continuing to cause travel chaos across northern Europe, the Reds were forced to abandon plans to fly direct to Spain.
The team departed the French capital early on Wednesday in a three-and-a-half-hour journey to Bordeaux.
From there they will fly to their final destination Madrid.
Liverpool arrived in the French capital by Eurostar train shortly before 1900 BST on Tuesday and set off for the southwest city at 0630 on Wednesday."We are assessing things hour by hour," said boss Rafael Benitez on Tuesday. "We have two or three options going and at this moment just one coming back but we will see if we can improve that.
"We had some time [on Monday] to rest the players. It will not be ideal but we will try to do the best for them."
Benitez added: "In these special circumstances it could be better to postpone the game but we have to go."
Fulham also face a difficult trip for the first leg of their semi-final against Hamburg.
The west Londoners were intending to fly to the northern German city by private jet on Wednesday morning before taking part in a training session at Hamburg's ground.
But that plan was scuppered and Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson and his squad are travelling by road, having first boarded a luxury coach to Folkestone on Tuesday.
They will then take the Eurotunnel to Calais before driving to Hamburg on the same coach.
It is anticipated that the approximate 600-mile journey will take between 10 and 12 hours to complete.
Benitez suggested the journey his squad is undertaking would be a throwback to his playing days in the 1980s with various Spanish second and third division clubs.
"When I was playing, we were doing 12 to 14 hours by coach. Now you expect something more comfortable," he said.
Liverpool are at least coming into the match on the back of a comprehensive win in the Premier League, after beating West Ham 3-0 at home on Monday, while Fulham have enjoyed another successful season and lie 10th in the table.
Once both Europa League matches are over, Liverpool and Fulham must return home in time for another round of crunch top flight games at 1500 BST on Sunday.
The Reds, who are still chasing a Champions League spot, face Burnley at Turf Moor while Fulham take on Everton at Goodison Park.
A Premier League spokesman said: "We have had no request from either club for the games to be rescheduled and we have no suggestion they cannot fulfil the fixtures."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
IMF proposes two big new bank taxes to fund bail-outs
Banks and other financial institutions face paying two new taxes to fund future bail-outs, the BBC has learned.
Business editor Robert Peston said the global proposals by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were "more radical" than most had anticipated.
All institutions would pay a bank levy - initially at a flat-rate - and also face a further tax on profits and pay.
The measures are designed to make banks pay for the costs of future financial and economic rescue packages.
The IMF documents were made available to governments of the G20 group of nations on Tuesday afternoon and seen by the BBC soon afterwards. The plans will be discussed by finance ministers this weekend.
"The proposals are likely to horrify banks, especially the proposed tax on pay," our business editor said.
"They will also be politically explosive both domestically and internationally."
Insurers, hedge funds and other financial institutions must also pay the taxes, the IMF argues, despite them being less implicated in the recent crisis.
If they were not included, activities currently carried out by banks would be reclassified as, for example, insurance or hedge-fund services to escape the levies.
While the general levy, or "financial stability contribution", would initially be at a flat rate, this would eventually be refined so that riskier businesses paid more.
British chancellor Alistair Darling said the IMF's proposals were "important" and should be welcomed.
"The recognition that banks should make a contribution to the society in which they operate is right," he said.
Global impact
It was agreed at the G20 summit in London last year that financial institutions and not tax-payers should pay for future bank rescue packages.
Since then several proposals have been put forward by various governments including the so-called "Tobin Tax" on financial transactions. Some nations, including Canada, oppose any new bank taxes.
However no country has yet introduced taxes to pay for future bailouts - arguing that unless the rules were brought in on a coordinated basis, institutions would simply "cherry pick" where they operated, moving to jurisdictions with less tough financial regulation.
The body which represents banks in the UK, the British Bankers' Association said it was concerned about any move which would place the UK industry "at a competitive disadvantage internationally".
"We also need to see all the detail of what is proposed - and how any new levy and tax would apply - to determine the effect it would have", it said.
Party claims
In the light of the UK's looming general election, the IMF proposals were likely to be used for some political point-scoring, our business editor said.
"Labour is bound to claim that the IMF is implicitly criticising the Tories' plan to impose a new tax on banks irrespective of what other countries do - because the IMF paper says that 'international co-operation would be beneficial'.
"I would also start to question my sanity if Gordon Brown doesn't claim credit for putting pressure on the IMF to launch its review of possible bank taxes."
But he added that the Conservatives would say that their bank tax proposals resembled the financial stability contribution.
And the Liberal Democrats would claim that their proposed tax on banks' profits was similar to the second tranche of the IMF proposal.
