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[
"Jonathan Haynes"
] | 2016-08-26T13:17:14 | null | 2016-08-26T10:29:07 |
Singer says when she could not work something out on her computer she called up the Apple co-founder for IT advice
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fbarbra-streisand-steve-jobs-apple-computer.json
|
en
| null |
Barbra Streisand used Steve Jobs as an IT help desk
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Barbra Streisand has revealed she once called the Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, to ask him for IT advice for her computer.
The US singer told Good Morning Britain: “I couldn’t figure out something on my computer and nobody could figure it out, no IT guy, so I said; ‘Can you get Steve Jobs on the phone?’
“Sure enough, I asked him about this problem and he couldn’t figure it out. He gave me his IT guy, who also couldn’t figure out. That was funny.”
Calling Apple’s CEOs seems to be a regular occurrence for the singer. This week she revealed she recently called Jobs’ successor, Tim Cook, to complain about Siri. She told him Apple’s personal assistant kept pronouncing her name incorrectly.
Streisand told NPR that Siri “pronounces my name wrong”. She said, it should be “Streisand with a soft s, like sand on the beach. I’ve been saying this for my whole career.
“And so what did I do? I called the head of Apple, Tim Cook, and he delightfully agreed to have Siri change the pronunciation of my name, finally, with the next update on 30 September. So let’s see if that happens because I will be thrilled.”
Streisand is as famous not only for her singing and acting career but as the creator of the Streisand effect.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/26/barbra-streisand-steve-jobs-apple-computer
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/225a9d82624138f15a9c49d45fb5e850b5d2e2a1e7e99dac75d6ca755b2e7a06.json
|
|
[
"Sarah Wild"
] | 2016-08-30T08:57:38 | null | 2016-08-30T08:46:44 |
Small-scale fishers hope technology will convince ministers that there are enough stocks to feed communities sustainably
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fsouth-africa-traditional-fishers-buoyed-by-data-logging-app-abalobi.json
|
en
| null |
South Africa’s traditional fishers buoyed by data-logging app
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
A smartphone app that logs data on fish catches is giving small-scale fishers in South Africa hope they can persuade the government to allocate them more of what they regard as their traditional fishing rights.
Abalobi, the app which is named for the isiXhosa phrase abalobi bentlanzi, meaning “someone who fishes”, aims to give small-scale fishers the data to empower themselves and convince others.
Co-produced by the University of Cape Town, traditional fishers and the new small-scale fisheries unit in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the app lets fishers log their catches. They can record what they caught, when, where, using what method and how much they sold the fish for, among other things.
The hope from local traditional fishers is that more accurate data will demonstrate that fish populations can withstand their harvesting.
Currently, the government refuses to allocate rights to fish for mullet on parts of the country’s west coast because of concerns it will harm fish stocks. Hendrik Bantom, a 48-year-old fisher in the small seaside town of Struisbaai, says that consequences for him and his community are dire: “They are our life source in the long winter months when it is too dangerous to line fish far out at sea.”
New online trawler tracking tool aims to help end overfishing Read more
Thanks to Abalobi, Bantom has Struisbaai data to add to the assessments of mullet, location-specific data, which he says DAFF lacks. “I have never seen a scientist from DAFF come to determine the mullet stocks in Struisbaai in the past 15 years,” he says. “We can now use the fish catch data on Abalobi phones to show DAFF that there is enough mullet here to feed the community on a sustainable basis.”
The assessment of mullet stock is critical for the Struisbaai community, but the consequences of using Abalobi go much further. For decades, the government has found itself in conflict with about 30,000 traditional or artisanal fishers along its coastline, people who make their living from the sea, straddling the divide between commercial and subsistence fishing.
When fishing rights were divided among commercial fishing operations, traditional fishers – crucial employers and sources of revenue in often poor coastal towns – were simply not recognised. A 2007 equality court judgment found that both the apartheid- and democratic-governments had marginalised these fishers, and ordered the government to include this sector in its rights allocations.
But if stocks cannot support fishing, that order is impossible to implement. government scientists say that mullet stocks are low and consequently no fishing rights are being allocated for their species.
How those scientists reached that conclusion is a matter of contention, complicated by deep distrust of government scientists (and the government in general) after years of acrimonious litigation and subsequent inaction.
David Shoshola, a traditional fisher in Lamberts Bay, which is about 440km up the coast from Struisbaai, says the scientists come once a year to make a stock assessment in an area. They do not, he says, include information from traditional fishers’ catches.
“Government has no way of knowing what the catch per unit effort is of these fishers, because they have very little data,” says Serge Raemaekers, a University of Cape Town academic who has been a key figure in driving the Abalobi project. “They have a little information from the monitors [government employees who are based and the harbour and take note of the fishers’ catches], but that’s a small percentage of what’s actually going on out there.”
The government agrees there is a data gap and some uncertainties. Abongile Ngqongwa, the deputy director of DAFF’s small-scale fisheries management unit, says, “From the simple sample that we have done [as part of the pilot programme], the majority of the resource ... is not even recorded.”
Kim Prochazka, who heads up the government’s fisheries resource research, says that they would be open to using any data that is “relevant and of sufficient quality and quantity” in order to be statistically relevant. “We are hopeful that Abalobi will not only provide data that can be used in stock assessments, but that this will result in an improvement in current data collection models.”
However, collecting a critical mass of data may take a while. Abalobi is growing “organically form the pilots into the neighbouring communities”, Raemaekers says. “If we had it across the sector, we’d have a much better case.”
|
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/30/south-africa-traditional-fishers-buoyed-by-data-logging-app-abalobi
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/d77141114fa9849de96c0b14ee24a57a09098291f5f3b4848e75d5bff0bccd93.json
|
|
[
"Ben Green",
"Pascal Wyse",
"Presented Andy Zaltzman"
] | 2016-08-26T14:51:32 | null | 2016-08-26T09:25:21 |
Andy Zaltzman bids adieu to the sporting summer, reflecting on Ryan Lochte telling porkies; the controversy surrounding the Paralympics; and the world’s biggest scrum
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Faudio%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fryan-lochte-paralympics-and-the-worlds-biggest-scrum-andy-zaltzmans-summer-of-sport.json
|
en
| null |
Ryan Lochte, Paralympics, and the world's biggest scrum - Andy Zaltzman's Summer of Sport
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
In his valedictory dispatch, Andy Zaltzman reflects on the fag-end of the Olympics and indeed the summer of sport as a whole, for this is the last in the current series of AZSOS. Sad face.
Hari Kondabolu joins us from America to discuss the fallout from Ryan Lochte’s naughtiness and - more wholesomely - the rise of the Chicago Cubs.
Next, we analyse the various controversies surrounding the start of the Paralympics.
And finally, we learn about the world’s biggest rugby scrum, BMX(ing, and all sorts of other Zaltzman Bullshittery™.
Andy will be back with The Bugle before too long. For now though, it’s adios. Thanks for listening.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/audio/2016/aug/26/ryan-lochte-paralympics-and-the-worlds-biggest-scrum-andy-zaltzmans-summer-of-sport
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b5f03d7eeb563929fc6e1d2fffde3ef09dc9c6162c224b6d2f46c5535180b65b.json
|
|
[
"Sarah Marsh"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:13 | null | 2016-08-26T13:19:33 |
Visit England has noted a rise in Britons staying in the UK this bank holiday break. Have you ever chosen Tenby over Tenerife? We want your memories
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fbeaches-pubs-memories-holidays-in-the-uk.json
|
en
| null |
From windswept beaches to cosy pubs: share memories of holidaying in the UK
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
If you’re planning on staying in the UK this bank holiday, then you’re far from alone. Holidaying at home is becoming increasingly popular – with figures showing a 6% rise this year in the number of Brits choosing to stay local.
This rise was recorded by Visit England, who noted that just over 5 million Britons are planning to stay in the UK over the bank holiday weekend. The government now plans to launch a tourism action plan (including cutting red tape for B&Bs) to make accommodate growing interest in the “staycation”, which is possibly a result of exchange rates weakening post-Brexit and concerns about security overseas.
UK staycations grow in strength as pound weakens Read more
But what’s so great about holidaying in the UK? We want to hear your stories, from the sublime to the ridiculous . Tell us about your most and least exciting UK jaunts. and share your photos with us.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/26/beaches-pubs-memories-holidays-in-the-uk
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/47872e7f026abcb595c0c47df11f4878f1d02d79712730251948ddff47f5307b.json
|
|
[
"Phillip Inman",
"Sarah Butler",
"Sean Farrell"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:21 | null | 2016-08-23T17:50:48 |
Data from manufacturers, Britain’s biggest housebuilder and UK supermarkets paint a positive picture of industry after the Brexit vote
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbusiness%2F2016%2Faug%2F23%2Fuk-economic-surveys-defy-brexit-fears.json
|
en
| null |
UK economic indicators defy Brexit fears
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Britain appears to be bouncing back from the post-Brexit panic in better shape than expected, after a string of indicators showed growth across the manufacturing sector, the building industry and in consumer spending.
A survey of manufacturers reported a rise in exports to their highest level in two years. Persimmon, Britain’s biggest housebuilder, said customers were flocking back to view new build homes. And grocers enjoyed a 0.3% rise in sales in the 12 weeks to 14 August, the best performance since March.
Nicholas Wrigley, Persimmon’s chairman, said that while the result of the EU referendum had created increased uncertainty, the news was quickly digested by customers.
“Customer interest since then has been robust with a strengthening of visitor numbers to our sites compared to the same period last year,” he said.
Economists have revised their pessimistic forecasts for the rest of the year and 2017 following a run of figures showing only a modest dip and steady rise in activity since the June 23 vote.
Pro-Brexit campaigners have taken these figures as a sign that the warnings of an economic collapse after a no vote were alarmist and misleading.
However, Chris Williamson, chief business economist at financial data provider IHS Markit, said the bounceback was mostly the result of a “huge policy response” from the Bank of England and the Treasury.
“You can’t say that everyone who was ringing the alarm bells over Brexit was scare mongering because really it was the warnings that triggered those strong policy actions,” he said.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney said in June policymakers would consider radical action to avert a recession and in August pushed through a cut in interest rates and a £40bn boost to quantitative easing (QE).
The chancellor, Philip Hammond, who rebuffed calls for an emergency budget, has also hinted strongly that the government’s previous plans for budget cuts could be relaxed.
Williamson said that without steep falls in the purchasing manager indices (PMIs) of activity in manufacturing, construction and services for July, collated by IHS Markit, it is possible the economy would have sleepwalked into a recession.
“If the PMIs hadn’t fallen off a cliff, the BoE wouldn’t have cut interest rates and expanded QE,” he added.
The survey by the business lobby group the CBI of manufacturers found that the dive in sterling, prompted by the vote to leave the EU, gave a strong boost to exports of manufactured goods that offset uncertainty in the domestic market.
Total order books were slightly weaker in the three months to August compared with the quarter to the end of July, down from a balance of -4 to -5, the report said.
But the overall picture was of an industry with orders that remained “comfortably above the long-run average”, according to the CBI, with output growth at a healthy pace.
The main shadow on the horizon was a concern that rising import costs would squeeze profitability. The average prices that manufacturers expected to charge over the next three months rose to +8 in August from +5 in July, their highest since February 2015.
Paul Hollingsworth, a UK economist at Capital Economics, said the relatively upbeat tone of August’s survey gave another reason to be tentatively optimistic about the referendum’s impact on business.
“The latest survey is another reason to think that the economy should avoid a deep recession,” he said.
British supermarket sales were boosted in August by the belated arrival of warm summer weather and a gold tinged Olympics feelgood factor, giving the best performance since March, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
The market analysis firm said sales of ice-cream and lollies jumped by nearly a quarter in the last month of that period, while chilled drinks rose by 10% as Brits sought to cool off.
The performance marks a bounceback from supermarkets’ worst performance in two years in July when cold, damp weather hit sales in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Discounters Aldi and Lidl continued to outperform the rest of the market with sales up 10.4% and 12.2% respectively. All the big four major supermarkets saw sales fall back, with Asda the worst of the bunch as sales fell 5.5%. Tesco achieved its best performance in 18 months but sales still fell by 0.4% taking its market share to 28.1%.
The building industry suffered a share price slump ahead of the Brexit vote and in the week following. But Persimmon said trading since 23 June had been strong and that after a short period of wariness, customer interest had increased from a year earlier.
However, after Persimmon’s upbeat first half results and outlook its shares closed up 4.2% and other house builders were also among the biggest FTSE 100 risers, with Barratt rising 4.9%, Taylor Wimpey 4% and Berkeley Group 3.9%.
Along with other housebuilders, Persimmon’s shares fell after the referendum result amid fears that falling consumer confidence and an economic slowdown would dent the housing market. Countrywide, Britain’s biggest estate agent, predicted this week that average prices would fall 1% next year before rising again.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/23/uk-economic-surveys-defy-brexit-fears
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/091bf6f4be898e60d84dc5e7b1fdcdb7c668985c163ca1fb8698456d633d8dc3.json
|
|
[
"Dominic Fifield"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:48 | null | 2016-08-26T09:49:57 |
Alan Pardew intends to speak with Wilfried Zaha to gauge whether the winger is in the right frame of mind to feature against Bournemouth after Crystal Palace rejected a bid worth an initial £12m from Tottenham
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Falan-pardew-to-speak-with-wilfried-zaha-about-his-crystal-palace-future.json
|
en
| null |
Alan Pardew to speak with Wilfried Zaha about his Crystal Palace future
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Alan Pardew intends to speak with Wilfried Zaha on Friday to gauge whether the winger is in the right frame of mind to feature against Bournemouth on Saturday after Crystal Palace rejected a bid worth an initial £12m from Tottenham Hotspur for his services.
Zaha had indicated to the Palace manager in a meeting post-training on Thursday that he was aware of Spurs’ interest and was keen to leave the club he originally joined as a 12-year-old, for a fresh start and Champions League football. Pardew had referred the 23-year-old and his agent to the chairman, Steve Parish, who duly dismissed Tottenham’s offer, worth £12m up front and a further £2m in add-ons, as “ridiculous”.
“Wilf came to see me and said he believed there was some interest from Tottenham, and may he go,” said Pardew. “The chairman has put the full stop on that deal and that is the right thing for us because we have made a lot of changes already this summer, and he was terrific last year, our player of the year.
“He is a fans’ favourite and we are very keen to keep him. The chairman’s statement [made in an interview with Talksport on Thursday night] says it all about how we feel. We are making changes to try and take the team in a different direction. The chairman has made his position clear and I will stand behind that.
“[Zaha] was never out of my plans. He is very much our player of the year and a player I want to take forward with this team. I have worked well with Wilf here. I think he has improved under my management. I think the club have done well by bringing him back here from Manchester United [initially on loan in August 2014], he is playing some great football and that is what we want to continue. I hope that does not stop going forward.”
Asked if Zaha, who arrived at the training ground at around 9.30am on Friday morning, was in the right frame of mind to feature against Bournemouth, Pardew added: “I will have to see and gauge that. I will speak with him today, but he is a strong character and I do not expect him to use the situation as an excuse.
“It is natural for players to be unsettled if there is a bid from another club. I have had that many times in my career. Some players handle it better than others. I had this position with Yohan Cabaye one year at Newcastle [amid interest from Arsenal]. You have ups and downs with players, but I’ve got no problem with Wilf whatsoever. I can understand the way it is with players and agents in the market. The focus can slip but we will get him back on track.”
Palace hope to add to their squad on Friday, and retain an interest in the Chelsea forward Loïc Rémy, though their record signing Christian Benteke is likely to start on the bench. The Belgium international played 45 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-0 EFL Cup victory over Blackpool but had not featured at all for Liverpool in pre-season and is therefore behind in his physical preparations for the campaign.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/alan-pardew-to-speak-with-wilfried-zaha-about-his-crystal-palace-future
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/7190990b33bad1ac62ac7e3ffa71a260bce9b93fdab46276c04956355d51b2af.json
|
|
[
"Henry Mcdonald"
] | 2016-08-31T12:50:32 | null | 2016-08-31T11:42:50 |
United Airlines jet flying from Texas to London was hit by severe and unexpected turbulence, according to airline
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Funited-airlines-passenger-jet-emergency-landing-ireland-shannon-16-injured.json
|
en
| null |
Passenger jet makes emergency landing in Ireland with 16 injured
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
A United Airlines jet flying from Houston, Texas, to London Heathrow has made an emergency landing at Shannon airport in Ireland after “severe and unexpected turbulence” left 16 people injured.
Fourteen passengers and two crew members were taken to hospital. The pilots had contacted Shannon air traffic control seeking permission to land due to a “medical situation on board”, according to the airline.
Ambulance crews were dispatched to the runway and picked up the injured passengers when the plane landed. The Boeing 767-300 jet had 207 passengers and 13 crew members on board and had been due to arrive at Heathrow at about 7am on Wednesday.
“The aircraft diverted to Shannon airport in Ireland where it was met by medical personnel,” said a spokesman for the airline. “United Airlines is providing care and support to customers and crew of flight UA880.”
He added: “We wish these passengers and crew a quick recovery from their injuries.”
The injured were taken to University hospital Limerick where their injuries were described as minor.
According to the United States Federal Aviation Administration, most injuries from turbulence occur when passengers are not wearing safety belts. Most turbulence-related accidents happen at about 9,000 metres (30,000ft).
|
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/united-airlines-passenger-jet-emergency-landing-ireland-shannon-16-injured
|
en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/97b714973dff2ee3d1556e2403c4b01c9d0ea735d90051a041439022282e774f.json
|
|
[
"Gabrielle Chan"
] | 2016-08-30T20:57:45 | null | 2016-08-30T20:01:44 |
Craig Kelly says he wants wind and solar funding to be redirected to research into ‘technological breakthroughs’ because existing renewables had ‘little effect’
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fcoalition-environment-committee-chairman-takes-aim-at-solar-subsidies.json
|
en
| null |
Coalition environment committee chairman takes aim at solar subsidies
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
The Liberal chairman of the Coalition’s environment policy committee, Craig Kelly, has questioned solar and wind power subsidies and would like a cost-benefit analysis of future emission reductions policy, due to be reviewed next year.
Kelly was named chairman of the environment and energy committee at the party room meeting on Monday, making him responsible for coordinating backbench feedback to the government on climate and energy policy.
He said he was proud to be a climate sceptic rather than “wallow in groupthink, to be a sheep, or a lemming”.
Richard Di Natale urges Bill Shorten not to back $1.3bn cut to climate agency Read more
Kelly described himself as in the “Bjorn Lomborg” camp, suggesting wind and solar funding should be channelled into “further research” because those current renewables like wind and solar power had “diminishing returns”.
Kelly said such changing the funding directions could create less emissions reductions in the short term but would have greater gains in the longer term.
“I’m in Bjorn Lomborg camp, you have to put resources into a technological breakthroughs because [wind and solar] is on periphery and having so little effect,” Kelly said.
His comments came on the day the governor general outlined the Turnbull government’s three-year strategy when opening the parliament. In the speech written by the prime minister’s office, Cosgrove lauded the Solar Communities program, which provides funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Kelly took to his Facebook page to quote Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, saying “the interest of [subsidy receivers] is always in some respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the public”.
“I want to keep the debate going to see what is the best policy and what the costs are,” he told Guardian Australia. “There should be a cost-benefit analysis on these policies because one thing that greatly concerns me is the amount of people having their electricity cut off, because they can’t afford the bills.”
Kelly said while he accepted that there had been temperature changes that had occurred since the mid 1700s and 1800s, there was no consensus around its causes.
“The question is how much is CO2 induced and how much is natural?” Kelly said.
Malcolm Turnbull agrees to adopt Bill Shorten's racial tolerance motion Read more
“There is no consensus on that science, that warming is 100% result of CO2 but I accept part of it is CO2 induced.”
Kelly said on energy policy it was important for people to accept the importance of low-cost energy – given the more people had to spend on electricity, the less they had to spend on the economy.
“If we let prices creep up, we are going price ourselves out of the market,” he said. “By subsidising the cost of solar, that puts upward pressure on electricity prices and by setting targets for certain emissions, that puts upward pressure on prices.”
Kelly said in considering the price of power, the option of nuclear power should be considered, though “the case has not been made out for nuclear power in Australia and I doubt that it actually will”.
Kelly has previously argued the British officer Watkin Tench’s statements about Sydney summers in 1790-91 showed heat was extreme hundreds of years ago. But on Tuesday he said his article was a bit “tongue in cheek” to show up people who suggest one hot day was proof of global warming.
“Read the history, read how careful these guys were with measurements and how things were happening, there is anecdotal evidence of mass deaths of bats and birds,” Kelly said.
He said while the rate of warming in the past 20 years had not been in line with predictions by the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change predictions, he did not think the planet was cooling – in the past 150 years.
“No I don’t accept the argument that the planet is cooling, it has been warming for 150 years but it depends on how far you go back in time,” he said.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/31/coalition-environment-committee-chairman-takes-aim-at-solar-subsidies
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/df2366547cf18475caa732fd0e01467ea44fd602ddd15295a5985112d16da7ba.json
|
|
[
"Darien Graham-Smith"
] | 2016-08-26T13:26:13 | null | 2016-07-31T06:00:27 |
Apple’s tablet has a host of easy-to-miss tricks, many of which work on the iPhone too. We take a tour…
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2016%2Fjul%2F31%2Fipad-tips-and-tricks.json
|
en
| null |
Under the hood: discover 13 hidden iPad features
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
1. Hey Siri – what’s that song?
If you’re drawn in by an unfamiliar tune, Siri can tell you what it is. Simply ask: “What song is playing?” Siri will briefly listen to your surroundings then attempt to identify the music, drawing on a vast database of audio “fingerprints” provided by app partner Shazam. The artist and track details should pop up – along with a “Buy” button, to encourage you to buy it on iTunes.
2. Shake to undo
The iPad keyboard isn’t the easiest to type on, and fumbling fingers can sometimes hit the wrong button. On a regular laptop you hit Undo to correct mistakes: on the iPad (and iPhone) you a firm shake does the job. It works in a variety of apps, including Pages, Mail and Notes: if you want to disable this feature, you can do so in iOS 9: you’ll find the option in Settings, under General | Accessibility.
3. Hide photos from your Camera Roll
The iPad’s built-in camera is great, but you may not want everything you shoot to be visible on your Camera Roll (we won’t judge you). To hide selected images from public view, simply open Photos, select a picture and then hit the Share button at the top of the screen. Below the sharing destinations that appear, you’ll see a set of actions, including Hide. To browse your hidden pictures, go to the Albums view and open the new folder called “Hidden”. Obviously if someone’s snooping through your pictures then this is a bit of a giveaway, but it’ll prevent friends and family from innocently coming across your private photos.
4. Remotely wipe all your data
If your iPad is lost or stolen, it’s not just the financial loss that’s a concern. If a thief guesses your passcode (perhaps by looking at fingerprint smudges on the screen), they can access your email, cause all sorts of mischief and even view those hidden photos. You may know about the “Find my iPhone” feature at www.icloud.com, which can be used to locate a lost device: what you may not know is that you can also use iCloud to remotely wipe your missing iPad or iPhone, to ensure your private data remains private.
5. Set a sleep timer
Would you like to fall asleep listening to a playlist? Or perhaps a YouTube video of ocean sounds? There’s no need to leave your iPad playing all night: instead you can set a sleep timer. Open the Clock app, tap the Timer button at the bottom right, then dial in how long you want your music or video to play for. Next, tap on the musical note button below the timer dial and you’ll see a list of alarm tones: scroll to the bottom and select “Stop playing” to make your iPad automatically go quiet once the timer expires.
6. Organise your sharing options
When you hit the Share button in Safari, you’ll see a list of destinations: by default, these include Mail, Reminders and Notes, while third-party apps like Facebook and Gmail tend to get pushed off to the side, so you have to scroll to find them. It’s easy to reorder this list, so your preferred apps appear first: hold down your finger on an app and drag it to the left or right. You can also hide unwanted apps by scrolling to the far right and clicking More: this opens a panel that lets you turn individual sharing destinations on and off.
7. Use iOS phantom keys
If you like to type with your thumbs, you can switch the iPad keyboard into “split” mode by holding down the keyboard options button at the bottom right – or just place both your thumbs on the regular keyboard and drag them out to the sides. You might find the split isn’t natural for you – for example, you might want to tap the T with your right thumb, while the key is all the way to the left. To help you out, iOS provides extra “phantom” keys at the edges of the split, which duplicate the keys on the other side of the gap. Tap in the seemingly empty space to the left of the Y key, and, as if by magic, the letter T will appear.
8. Sort your icons automatically
After you’ve had your iPad for a while, your once-neat home screen may have turned into a sprawling mess of icons, spread haphazardly across numerous pages. Using folders can clean things up, but if you need to lick a large collection of apps into shape, the easiest thing to do is to sort them alphabetically. You’ll find this option tucked away in Settings under General | Reset. Tap Reset Home Screen Layout, and the default iPad apps will be restored to their original locations, while downloaded apps will be shuffled into alphabetical order.
9. Multitask like a pro
The iPad’s single-button interface is so intuitive that many people jump back to the home screen every time they want to switch apps. There’s an easier way: double-tap the Home button to bring up an overview of all running apps. From here you can swipe left and right to move between apps, and tap on any one of them to bring it to the fore. Want an even slicker shortcut? Use a four-fingered swipe to the left or right to jump instantly from one app to another.
10. Use the keyboard as a trackpad
Selecting and dragging text on the iPad has always been a slightly imprecise science. iOS 9 makes life a lot easier: when you place two fingers at once onto the keyboard, it turns into a virtual trackpad. In this mode you can drag the text cursor around exactly as if you were moving a mouse pointer; take your fingers off the screen, and the regular keyboard returns. To select a word simply perform a two-fingered tap: a double-tap selects a sentence and a triple-tap selects a whole paragraph.
11. Context-aware reminders
Siri makes it easy to set reminders for yourself but it’s still a drag to have to spell out exactly what you want to be reminded of. In iOS 9 you don’t have to. While you’re using an app, you can press and hold the Home button and tell Siri simply to “Remind me about this at 9am tomorrow” – or whenever you want reminding. Siri will create a timed reminder that links you directly back to the app you were using, or to the web page you were viewing.
12. View the real web
When you browse the web from an iPad, many sites will automatically serve you versions of their pages that are optimised for mobile browsing. These pages often cut back on features or images, which might be appropriate for a phone but is normally unnecessary for an iPad. If you find yourself diverted to a stripped-down mobile site, hold down your finger on the “refresh” icon next to Safari’s address bar: after a moment, a button labelled “Request Desktop Site” will appear, allowing you to demand the full-fat version.
13. Use your iPad as a second monitor
The iPad is a great travelling companion but many of us still need to keep our conventional laptops with us as well. If you’re holed up in a hotel room you can gain a boost productivity boost by using your iPad as a secondary laptop display. The feature isn’t built into iOS but it can be easily achieved with third-party software: Duet Display costs £13.99 on the iOS App Store and turns your iPad into a touchscreen display for a Mac or Windows laptop, connecting via a standard 30-pin or Lightning cable.
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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/31/ipad-tips-and-tricks
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en
| 2016-07-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/50487fbb5b4ec3b835eb611b4a8a8e21fffdfe20832e9d7c9a02b16acaff7809.json
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[
"Mark Tully"
] | 2016-08-29T16:52:13 | null | 2016-08-29T15:01:18 |
Leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu sect for 45 years who expanded it internationally
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fpramukh-swami-maharaj-obituary.json
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj obituary
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www.theguardian.com
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Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who has died aged 94, was the fifth spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu sect, which claims to have more than a million devotees. He led the sect steadfastly for 45 years and expanded it internationally and in India. He was responsible for the construction of hundreds of temples around the world, including the Hindu temple in Neasden, north-west London.
The BAPS sect is an off-shoot of the original sect named after its founder, Swaminarayan. He established it in the early 19th century to spread a strict form of Hinduism promoting asceticism and social service. A schism in the sect in the early 20th century resulted in the formation of BAPS. All Swaminarayans believe that their founder was an incarnation of God, which differentiates them from other Hindus. The BAPS sect differs again in believing that all the gurus who have followed, including Pramukh Swami Maharaj, have been Akshars, ideal devotees of God, through whom God can be seen and liberation achieved.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was born Shantilal Patel in the Gujarati village of Chansad, youngest of 10 children of Motilal and Diwaliba Patel. His father was a farmer and both his parents were devotees of Shastriji Maharaj, founder of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (or BAPS Swaminarayan) sect and its then guru.
When he was 18 he was initiated as a sadhu, a celibate monk, and given the name Narayanswarupdas, servant of God. Seven years later he was appointed to be a temple administrator. At the age of 28, he became president of the BAPS Swaminarayan. From then onwards he was honoured by being known as “Pramukh” or presiding Swami. He became guru of the sect in 1971 on the death of his predecessor.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pramukh Swami Maharaj was responsible for the construction of hundreds of temples around the world, including the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Neasden, London. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi
As guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj travelled widely and met world leaders. In 2000 he spoke at the United Nations millennium world peace summit of religious leaders, saying that: “True religion is that which inspires love for one another.” He was a staunch advocate of religious pluralism and the Hindu belief that there are different ways to God. In India it is not uncommon for Hindu religious leaders to be involved in politics, but Pramukh Swami Maharaj played no public political role.
After the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat, in which more than 1,000 people were killed, a newspaper reported that Pramukh Swami Maharaj had criticised the chief minister, Narendra Modi (now the prime minister), but he denied this. Later in the same year, though, when terrorists attacked the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, killing 33 people, Pramukh Swami Maharaj did issue a statement calling for peace and calm.
He lived a simple life in the tradition of the Swaminarayan sect. He observed its strict vegetarian code, which also bans onions, garlic and other foods thought to promote debilitating moods. He was keen for more men to take a vow of celibacy. During his life he initiated 950 young men as sadhus and established a training centre for them.
In addition to his concern for the religious life of the sect, Pramukh Swami Maharaj encouraged its social work. He campaigned against tobacco, alcohol and drugs. He made sure Swaminarayan volunteers were active in relief and rehabilitation after two big earthquakes in India. He instituted a woman’s wing of the Swaminarayan BAPS institute. He was responsible for the construction of 1,000 temples in India and 125 in other countries. When it was built the temple in Neasden was the largest Hindu place of worship outside India. All the marble and limestone was carved in India before being assembled in London.
The day after Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s death, in the Swaminarayan BAPS temple in the Gujarat village of Sarangpur, his body, sitting upright, was displayed in a refrigerated cabin for his followers to have their final sight of their guru. Modi flew straight from delivering his Independence Day address to the nation on 15 August to Sarangpur. He told devotees: “You have lost a guru. I have lost a father.”
Before he died, Pramukh Swami Maharaj nominated Mahant Swami Maharaj as his successor.
• Pramukh Swami Maharaj, religious leader, born 7 December 1921; died 13 August 2016
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/29/pramukh-swami-maharaj-obituary
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/fb59f9bebb33b13f64a7a6a126dadae17ad05858430e3a3525c36e9becf052b2.json
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[] | 2016-08-28T18:49:53 | null | 2016-08-28T18:35:24 |
Editorial: Under Farage, Ukip thrived on the cowardice and indulgence of mainstream politicians. His successor must not be treated so generously
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fthe-guardian-view-on-ukip-after-nigel-farage-a-grievance-in-search-of-a-leader.json
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The Guardian view on Ukip after Nigel Farage: a grievance in search of a leader
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www.theguardian.com
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“It looks like remain have won,” Nigel Farage said as the polls closed on 23 June. To concede defeat on the brink of victory was one of the outgoing Ukip leader’s more erratic actions. Another was the decision to stand down over the party’s weak showing in the 2015 general election and then, days later, retract the resignation. The implication was that Ukip could not survive without Mr Farage but also that Mr Farage could not imagine life after Ukip.
He must be glad that he waited another year before quitting again. He now leaves bathed in the glory of a referendum result that he strived for years to achieve, while washing his hands of responsibility for the consequences. He gets invited to appear as the exotic support act at a Donald Trump rally. But he does not have to resolve the question of Ukip’s purpose now that its best-known mission has been accomplished. That task falls to his successor, elected over a two-week period beginning on 1 September.
Nevertheless, the need to ponder the party’s place in post-referendum Britain has not been a feature of the Ukip contest so far. Petty factional bickering has instead been the dominant motif. The victor seems likely to be either Diane James, currently an MEP, or Lisa Duffy, a Cambridgeshire councillor. In policy terms, their pronouncements have been unremarkably Faragist. James praises Vladimir Putin; Duffy decries intrusions of Islamic faith into public space.
Whatever the outcome of the contest, the trajectory of Ukip is towards more aggressive fomenting of rage, paranoia and xenophobia. The practicalities of Brexit will demand some compromise by the government, against which Ukip will rail. Yet even a thorough severing of relations with the continent will not end migration from overseas, reverse demographic change established over decades or transform economic opportunities for people currently without the qualifications or skills to find security in a competitive labour market.
So the economic and cultural drivers of Ukip support will not be removed by any form of Brexit, while the proxy of blaming everything on Brussels will be less available. So new scapegoats will be found. A narrative of Brexit betrayal will take hold. And Euroscepticism is likely to congeal into more pungent nationalism. How far that project can go depends in part on the skill of the leader. At the top of his game, Mr Farage had a knack for packaging poisonous messages in media-friendly banality. He was dangerous because he knew how to push incrementally at the boundaries of tolerable discourse, smuggling far-right idiom into the mainstream. He was also lucky to have David Cameron as a foil – a Tory leader who was distrusted by many of his party’s core supporters and who yielded to Europhobic pressure whenever it was applied.
Mr Farage’s successor will have an equivalent opportunity to capitalise on Labour’s turmoil. In the 2015 general election, Ukip came second to Labour in scores of seats, many coinciding with areas of high support for Brexit. A dysfunctional Labour opposition, perceived in its former heartlands as soft on immigration and queasy around patriotism, could be savaged by a well-organised nationalist challenger under shrewd, charismatic leadership. Judging by the Ukip contest thus far, that is mercifully not imminent.
There is some potential for Faragism to grow stronger in Britain without Farage. There is also a chance that Ukip will implode in acrimony and slink back to the fringe. The best-case scenario is one in which the parties of the mainstream develop strategies for addressing the resentments that give succour to virulent illiberal reaction. Although the referendum result expressed a depth of grievance with the EU, it would be naive to think that EU membership was the root cause or that Brexit will dissipate all of the pent-up rage against “establishment” politics.
Referendum victory has disoriented a party that was fuelled by perpetual frustration. Referendum defeat would have better fitted Ukip’s familiar modus operandi. The future was clearer as the victim of a conspiracy than as the victor with nothing left to say. A party of perpetual protest that gets what it wants has to find other things to protest against. Ukip will now seek to reboot its campaign against liberal values, tolerance and diversity in Britain. That project can only succeed if other parties indulge and accommodate the new leader, repeating the mistakes that gave Mr Farage’s tenure the happy ending even he hadn’t dared to expect.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/28/the-guardian-view-on-ukip-after-nigel-farage-a-grievance-in-search-of-a-leader
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/d1f13865ff593b926b941028f7b35a5cd32ea39e6c6e5bc36c32633b910e1f88.json
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[
"Uki Goñi"
] | 2016-08-29T10:52:11 | null | 2016-08-29T09:00:02 |
President’s recent comments doubting genocide during dictatorship mark first time denialist rhetoric has entered mainstream political discourse
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fargentina-denial-dirty-war-genocide-mauricio-macri.json
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Argentina’s brutal history resurfaces as centre-right’s denial creeps up again
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www.theguardian.com
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Almost uniquely among nations that have suffered mass killings under brutal dictatorships, Argentina was able not only to put a large number of its former torturers behind bars, but to establish a consensus across all political sectors that its 1976-83 military regime had executed a lower-intensity Nazi-style genocide that lacked any moral justification.
How an Argentinian man learned his 'father' may have killed his real parents Read more
The country’s dictator Jorge Videla was tried barely two years after the return of democracy, and since then more than 1,000 other former officers have been sentenced, making the country a standout among former South American dictatorships. Chile has attained a similar number of convictions, but its dictator Augusto Pinochet died without ever facing a day in court. In Brazil and Uruguay, where wide-ranging amnesties remain in place, a free pass was given to torturers to ensure a smooth democratic transition.