Third Iraqi al-Qaeda leader killed: Iraqi military
US and Iraqi forces have killed another al-Qaeda in Iraq leader in the north of the country, army officials say.
The man identified as Ahmed al-Obeidi was killed in the northern province of Nineveh, Iraqi military spokesman Maj Gen Qassim al-Moussawi said.
The news comes the day after the government announced two leading insurgents had been killed.
Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who led an affiliated group, died on Sunday.
Gen Moussawi said Mr Obeidi, also known by the name Abu Suhaib, was in charge of al-Qaeda in Iraq's operations in the northern provinces of Kirkuk, Salahuddin and Nineveh.
Gen Ray Odierno, commander of US forces in Iraq, said the man was "the military emir" of the region.
"He was the guy in charge of operations from Tikrit all the way up to Mosul out to the Syrian border," he told AFP news agency.
The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says the Iraqi government is now convinced they have al-Qaeda on the run, but says that in the past when leaders are killed others have just stepped in to fill their posts.
The loose, cell-like structure of the organisation means that its decapitation does not necessarily lead to paralysis, our correspondent adds.
Election appeal
Al-Qaeda in Iraq has been blamed for some of the bloodiest insurgent attacks in the country since the US-led invasion of 2003.
But since early 2007 the US has adopted a more proactive policy in confronting insurgents in Iraq and undermining their support within the Sunni community.
The sectarian strife on which the Sunni insurgents thrived also died away as coalition and Iraqi government forces moved to curb Shia militias, analysts say.
The US is hoping to begin a withdrawal of its forces in August this year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is currently contesting the results of the 7 March election, which was narrowly won by former PM Iyad Allawi.
Election officials have ordered a manual recount of votes cast in Baghdad after complaints from Mr Maliki that the electronic system of counting was unreliable.
The recount could alter the final result of the poll.
Somali pirates seize three Thai fishing vessels
Somali pirates have seized three Thai fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean in what the EU Naval Force said was the furthest off-shore attack to date.
The three vessels, carrying a total of 77 crew members, were hijacked on Sunday, an EU force spokesman said.
He said that the attack took place far outside the area in which the EU force operated, about 1,200 nautical miles (2,222km) from the Somali coast.
The pirates were said to be taking the fishing boats back to Somalia.
"It's the furthest east that any attack and any hijacking has taken place, certainly since Eunavfor arrived in the area in December 2008," spokesman Cmdr John Harbour said.
All the crew on board the three ships, the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14, are reported to be Thai.
In recent years, pirates have seized dozens of ships in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
They have recently expanded the reach of their attacks to avoid European and American patrols off the Somali coast.
Barack Obama plays more golf than George W Bush
US President Barack Obama has played golf 32 times since he took office, more than his predecessor George W Bush did during his entire presidency.
He most recently played on Sunday, when the volcanic ash cloud over Europe forced him to cancel plans to attend the funeral of Poland's president.
The golfing figures were compiled by Mark Knoller of CBS Radio, the unofficial White House statistician.
Mr Bush, who played 24 times, was mocked for his fondness of the game.
In an interview following the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, the former president was filmed on a golf course calling on "all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers", then pausing before saying: "Thank you. Now watch this drive."
Mr Bush later gave up playing golf while in office, saying in 2008: "I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf.
"I feel I owe it to the families to be... in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."
Golf Digest has ranked Mr Obama eighth among the list of golfing presidents, behind Bill Clinton but ahead of Ronald Reagan, who was known for practising putting in the aisle of Air Force One.
John F Kennedy, widely considered the best golfing president, took great pains to ensure he was never photographed on the course.
Monday, April 19, 2010
EU emergency talks called on volcanic ash air chaos
EU transport ministers are to hold emergency talks by video conference on easing the air travel crisis caused by a volcanic ash cloud in Europe's skies.
More than 6.8 million passengers have been affected so far, as the crisis enters its fifth day.
Airports and airlines are questioning the need for curbs said to be costing airlines $200m (£130m) a day.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has criticised European governments' response.
"We must move away from this blanket closure and find ways to flexibly open air space, step by step," IATA head Giovanni Bisignani told a news briefing in Paris.
The enormous shroud of fine mineral dust particles now stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north to the French Mediterranean coast in the south, and from Spain into Russia.
Airspace remains closed, or partially closed, in more than 20 countries.
Sixty-three thousand flights have been cancelled in the four days since the clampdown began.
And the prospect of a return to normal air travel remains far from clear.
Speaking ahead of the EU talks, Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said: "We cannot just wait until this ash cloud dissipates."