But Argentina’s consensus on the gravity of dictatorship-era crimes has suddenly shattered under centre-right President Mauricio Macri.
Earlier this month, Macri rattled nerves in the human rights community when he appeared to doubt the long-accepted historical understanding that 30,000 people died under the dictatorship. Asked in an interview with Buzzfeed how many people had been murdered, he testily replied: “I have no idea. That’s a debate I’m not going to enter, whether they were 9,000 or 30,000.”
Some sympathisers with the former regime have long raised doubts over the number of desaparecidos, but Macri’s words marked the first time that such denialist rhetoric gained admittance to mainstream political discourse.
Mario Ranaletti, professor of history at Tres de Febrero university, has specialized in the mindset of Argentinian denialist groups. “They consider military repression was a good and morally unquestionable act,” he says. “To them the cold war was a religious war.” Even today Ranaletti overhears Argentinians who argue that “they should have killed them all.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Former dictator Jorge Videla is escorted by police into the San Isidro court building in 1998. He died in 2013. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Macri’s 9,000 number refers to a list of names compiled in the first years of democracy by the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP). Long touted by denialists as the only valid accounting, the list was never meant to be final. The military themselves reported 22,000 killings to Chilean intelligence in mid-1978. A year before, the dictatorship already had informed the Papal Nuncio in Buenos Aires that it had killed 15,000 people, declassified US documents show.
Work still continues today on the identification of human remains in clandestine unmarked graves. And the CONADEP list did not include non-disappeared victims whose bodies were returned to their families – or the undoubtedly vast number of unreported victims.
Taken together, such factors make the 30,000 estimate by human rights groups a reasonable assumption; perfectible by academic research perhaps, but never questioned before by an acting president.
Macri’s use of the term “dirty war” also chimed with denialist thinking, which holds there was no genocide – only an internal battle between the dictatorship and terrorists.
Partly to stop such creeping denialism, Argentina’s supreme court ruled in 2009 that the dictatorship’s killings between 1976 and 1983 constituted “crimes against humanity within the framework of [a] genocide”.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest President Mauricio Macri’s use of the term ‘dirty war’ echoed denialist thinking. Photograph: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters
The fracture over dictatorship-era crimes exploded into verbal abuse last Thursday in the central city of Córdoba, after judges handed down 28 life sentences to former officers found guilty of 365 killings at the city’s La Perla death camp.
Outside the courtroom, pro-military activist Cecilia Pando hurled abuse at Estela de Carlotto, the 85-year-old head of Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a group of heroic grandmothers who over almost four decades have recovered 120 of their grandchildren from the families they were given to by the military once their mothers were murdered after giving birth.
“They were not young idealists, they were terrorists,” Pando yelled at the ageing grandmother, referring to the “disappeared” children of Carlotto and thousands of other mothers.
Possibly emboldened by recent meetings with Macri’s justice minister Germán Garavano, Pando was giving vent to a belief fervently held among regime sympathisers that none – or few – of those murdered by the military were innocent victims.
Kissinger hindered US effort to end mass killings in Argentina, according to files Read more
But the US embassy in Buenos Aires at the time knew otherwise: Argentina’s military quickly eliminated the few hundred guerrillas who had been involved in lethal action, before they began to murder thousands of other young people unconnected to any violent activity. “Few who have disappeared since about mid-1977 could be considered terrorists or security threats,” reads a US state department cable recently declassified by Barack Obama after his visit to Argentina in March.
The killing numbers also refute any notion of a war. In a 1980 report titled “Terrorism in Argentina,” the dictatorship estimated that guerrillas killed only 687 people during the entire 1970s, compared to the 22,000 people the dictatorship told Chilean intelligence it had killed by 1978 alone.
At the ESMA death camp in the capital city of Buenos Aires at least 3,000 civilians were murdered by the dictatorship. But only one ESMA officer, Lieutenant Jorge Mayol, perished in a skirmish with guerrillas in 1976.
The military had a much wider target than just the guerrilla groups, which by 1976 were already in disarray. The regime openly vowed to defend “western and Christian civilization” by turning Argentina into “the moral reserve of the western world.”
To do that, thousands of young people with ideas borrowed from America’s hippie culture, the Paris of May 1968 and the Cuban revolution had to die. “Our Christian identity was in danger,” police commander Miguel Etchecolatz testified during his trial, kissing his white rosary before the judges.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest People hold portraits of missing relatives in 2010. Photograph: Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images
But men like Etchecolatz are “political prisoners” who should be amnestied, say the pro-dictatorship activists who now have the ear of Macri’s government. Victoria Villarruel believes it was the guerrillas, not the military, who committed crimes against humanity.
She represents CELTYV (Centre for Legal Studies on Terrorism and its Victims), a group pressuring to reopen trials against former guerrillas even though the supreme court has conclusively ruled that guerrilla actions constituted ordinary crimes that have long fallen under the statute of limitations.
Those opinions appear to have found a sympathetic hearing from Macri’s administration. “What they seek is very valid, the recognition of civilians killed by terrorist groups,” said Claudio Avruj, the human rights secretary who has met with Villarruel.
A grandmother's 36-year hunt for the child stolen by the Argentinian junta Read more
Alejandro Rozitchner is Macri’s speechwriter and a longtime personal friend of the president. A philosopher who speaks openly about his marijuana use, he feels Argentina has dwelt long enough on the 1970s. “It has to do with keeping open a past that recedes increasingly further into the past,” he said.
Such words draw low, painful sighs from grandmother Carlotto. “It’s not the past to me or the other mothers, grandmothers and children of missing people,” she said.
Carlotto was united with her grandson only two years ago, 36 years after the military murdered her daughter after she gave birth in one of their death camps. She estimates 280 missing grandchildren remain still to be found.
“What do they pretend with this new language they’ve invented for human rights?” Carlotto asks. “Why do they meet with representatives of groups who claim that convicted murderers are political prisoners? They’re not political prisoners, they are genocidal killers, abominable assassins who refuse to confess who they gave our grandchildren to.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/29/argentina-denial-dirty-war-genocide-mauricio-macri
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/584a67aedf29b0a2884c04692ef893e9573f743563a56cd83d3d618c298c4f59.json
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[
"Nick Hopkins",
"Reinoud Leenders",
"Julian Borger"
] | 2016-08-29T16:52:12 | null | 2016-08-29T16:00:06 |
Guardian investigation identifies dozens of deals that raise new questions about the UN’s role in Syria, and its impartiality
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fhow-assad-regime-controls-un-aid-intended-for-syrias-children.json
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How Assad regime controls UN aid intended for Syria's children
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www.theguardian.com
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After five years of conflict in Syria, the figures speak for themselves. More than 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed – and another 11 million displaced from their homes. There is no end in sight.
But if there is no dispute about the victims of this complicated war, there is increasing argument about how best to help them. Inevitably, the focus has turned to the United Nations relief mission, which is only allowed to operate in Syria with the blessing of President Bashar al-Assad.
Damascus also restricts who the UN can work with; it keeps a list of “approved” international and Syrian organisations, and the UN cannot stray outside it.
And therein lies the dilemma for the UN, which has been investing vast amounts of money into programmes designed to save lives. By poring over thousands of pages of documents, and speaking to UN insiders and aid workers, the Guardian has identified dozens of deals that will raise new questions about the UN’s role in Syria, and its impartiality.
UN's $4bn aid effort in Syria is morally bankrupt | Reinoud Leenders Read more
A soon-to-be-published study by the academic Dr Reinoud Leenders, who shared some of his findings with the Guardian, will add to the concerns. Figures show that $900m (£688m) of the $1.1bn in the UN 2015 response plan was spent on aid funnelled through Damascus, all of which is controlled to some extent by the Syrian authorities.
Documents seen by the Guardian also make clear the UN is continuing to allow the government to dictate whether aid can be delivered to certain areas of the country. It then further restricts what can be distributed and by whom.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A man carries a wounded child in the Maadi district of eastern Aleppo after regime aircraft reportedly dropped explosive-packed barrel bombs on 27 August 2016. Photograph: Ameer Alhalbi/AFP/Getty Images
Despite heavily publicised UN convoys reaching many besieged places in recent months, the Syrian government is known to have removed items such as incubators, and refused to let subsequent convoys into some areas.
Access to an estimated 300,000 residents in east Aleppo has recently been cut off by government and allied forces, and agreement on a 48-hour truce to allow the UN to deliver humanitarian aid is being hampered by a stalemate on which road into the city will be used.
In addition, the Syrian government routinely passes legislation designed to inhibit the work of the UN and other NGOs – such as a ban on importation of any goods from Turkey, and an insistence that medicines should be procured from inside Syria.
A limited number of local NGOs and businesses are allowed to operate inside the country but many that do are operated by associates of Assad.
UN pays tens of millions to Assad regime under Syria aid programme Read more
NGOs and UN “hubs” working from Turkey and Jordan complain they are being cut out of discussions about how best to respond to the unfolding crisis.
For instance, the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan was drafted between the UN in Damascus and the Syrian government, without input from NGOs that deliver cross-border aid to areas of the country the UN can’t reach. The government was then given permission to remove references to sieges and violence as a reason for displacement.
UN insiders have told the Guardian the negotiation process between the UN and the Syrian government for the 2017 plan has begun, but they do not expect a significant change in the process or outcome.
In response to the Guardian, eight UN agencies explained in detail why they had to work with the Syrian government. They insisted they have rigorous compliance systems and say they only have to steer clear of people on UN sanctions lists – not those compiled by the EU and the US.
However, no such sanctions exist for Syria. And privately some UN insiders admit they are reluctant to push back too hard against Assad for fear of being kicked out of the country completely; two years ago, the international NGO Mercy Corps left Damascus after threats from the government.
But in internal correspondence seen by the Guardian it is clear some UN staff have qualms about what is going on. And last year a letter from a number of Syrian medical practitioners raised concerns about the UN’s impartiality. It was sent to the office of the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, in October 2015 and the same issues were reported to his High Level Panel on Global Health Crises. As yet, little, if anything, has been done. One insider conceded the UN faced “constraints at every turn”.
“The alternative is stark,” a spokesman for Unicef said. “Many more children dying or suffering. This is the dilemma that Unicef and humanitarian agencies face on a daily basis.
“Children in Syria are hurting because of the failure of politicians to reach a peaceful solution to the war. We cannot let them down. We must do everything to alleviate the suffering of children.”
Government departments
A number of ministries in Assad’s government have been supported by UN agencies in recent years, even though they are all affected by the EU sanctions regime. UN departments report close working relationships with the Syrian ministries of education, health and justice as part of the humanitarian response.
Defence The World Health Organisation has spent $5,134,685 on blood bags and kits since the beginning of the conflict but, unusually, Syria’s national blood bank, which is responsible for providing services for the total population, is operated by the Syrian Department of Defence, raising concerns about how the blood supplies are being distributed.
WHO had concerns about the issue in 2013 when it drafted the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Syrian government.
At the time, senior WHO insiders questioned the legality of working with the ministry of defence rather than a health administration, and admitted there were “concrete concerns” about whether the blood supplies would reach those in need, or be directed to the military first.
Documents seen by the Guardian show that blood supplies for one fiscal year were paid for by donations from America’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) – and both countries have imposed economic sanctions against the Syrian government.
Early in the conflict, medical centres calling for blood supplies found themselves and their patients under increased scrutiny by Syrian security services, and in some cases requests for supplies led to the arrest of those protesting or fighting against the government.
Blood bags and testing kits are not included on UN aid convoys from Damascus to areas outside of government control.
Agriculture The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has bought $10,875,167 worth of seeds from the general organisation for seed multiplication (GOSM) in the past three years (2013-15), and another $2,396,782 from the general organisation for fodder (GFO).
Both organisations are run by the Syrian government’s ministry of agriculture, which is on the EU sanctions list. The FAO says it has to buy this material in order to deliver humanitarian assistance, and that importing “the required quantities of seed or feed into Syria from elsewhere would not be feasible or cost-effective”.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Syrian officials inspect boxes of apples from the Red Cross at the Syrian-Israeli border. Photograph: Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters
Fuel UN agencies have also bought at least $4m of fuel from the state-owned company, Sadcop/Mahroukat, which is also subject to sanctions. The UN argues it “needs fuel to operate its programmes in Syria”. It says Sadcop/Mahroukat is the sole provider in Syria of the gasoline coupons that are used to purchase fuel safely and securely.
Tourism Syria’s ministry of tourism seems also to have benefited from the UN’s use of the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, which has been the central base for the relief mission since 2013. The ministry is understood to have a 35% stake in the hotel, so will probably have been paid more than $3m in the last two years. UN agencies spent $9,296,325.59 at the hotel in 2014-15.
The UNHCR appears to have been its biggest customer. It told the Guardian it spent $6,822,445 at the hotel since the start of the conflict in March 2011. Other agencies that have used it regularly include WHO and the FAO.
The UN says it has to use the Four Seasons because it is unsafe for its staff to work elsewhere in the city. “It is the only location cleared for UN international staff resident in Damascus by UN global staff safety requirements.”
The Saudi billionaire and philanthropist who is believed to co-own the hotel has just given $20m to Save the Children. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has also promised to give away his fortune for charitable causes.
Charities and NGOs
Syria Trust for Development Due to the historically closed political system in Syria, there was no charitable or NGO sector operating in the country before 2006, when Assad’s wife, Asma al-Assad, launched the the Syria Trust for Development. It remains under her jurisdiction, and she is on the EU and US sanctions lists.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma visit an injured man from Tanunaah, Homs. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
The Guardian has discovered the UNHCR has partnered with the trust for the past four years, handing over a total of $7.7m during the period. This year, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has committed $751,129 to the trust.
Syria’s first lady is a pariah figure in the international community and nobody disputes that her husband’s government is responsible for the forced displacement, injury and vulnerability of millions of people within the country.
A spokesman for the UNHCR said: “Syria Trust has wide presence in the country and is one of the partners with the greatest access and outreach. Syria Trust works in seven governorates and runs five community centres … it provides legal assistance to internally displaced persons.”
The Al-Bustan Association The ABA is a charity owned and run by Rami Makhlouf, one of Bashar al-Assad’s closest allies, is a delivery partner of Unicef, which confirmed it had awarded “total direct cash transfers” to the organisation worth $267,933 to supply water, sanitation and hygiene, education and winter clothes.
But ABA’s marketing materials suggest deeper relationships; photos show it distributing Unicef boxes and aid, in addition to the cash transfer, and Unicef’s own PR material says ABA has engaged in research for the agency.
Not only is Makhlouf subject to sanctions from both the EU and US, but his charity is reported to be engaged in running at least three pro-regime Shabiha militias, including one which was involved in the protracted siege of the Damascus suburb of Darayya.
Over the weekend residents were evacuated from the area after reaching a deal with the Syrian government, worn down by years of siege and a furious bombing campaign since June – meted out in retaliation to the first UN aid convoy to reach the area since 2012 – that saw their last medical clinic destroyed a little over a week ago.
Aymenn al-Tamimi, of the Middle East Forum, an analyst who speaks to many pro-regime militia commanders, says: “Al-Bustan Association is one of multiple bodies that can ostensibly provide the cover of the Syrian state under which militias can operate. By affiliation, my understanding is foremost that the body in question will at least pay salaries for the militias. On account of Rami Makhlouf’s links to the regime, this gives some sense of state control over militias with the al-Bustan affiliation.”
Unicef said al-Bustan was selected as a partner “because of its history in supporting people in need before the crisis, its reach among displaced communities, its strong capacity and robust operating systems, and extensive presence in the targeted identified locations.
“We only have an partnership agreement, whereby we made a direct cash transfer for programme activities in water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and winter clothes in Latakia.”
Businesses
Syriatel One of Syria’s wealthiest businessmen, Makhlouf is also the owner of Syriatel, the country’s leading telecommunications company, which has been paid at least $700,000 by different UN agencies. That includes $464,938 from UNHCR and $96,802 from Unicef.
In addition, Unicef paid Syriatel $147,289 for a SMS health awareness campaign after there was an outbreak of polio in the country. Syriatel is on the EU and US sanctions list.
UNHCR said using Syriatel was necessary because there are only two mobile phone networks in the country and there is no realistic alternative because the Syrian government would likely veto any attempt by the UN to use satellite phones, which would also be much more expensive.
“Importation and operation of satellite telephones inside Syria require government approval, which is difficult to obtain,” a Unicef spokesman said. “[They] cannot provide the full service … to support the scale of work Unicef is undertaking to support children and families across the entire country.”
However, large NGOs working in the country cannot use Syriatel because they are prevented from doing deals with companies on the sanctions lists of donor governments. One senior NGO worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would not be able to procure services from Syriatel because it is under economic sanctions from the EU and the US.
Another company whose owner is known to have links to Assad, and is an associate of Rami Mahklouf, was awarded a contract worth more than $15m from UNHCR, and had smaller contracts with Unicef.
Makhlouf is not the only sanctioned Syrian businessman making financial gains from the UN.
Transorient was contracted for $386,711 worth of goods, despite being owned by an individual under US and EU economic sanctions due to his close relationship with the Syrian government. Unicef said the money to Transorient was paid for warehousing in Homs and Tartous.
“Options for warehousing facilities in Syria are extremely restricted. Security, access, and heavy processes reduce the number of available and functioning spaces.”
Altoun Group The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East signed a $88,671.72 contract with Altoun Group, a company owned by Salim Altoun, who has been on an EU sanctions list since May 2012.
The EU said Altoun “provides financial support to the regime. [He is] involved in a scheme through Altoun Group to export Syrian oil with the listed company Sytrol in order to provide revenue to the regime.” UNWRA told the Guardian the money was for generators and that Altoun was not on any UN sanctions lists.
Syrian Computer Society had a contract with UNHCR in 2013, worth $30,000. The society is known to have links with Syrian Electronic Army, which has targeted opposition figures, international media companies and donor governments.
UNHCR said it had little choice but to use the society because it had been the only internet service provider available at the time.
Syrian chamber of commerce The chamber, some of whose members are known to have links to Assad, received $892,805.42 from UN agencies in 2013-14.