The Spanish Minister for Europe, Diego Lopez Garrido, had said on Sunday that up to half of the flights across Europe could operate on Monday.
He was speaking after talks with Eurocontrol, which co-ordinates air traffic control in 38 nations. It had recommended the current flight ban.
But Brian Flynn, deputy head of operations for Eurocontrol, told the BBC that while half of the European landmass could be clear of ash cloud, that did not mean half of the flights could go ahead.
The flight bans came amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles - can seriously damage aircraft engines.
The international airports council, ACI, said a total of 313 airports had been paralysed by the restrictions and the global backlog was affecting more than 6.8 million travellers.
In another development, hundreds of thousands of Kenyans working in agriculture, the country's largest export sector, face economic uncertainty because of the flight bans.
Refrigerated stores at Nairobi airport and on farms are now completely full, and a huge amount of fresh flowers and vegetables destined for the European market is in danger of perishing, the BBC's East Africa correspondent, Will Ross, reports.
The problems have also led to the postponement of next Saturday's Japanese MotoGP.
Data assessment
The EU transport ministers' video conference, hosted by Spain, is set to consider a proposal that passengers from countries like Britain, who are stranded in the US or Asia, would fly into Spain and then continue their journey by train, boat or coach.
Dutch Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings was "advocating for a different approach to the problem", the Dutch transport inspectorate said.
This would entail "drawing a distinction between areas with low concentrations and those with high concentrations" of ash when making decisions on air safety.
The UK Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, said information from various test flights on Sunday, assessing the impact of the dust on jet engines, would be considered during the conference.
Siim Kallas said European authorities were working to find a solution that did not compromise safety.
Southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull volcano began erupting for the second time in a month on Wednesday.
Iceland's Meteorological Office said tremors from the volcano had grown more intense but the column of ash rising from it had eased to around 5km (3.1 miles).
Ash still 'very worrying'
Britain has extended a ban on most flights in its airspace until at least 1900 local time on Monday (1800 GMT).
Stranded passengers give their views
Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands are keeping their airspace closed until 1200 GMT on Monday. Spain has re-opened its airspace after a brief closure. Officials there have suggested its airports could be used as an entry platform into Europe.
Our business editor, Robert Peston, understands that British Airways fears it may not be allowed to fly normal services until Thursday at the earliest.
One measure being discussed by the British government is the possibility of deploying the Royal Navy to collect some of the estimated 150,000 Britons who are stranded abroad.
While several airlines carried out test flights and reported planes showing no obvious damage after flying through the ash, a scientific test flight over Britain concluded that the situation could still be dangerous.
Dr Guy Gratton, who was part of the scientific team, said: "It's still quite a complex mixture of clear air and very worrying but invisible volcanic ash at all sorts of heights."
Weather experts say wind patterns mean the cloud is not likely to move far until later in the week.
Eurocontrol said there were only 5,000 flights in European airspace on Sunday, against 24,000 normally.Sunday, April 18, 2010
UK water use 'worsening global crisis'
The amount of water used to produce food and goods imported to developed countries is worsening water shortages in the developing world, a report says.
The report, focusing on the UK, says two-thirds of the water used to make UK imports is used outside its borders.
The Engineering the Future alliance of professional engineering bodies says this is unsustainable, given population growth and climate change.
It says countries such as the UK must help poorer nations curb water use.
"We must take account of how our water footprint is impacting on the rest of the world," said Professor Roger Falconer, director of the Hydro-Environmental Research Centre at Cardiff University and a member of the report's steering committee.
"If we are to prevent the 'perfect storm', urgent action is necessary."
The term perfect storm was used last year by the UK government's chief scientist, Professor John Beddington, to describe future shortages of energy, food and water.
Forecasts suggest that when the world's population soars beyond 8bn in 20 years time, the global demand for food and energy will jump by 50%, with the need for fresh water rising by 30%.
But developing countries are already using significant proportions of their water to grow food and produce goods for consumption in the West, the report says.
"The burgeoning demand from developed countries is putting severe pressure on areas that are already short of water," said Professor Peter Guthrie, head of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University, who chaired the steering group.
"If the water crisis becomes critical, it will pose a serious threat to the UK's future development because of the impact it would have on our access to vital resources."
Key to the report is the concept of "embedded water" - the water used to grow food and make things.
Embedded in a pint of beer, for example, is about 130 pints (74 litres) of water - the total amount needed to grow the ingredients and run all the processes that make the pint of beer.
A cup of coffee embeds about 140 litres (246 pints) of water, a cotton T-shirt about 2,000 litres, and a kilogram of steak 15,000 litres.