Other Syrian companies Analysis of the UN’s own procurement documents show its agencies have done business with at least another 258 Syrian companies, paying sums from as high as $54m and £36m, down to $30,000.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/29/how-assad-regime-controls-un-aid-intended-for-syrias-children
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b563df08a72f49f99b59da5056fb177d21e9de9ec7bb0dde25add815c36ff0c4.json
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[
"Source"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:39 | null | 2016-08-23T09:14:18 |
Alexander Rossi causes a three-car crash by driving over the top of Helio Castroneves at the Pocono Raceway IndyCar race in Pennsylvania on Monday, as Will Power takes his fourth win in six races
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Fvideo%2F2016%2Faug%2F23%2Falexander-rossi-causes-three-car-crash-at-pocono-indycar-race-video.json
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Alexander Rossi causes three-car crash at Pocono Indycar race - video
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www.theguardian.com
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Alexander Rossi causes a three-car crash by driving over the top of Hélio Castroneves at the Pocono Raceway IndyCar race in Pennsylvania on Monday, as meanwhile Will Power takes his fourth win in six races. As Rossi pulls out of his pit stall, he clips Charlie Kimball’s car before driving up and over the car of Castroneves. The accident takes place at the same racetrack where British driver Justin Wilson sustained a fatal head injury in 2015
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/2016/aug/23/alexander-rossi-causes-three-car-crash-at-pocono-indycar-race-video
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en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/609f066124bb227c22a133e8bd394f216ff3fa5e1674bc514717bf1760170b71.json
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[
"Ben Parr",
"Polly Toynbee"
] | 2016-08-27T16:59:21 | null | 2016-08-22T18:01:59 |
DVLA sold record 334,818 registrations in 2015-16 with the most expensive plate fetching £180,000
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmoney%2F2016%2Faug%2F22%2Fannual-sales-personalised-number-plates-top-100m.json
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Annual sales of personalised number plates top £100m
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Annual sales of personalised number plates have exceeded £100m for the first time, official figures show.
A record 334,818 registrations were sold in 2015-16, according to the DVLA.
The DVLA began selling personalised registrations in 1989, when 658 were sold. Since then more than 4.5 million have been sold, raising about £2.3bn for the Treasury.
The number of sales has been rising in recent years, with the 2015-16 figure of £102m representing a 19% increase on the previous year.
FL45H G1T: Why personalised number plates are more popular than ever Read more
“Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and the general sale and auctions remain extremely popular with the public,” a DVLA spokesman said.
The most expensive number plate ever is 25 O, which was bought for £400,000 in November 2014 by John Collins, a classic car dealer who wanted to put the plate on his Ferrari 250.
Once additional fees such as the buyers’ premium and VAT were taken into account, the plate’s true price was £518,000.
The priciest plate in 2015-16 was KR15 HNA, which sold in May 2015 for £180,000.
Personalised registration plate auctions take place a number of times each year, with prices starting from £250.
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/22/annual-sales-personalised-number-plates-top-100m
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en
| 2016-08-22T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/10ece246500dfd56602e29a721b9b98facb26cd55fbfe9d3744ee3da4caecb27.json
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[
"Michael Slezak"
] | 2016-08-30T06:57:36 | null | 2016-08-30T06:24:56 |
Exclusive: Top climate advisers divided over report, which recommends a policy that could break the political gridlock over climate change
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fclimate-change-authority-splits-over-ets-report-commissioned-by-coalition.json
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Climate Change Authority splits over ETS report commissioned by Coalition
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www.theguardian.com
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A Climate Change Authority review charged with advising the government on how to meet its climate change commitments has led to an unprecedented split in its top ranks, with two of the body’s 11 members writing a dissenting “minority report”.
Guardian Australia understands the official Climate Change Authority report will recommend Australia adopt an intensity-based trading scheme for electricity generators.
A similar scheme was taken to the 2016 election by the Labor party, and was also proposed by Malcolm Turnbull in 2009 when he was opposition leader. Many believe it is a promising way to form a bipartisan approach to climate policy.
Climate sceptic MP appointed chair of environment and energy committee Read more
It is understood the report will also recommend the government introduce something like a strengthened “safeguards” mechanism, which forms part of the government’s Direct Action policy.
That mechanism has already been in force, and sets emissions “baselines” for 140 of Australia’s biggest polluters, which are supposed to cap their emissions, but is currently so generous it will not lead to a cut in carbon emissions.
The “special review” was commissioned by the former environment minister Greg Hunt in December 2014, after the government failed to pass legislation to abolish the Climate Change Authority through the Senate.
The review was primarily intended to assess whether Australia should have an Emissions Trading Scheme and what conditions should trigger it.
In doing that, the authority was ordered to consider what other countries were doing, as well as what Australia’s international commitments were under international agreements.
The report will be released publicly on Wednesday afternoon, but two authority members – the economist Clive Hamilton and the climate scientist David Karoly – were so unhappy with its contents they will be writing a dissenting minority report.
Hamilton told Guardian Australia he and Karoly will be preparing the report, but declined to comment further.
The point of contention between the dissenting members is understood to be over what level of emissions cuts the recommendations are designed to achieve.
It is understood the dissenters believe the current report is not consistent with the terms of reference of the review, which requires the recommendations to consider Australia’s international commitments, including those made at Paris.
Josh Frydenberg: Australia's use of coal is falling 'and that is not a bad thing' Read more
The minority report is expected to be published on Friday on the website of the Climate Council – the body that emerged from the Climate Commission after it was abolished by the Abbott government in 2013.
The CCA report was expected to put pressure on the new energy minister Josh Frydenberg, who recently indicated the Direct Action policy didn’t need to be changed significantly.
Guardian Australia understands the CCA’s review was backed by all other members of the Authority, including:
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/30/climate-change-authority-splits-over-ets-report-commissioned-by-coalition
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/3bacc7448ad151638df5e4f1ea02c6e98d63e9e3feab54b5f87f16c9f30879e1.json
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[
"Barbara Ellen"
] | 2016-08-28T00:52:20 | null | 2016-08-27T23:02:16 |
With its Paralympics photoshoot, Vogue Brasil managed to be well-meaning and insulting at the same time
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fvogue-brasil-paralympic-photoshoot-insulting.json
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Pretending to be paralympian is a bizarre insult
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www.theguardian.com
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The case of the Vogue Brasil Paralympics photoshoot demonstrates how sometimes the road to hell is not only paved with good intentions, but also tarmacked with misfiring empathy. In the shoot, able-bodied actors Cleo Pires and Paulo Vilhena, ambassadors for the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, are shown with limbs digitally removed. Pires has an arm missing while Vilhena has a prosthetic leg. In the vexed ethical domain of cultural appropriation, it’s difficult to know how to classify this (Medical appropriation? Infirmity appropriation?) so perhaps best not to try.
Then there’s the shoot’s message: “We are all paralympians.” Eh? Why are “we” all paralympians – it surely couldn’t be because someone got busy with an airbrush? Thus did Vogue Brasil manage to pull off the remarkable feat of being well-meaning and hopelessly insulting at the same.
Why didn’t they use actual paralympians, or disabled models, in this shoot? Weren’t they considered photogenic enough? Was there a fear that genuine disability might crack the camera lens, melt the lights, or just generally be too much of a “downer”? So much better to draft in a couple of sexy thespians, lob off any surplus extremities and joints (“You won’t be needing that today, honeybun!”). And after the shoot, everyone gets to go home with a lovely warm “inclusive” feeling – perchance to write in their diaries (saintly tears splashing the ink): “I was a very good, kind, thoughtful person today and I hope everyone noticed.” Instead, the entry should have read: “Today, I thoughtlessly diminished and patronised not only paralympians, but also every disabled person on the planet.”
The shoot managed to portray disability as some kind of “fashion quirk”, a trend even, that, given the right lighting and makeup, the hot and able-bodied can pull off – in a “work that infirmity, baby!” kind of way. It implied that evoking the harsh complicated reality of disability is just a matter of rubbing out the malfunctioning body part with a cute computerised eraser, and perhaps adding a prosthesis or two. It propagated the notion that disability has no social, emotional or psychological components; it’s a mere physical (and visual) peculiarity, and one that can be effortlessly faked for the amusement, entertainment, and benefit of the able-bodied world.
This isn’t saying that disability has no place on the pages of a glossy magazine, or in the fashion world. It’s fake disability masquerading as empathy that has no place in any real-world setting. While ordinary disabled people might find such fakery offensive, it’s hard to imagine the reactions of paralympian athletes.
These are people whose fitness and expertise led to them representing their countries in the most high-profile of global sporting arenas. But never mind all that – could they do as good, as photogenic, a job of “looking hot-disabled” as an able-bodied person could? Seemingly without malice (it must be noted), Vogue Brasil blundered into endorsing the idea that, even in the real world, disability is better portrayed, made more palatable and attractive (sanitised, if you will) by “normal’ people. However well-intentioned, this wasn’t being inclusive, or making a genuine attempt to place themselves into the world of the disabled – a world that could only ever be unimaginable to a privileged, able-bodied person.
This was about replacing a disabled person with an “upgrade” – some looker who’s only pretending. It was saying that disability is too important an issue to be left to actual disabled people, who might screw it up by not photographing well. There was also the presumption that disabled people would be grateful for the solidarity and attention, when I suspect that one commodity that disabled people aren’t short of is high-handed condescension. Paralympian or otherwise, it would seem that disabled people already have quite enough to be getting on with in their lives without the able-bodied wanting a piece of the action, too.
This is not a pedigree chum - this is a tyrant
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A maltese. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
Last Friday, it was National Dog Day, but it’s always National Dog Day in our house. After years of pleading, I gave in to getting a dog. I’d resisted because I thought it would be akin to having another child. I was right.
Toto the maltese is a fur baby that needs walking, entertaining, cosseting and the rest. Forget bunging over a bit of Winalot, he has us cooking for him as though it were some kind of ongoing upmarket canine dinner party.
I find myself cradling him as though he were the little baby Jesus, which looks even creepier than it sounds.
If I dare to go out without him, I’m given the full Cujo evils when I get home. I carry him when he refuses to walk, once causing an amused builder to shout: “I’m not sure you’re doing that right, love.”
I adore him but look at what I’ve become – a grovelling dog serf, ruled over by a small, furry, white tyrant whose breath frankly isn’t the best.
May what happened to me be a stark warning to all parents being ground down by their cunning progeny. Dogs really are for life. Your life.
A special beer for laydeez? Cheers
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Women seem to manage OK with ordinary beer. Photograph: Juergen Hasenkopf / Rex Features
A new beer has come out in Spain aimed specifically at women. It has a lower alcohol content, comes in a pretty bottle, and it’s called Woman.
At last! I think I can speak for all women who’ve always really fancied a beer but daren’t have one in case it wasn’t specially formulated for our sensitive lady taste-buds and delicate feminine tummies.
It’s not as though we can drink any old beer – we aren’t real people like men. Now that there’s an actual beer called Woman, we can sit in our pretty floral dresses, giggle flirtatiously, and drink our low-alcohol beverage in its special bottle that fits perfectly into our feeble little hands. What a relief!
Woman sounds like the answer to every female beer drinker’s prayer. I only hope that this isn’t a prank, and there aren’t the same kind of question marks that hung over another delicious-sounding lady-beer promised earlier this year. The company, The Order of Yoni, set up a crowdfunding page asking for £118,000 to formulate the beer, Bottled Instinct that mimicked the “essence of a vagina”, more specifically, the “vaginal lactic acid bacteria” of the Czech model who was hired to front the campaign. Sadly, I just checked, and all these months later, the company have only managed to raise £1,345, 1% of its target from only 59 backers.
The Dragons’ Den panel are in for a treat if this lady beer trend catches on. It’s already proving to be a flexible concept. It could be either a beer that mimics a vagina, or one that demonstrates that you’re too weak and girly to drink real beer.
Where beer is concerned, at last women have choice.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/27/vogue-brasil-paralympic-photoshoot-insulting
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en
| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/712da468cfc69b3775da4f566fc75c0246b2fd2aa3b408d2038536c20b249385.json
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[
"Source"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:39 | null | 2016-08-26T12:25:12 |
Talks are around Lucas Pérez and Shkodran Mustafi
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2Fvideo%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fwenger-99-per-cent-certain-arsenal-complete-perez-and-mustafi-signings-video.json
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Wenger 99% certain Arsenal will complete Pérez and Mustafi signings - video
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www.theguardian.com
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Speaking on Friday at a press conference, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger says he is 99% certain the new signings complete before the closing of the transfer window but the last three days of the market will be frenetic. The talks around the acquisitions are for striker Lucas Pérez and defender Shkodran Mustafi
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2016/aug/26/wenger-99-per-cent-certain-arsenal-complete-perez-and-mustafi-signings-video
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/1c7c4881dbbcf529347448d5d872d14ad8af5fda068406f4c32bc3d99c611a31.json
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[
"Amanda Holpuch"
] | 2016-08-29T02:51:58 | null | 2016-08-29T02:16:08 |
Mothers of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and Eric Garner, who appeared in the Lemonade video, accompany singer on white carpet
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fculture%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fmtv-vmas-2016-beyonce-brings-mothers-of-four-black-men-killed-in-the-us-to-awards.json
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Beyoncé brings mothers of four black men killed in the US to VMAs
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www.theguardian.com
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Beyonce’s guests at the MTV Video Music Awards included the mothers of four unarmed black men killed in the US: Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and Eric Garner.
All of their sons were killed by people who were armed, including police officers, transit officers and a volunteer neighborhood security worker. Activists have used their deaths as examples of racism, especially in policing.
Before the show began, Beyoncé posed on the awards show’s special white carpet with Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden-Head; Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton; Grant’s mother, Wanda Johnson and Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr.
— Theofficialann (@theofficialann_) Not only do I love Beyoncé, She brought the mothers of Mike Brown Oscar Grant Eric Garner & Trayvon Martin #VMAs MVP pic.twitter.com/C3jeHjMwRx
The mothers were also featured in Beyoncé’s visual album, Lemonade, holding photos of their deceased sons – Brown, the 18-year-old fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri; Martin, the 17-year-old fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida; Grant, the 22-year-old fatally shot by a transportation security office in Oakland, California; and Garner, the 43-year-old who died after being placed in a chokehold by police in New York City.
Martin’s death inspired the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew exponentially after Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri and the intense protests across the city that followed.
After Lemonade was released in April, McSpadden said Beyoncé had instructed the mothers to appear “regal” in the music video.
“I tried to hold it together, but anytime I’m talking about my son – looking at a picture – I just think about all that’s gone and how he had so much ahead of him,” McSpadden told Rolling Stone. “So I appreciate her for being bold enough to confront things and be sensitive at the same time.”
Attorney Benjamin Crump, who has worked on cases involving Martin and Brown, said in April that Beyoncé had personally invited the mothers because she was inspired by them.
“Our clients were honored that out of the hundreds of mothers who unfortunately have to join a growing group of women who lose children to senseless gun violence that Beyoncé selected their sons to honor,” Crump told the Tallahassee Democrat. “They were very pleased that she would use her platform to promote and raise awareness of the need for change”.
Along with the mothers, Beyoncé appeared on the white carpet with other artists who collaborated on Lemonade including model Winnie Harlow and actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
Beyoncé is nominated for 11 awards and is scheduled to perform at the show.
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https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/29/mtv-vmas-2016-beyonce-brings-mothers-of-four-black-men-killed-in-the-us-to-awards
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/6cb52c3fad7b1b24cf1932b9868b73575a691528f0467d055cca0a0a60ff1060.json
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|
[
"Martin Robbins"
] | 2016-08-26T13:27:14 | null | 2016-08-26T10:24:46 |
Recommender systems influence our cultural, social and political lives, but are they agents of diversity or conservative guardians?
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fai-guides-your-daily-life-but-is-it-liberal-or-conservative.json
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AI guides your daily life, but is it liberal or conservative?
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www.theguardian.com
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Imagine you’re a billionaire, with your own film studio. You’re sitting there on your golden throne, eating peeled grapes off Channing Tatum’s abs. Your assistant has just handed you the script for The Expendables 7 or yet another Spider-Man reboot. You yawn theatrically in his face. Surely, you think yourself, in this data-driven age there has to be a better way. Couldn’t we use machine learning to design the optimum new film? Something guaranteed to be a box office hit?
So you toss the grapes and get to work on some code. You write a fancy algorithm, and you feed it the scripts and the box office takings of every film ever made. It crunches through all the data, learns the characteristics of a hit script, and using that knowledge it spits out the blueprint for the most commercially lucrative film of all time. It’s a Pixar remake of the Wizard of Oz, using space dinosaurs. It’s bloody brilliant.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest All must bow before the mighty space dinosaurs. Photograph: Mark Garlick/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RM
The film is a disaster. People walk out of test screenings, complaining about domestic abuse and racism. The opening weekend sees protests outside every cinema. The voiceover cast launches a class action to have their names removed from the credits. You’re no longer a billionaire. You’re broke. A van comes to take your Channing Tatum away.
Your script was almost certainly sexist. And racist. Lots of other –ists, too. We know this because we know the data you used. Many of Hollywood’s greatest hits come from an era when women were routinely spanked on-screen and racial segregation was still widespread. Even in recent times, Hollywood makes films that silence women, whitewash race, and generally look like Donald Trump’s mid-life crisis.
It doesn’t matter whether you use basic statistics or deep learning, Excel or Tensorflow, if you feed this data into your system and try to draw general conclusions from it, the results will always be polluted by these inherent biases. But then you wouldn’t actually do this. You wouldn’t try to create the one best film of all time; instead you’d want to identify good film ideas for specific markets.
To achieve this you might build something like a recommender system. You’ve almost certainly used a recommender system today. A recommender system suggests other products for you to buy on Amazon. A recommender system tells you what else to watch on Netflix. A recommender system tells you whom to follow on Twitter. When an online service suggests something to you, from which news story to follow to what book to read, there’s a good chance it’s using a recommender system. Like a pushy best friend they exert a constant influence on your life, shaping your social, cultural and political experiences.
So how do they work? Let’s run through a simple example. Imagine listing every TV show ever made in the column ‘A’ of a massive spreadsheet. In column ‘B’ you put a ‘1’ next to the show if you’ve seen it, or a ‘0’ if you haven’t. In column ‘C’ I do the same, for the shows I have and haven’t seen. We end up with something like this:
Facebook Twitter Pinterest TV show data for a recommender system Photograph: Martin Robbins
Now we can compare how similar our tastes are. To do this, we just add up the differences between our columns - the smaller the number, the closer matched we are. With a difference of just 1, you and I have similar taste – good taste – in television, and since we’re so well matched it’s a good bet that you’ll like House of Cards.