Poland prepares to bury Lech Kaczynski in Krakow
Thousands of people are gathering in Krakow for the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.
After a funeral Mass, the president will be buried in Wawel Cathedral, the resting place of Poland's kings and national heroes.
He and 95 others died eight days ago when their plane crashed in fog en route to a ceremony in Russia.
Many world leaders cannot attend because flights have been grounded by Iceland's volcano.
Russian President Dimitri Medvedev has left for Krakow by plane, despite air travel restrictions, a Kremlin spokesman said.
Final resting-place
The state funeral will begin with a Mass at Krakow's St Mary's Basilica.
From the city's mediaeval market square, the coffins of the first couple will be carried along a route lined with Polish flags with black ribbons and photos of Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria.
Their final resting place will be the royal crypt in the historic Wawel cathedral, alongside the nation's kings and heroes.
The decision to entomb a leader seen as divisive by many during his lifetime in such a hallowed place has sparked protests.
Huge crowds are expected to attend the funeral after a week of national mourning.
The Polish government airliner crashed in western Russia on 10 April. Investigators believe pilot error caused the plane to hit tree-tops in heavy fog in the Smolensk region, where the Polish delegation had meant to attend a memorial for Poles massacred by Stalin's secret police at Katyn in World War II.
Key Polish political and military leaders were killed in the crash, including the heads of all three branches of Poland's military.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took part in an open-air memorial service in the centre of Warsaw.
US President Barack Obama will not attend Mr Kaczynski's state funeral on Sunday because of the travel chaos across Europe, the White House said.
Other figures unable to attend include the UK's Prince of Wales, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A number of eastern European leaders have said they will attend by driving to Krakow.
All airports in Poland remained closed on Saturday, including Balice in Krakow where most of the dignitaries were to arrive on Sunday.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Election 2010: Three way clashes in historic TV debate
Gordon Brown and David Cameron have clashed over spending cuts, tax and political reform in the UK's first prime ministerial TV debate.
The Labour leader went on the attack against Mr Cameron during the historic 90-minute encounter, accusing him of "airbrushing" planned spending cuts.
The Tory leader accused Mr Brown of trying to "frighten" voters.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said neither of them were being "straight" about the scale of cuts needed.
BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the biggest impact of the contest will be the insertion of Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats into the nation's consciousness but nothing the other leaders said had fundamentally altered the general election debate.
The abiding memory of the contest could be "the other leaders saying 'I agree with Nick," he added.
Two opinion polls taken immediately after the debate, by YouGov and Populus respectively, suggested Mr Clegg won.
The debate on ITV1 was the first of three over the coming weeks, in the run up to the general election on 6 May.It was a more measured and detailed contest than when the three men clash in the House of Commons, although there were occasional flashes of anger.
The audience, which thanks to rules agreed in advance were banned from clapping, sat in silence as the three men bidding to be the next prime minister addressed questions ranging across the domestic scene, from health and education to tax and spending.
On the expenses scandal, Mr Brown said he was "shocked" and "sickened" by the revelations.
"Nobody should be standing for election at this election who is guilty of the offences that we have seen," he added.
Mr Cameron described the expenses scandal as a "horrendous episode", saying people "don't pay their taxes for MPs to abuse the system".
Expenses
He vowed cut the number of MPs by 10%, slash ministerial pay by 5%, reduce the size of Whitehall by a third and bring in a recall system to allow voters to sack their MP.
But Mr Clegg criticised his counterparts for failing to take action, claiming Liberal Democrat plans for recall powers and reform of party funding had been blocked by the other parties.
Addressing his counterparts directly, Mr Clegg said: "You blocked it. You (Mr Brown) wanted to protect your union paymasters and you (Mr Cameron) wanted to protect Lord Ashcroft in Belize."
But Mr Cameron accused Mr Clegg of taking a "holier than thou" approach on parliamentary standards, reminding him that the Lib Dems had taken £2.5m from a man who later went on the run from police.
Mr Clegg said that was "years ago" and his party had been cleared by the Electoral Commission.
On several issues, including immigration and cleaning up politics, Mr Brown appeared to be seeking the approval of the Lib Dem leader, asserting that Mr Clegg agreed with him.
'Double dip'
But Mr Clegg replied that he was "absolutely dismayed" at the Labour leader trying to make a show of unity over voting reform after opposing it during his time in power.
Mr Brown and Mr Clegg both spoke out against Mr Cameron's plan for an annual cap on immigration, which Mr Cameron said was "simply too high at the moment".
Mr Brown, in his opening and closing statements, stressed the need to avoid a "double dip" recession and vowed to protect the NHS, police and schools from cuts.
In some of the liveliest exchanges of the debate, Mr Brown challenged Mr Cameron to match Labour's commitment on police funding, telling him: "It's answer time, David."
And he challenged Mr Cameron to "be honest" that his plans would cost "thousands of jobs, including teachers".
Mr Cameron insisted it was possible to make savings without cutting frontline services, reeling off examples of public sector waste and extravagance.
But in his closing statement he attacked Mr Brown for making "repeated attempts to try and frighten you about the Conservative government" and he urged voters to "choose hope over fear".
Mr Clegg said he had tried to show viewers there was an alternative to the two main parties.
"I know that many of you think that all politicians are just the same," he said. "I hope I've tried to show you that that just isn't true."
'False choice'
The Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are not taking part in the debates, although the BBC is to hold separate leaders debates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "In what was a very sterile debate, not once did we hear the word Wales mentioned by any of the leaders. Indeed much of what they said was irrelevant to our communities."
He adds: "The people of Wales and Scotland were ignored tonight - but let me assure you that they won't be ignored by Plaid Cymru."
SNP Leader Alex Salmond said: "Over half the debate should have been captioned 'Except for viewers in Scotland'.
"It was billed as a historic event but we got was three Westminster politicians looking the same, sounding the same and saying nothing of relevance to Scotland."
UK Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage, speaking on BBC One's Question Time, said there was not a "single memorable phrase" in the entire 90 minutes, adding "more people will not turn out at the polls as a result of tonight's debate" and the winner would be the "none of the above party".
The debates are bound by more than 70 rules agreed after weeks of negotiations between the parties and the broadcasters.
The audience were asked to applaud at the start and end of the programmes, but are not allowed to respond to leaders' answers, with questions being put to the leaders by the presenter.
Most of the 200-strong audience in each debate will be picked by pollsters ICM from the local area to ensure a balance of gender, age, ethnicity, social class and voting intention.
Sky News will be showing the second debate on Thursday, 22 April, which will look at foreign affairs. The final debate on BBC One on Thursday, 29 April will focus on the economy.
Icelandic volcanic ash alert grounds UK flights
All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been suspended as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south.
Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others.
The UK's air traffic control service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 0700 BST on Friday amid fears of engine damage.
The airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a spokesman said.
Air ambulance
Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted after 0700, saying saying it was "very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future".
Passengers were advised to contact their carriers prior to travel.
Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud from the still-erupting volcano could be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.
But the Health Protection Agency said the ash from the Eyjafjallajoekull eruption did not pose a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude.
These are some of the main knock-on effects:
Blasts kill nine in Burmese city of Rangoon
Three explosions in Burma's former capital city, Rangoon, have killed at least nine people, reports say.
The blasts happened in a park by Kandawgyi Lake as residents marked the New Year water festival.
Reports said many people had been injured and one hospital official said the death toll was expected to rise.
It is not clear what caused the explosions. Burma's generals usually blame blasts on dissidents or ethnic groups fighting for more autonomy.
Bomb blasts occur sporadically in and around Rangoon, which is the military-ruled nation's commercial hub.
But co-ordinated attacks which cause a large number of casualties are very rare.
Reports said the explosions happened at about 1500 local time (0830 GMT) near pavilions erected for the celebrations.
Witnesses said the emergency ward of Rangoon hospital was closed to outsiders after at least 30 injured people were rushed there, AP news agency reported.
One described a scene of chaos and commotion, with injured people arriving drenched in blood and people crying and moaning.
The blasts come as Burma prepares to hold its first elections in two decades.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, has already said it will not take part because of election laws which it says are unjust.
Death at a Funeral
A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a hush up Gems presentation of a Sidney Kimmel Entertainment/Wonderful Films and Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way game production. Produced by Chris Rock, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Kimmel, William Horberg. Executive producers, Jim Tauber, Bruce Toll, bigwig Craig, Glenn S. Gainor. Co-producers, Josh Kesselman, Nicolas Stern. Directed by Neil LaBute. Screenplay, ringleader Craig.
Rev. Davis - Keith David
Cynthia - Loretta Devine
Frank - Peter Dinklage
Duncan - Ron Glass
Uncle Russell - Danny Glover
Michelle - Regina Hall
Brian - Kevin Hart
Ryan - Martin Lawrence
Oscar - James Marsden
Norman - Tracy Morgan
Aaron - Chris Rock
Elaine - Zoe Saldana
Jeff - Columbus Short
Derek - Luke Wilson
"Death at a Funeral" is a strained, lugubrious rebuild of a news that wasn't terribly funny to begin blot out. more or less transferring candid Oz's same-titled 2007 British parody to a middle-class African-American household, with no bother appreciable reach character laughs, this work-for-hire from once-provocative helmer Neil LaBute should have no bother obstruction outpacing its predecessor, which dug up about $9 million Stateside. Cast names including Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Martin Lawrence will procure the pallid dissemble gems point some crossover potential.