Now imagine extending the list of films to cover every single film or TV show, and adding columns for millions of people. For any given person, you can find the people who most closely match their viewing habits, and use that information to recommend new shows for them to watch.
What if we want to get more abstract? Instead of listing TV shows, we could list themes. The main themes of Game of Thrones for example are ‘tits’, ‘dragons’ and ‘evil people.’ House of Cards has ‘evil people’ and ‘politics.’ If we take the shows above and break them down into themes, we can rewrite our data as follows:
Facebook Twitter Pinterest TV theme data for a recommender system Photograph: Martin Robbins
Now we can do something quite cool – instead of trying to match up people individually, you can look for larger clusters of people with common interests. Identifying these clusters allows you to spot new niche audiences, which you can then target specific programming at. If our demographic likes House of Cards and BBC Question Time, for example, we’d probably watch more shows about evil people and politics.
Obviously I’m giving you a very simplified version here, but this ability to harvest data and identify new markets is something that traditional broadcasters in the era of Nielsen ratings simply couldn’t do. Niche genres that wouldn’t have attracted funding in the past can now demonstrate their worth, which is good for diversity. It’s what made shows like Orange is the New Black possible, and it’s driving a whopping $5bn investment in original programming by Netflix in 2016.
It can also be flawed. Imagine I’ve just joined a new website or service and they have no information about anything I’ve bought or viewed. What do they recommend then? With no comparison possible, one common option is to default back to demographic data. I’m shown whatever they think a white male 30-something would like to see.
That’s a potential source of bias. The shows you recommend will in some way influence the choices I make, which will affect the data you gather on me. That effect may wane over time, but even without it we carry biases with us wherever we go: the result of our upbringing, and our place within a biased culture.
There are ways to mitigate this of course. Serendipity has become a hot topic in the field, as services discovered that consumers find it boring to see the same suggestions over and over again and try to build in an element of ‘discovery’. But just as newspapers and populist politicians tend to pander to and ultimately reinforce the biases of their audiences, poorly designed recommender systems could act to polarise people over time.
So are these algorithms agents of diversity, or conservative guardians? The truth is we don’t really know. If a supermarket has an aisle full of pink toys for girls it’s pretty obvious to any observer what’s going on. An online retailer looks different to every customer, it changes each time you touch it, and there’s no human being making decisions. Good luck unpicking that one, activists.
Different services use different algorithms and different data with different structural biases. Many of the algorithms are proprietary and much of the data is private. They’re not simply black boxes; a black box at least looks the same to each observer. They’re kaleidoscopic mirages, simultaneously all colours and none of them, virtually inscrutable.
It’s likely that all kinds of weird and wonderful policies are at work within them, that many popular websites target different content to black people and white people, men and women, rich or poor. Some may be driving radical social change. Who knows, but it would be smart to try to find find out.
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/26/ai-guides-your-daily-life-but-is-it-liberal-or-conservative
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| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
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[] | 2016-08-27T20:51:28 | null | 2016-08-27T19:01:27 |
Juventus showed no signs of slowing up after Sami Khedira’s second-half goal gave them a 1-0 win at Lazio
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Sami Khedira strikes to give Juventus the edge over Lazio
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Juventus showed no signs of slowing up after Sami Khedira’s second-half goal gave them a 1-0 win at Lazio, their second straight win of the season.
Both teams struggled to get going at the Stadio Olimpico and the match was halted for a water break in the 28th minute.
Khedira struck in the 66th minute when Paulo Dybala chipped the ball into the area and the Germany midfielder held off his marker and cleverly scored with a shot on the turn into the far corner.
Lazio, who lost four times to Juventus in all competitions last season and have not beaten the Turin club since 2003, nearly took the lead minutes earlier when Marco Parolo failed to make contact with Ciro Immobile’s ball across the face of the goal.
Juventus, champions for the last five season, have won 28 out of their last 30 games in Serie A and Massimiliano Allegri even allowed himself the luxury of starting with new signings Gonzalo Higuaín and Miralem Pjanic on the bench.
Higuaín, who scored a record 36 goals for Napoli last season, came on just before Juve scored.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/27/lazio-juventus-serie-a-match-report
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| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/74b261be1934f28095ee58312deda92884ef58910200cd5c816c93e1bef2abe6.json
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[
"Les Carpenter"
] | 2016-08-30T10:52:39 | null | 2016-08-30T09:00:26 |
It’s one thing to spark debate by refusing to stand for the anthem. But the quarterback now has to take meaningful action if he is to fight injustice
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fcolin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-nfl-49ers.json
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Colin Kaepernick has America's attention: so what does he do now?
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Colin Kaepernick has taken a stand that he cannot walk back. He has announced himself as a rare, strong football voice on social issues, using his standing in America’s game to address some of the country’s most shameful inequalities. He says he wants to start a conversation in the San Francisco 49ers locker room and, God knows, sports teams need to talk about more than how to make a pile of money.
But his most important move will be what he does next. It’s one thing to spark debate by not standing for the national anthem and repeating a few statements about “people being murdered unjustly” and “what’s really going on in this country”. It’s another to actually make a difference. That’s where the real work comes. That means talking every day about serious issues such as police brutality, racial stereotyping and a system weighted toward the rich. That means convincing other athletes to join in. That means going to rallies and protests and city council meetings and demanding to be heard.
If Kaepernick is going to be the voice against racial oppression he wants to become, he will have to do more than refuse to stand for the national anthem. Otherwise, last Friday’s protest will be remembered as an odd and awkward gesture that drowned the substance of his points.
Trump on Colin Kaepernick: 'He should find a country that works better for him' Read more
Great leadership can come at odd times. And it may very well be that at 28 years old, in his sixth NFL season, Kaepernick has found his voice. One former NFL player who has tried to motivate athletes to take action on racial inequality, told the Guardian on Monday that he was impressed with the way Kaepernick used the Star-Spangled Banner to make his stand, given the song was written by Francis Scott Key, a man who believed African Americans to be inferior to whites. He said he hopes Kaepernick will be as thoughtful in his messages going forward, directing players of all races to confront problems many would rather avoid.
“I think he’s making the bet that other players will get behind him,” the former player said. “That’s the only way this moves on.”
Then the player paused. Because even he, out of the league for a few years, understands the concern that many players have about Kaepernick – that he is not a natural leader. That even though he plays the biggest leadership position on the field and once took the 49ers within yards of winning a Super Bowl, he has been a distant presence in the locker room. Coaches have always raved about his intellect but he’s also been seen as aloof, not the kind to front a movement. His performance has deteriorated to the point where he lost his starting job last season and has done little to win it back. If he stays on with the Niners he will most likely be a backup. That is a far drop from being one of the league’s best young quarterbacks as he was in 2012 and 2013.
There is a worry among some of those who want Kaepernick to succeed that he lacks the stomach for the fight ahead. Some wonder if he is confused by his falling star and is lashing out in frustration.
That would be unfortunate because Kaepernick has already shown the power of his voice. Even those angered by his refusal to stand for the anthem have been forced to discuss his right to sit and the issues he raised. He has ignited the conversations he talked about starting, including inside his own locker room. On Sunday he said the team asked him to stand up at their meeting and explain his points. He said players listened.
Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest is fundamentally American | Ijeoma Oluo Read more
“We’re focused on football while we’re in meetings, while we’re on the field,” he said. “That’s what our focus is. But in our free time, we have conversations about this. That’s not something that we should be ashamed about or shy away from. We talked about football, we handled our business there but there’s also a social responsibility that we have to be educated on these things and talk about these things.”
Players should be listening and they should be talking. Professional locker rooms have long been apolitical places – at least on the surface – given the kind of money at stake both in salary and endorsements. Few players want to risk a payday by speaking out on uncomfortable subjects. As an example, Philadelphia Eagles rookie Myke Tavarres said on Monday he too would sit during the anthem before his team’s preseason game with the Jets until it seems either his coaches or agent talked him out of it. Kaepernick has received plenty of support to go with the mountains of criticism he has received. And yet sympathetic texts or expressions of encouragement are not the same as action. There’s an excellent chance Kaepernick might be left on his own in using the anthem to highlight serious problems in America.
In many ways, his timing was all wrong. His football standing has never been lower given the way defenses have adjusted to him. He also picked the week teams start making their roster cuts to make his stand. The last days of August are the most precarious for NFL players. Many are confronting their football mortality. If there is ever a time they will not be listening to cries for social change it is over these next two weeks.
Then again there is never a perfect time for a protest. Revolutions don’t run on schedules. Kaepernick has awakened a country dozing through another football preseason. His biggest challenge comes with what he does next. Will he be real voice of change NFL players need to hear or just a guy on the brink of losing his job who shouted out one night before he disappeared?
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/30/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-nfl-49ers
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/57fbc6fc06ea53057ce61ef2e58be4b8712a1e797b9b2bc3c256aa050f267943.json
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[
"David Smith"
] | 2016-08-26T13:17:05 | null | 2016-08-25T13:52:07 |
The charitable foundation Bill Clinton set up in 2001 now casts a shadow over Hillary’s campaign due to potential conflict of interest with the state department
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What is the Clinton Foundation? And are the latest rumors 'smoke without fire'?
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Bill Clinton spoke out on Wednesday with a heartfelt defence of the charitable foundation that he set up 15 years ago and that now casts a shadow over his wife Hillary’s presidential campaign.
“We’re trying to do good things,” he told reporters in Atlanta. “If there’s something wrong with creating jobs and saving lives, I don’t know what it is. The people who gave the money knew exactly what they were doing. I have nothing to say, except I’m really proud of the work they’ve done.”
Donald Trump says 'close the Clinton Foundation', but its work is crucial | Janet Ritz Read more
But the issue of a potential conflict of interest between the Clinton Foundation and state department, where Hillary was secretary from 2009 to 2013, has dogged her election campaign this week, finally taking some heat off rival Donald Trump.
Interpretations range from corruption “bigger than Watergate”, as former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani put it, to manufactured scandal. Late night TV host Stephen Colbert summed up the ambivalence: “The Clinton Foundation scandal lands right up there as ‘maybe a thing’, which is the same ranking as bald guys with pony tails, because it may not be a crime but it sure don’t look good.”
Smoke without fire? Suddenly the Clinton Foundation finds itself on trial.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bill Clinton tours an HIV/Aids care and treatment facility in 2006 in Maseru, Lesotho, South Africa. Photograph: Getty Images
What is the Clinton Foundation?
It was essentially Bill Clinton’s answer to the perennially tricky question of what ex-presidents should do next. He is not the first to create a foundation – and the Obama Foundation is already at work – but he is the first to have a spouse run for the White House. Hence the uniquely awkward situation.
Bill Clinton launched the public charity after leaving the White House in 2001. It sought to bring together governments, businesses and social groups to tackle the world’s most pressing problems: health, climate change, economic development and opportunities for girls and women.
The Washington Post wrote last year: “The Clinton Foundation is an ingenious machine that can turn something intangible – the Clintons’ global goodwill – into something tangible: money. For the Clintons’ charitable causes. For their aides and allies. And, indirectly, for the Clintons themselves.”
More than 6,000 donors who have already provided the Clinton charity with more than $2bn in funding since its creation, the Associated Press reported. It has a staff of nearly 500 people.
The foundation clearly means a lot to the 42nd president. Addressing staff recently, Bill Clinton commented: “I’ve done a lot of interesting things in my life, and I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that I’ve loved this much as this foundation.” He admitted the prospect of scaling it down “is like a root canal for me”.
Has the foundation succeeded?
Larry Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, says: “The foundation does real work. It’s not a sham organisation.”
It claims to have “dramatically improved” the lives of millions of people around the world. Clinton’s supporters say it enabled the number of people receiving HIV/Aids medication to soar from 200,000 to 11.5 million and supported physical education programmes that helped more than 18 million students.
Laura Seay, an academic who witnessed the foundation’s work firsthand in east Africa, said: “The perspective that it is some kind of slush fund is based on a real misunderstanding of what the Clinton Foundation does. The Clintons don’t take a salary from it.”
Seay was researching a PhD from 2005 to 2007 in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where militias roamed and few aid organisations ventured. She recalled how, with Clinton Foundation funding, the Heal Africa hospital in Goma treated 60 HIV-positive Congolese children, most of whom survived. “I know teens & young adults who were kids then & are alive today because the Clinton Foundation saved their lives when no one else would,” she tweeted.
Seay, assistant professor of government at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, adds in an interview: “The Clinton Foundation was the organisation that took the risk on this. What it showed was that in really difficult circumstances you can save a lot of lives and change the way a lot of NGOs think about conflict zones. It really was remarkable.”
Clinton also used his name to negotiate with international pharmaceutical giants to slash the price of HIV/Aids drugs, Seay argues.
The foundation has been particularly active in Rwanda but not without criticism. According to the New York Times, in 2011 it successfully lobbied Hillary Clinton’s state department to approve an unconventional medical training programme there. A dispute over the plan was mediated by Cheryl Mills, who spent five years on the foundation board before switching to the state department.
The foundation’s banner event, the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, is a forum for philanthropists to announce funding commitments including, in 2007, $2m to help build the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village for orphans of the genocide and Aids.
Speaking by phone from Rwanda, its director, Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura, says of the foundation: “It seems to be doing some very good work in the country. Its work in health could be extremely beneficial.”
Support from the foundation is also a superb calling card for non-government organisations seeking other partners, he adds. “Having the Clinton Foundation name in the list of donors may encourage other funders to provide support.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton at a student conference at Arizona State University in 2014. Photograph: Matt York/AP
But is it transparent?
The foundation agreed to voluntarily disclose the names and donations of its contributors after Clinton was nominated to be secretary of state in late 2008, despite not being legally obliged to do so. It holds an A rating from CharityWatch, having spent 88% of its budget on programmes rather than overheads.
Its list of donors includes Trump, who gave between $100,000 and $250,000 in 2009 and has attended a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. One Clinton ally, noting Trump’s demands for a special prosecutor to look into the foundation, says: “As a donor, Trump is calling for an investigation of himself.”
However, the Politifact website contends that the foundation violated its memorandum of understanding with the state department with three significant omissions, including not reporting a $500,000 donation from Algeria in 2010.
What is the main allegation now?
Pay for play. Donors to the foundation are said to have jumped the queue and gained special access to the state department. The AP wrote this week: “More than half the people outside the government who met with Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state gave money – either personally or through companies or groups – to the Clinton Foundation. It’s an extraordinary proportion indicating her possible ethics challenges if elected president.”
The AP found that at least 85 of 154 people with private interests who either met or had phone conversations scheduled with Clinton also gave a combined total of $156m to her family’s charities. Trump, struggling in the polls, sensed an opening and piled on. “It’s hard to tell where the Clinton Foundation ends and the state department begins,” he told a rally on Wednesday night.
Giuliani fumed: “It is now abundantly clear that the Clintons set up a business to profit from public office. They sold access and specific actions for money. This makes a mockery of her promise to Congress and the president to keep the Clinton Foundation and the state department entirely separate. In other words, they merged the two into the Clinton family racketeering enterprise.”
But Hillary Clinton insists that the data was cherry picked from a subset of her schedule. She told CNN on Wednesday: “I know there’s a lot of smoke and there’s no fire. This AP report? Put it in context, excludes nearly 2,000 meetings I had with world leaders, plus countless other meetings with government officials when I was secretary of state. It looked at a small portion of my time.
“It drew the conclusion and made the suggestion that my meetings with people like the late, great, Elie Wiesel, or Melinda Gates, or the Nobel prize winner, Muhammad Yunus were somehow due to connections with the foundation instead of their status as highly respected global leaders. That is absurd. These are people I was proud to meet with, who any secretary of state would have been proud to meet with and hear about their work and their insight.”
However, there has also been a steady trickle of emails into the public domain that reveal how donors sought meetings with Clinton by trying to call in favours from the foundation. Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain did get an appointment but others did not, and the Clinton camp insists the meetings were arranged through official channels.
Hillary Clinton’s close aide Huma Abedin, who features prominently in the emails, appears to embody the tension, having worked at the state department while also being contracted to the Clinton Foundation.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bill Clinton greets villagers after he visited the Godino Health Center in August 2008 in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Access is one thing, but is there a smoking gun that proves foreign donors influenced Clinton’s decision-making as secretary of state?
No. Evidence of a causal link has not come to light, at least not yet. Elizabeth Trudeau, a spokesperson for the state department, says: “The state department is not aware of any actions that were influenced by the Clinton Foundation.” There is no proof of a quid pro quo or anything illegal.
But Peter Schweizer, author of the book Clinton Cash and a senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News, said: “It’s naive to believe that people throw money at politics and don’t expect something in return. They claimed there was going to be a wall between the Clinton Foundation and state department and this clearly shows there was communication between people at the Clinton Foundation and state department. There needs to be an investigation into exactly what happened and we also need legislation. We can’t allow politicians to police themselves on these matters.”
Clinton Foundation: Bill to quit board if Hillary becomes president Read more
The foundation was a useful “conduit” for the Clintons to avoid the normal rules governing contributions to politicians, Schweizer adds. “You look at Huma Abedin who was on the payroll of both the Clinton Foundation and state department. I don’t think ‘inevitable overlap’ involves dual payrolls.”
So how does the issue look?
Not good, especially as it fills a new vacuum in the dog days of August in which Trump has managed to avoid his usual attention-grabbing gaffes. It gives the appearance, at least, of a blurred line and intersecting interests between the Clinton Foundation and state department.
“The frequency of the overlaps shows the intermingling of access and donations, and fuels perceptions that giving the foundation money was a price of admission for face time with Clinton,” the AP report said.
Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, said: “I think this is an example that may not be illegal but certainly should have been handled with more communication to show there was no actual or apparent conflicts of interest.
“The question is, in giving money to the Clinton Foundation, did donors feel they deserved or were going to receive special access to Hillary at the state department? We don’t know. Only time will tell. It seems some favours were called in and some minor efforts were made to provide access.”
Perhaps some overlap between between the entities was inevitable. But Amey adds: “One of the biggest mistakes here is they didn’t set up proper firewalls to prevent those blurred lines. I would be less sceptical if I had seen emails back from the state department saying: ‘We can’t do this, you should go through the official channels.’”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton address the audience during the opening of the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2014 in New York City. Photograph: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Bill Clinton announced that, if Hillary wins the presidency, he will step down from the board of the foundation and it will stop accepting foreign and corporate donations. Why now?