Not three years in the grave, Oz's original played on the tension between stiff-upper-lip British shelter and the ghastly shenanigans that erupted -- quite literally, in the case of one decrepit character's bowels -- at that most solemn of at ease occasions, a funeral. But this slavishly faithful update, again written by harbinger Craig (who seems to trust exhumed his idiosyncratic script and added a few jokes about Louis Armstrong and R. Kelly), fails to finish preoccupation mechanism culturally specific or uniquely funny in its Pasadena direction or its theoretically looser, livelier pitch-dark cast. further now the characters are so flat, we couldn't care less about the blows to their sense of propriety.
Proceeding from the notion that outrageous situations again dilemmas, presented take cover deficient flair, preparation or timing, will emolument automatic hilarity, "Death at a Funeral" kicks annihilate not tell the enunciation of the vile corpse (conformation to face of platitudinous Asian in coffin) at the funeral predominance question. It's the best of innumerable setbacks for poor Aaron (Rock), who's struggling to compose his father's eulogy and again has to vigor take cover an emotional mother (Loretta Devine), an ovulating wife (Regina auditorium) and an annoying younger sidekick (Lawrence) who has the successful writing career Aaron's always dreamed of.
Rounding outmost the roster of insensitive/neurotic/foul-mouthed funeral attendees are Aaron's playmate Elaine (Zoe Saldana), frantically trying to hide the function that her fiance, Oscar (James Marsden), has ingested some vital hallucinogens; hapless family comrade Norman (Morgan), who gets stuck wheeling around tetchy Uncle Russell (Danny Glover); and, weirdest of all, a diminutive man character a leather cardigan (an amusing Peter Dinklage, who played the planed role in the Brit version) who comes forward to disclose an unstable riddle -- that's not much of a secret, thanks to the film's trailer and P&A -- about the deceased.
Spinning into laboriously plotted chaos (hole up much overloaded cross-cutting by editor Tracey Wadmore-Smith), pic seems predicated on the postulation that boring gags consign somehow improve shield pleonasm. Thus, Devine's weeping widow must take every opportunity, no matter how inappropriate, to adduce her daughter-in-law's barren quality; dunce Norman must inform every guest of his baneful skin aspect; and doped-up Oscar extremity attain higher and hefty until he winds up patulous on the roof.
While LaBute's previous pic in that Screen Gems, "Lakeview Terrace," managed to infuse a thriller template disguise some of his trademark barbed misanthropy, "Death at a Funeral" may be the exceptionally unsung inquiry product yet to bring the director's place name. (Given how central race relations were to "Terrace," it's personal that he couldn't mine unit supplementary comic stress from a movie domination which the three scalding characters, played by Marsden, Dinklage and Luke Wilson, are the salad days.) The hollowness of the sentimental, life-affirming ending is just about the only shooting match to goose LaBute's being slow the camera.
Rock, lone of 11 producers on the project, undercuts his comedic strengths by casting himself as the Henry Fonda-like straight person. Though given some execrable scenes, Marsden deserves a good-sport award owing to his physically batty turn, and Morgan, being Morgan, manages to score a few chuckles. poles apart thesps do passable work screen what they're given.
Pic boasts noticeably dimmer, more amber-tinted lighting than the private (not empirical to relevant work out at the Arclight Cinerama Dome premiere).
Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), Rogier Stoffers; editor, Tracey Wadmore-Smith; music, Christophe Beck; toil designer, Jon Gary Steele; art director, Chris Cornwell; set designers, Barbara Mesney, James Tocci; set decorator, Dena Roth; attire designer, Maya Lieberman; sound (Dolby Digital/SDDS/DTS), Shawn Holden; supervising compelling editor, Ronald Eng; visual effects supervisor, Rocco Passionino; visual effects, Zoic Studios; stunt coordinator, Lance Gilbert; associate producer, Trae Ireland; assistant director, Albert Cho; casting, Victoria Thomas. Reviewed at Arclight Cinerama Dome, Los Angeles, April 12, 2010. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 92 MIN.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
China earthquake kills hundreds in Qinghai
Some 400 people have died and thousands are feared injured after a magnitude-6.9 quake hit western China's Qinghai province, officials say.
The powerful tremor struck remote Yushu county, 800km (500 miles) south-west of the provincial capital Xining, at 0749 (2349 GMT), at a shallow depth of 10km.