From an editorial in the Washington Post: “It would have been much better to take these measures when Ms Clinton started at state. At this point, especially given the emerging record of contacts, they are probably not enough.”
And Schweizer comments: “It’s too little too late. If it’s inappropriate for her to do as president, why was it appropriate as secretary of state?”
One Clinton ally responds: “I think being in charge is another matter.”
So, should the foundation just close down now for everyone’s sake?
Opinion is divided. An editorial in USA Today said: “The only way to eliminate the odor surrounding the foundation is to wind it down and put it in mothballs, starting today, and transfer its important charitable work to another large American charity such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”
Others believe that would be going too far. Noble says of Clinton: “I don’t know if you have to shut it down. If you look at it like a business, what you have to do is totally separate yourself from it. If you’re going to run for president, there are sacrifices you’ve got to make.”
Seay tweeted on Wednesday:
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/25/clinton-foundation-bill-hillary-us-election-state-department
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/ae254f53dc23a1af5c1994308a1b4f153a0ec2f2a691e641550f2cb0c8f9d773.json
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|
[
"Gary Younge",
"Bruno Rinvolucri",
"Leah Green"
] | 2016-08-26T13:22:08 | null | 2016-07-13T11:00:13 |
Bernie Sanders has galvanised many people that the Democratic party had lost over 40 years, argues Gary Younge
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2Fvideo%2F2016%2Fjul%2F13%2Fbernies-gone-but-the-left-goes-marching-on-video.json
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Bernie's gone, but the left goes marching on - video
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www.theguardian.com
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Bernie Sanders has galvanised many people that the Democratic party had lost over 40 years, argues Gary Younge. Sanders’ success must be understood in a global context: across the western world the left has been rallying. He says their challenge is to continue to push for social justice and equality
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2016/jul/13/bernies-gone-but-the-left-goes-marching-on-video
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en
| 2016-07-13T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b4f290450b177189430221d5c4a8552e27d5312adedbe149d1514922d31b5c75.json
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[
"Michael Slezak"
] | 2016-08-31T08:57:48 | null | 2016-08-31T08:52:51 |
Special review recommending steps needed to strengthen climate policies receives a mixed response
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Faustralia-needs-two-emissions-trading-schemes-climate-change-authority-says.json
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Australia needs two emissions trading schemes, Climate Change Authority says
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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The Climate Change Authority has advised the Australian government to institute two emissions trading schemes and strengthen regulations in order to meet Australia’s 2030 emission reduction targets and to allow it to lift those targets in line with international climate change obligations.
The move is expected to put pressure on the new environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, to strengthen Australia’s climate policies but it has received a mixed response.
Some commentators are critical of the report for making recommendations on how the government can reach its existing 2030 emissions targets yet not considering how it can meet its obligations made in Paris last year to keep warming “well below” 2C.
Climate authority split is no surprise – Australia has fought the same battle for 10 years | Lenore Taylor Read more
As Guardian Australia revealed on Tuesday, two members of the authority were so outraged by the lack of ambition that they vowed to produce a dissenting “minority report”.
Wendy Craik, the chair of the Climate Change Authority, said: “The authority found that one size cannot fit all of the many opportunities that exist to reduce emissions across our economy. Australia needs a set of measures – in other words, a policy toolkit – that is well calibrated to capture reductions in different sectors.”
The “special review” and associated electricity modelling report recommended an intensity-based scheme for the electricity sector, where dirtier operations are more heavily penalised. It said the baseline should be reduced over time, and reach zero “well before 2050”.
Generators would have access to credits to help them stay within the baselines, making the system a type of emissions trading scheme.
The review also recommended the government strengthen its “safeguards” policy, which sets limits on how much greenhouse gas Australia’s biggest polluters can emit but is now so generous it doesn’t act to reduce emissions.
It says the baselines should decline over time, “in line with Australia’s Paris commitments”, and be extended to apply to more facilities.
The review said facilities covered by the safeguards mechanism could trade carbon credits to help reduce emissions, making the system a second emissions trading scheme. “We also think that an enhanced safeguard mechanism offers a pragmatic and durable way of reducing emissions across a range of industrial, manufacturing and resource sectors,” Craik said.
For sectors not covered by those two policies, the review recommended a suite of regulations, including emissions reduction standards for light vehicles, and recommended a “cost-benefit analysis” be conducted to examine carbon dioxide standards for heavy vehicles.
Energy efficiency information and regulations for buildings and homes should be continued and strengthened, the review recommended. It also called for an examination of the policies to be conducted every five years, starting in 2022.
In a media release, Craik said the report did not seek to reassess Australia’s 2030 targets, instead focusing on “policy actions that Australia should take to meet its Paris obligations”.
But since Australia’s 2030 targets are widely acknowledged as inconsistent with agreements made at Paris, some people – including two members of the authority –think the organisation has not met the terms of reference for its review.
The review was commissioned by the government in December 2014 to advise it as to whether Australia should institute an emissions trading scheme, and was ordered to consider any international agreements Australia has entered into.
In December 2015 Australia signed the Paris agreement, in which governments agreed to limit global warming to “well below 2C” and to aim to limit it to just 1.5C. That imposes a global carbon budget beyond which the world must move to zero net carbon emissions.
We’ve seen less of the ‘frank and fearless’ advice expected of an independent institution Adam Bandt
The government now has a target to reduce carbon emissions to between 26% and 28% below 2005 levels by 2030 – and the authority has made recommendations on how to meet that goal.
The Climate Institute released a report last week showing if Australia stuck to that target it would need to then reduce emissions to zero within five years to stay within its carbon budget.
The Greens’ climate and energy spokesman, Adam Bandt, said the government needed to listen to the authority’s call to strengthen policy, which he said it had made despite being “stacked” with Coalition appointments.
But Bandt was critical of the authority’s recommendations not being aimed at meeting Australia’s Paris obligations. “The final report of the special review backs the renewable energy target and outlines a range of potentially useful policies but they fail to add up to what the authority last year said is needed,” he said.
“Since original chair respected former RBA Governor Bernie Fraser resigned and the Abbott appointees took their position, we’ve seen less of the ‘frank and fearless’ advice expected of an independent institution.”
Erwin Jackson from the Climate Institute said his initial impressions of the report were that it had some valuable recommendations. “But the package as a whole is not balanced against the need to deliver what it has signed up to in Paris,” he told Guardian Australia.
“The emissions pathway that is implied in the report will use up 90% of the carbon budget by 2030,” Jackson said. “Paris has a number of objectives that the authority was required to consider. Those objectives are to limit warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees.
Share your pictures and stories of climate change in Australia Read more
“The fundamentals of climate science say that if you emit a lot in the short term, you need to emit a lot less in the long term. So if these policies are implemented as they currently stand, after 2030, to meet the Paris objectives, carbon prices would need to skyrocket, coal plants would need to be closed in a matter of years and renewables investments would need to be scaled up beyond reasonable levels.”
The review periods of five years wouldn’t be enough to help Australia ratchet up its ambitions, Jackson said, since the first review would happen in 2022, two years after the government will be expected to update its targets.
Jackson was critical of the authority for “second guessing” the politics rather than producing objective advice.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/31/australia-needs-two-emissions-trading-schemes-climate-change-authority-says
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| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/706c39fa11b2974c8a20a649c2ae2bf5d0598e89da2223e063f8b94dbe072a2a.json
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[
"Helen Davidson"
] | 2016-08-27T14:51:20 | null | 2016-08-27T13:59:05 |
Outgoing chief minister Adam Giles delivers a succinct obituary for his one-term government, which had its 2012 16-seat win cut to two seats
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'It's a thumping': Labor wins Northern Territory election
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It was a thumping.
Adam Giles described it best, conceding defeat of his Country Liberal party government in a landslide election result in the Northern Territory.
The win was called within two hours of polls closing, and just a handful of seats remained in doubt as the next chief minister, Michael Gunner, made his victory speech an hour later.
Giles’s central desert seat of Braitling was one yet to be called.
Northern Territory election: Adam Giles says he'll 'have a beer' if he loses Read more
With more than half the votes counted the CLP had a swing against it of more than 18%. Labor did not pick all that up, gaining 6.4% on the last election. At the time of counting there was a bigger swing towards independents with 8.9%.
All predictions had suggested an emphatic Labor victory after four years of an increasingly divisive and controversial term of government, but there were a lot of unknowns.
Since the last election in 2012 boundaries had been redrawn and new seats created, and new laws for polling day had been introduced. Territorians had optional preferential voting for the first time, and more than 50,000 took the opportunity to vote early without an excuse. Exclusion zones around polling stations prevented anyone campaigning or handing out how-to-vote cards within 100m.
The CLP had won government in 2012 with 16 seats to Labor’s eight, with a solitary independent on the crossbench, but after a series of scandals, fights, reshuffles and coups – both attempted and successful – the party was reduced to a minority of 12.
Then on Saturday night that 12 became two. Maybe four at most.
“Tonight no doubt is a landslide. It’s a thumping,” said Giles in Alice Springs. “Politically speaking tonight’s result is a lesson in disunity is death in politics. It’s a result of personality before the politics, it’s a lesson in looking after oneself rather than thinking about the people. that message has been heard loud and clear within the candidates and the party of the Country Liberals.”
The CLP, the party which had held government for 27 straight years until 2001, would rebuild, he said.
“We will remove the disagreements, we will remove the personalities of politics and we will come back bigger and better because one thing is for sure: Labor can’t manage the economy, Labor can’t manage law and order, hence one day in the future the NT will look on us to take leadership, albeit in a more concise, less personality-operated government”.
With about 55% of the vote counted, Labor had 15 seats in the bag and another three predicted. The CLP had retained just two. Three independents had won, and it would likely be four.
David Tollner, former treasurer and member for Fong Lim, who was not preselected for this election, predicted there would be more independents in parliament than CLP members.
The official Labor event, held at the Waratahs sporting club on the outskirts of Darwin’s CBD, was full of Labor faithful as well as city and suburban candidates.
Around the corner the CLP gathered in Cullen Bay. The food was better but the mood was sombre. The leader had remained in Alice Springs.
Gunner entered the Labor room to shouts and chants of congratulations, and he walked a slow gauntlet of hugs and high-fives, but the audience’s attention waned during his speech and rarely a moment went by without people talking and others shushing them.
In one resonating moment, Gunner spoke of his lifetime association with the NT. He is the first territory-born chief minister to be elected since self-governance in 1978.
“A boy born in Alice Springs, who grew up in public housing Tennant Creek, who now stands here as chief minister of the Northern Territory,” he said.
“In the Northern Territory you can dream big.” The crowd erupted.
Gunner said he would work with the independents and CLP opposition, and pledged unity and consultation – two things the electorate had indicated were missing during the CLP term.
“You all deserve access to us and we will govern for all Territorians. As Territorians we are stronger when we are united, and we are united in our determination to make our home a better place.”
Lynne Walker, member for Nhulunbuy, told Guardian Australia she was humbled by her party’s victory, and excited that as deputy chief minister she would be representing remote and Indigenous Territorians.
Northern Territory election: Michael Gunner claims victory for Labor – as it happened Read more
The federal opposition leader, Bill Shorten, called Gunner early to congratulate him, and then formally sent out a public statement once the victory speech was over.
“Territorians have punished the CLP for four years of scandal and controversy, and rewarded Labor for working hard and listening to people,” said Shorten.
“Michael listened to Territorians and offered a positive plan for creating jobs, investing in people, and restoring trust and integrity in government.
Territorians have responded to Labor’s plan, making the CLP government the first one-term government in the territory’s history.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/27/its-a-thumping-labor-wins-northern-territory-election
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| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b514ea836ef0f8cb0bcd3ced3d7f1ccfc445f7ee4a493d66a9655294ae32af29.json
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[] | 2016-08-31T10:53:13 | null | 2016-08-31T09:21:59 |
The Guardian is partnering with Bertha Foundation to tell international documentary film stories with global impact
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About the Guardian Bertha documentary partnership
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www.theguardian.com
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Bertha Foundation support activists, storytellers and lawyers who are working to bring about social and economic justice, and human rights for all.
The Guardian and Bertha Foundation are commissioning a series of 12 short documentary films from independent film-makers. The series covers global stories, with a focus on films that have the ability to advance the contemporary issues that they address, and raise awareness of people and movements who are catalysts for change.
These documentaries help the Guardian audience to understand the world in creative, entertaining and surprising ways designed for a wide online audience. All documentaries are editorially independent and follow GNM’s published editorial code.
This unique collaboration involves the Guardian and Bertha Foundation engaging a network of film-makers with embedded access to, and deep knowledge of, the communities in which they are filming. The Guardian is delighted to be working with Bertha Foundation which has a track record of supporting documentary-makers making a significant difference in the world.
Unless otherwise stated, all statements and materials in these documentaries reflect the views of the individual documentary-makers and not those of Bertha Foundation or the Guardian.
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https://www.theguardian.com/info/2016/aug/31/about-guardian-bertha-documentary-partnership
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| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/dc79f952e80082e0c68fbe111353e240c89fb02d4e00161f6962e2096b0874cd.json
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[
"Greg Wood"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:48 | null | 2016-08-30T18:04:00 |
Al Shahaniya (3.10 Lingfield) is the nap; Katrine (3.40 Lingfield) is next best
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Horse racing tips: Wednesday 31 August
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| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/13906c99c373541dc6d374ab15d98b950565953b1d6d7b7834fc174fa52527da.json
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[
"Jon Henley"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:54 | null | 2016-08-26T11:01:41 |
Sister Marjana Lleshi says image shows her updating friends and family to say she had been rescued from collapsed convent
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'I had said adieu': nun tells of Italian earthquake ordeal
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Of all the distressing images from this week’s devastating earthquake in central Italy, one stood out.
It was of a nun in her grey habit, her face strained and bloodied, slumped by the roadside and sending a text on her mobile phone. Behind her, on a ladder, lay a body in a blanket.
Speaking at the mother house of her holy order, 35-year-old Sister Marjana Lleshi, shaken and tearful but physically recovered, explained that she was messaging friends and family in her native Albania to tell them she was alive.
Lleshi told the Associated Press that when the walls of her convent caved in after the earthquake struck at 3.36am on Wednesday, she thought she was certain she would die.
Shaken brutally awake, covered in dust and bleeding from the head, her first instinct was to shelter under her bed, then to call out to the six other sisters who were staying in the Don Minozzi convent.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sister Marjana Lleshi cries during an interview in Ascoli Piceno. Photograph: Gregorio Borgia/AP
Situated next to the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix in Amatrice – the small, medieval hilltop town where nearly 200 died – the convent was a nursing home run by the Sisters of the Handmaidens of the Lord. That night, Lleshi and her fellow nuns had five elderly women in their care.
There was no response to Lleshi’s cries, and when she tried to get out, she realised she was stuck.
“When I started losing all hope of being saved, I resigned myself to it and started sending messages to friends saying to pray for me and to pray for my soul,” she told the news agency in an interview at the order’s home in Ascoli Piceno, 25 miles (40km) from the epicentre of the devastating quake. “I said goodbye to them forever.”
The sister said she had not wanted to send such a fateful text to her family in Albania. “I couldn’t send a message like this to my family, because I was afraid my father would have an emotional collapse and die if he heard something like that.”
But minutes later, she heard a shout. “In that moment, I heard a voice who called me: ‘Sister Marjana, Sister Marjana,’” she said. A young man who also looked after one of the elderly women at the home appeared out of the choking dust, masonry and rubble, and managed to help her out.
With her head bleeding from a wound that needed several stitches, and the earth still shaking from the first of more than 500 aftershocks that would hit the remote, mountainous region north-east of Rome over the coming days, Lleshi sat down in the road and started texting – this time, to say she was alive.
A photographer from Italy’s Ansa news agency caught the moment in a picture reproduced around the world. Once doctors had patched up her wounds and checked her lungs for dust inhalation, Lleshi went home, and wept.
Three of her fellow sisters, and four of the elderly women they were looking after, died when the convent collapsed during the powerful 6.2-magnitude quake.
The young man who rescued her was her “angel”, Lleshi said.
She now wanted nothing more than to be able to attend the canonisation in Rome next week of Mother Teresa, the ethnic Albanian nun and missionary who won a Nobel peace prize for her work with the poor of India, she said.
Mother Teresa “gave hope to those who didn’t have any” and was “for me, the symbol of Albania – of a strong woman”.
She was worried, however, that she would not feel strong enough to attend: “I would have liked to go, but after this, I don’t think I can.”
Still, she was grateful to be alive. “I had said adieu. In the end, it wasn’t an adieu.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/26/i-had-said-adieu-nun-tells-of-italian-earthquake-ordeal
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| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/da9a8dce6a44eda6e62bea0fe56b95318d834f6422f7bd1eb5ef1358bde7a964.json
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[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-26T22:51:05 | null | 2016-08-26T21:28:11 |
Nigel Clough, back as manager of Burton Albion, enjoyed a 1-0 Championship home win over Derby County, whom he also managed, in the first ever competitive meeting between the clubs
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Nigel Clough haunts Derby as Jackson Irvine seals win for Burton
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Nigel Clough haunted his former employers at Derby County on Friday night as Burton Albion secured a 1-0 Championship win over Derby County in the first competitive meeting between the sides.
Premier League: transfer window summer 2016 – interactive Read more
Clough spent four years at Derby before being sacked in 2013 and his new side were excellent value for three points against their more illustrious neighbours from 10 miles down the road.
The Australia international Jackson Irvine scored for the third league game running and his early goal proved enough for Burton in front of a lively crowd of 6,746 at the Pirelli Stadium.
Both teams made wholesale changes from their midweek EFL Cup fixtures, although showed only one from their last league outing. Burton replaced their injured captain, John Mousinho, with John Brayford while Derby brought in Marcus Olsson at left-back after Craig Forsyth sustained a serious knee injury during the goalless draw against Aston Villa.
Burton made the brighter start and they nearly went ahead after six minutes when Chris O’Grady won the ball in a dangerous area and found Lloyd Dyer, whose effort was well stopped by Scott Carson. A minute later the lively Lucas Akins broke down the right only to fire high and wide.
However, the pressure told 12 minutes in when Akins beat Olsson and picked out Irvine, who nodded home Burton’s fifth headed goal of the season from close range.
Derby were wasteful in possession and when they eventually carved out a chance after 20 minutes Johnny Russell lost his footing at the crucial moment after a neat one-two with Chris Martin on the edge of the box. A tidy Derby move six minutes later ended with Jacob Butterfield firing straight at Jon McLaughlin but Burton remained a threat on the break as Tom Naylor won the ball in midfield and set Dyer and O’Grady clear, only for the attack to fizzle out.
Derby’s best chance of the opening period came three minutes before the break when Tom Ince broke down the right and picked out Martin but his shot was charged down.
Abdoul Camara replaced Ince at half-time and only three minutes after the interval he had an effort blocked by the former Derby defender Brayford. Two minutes later the Guinea international Camara cut in from the right and saw his deflected effort clawed out by McLaughlin.
Derby introduced Darren Bent and the Manchester United loanee James Wilson in an attempt to raise their pedestrian first-half tempo and McLaughlin had to be alert to parry away Craig Bryson’s dangerous cross-shot.
Camara shot straight at McLaughlin from the edge of the box but Burton’s tremendous work rate restricted the visitors to half-chances. Hughes’s hopeful 30-yarder, which sailed well over the bar with three minutes left, summed up Derby’s evening.
Akins found the substitute Marcus Harness with another dangerous cross in the final minute but he failed to add a gloss to the scoreline.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/burton-derby-county-championship-match-report
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| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
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[
"Juan Gabriel Vásquez"
] | 2016-08-26T16:51:10 | null | 2016-08-26T15:19:00 |
The long cruel conflict between the state and Farc claimed millions of lives and ruined millions more. But now, finally, we are on the verge of true reconciliation
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Peace has been reached in Colombia. Amid the relief is apprehension
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I write this from a very strange place: a country at peace. As of today, the conflict between the Colombian state and the Farc guerrillas, which has produced more than 6 million victims – counting the dead, the wounded and that sad euphemism, the displaced population – has officially ended. It is – it was – the oldest conflict of its kind in the world: it officially began in 1964, which means several generations, including my own, have never known a life in which Colombians were not killing each other.
It has also proved to be one of the cruellest. Over the years it has been fuelled by drug money, terrorism, and kidnappings; also, by state-sponsored murders of civilians and, in the darkest years, by the appearance of rightwing paramilitaries who threatened, persecuted and killed anyone leaning too much to the left and weren’t averse to using chainsaws and cremating ovens to do so. The dynamics of war bring out the worst in us; the dynamics of a long war corrode fundamental notions of humanity to such a point that its certainties – its predictable risks, its clear enemies, its victims falling always somewhere else – might come to seem preferable to the uncertainty of peace.
War is well-known ground: you grow used to its accidents, you make little adjustments, you manage to carry on
This is perhaps the most difficult challenge we face today. War is well-known ground: you grow used to its accidents, you make little adjustments, you manage to carry on; peace, on the other hand, may seem too much like uncharted territory, with too many Here Be Dragons signs posted on the blank map. The agreements signed yesterday will require major readjustment of the ideas we have about ourselves, both as individuals and as a nation, and not everyone is up to the task.
Readers familiar with the Irish conflict may recognise the main points of contention: the agreements will allow guerrilla members to participate in politics, a thought that many Colombians find distasteful; they will also establish a special justice system, allowing perpetrators of violence to avoid jail – a concession that many regard as a form of impunity. It is no such thing: in exchange for a full confession of crimes committed and material reparation of damages, guerrilla members will receive amnesty – except in the case of international crimes, which will result in what the text of the agreements has called “effective restrictions of freedom”. All this sounds hopelessly technical; in fact, colossal human issues are at stake, because a complete understanding of the minutiae will be essential when the time comes for the Colombian people to validate these agreements. The risky mechanism will be a referendum; and we all know, having witnessed the Brexit fiasco, how unstable that little concoction can be.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos addresses the public after delivering the deal to Congress. Photograph: Felipe Caicedo/AP
Some weeks ago, while the public was trying to pick its way through the lies and misinformation coming from the enemies of the peace process, I visited Humberto de la Calle, leader of the government’s negotiating team. His appointment was an inspired decision on the part of President Santos: de la Calle is a wise and honest man, qualities that are rare and even dangerous in Colombian politics. I wanted to understand the impending agreements, and to convey my findings to Colombian readers in every way I could; but as soon as we sat down to talk, I sensed that he would have preferred to spend that time discussing novels and poems. We talked for two long hours about the facts and figures involved in this life-changing moment, but his face brightened when I asked him what could we, the novelists and writers, contribute to the peace effort.
Farc peace deal: rebels and Colombian government sign accord to end war Read more
“These negotiations are also about stories,” I told him. “There is a different story about these last 50 years depending on who tells it. These 50 years of war are one story if told by the right and another if told by the left. It’s one story if told by a peasant and a very different one if told by a city-dweller. Perhaps what should be negotiated is a common story in which we all can recognise ourselves.”
He was grateful to hear this. Kindly, almost carefully, he countered: “No. There’s not one common story.” He then recalled a well-known fable about a group of blind men who, after gathering round to touch an elephant, are asked to describe it. One says an elephant is made of ivory; another one says it is a long tube of skin. “The reason behind the truth commission we have created,” said De la Calle, “is not to dictate one version of the truth, but to learn to live with different truths. A final agreement is not a military question. It’s about learning to live with more than one truth at a time.”
Perhaps now that peace is here, the learning process can finally begin.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/26/peace-colombia-farc-guerillas-conflict
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| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/ffb243d55af7277a038da7e3a2b4fecf7ef1b8fb645dd1b977482cdf13701fa7.json
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[
"Jeremy Bullmore"
] | 2016-08-26T13:28:34 | null | 2016-07-30T06:00:26 |
Our careers expert – and you the readers – help someone worried about succeeding in their first management role and a fitness coach contemplating working abroad
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Our careers expert – and you the readers – help someone worried about succeeding in their first management role and a fitness coach contemplating working abroad
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www.theguardian.com
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I’m going to be managing a team for the first time – and I’m worried
I’m in my mid-30s and 10 years into a moderately successful IT career that has involved support and system admin roles. I have accepted a role where I am going to be the senior member of a team of fairly junior staff. While there will not be any official management duties, I will be expected to oversee the workload, train newer staff members, be responsible for the day-to-day running of the team and report directly to the IT operations manager.
The organisation is expanding and there is the possibility of the job becoming an official management role.
I’ve never had any team leader responsibility or any inclination that way. Nevertheless, I’m determined to give it my all.
My problem is that I’ve not got the foggiest idea how to go about this. I’ve never had anyone work under me and I’m worried about finding myself out of my depth. I need to know where to start in succeeding at my new job.
Jeremy says
Charles Handy is one of the wisest and most practical management thinkers alive. I’ll never forget reading of his discovery that much of what management entailed was no more than “coping” – if you tuck that thought away in your head, your sense of apprehension may begin to lessen. Much of what you will be called upon to do will demand little more than good sense and decency.
Those who make the greatest mistakes when first required to manage are often those who try too hard, who think they’ve got to impose their authority, who set up rigid reporting lines and bureaucratic structures.
You’re lucky your first management duties won’t be official. “Overseeing workload, imparting knowledge and experience to the newer staff members, and being responsible for the day-to-day running of the team” sound pretty much like management to me, without the burden of being formally appointed. You can acclimatise gently.
I suspect your core concern is that you’ve never had anyone work under you. Becoming a boss doesn’t mean you have to assume an entirely new personality. Most people accept that, for work to function well, there needs to be an element of organisation and that means there has to be an individual responsible for the organising. So everyone knows there needs to be a boss – and indeed, they get very unsettled if they’re left too long without one. If you think things through and allocate tasks fairly, no one will resent your seniority. (You may get a bit of ribbing at first, but it won’t last.) Before long, you’ll have to adjudicate between members of your team. Don’t duck it, they’ll be watching you. And don’t try to please everyone all the time – you can’t. Take it day by day and you’ll be fine.
Readers say
• If your finances and family situation allow, quit and train to do something you really are enthusiastic about. I can tell from your language and the story that you aren’t passionate about your job. If you can’t do that, then good luck and make the best of the next 30 years! I can’t give you any specific advice for leading an IT team, but simple common sense and self-awareness are good traits in the workplace. There are many people in offices who lack social skills, so if you’re a basically decent, approachable human, you’ll do fine and be appreciated. Groundhog_Phil
• Get the basics right: remaining impartial in team squabbles (especially with young staff who may not have been long in full-time work), having a reasonably light touch and making sure people are asking for help/training if they need it. You will pick up the rest from experience. ameliaposte
• You might find it helpful to think of yourself as a teacher rather than a manager. If it is a junior team then look at each person’s skills and set learning goals that you are responsible for overseeing. fizzdarling
• Never ask the team to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. Be reasonable about holiday/day off requests. And ask your manager to send you on a management training course ASAP. Worked for me when I ran a team for the first time. middleyouth
I want to work abroad – should I teach English or use my fitness trainer skills?
I am in my early 20s and have been running my own fitness business for three years. I graduated with a degree in sport and exercise science and became a personal trainer. However, I don’t like working in a gym and have struggled to get a booming business outside of one.
I am thinking of going abroad to teach English, as I’ve always wanted to travel and from reading your column it seems a popular option.
But I have no idea how long I should do it for, or whether I should have a plan in place for when I want to stop. Will I be employable back here after a couple of years?
Would I be best to utilise my sports qualifications/experience? Are there any opportunities in this field for an Englishman abroad, and where?
Jeremy says
If you’re serious about teaching English abroad, you’d be wise to get Tefl (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. This is not hugely expensive and offers more opportunities and a bit more money when you get there. There is lots of information online.
But I think you’re right to have second thoughts. If you can find work overseas that uses your sport and exercise qualifications, that would seem to me to make more sense. And you’d be adding to your core skills and experience.
It’s much more difficult, of course, to assess the opportunities, but there doesn’t have to be a thriving market for fitness trainers for you to be hopeful of work. I suggest you pick the countries where you are most likely to spend time and then search the internet remorselessly until you find a lead. Since I assume you want to travel rather than settle, you should expect a slightly uncertain existence, but I imagine you’re prepared for that.
Readers say
• If going abroad is not a permanent move, put off your travels for a couple of years. Use this time, while you’re young, to make a career change using other aspects of your degree, or perhaps outside of fitness. Not only could new skills and experience command you a better salary, prospects and wider choice of work permits abroad, hopefully you’ll have a career that you can return to in the UK which you enjoy. barnardaj
• Almost everywhere you will need a proper qualification to get any work teaching English – something such as Celta. The days of simply turning up as a Brit and getting a teaching job are long gone. Don’t underestimate how hard the course is, either. Everyone I know who has done it rates it as the most difficult and intense course they have ever done. Peter Bedson
• I’d imagine as a business owner you’d be welcomed into many countries if you were going to set up there and had enough assets. The relevant countries’ visa pages will tell you what’s required from you. SourMilkSea
• Look into getting a paid placement to train as a teacher and go abroad to teach sport in an international school. Much better salary and career progression than teaching English as a foreign language. redniksa
• We have quite a few independent English schools in Sweden. Their scope is bilingual education, with up to half of the teaching in English. That includes physical training, of course. Maybe something for you? Hilaris
Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jul/30/dear-jeremy-work-problems-solved-careers-expert
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| 2016-07-30T00:00:00 |
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[
"Patrick Butler"
] | 2016-08-31T00:50:24 | null | 2016-08-30T23:01:14 |
Most low-income working households to be worse off by 2020, and families on out-of-work benefits face losing fifth of income
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Social security system fast becoming unfit for purpose, says study
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The UK’s social security system is rapidly becoming unfit for purpose, as successive cuts leave children and working age adults with an increasingly inadequate safety net for when families fall on hard times, according to a study.
Most low-income working households will be worse off by 2020, while years of social security squeezes mean the income of families on out-of-work benefits will have fallen by up to one-fifth, the analysis by the Fabian Society shows.
At the same time, the cash value of the basic personal tax allowances is on course to have increased by 80% in 2020 from what it was in 2010, meaning that by the end of the decade a typical high-income household will receive more financial support from the state than low-income families reliant on benefits.
Without an urgent overhaul, the crisis in living standards for poorer families will get worse over the next few years as their incomes deteriorate, while child poverty and inequality will rise sharply, even with strong economic growth, the study says.
John Godfrey. Photograph: Public domain
The findings come as Theresa May seeks to put flesh on her promise to fight for the interests of “just managing” working families struggling with job insecurity and high living costs. Her social reform cabinet committee meets this week and welfare policy is thought to be on the agenda.
The prime minister’s director of policy, John Godfrey was corporate affairs director at Legal & General when he arranged for the insurer to co-fund the Fabian Society report along with the housing charity Shelter. Godfrey is known to favour developing forms of social insurance in areas such as unemployment and sickness benefit to supplement existing social security support.
The study says the case for replacing state protection with private insurance is weak, but it argues that ideas that complement a publicly funded social security system, such as a match-funded auto-enrolment savings scheme for low- and middle-income households, or an income protection scheme for middle- to high-income workers, should be piloted.
Its conclusions were broadly welcomed by Labour whose work and pensions team under the former shadow secretary Owen Smith worked closely with the Fabian Society on the report.
Debbie Abrahams, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said that without a rethink of social security policy the majority of households would see little improvement in living standards over the next decade.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Debbie Abrahams says a rethink of social security policy is needed. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
She said: “Like the NHS, our social security system is based on principles of inclusion, support and security for all, assuring us of our dignity and the basics of life, should any one of us become ill or disabled or fall on hard times. That safety-net will be inadequate without policy change.”
The report says reform should look beyond David Cameron-era benefits cuts and “seemingly simplistic” fixes such as universal credit towards a more generous system that takes account of contemporary social realities, such as low pay, high housing costs, insecure work, longer working lives and caring responsibilities.
Under current policy, social security spending as a percentage of national income is likely to halve in the next few years, a prospect it says is unsustainable. It calculates that if there is “reasonable economic growth” in the next few years it will be possible to invest billions in working-age social security without raising taxes.
Social housing tenants face soaring rents under 'pay to stay' policy Read more
Andrew Harrop, the general secretary of the leftwing Fabian Society, said: “For six years of the Cameron government, ‘austerity’ dominated all discussion of benefit policies. But social security for non-pensioners will be worse in 2020 than it was in 2010 and will carry on getting worse in the decade that follows, unless action is taken.
“It is time to turn a page and start to consider the long-term future of social security, as part of a strategic agenda for raising British living standards. Politicians need to find the confidence to argue that generous, well-designed benefits for non-pensioners are essential for a fairer, more prosperous future.”
A section of the report looking at housing, previewed last week, estimated that hundreds of thousands of private sector tenants would face a £100 a month shortfall between rent and housing benefits by the end of the decade. It calls for government to build more social housing and stabilise rents.
Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “Our welfare reforms are supporting people from all backgrounds as we create a Britain that works for all. We have revolutionised and simplified the welfare system with universal credit – which is already transforming lives by supporting people to move into work faster.
“We have record employment with wages rising faster than inflation. By increasing the ‘national living wage’, taking millions of people out of paying any income tax and through our welfare reforms, we are ensuring it always pays to be in work.”
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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/31/uk-social-security-system-unfit-purpose-benefits-fabian-society-study
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| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
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[
"Jan Zalasiewizc"
] | 2016-08-30T10:57:40 | null | 2015-06-20T00:00:00 |
The rate at which vertebrate species are now dying far exceeds the norm
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The Earth stands on the brink of its sixth mass extinction and the fault is ours
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Life on Earth is in trouble. That much we know. But how bad have things become – and how fast are events moving? How soon, indeed, before the Earth’s biological treasures are trashed, in what will be the sixth great mass extinction event? This is what Gerardo Caballos of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and his colleagues have assessed, in a paper that came out on Friday.
These are extraordinarily difficult questions. There are many millions of species, many elusive and rare, and inhabiting remote and dangerous places. There are too few skilled biologists in the field to keep track of them all. Demonstrating beyond reasonable doubt that any single species is extinct is arduous and painstaking (think how long it took to show – to most people, at least – that Loch Ness probably does not harbour a large monster).
And it’s not just a case of making a head-count of modern extinctions. This needs to be compared with a long-term “baseline” rate of extinctions in our planet’s long geological history. This can only be extracted via the equally painstaking and difficult work of excavating and identifying millions of fossils from the almost endless rock strata. Not surprisingly, different studies made so far on different fossils have yielded different baseline rates.
Humans creating sixth great extinction of animal species, say scientists Read more
Caballos and colleagues have thought through these difficulties, and come up with probably the most robust estimate yet of how severe the modern crisis is.
They have been deliberately conservative – they’re well aware of the dangers of crying wolf on a topic of such importance, and where passions run so high. For a start, they limit themselves to the best-studied group of organisms, the vertebrates. Then, they take a high estimate of background extinctions to compare with, to make the modern figures as undramatic as possible. And then, they either consider only those animals known to be extinct (the “highly conservative” scenario), or they add in those extinctions in the wild that are likely to have happened, but are not yet verified.
Even with this caution, the figures are still shocking. Rather than the nine extinctions among vertebrates that would be expected to have occurred in normal geological circumstances since 1900, their conservative estimate adds in another 468 extinctions, spread among mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Examples of lost species would include the Yangtze dolphin and the Costa Rica golden toad. Depending on the group, extinction rates are 10 times to more than 100 times higher than normal. A sixth mass extinction, therefore, is beginning. They estimate that it would grow to rival the last great catastrophe of the past, when the dinosaurs and much else died out 65m years ago, in as little as three human lifetimes.
Once more, this is a conservative estimate. It simply considers the kill mechanisms operating today, of habitat loss, predation, pollution and so on. The Caballos projection does not try to factor in, for instance, the effects of global warming, or of ocean acidification. Once these kick in in earnest, they will sweep many species out of their habitability zones, and ratchet up the extinction rate still further.
In terms of scale, we are now living through one of those brief, rare episodes in Earth history when the biological framework of life is dismantled. It is in every sense a tragedy – but, in itself, it might be viewed as just one more episode of biological destruction in our planet’s history. The Earth has been here before – and will be here again, before its life is completely extinguished a billion or so years into the future.