Most of the buildings in the worst-hit town of Jiegu were wrecked, and landslides have cut off roads.
Police said hundreds of survivors had already been pulled from the rubble.
Senior Yushu official Huang Liming announced the latest death toll of 400, as the extent of the damage became clearer.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that at least 10,000 people are injured.
A local official in Jiegu told the BBC that almost all of the buildings in the town had been destroyed.
"The death toll will definitely go up," he said.
By nightfall on Wednesday, the local airport was operating with emergency power and receiving flights containing rescue workers with sniffer dogs.
Crews were working on clearing the road to the airport, which was blocked by landslides.
About 5,000 specialist quake rescuers have been dispatched from neighbouring provinces plus tents, clothing and blankets.
Many people have fled to the surrounding mountains, amid fears that a nearby dam could burst in the string of aftershocks hitting the area.
State media reported that officials were trying to drain a reservoir after a crack appeared in the dam.
Most of the damage has been to houses built of wood and mud, but some larger concrete buildings have been badly damaged as well.
A spokesman for the local government, Zhuo Huaxia, told China's state news agency Xinhua: "The streets in Jiegu are thronged with panic - injured people, with many bleeding in the head.
"Many students are buried under the debris due to building collapse at a vocational school.
"I can see injured people everywhere. The biggest problem now is that we lack tents, we lack medical equipment, medicine and medical workers."
Another local official told CCTV that contact had been made with 40-50 people buried alive under the rubble of a government building.
Karsum Nyima, the deputy head of news for Yushu TV, told CCTV that houses had gone down "in a flash".
He said: "It was a terrible earthquake. In a small park, there is a Buddhist tower and the top of the tower fell off.
"Everybody is out on the streets, standing in front of their houses, trying to find their family members."
One man living in a town near Jiegu told the BBC the damage was extensive.
"As far as I can see, not many buildings have been left standing... Because the houses are flattened, it is very difficult to dig out survivors or the dead."
Survivors are struggling to stay warm in the mountainous region of about 4,000m (13,000 feet) elevation where temperatures drop below 0C (32F) overnight.
Power and water have been cut off and rain is forecast for the region.
n 2008, a huge quake struck in neighbouring Sichuan province, about 800km from Yushu, which left 87,000 people dead or missing and five million homeless.The dead included many schoolchildren, prompting a storm of controversy over alleged shoddy construction of school buildings.
After the Sichuan quake, the disaster response was widely praised, but the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says the remoteness of Yushu means this rescue effort will pose very different challenges.
Although the high-altitude region is prone to earthquakes, officials from the US Geological Survey said this was the strongest tremor within 100km of the area since 1976.
The Yushu region, home to 250,000, mostly ethnic Tibetans, is dotted with coal, tin, lead and copper mines.
The region is roughly half-way between Xining and Lhasa, about 400km from the Qinghai-Tibet railway line.
Pakistan admits civilian deaths in air strike
A senior security source in Pakistan has told the BBC that civilians were killed in Saturday's air strike on a village in the Khyber tribal region.
This contradicts the army's initial denial that there were civilian deaths.
He said he could not be sure of the exact number who died in the attack on the village close to the Afghan border, but it could be more than 30.
According to the security source, the first strike was on militants gathered in a hilltop compound.
He said that more than 30 militants were killed in that strike, which was carried out by the air force.
A second round of bombing then followed.
Critically, this was after local people had rushed to the scene to remove the dead and assist the wounded.
'No Taliban'
The source said there was no confirmed death toll in this strike, but more than 30 civilians may have died.
A local official told the BBC on Tuesday that at least 73 civilians were killed, including women and children. He said the military had tried to gag him in an attempt at damage limitation.
Survivors speaking in hospital in Peshawar say there were no militants in the area, only civilians.
"When the first bombing took place we rescued some ladies," said Dilla Bhaz Khan, a wounded resident. "After that when the second bombing started we were busy rescuing the other victims.
"There was no Taliban and no militants. All the people who were living there are government employees. One of them was an army man."
Locals say the airstrike hit the house of a tribal elder, whose own sons fight against the Taliban, as part of the local paramilitary force.
They say that the village has always resisted the militants, building its own defences against them.
The military regularly claims to have killed large numbers of militants in airstrikes and ground operations.
These claims are often impossible to verify because the targets are in areas that are closed to the media.
It has taken several days for full details of Saturday's strike to emerge, and for journalists to get access to survivors.
If the army now has to admit such a heavy loss of civilian life, its credibility will be damaged and awkward questions are bound to follow.
Apple clamps down on code tools
Apple has clamped down on the software tools that developers can use to write programs for the iPhone.
Before now developers have been free to use many different tools to create applications for the iPhone and iPad.
Imminent changes to the way the iPhone software development kit is used will restrict these tools to just three.
The move has brought protests from many software developers with some declaring they will no longer produce applications for Apple's handset.
Apple said the change was made to improve the quality of applications appearing on its hugely successful App Store.
But critics say the changed text in section 3.3.1 of the development licence move is unnecessarily restrictive and is aimed more at Apple's rivals than poor quality code.
Many developers use other tools that have specific utilities, such as physics models and 3D graphics engines, that are useful help when creating certain sorts of applications such as games.
Any application submitted to Apple that does not use the mandated tools will be rejected.
Many developers took to their blogs to complain about the change.
"Developers are not free to use any tools to help them," wrote Hank Williams, adding: "This is akin to telling people what kind of desk people sit at when they write software for the iPhone."
Pierre Lebeaupin said clause 3.3.1 was so widely drawn that it was "completely impossible to enforce" and urged developers to contact Apple to show how strongly they feel.
Many joined an "I'm with Adobe" Facebook group which now has almost 6,000 members. The new terms led one programmer, Dan Grigsby, to say he would now no longer develop for the iPhone.
Developer Greg Slepak wrote an e-mail to Apple boss Steve Jobs setting out his problems with the clause saying it "limited creativity".
Mr Jobs responded saying that the limits would improve the quality of the applications. Letting developers use other tools would produce "sub-standard apps" and hold back the progress of the iPhone.
Apple has not yet given any official comment on the criticism it faces over Section 3.3.1.
Industry experts said the restrictions might be intended to stop developers re-using applications written with Adobe's Flash. Neither the iPhone nor iPad can run Flash applications.
Adobe released a software package, Creative Suite 5, on 12 April which can turn Flash code into iPhone code.
Flash programs are very widely used on the web and many games and videos are created using the software. However, under the new terms and conditions using Creative Suite 5 would lead to an application being rejected.
In a statement, Adobe said the change to section 3.3.1 would not stop it releasing the software.
"We intend to still deliver this capability in CS5 and it is up to Apple whether they choose to allow or disallow applications as their rules shift over time," wrote Kevin Lynch, Adobe chief technology officer, in a blog post.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Toyota suspends US sales of Lexus GX 460
Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced that it will suspend sales in the US of one of its luxury vehicles.
The move came after a US consumer organisation warned customers not to buy the Lexus GX 460 four-wheel drive because of fears it could roll over.
The last time it judged a vehicle's performance unacceptable was in 2001.
Toyota said it remained confident that the vehicle was safe, but would suspend its sale to identify and correct the safety issues identified.
The carmaker has recalled over eight million cars globally due to safety fears over faulty accelerators, floor pedals that stuck in mats and braking issues.
'Injury risk'
Consumer Reports said it had judged the Lexus GX 460 a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" because of a problem experienced during its standard emergency-handling tests.
"When pushed to its limits on our track's handling course, the rear of the GX we bought slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control," it said.
"We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death."
However, it also said that it was not aware of any such reported incidents.
The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US and, according to the consumer group, about 5,000 vehicles have been sold.
Toyota said in a statement: "Our engineers conduct similar tests and we feel these procedures provide a good indication of how our vehicles will perform in the real-world.
"However, we will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports' test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken."
Toyota is currently facing a record $16.4m (£10.7m) fine from the US Transport Department for failing to notify it about defective accelerator pedals.
The company must decide by the end of this week whether to challenge the fine.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Edmund Hillary ashes 'to be spread on Everest summit'
A Nepalese mountaineer has announced he will scatter the ashes of explorer Sir Edmund Hillary at Mount Everest's peak.
Apa Sherpa, who is attempting a world-record 20th ascent of Everest, said he wanted to honour the New Zealander, who reached the peak in 1953.
Sir Edmund died in 2008 and some of his ashes were spread in Auckland harbour.
Apa said the rest of the ashes had been stored at a Buddhist monastery in eastern Nepal, and he would take them on his expedition starting on 6 April.
Sir Edmund reached the summit alongside Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, and kept strong ties with the Sherpa community.
He opened a charitable foundation to help the people in the Solukhumbu region at the base of Everest.
Apa, 50, said he had met Sir Edmund many times and would pray for him at the summit.
"Without him we would have no clinics, and we would have no schools," he said.
"So I am very happy to take his ashes with me to the summit."
Apa's 19 successful climbs already constitute a world record for the greatest number of ascents of the 8,847m (29,028ft) peak.
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