This particular perturbation to the biosphere, though, has some very special features. Indeed, there has been nothing remotely like it in our planet’s history. By coincidence, one of the authors of the Caballos study, Anthony Barnosky of the University of California at Berkeley, was involved in another study published the same week, a study that sought to put its finger on exactly what is so different – and so weird, in planetary terms, not to put too fine a point on it – about what is happening to the biosphere right now.
This second study, led by Mark Williams, a palaeontologist at the University of Leicester, identified some quite extraordinary novelties at the heart of current events. First, past extinctions have been driven by what are now becoming very familiar horsemen of a planetary apocalypse: massive volcanic outbursts to choke the atmosphere and poison the seas; the mayhem caused by major asteroid impact; and the wrenching effects of rapid climate change. None of these has really figured in the current biological crisis – not even climate change, which is still only in its early stages.
Instead, the extinctions are being driven by the effects of just one single species, Homo sapiens. Such a mass extinction has not occurred before (with the possible exception, 2.5bn years ago, when a type of microbe evolved photosynthesis to spew out oxygen, a gas that would have been highly toxic to the other microbes living then, and these would have been pushed to the fringes of life on Earth – where they still remain). Even more extraordinarily, this single species is land-living, but has managed to become the top predator in the oceans too, causing populations of whales and fish to collapse.
In all, our single species now commandeers somewhere between 25% and 40% of primary productivity on Earth. It is a productivity, that over large areas of land, is “hyper-fertilised” by the extraction of millions of tons of nitrogen from the air, in the Haber-Bosch process, and by digging comparable amounts of phosphate from the ground.
These super-fed crops are fed, highly efficiently, to farm animals, that we eat in turn. The scale of this operation is a large reason for the scale of the ongoing mass extinction of other organisms.
The scientist Vaclav Smil, of the University of Manitoba, has calculated that simply measured by mass, humans now make up a third of land vertebrates, and the animals that we keep to eat – cows, pigs, sheep and so on – make up most of the other two thirds. All the wild animals – elephants, giraffes, tigers and so on – are now less than 5% by mass. It’s a measure of how they have been pushed to the fringes by humans.
Humans change things in other ways – they now direct the evolution of the animals that are useful to them, by breeding and by genetic engineering: again, it’s a planetary novelty. The energy our species obtains from photosynthesis is not enough, and so we mine stored photosynthetic energy from the ground, as hydrocarbons, in enormous amounts, and use that to power our machines.
These machines – cars, planes, computers and much else – have, together with their human software, been termed the technosphere by the geologist Peter Haff of Duke University. He views it as an emergent system with its own internal dynamics (and which humans currently drive but don’t really control) – in effect an offshoot of the biosphere. Whatever it is, it is evolving at lightning speed by comparison with biological evolution.
The changes to the Earth’s biology do, therefore, include a rapidly developing mass extinction event, as charted by Gerardo Caballos and his colleagues.
But this may be seen as part of a much more thoroughgoing transformation. Fundamental new patterns are emerging that may be compared, say, with the change, half a billion years ago, when a biosphere consisting only of microbes gave way to one dominated by multicellular animals.
Could this new planetary pattern develop – perhaps well enough to help prevent a mass extinction? Currently, the technosphere is more a parasite than a partner of the biosphere – it is terrible at recycling, for instance.
But some aspects might help alleviate the worst effects of global warming. For instance, humans have caused the greatest trans-migration of species in history. Some of these invasive species may be well adapted to new higher temperatures. And better use of energy and materials can reduce pressure on remaining natural ecosystems.
Averting a mass extinction is still possible – but we don’t have much time.
The author is professor of palaeobiology at Leicester University
Exegesis of Pope Francis’s encyclical call for action on climate change | Letters Read more
NOT THE FIRST TIME
Previous mass extinctions
Geological history includes many periods when species have died in large numbers. In each of the following, more than half the Earth’s species disappeared:
1 End-Ordovician, 443 million years ago.
This coincides with very rapid glaciation; sea level fell by more than 100 metres, devastating shallow marine ecosystems; less than a million years later, there was a second wave of extinctions as ice melted, sea level rose rapidly, and oceans became oxygen-depleted.
2 Late Devonian, c 360 million years ago.
A messy prolonged event, again hitting life in shallow seas very hard, and an extinction that was probably due to climate change.
3 Permian-Triassic mass extinction, c 250 million years ago.
The greatest of all, ‘The Great Dying’ of more than 95% of species, is strongly linked with massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that caused, among other effects, a brief savage episode of global warming.
4 Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction, c 200 million years ago.
This has been linked with another huge outburst of volcanism.
5 Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction 65 million years ago.
This killed off the dinosaurs and much else; an asteroid impact on Mexico probably did the damage, but the world’s ecosystem may have been weakened by volcanic outbursts in what is now India.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/21/mass-extinction-science-warning
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| 2015-06-20T00:00:00 |
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[
"Archie Bland"
] | 2016-08-29T10:50:01 | null | 2016-08-29T10:28:35 |
The German vice-chancellor is right. Only delusional Faragistes could expect an anti-EU Britain to simply ‘keep the nice things’ of membership
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We voted out. Of course the EU wants Brexit to hurt
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The economic complexities of Brexit pale in comparison to the psychological ones, it sometimes seems, and in the response to German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel’s remarks yesterday on the consequences of Britain’s decision, we have another case in point. Gabriel, a compelling political figure recently notable for giving the finger to a bunch of neo-Nazis, was reflecting on Europe’s likely response to British manoeuvres, and said something that you might imagine would be self-evident to most people: “If we organise Brexit in the wrong way, then we’ll be in deep trouble, so now we need to make sure that we don’t allow Britain to keep the nice things, so to speak, related to Europe while taking no responsibility.”
UK must pay for Brexit or EU is in 'deep trouble', says German minister Read more
Which is just obvious, isn’t it? Depressing, but obvious. And yet in all the Faragiste scoffing at the idea that the EU will take a hard line in trade negotiations – you’ll recall a lot of talk of apoplectic German car manufacturers – the rational case for a punitive approach barely makes an appearance. It bears repeating: in the next couple of years, it seems likely there will be courses of action available to EU states that will be against their own immediate and narrow self-interest as well as Britain’s. It will appear superficially vindictive and foolish to take them.
Fine, we drove our car into their conservatory, but why won’t they go halves on the repairs? Mates' rates!
But the easier our path out of Europe is to navigate, the smaller the disincentives will be to others who may think of following us. And so those punitive actions may sometimes be wise to take all the same. It may be worth cutting your nose off to spite your face if the infection is in danger of spreading to your eyes and ears. None of this is pleasant, but none of it is surprising, either: any right we had to expect special treatment expired, obviously, when we voted to give it up.
Despite all this, whenever an influential European implies that the EU will not be going out of its way to make our exit a painless one, the howl goes up, on the front of the Express and elsewhere – the sound of a furious neighbour with an acute and unjustified sense of victimhood. Fine, we drove our car into their conservatory, but why won’t they go halves on the repairs? We’ve known them for years! Mates’ rates! It’s hard to understand how the same sort of people who have been hurling abuse at European leaders for months and years (“Virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives!”) are now offended that those same European leaders don’t have their best interests at heart.
The only thing I can think of is this: when you’ve been part of a club for a long time, it is rather hurtful to realise that all of the benefits that you thought were just because everyone thought you were so great were actually because you were giving them money. We might have decided we don’t want to be part of the EU any more – but we have barely begun to come to terms with what that actually means. For now, the Brexiteers’ touching education in the impermanence of relationships continues. No one tell them the mother dies in Bambi, for God’s sake. They’re not ready.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/29/voted-out-eu-brexit-hurt-german-vice-chancellor-britain
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| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
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[
"Matthew D'Ancona"
] | 2016-08-28T18:49:48 | null | 2016-08-28T18:18:20 |
Within the ex-minister’s memoir is the story of how the party triumphed, and why it is now falling apart
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Ed Balls reminds us that Labour once mattered
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Just as the first cuckoos welcome spring, so the first newspaper serialisations of political memoirs herald the party conference season, with its fetid brew of intrigue, rebellion at the fringes and dead-eyed choreography on the central stage. This year, the first claimant upon posterity’s favour is Ed Balls, who – while preparing for his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing – has been finishing off a political autobiography, Speaking Out. (Was he ever tempted to rename it Strictly Speaking? Just a thought.)
Ann Widdecombe: My advice to Ed Balls on Strictly? Just follow my lead Read more
The former shadow chancellor and close lieutenant to Gordon Brown has long been a divisive figure: when I was editor of the Spectator, a prominent Blairite offered me a piece on the theme “Why Ed Balls is to blame for all of Labour’s problems” (the outraged Friend of Tony withdrew the offer after he had calmed down). At any rate, when Balls lost his Morley and Outwood seat last year, there was plenty of crowing among his notional comrades.
Curiously enough, however, a surprising proportion of those who disagree with Balls ideologically concede that he is a warm and stimulating companion. He never hit it off with David Cameron but got on well with George Osborne (I have heard both men say independently that they enjoy going for a drink together: intellect is a powerful adhesive).
So I have high hopes for the Book of Balls, which will compete this autumn with memoirs by Ken Clarke and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and the forthcoming account of the EU referendum campaign by Cameron’s communications chief, Sir Craig Oliver. Certainly, the extracts published thus far by the Times, accompanied by a lengthy interview, have been an evocative reminiscence of an age that already feels long gone.
Through the author’s eyes, we are back in the world of Brown, Peter Mandelson’s sensational resignation in 1998, IMF summits in Hong Kong, a 7am meeting in Helsinki in 1999 at which Balls “arrived to find Tony in a white dressing gown, and Gordon in his full suit, as tended to be their way”. These were Labour’s rollercoaster years in office, during which the party far exceeded its electoral success in the past, winning three successive terms with substantial majorities (two of them huge).
As even the Tories had to acknowledge, it had become a serious party of government, its upper echelons populated by serious and weighty figures. It is extraordinary to reflect that this era in Labour’s history ended only six years ago, and to consider how much has changed since Brown left Downing Street. As Balls says of Jeremy Corbyn: “If you are the kind of person who feels that you are succeeding when you have a rally of your supporters cheering you, well, that’s not my conception of politics. My conception of politics is that you succeed when sceptical centre-ground voters decide to trust you more than the other side.” Until Labour grasps that Balls is right and Corbyn is wrong, it will remain an intermittently distracting sideshow, confusing its impotent anger for fiery relevance.
All the same, nostalgia is the foe of objective analysis: as depressing as it is to observe the decline of Labour from a mighty party of power to a pious protest movement, a candid chronicler of that transformation will detect many of its roots in the conduct of New Labour’s oligarchs and their acolytes between Blair’s leadership victory in 1994 and the defeat of Ed Miliband in 2015.
Labour’s ‘interesting experiment’ in comradeship will run and run | Andrew Rawnsley Read more
Of course, Balls was a key figure in Labour’s most electorally glorious epoch. But that epoch also set the stage for what has happened since. During the 1990s the party’s elite drained power from Labour’s traditional structures and centralised all significant authority in the leader and his or her entourage. Yet even as the party’s oligarchs preached the virtues of discipline to the mass membership, they themselves fought one another with shameless ferocity. First it was Blair and Brown; then Brown and David Miliband (of whom Balls says: “In the end, I don’t think David had the political tenacity”); then the two Eds, leader and shadow chancellor. Balls claims – astonishingly – that he and Miliband had only two proper conversations during the 2015 election campaign. He also recalls his resentment that “regularly from 2010 onwards there would be briefings from his team against me, about me being sacked. Every time I would see him he would be very upset about it, but it never seemed to stop happening.” If ever there were a textbook example of Freud’s “narcissism of small differences”, it was this relentless tendency of Labour’s elite between 1994 and 2015 to split into two warring factions.
Corbynism, with its implacable emphasis upon the party-as-movement and the role of the rank and file, was the inevitable reaction to the structural revolution that began in 1994 and to its pathologies. Iraq, the leadership’s bid to have it both ways over Osborne’s austerity programme, the loss of Scotland to the SNP, the party elite’s shameless in-fighting: all this was the backdrop to the grassroots rebellion that secured the leadership for Corbyn last year, and will probably do so once again in his current contest with Owen Smith.
Important as Labour’s destiny is, it is eclipsed by the future of the country. I suspect this autumn’s haul of political books will be remembered predominantly for what they disclose about Brexit, its causes and its aftermath. In which respect, Balls makes two related claims: first, that the “personalisation” of the vote around Cameron’s character was “a catastrophe”. Second, he believes that the remain campaign in the EU referendum needed a counterpart to Brown’s promise to the Scots in 2014 of more reform if they voted to stay in the union: the so-called vow.
According to Balls, the UK electorate should have been promised more than the status quo, modified by Cameron’s “renegotiation” of Britain’s terms of membership. They should have been promised a rolling process of reform – as at least one senior Tory recognised: “George [Osborne] said that he was very conscious of the status quo point and thought, like in Scotland, we would need to come back with a vow-style commitment to reform, including around immigration, in the final week or two.” Or, to translate: it wasn’t me or George, guv.
Two months have passed since Britain decided to leave the EU. Shock has given way to practical questions about the future and an audit of what, precisely, happened on 23 June. Listen carefully. Can you hear the engine of recrimination revving up? Round one – of many – to Balls.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/28/ed-balls-labour-minister-memoir
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| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
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[
"Katie Allen"
] | 2016-08-28T04:54:55 | null | 2016-08-19T05:00:08 |
Welsh company ‘re-shoring’ production of their children’s bikes, brushing off manufacturing sector uncertainty
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Frog Bikes bring manufacturing back home to beat the business cycle
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Britain’s manufacturers were only just recovering from the last downturn when the Brexit vote dealt a fresh blow to confidence, and the early signs are that the mere prospect of leaving the EU has hit demand for goods rolling off British production lines.
Brave timing then for anyone to open a new factory, but that is just what a small British bike manufacturer has done. From this month, brightly coloured children’s Frog Bikes destined for stores around the UK and the rest of the world will be painstakingly assembled from 120 parts, packed up and shipped out from a brand new factory in Pontypool, south Wales.
Until now, the bikes have been assembled in China using components from around the world. Now the company is “reshoring”, following the lead of other manufacturers in moving the bulk of their production back to the UK to get better control over lead times and quality.
The Pontypool factory will employ as many as 50 workers and can make 200 bikes a day at full tilt. Frog Bikes employs a further 25 at its head office near Windsor.
Jerry Lawson, who started the business with his wife Shelley in 2013, says there were times last year when it could not keep up with demand and he hopes having production in the UK will address that.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The factory was supported by the Welsh government in return for plans to create new jobs. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures
“What we have found since we started is we are bad at forecasting and end up out of stock,” he says, standing outside the new plant on a sprawling industrial estate set among gently rolling hills.
“This will enable us to be more responsive to the market, have more control over quality, introduce innovations faster, reduce our environmental footprint and create jobs to benefit the local economy,” he says.
The couple, who both have corporate backgrounds, came up with the idea for lightweight children’s bikes when teaching theirs to ride. They felt the bikes on the market were poorly designed for children and in some cases heavier than Jerry’s adult bike. So they worked with Brunel University sports scientists and a Team GB Olympic bike designer to create lighter children’s frames.
The designs quickly proved popular with parents and are now sold in 900 independent bike stores in the UK and 30 countries overseas. Turnover has doubled every year and the business turned a profit from its second year.
Britain’s cycling success at the Olympic Games may provide a further fillip for the home market. One of the British cyclists to win gold in Rio was Joanna Rowsell-Shand, who is a brand ambassador for Frog Bikes. At the same time, the referendum result brings the risk of recession and a blow to sales.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Shelley Lawson thinks Brexit will mean the payback on the factory will take a bit longer. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures
“In terms of Brexit we haven’t seen a drop in consumer confidence yet,” says Shelley. “But I think we will see a little bit of a softening in demand, if consumer confidence does dip. A kids bike, a good kids bike, is a luxury item for most households.”
The factory was planned long before the referendum was called and was supported by the Welsh government in return for plans to create new jobs. But now economists are predicting tough times ahead for manufacturers.
“I still do think it’s the right thing to do from an operational and environmental point of view, but it will be a longer payback than we planned,” says Shelley.
Economists say the Brexit vote will tip the UK into recession at worst or, cause a protracted period of uncertainty and subdued spending at best.
But experts also highlight a potential boost to manufacturing from the fall in the value of the pound since the vote, which has made UK goods cheaper in overseas markets. The change of government has also brought hope of a renewed focus on an industrial strategy for Britain.
In the near term, signs of a blow to confidence and activity from the Brexit vote are worrying for a sector that has yet to fully recover from the last downturn.
Manufacturing, which accounts for a tenth of the UK economy, had been picking up in the months before the referendum, but surveys since suggest demand is down and jobs are being cut.
A weak pound has boosted exports, but at the same time it has raised costs for manufacturers that use imported materials.
For Frog Bikes, it has raised costs because it buys most of its component parts, such as brakes and frames, in US dollars. “The dollar dropping 14% means everything goes up 14%,” says Jerry.
Lee Hopley, the chief economist at the manufacturers’ organisation EEF, says there is a clear “before-and-after story” for manufacturing.
“Pre-referendum, our narrative was that we thought that manufacturing was turning a corner. Many of the drags from 2015 were beginning to ebb, especially the low oil price … there were signs of recovering demand in big European markets,” she says.
“Now the outlook is just a lot more uncertain. What we know is that confidence has taken a hit. What is less clear is how persistent that will be.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jerry and Shelley Lawson. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures
Hopley expects to see significant variation between sub-sectors of manufacturing, with the weaker sub-sectors forecast to overshadow pockets of strength.
“We see modest growth across the sector as a whole this year but virtually all of that will have taken place in the first half. We had been expecting growth in 2017 and we are not at all confident about that now,” she says.
That gloomy outlook will put pressure on Theresa May’s government to show it is serious about boosting manufacturing.
After the former chancellor George Osborne’s call for a “march of the makers” failed to get manufacturing back to its pre-crisis strength, May has sought to reassure business leaders her cabinet will do more.
There was widespread support for the prime minister’s move to merge the government’s business and energy departments and add the phrase “industrial strategy” to the title.
The Lawsons are hoping for a change of direction. They were dismayed when Osborne scrapped the state-funded Business Growth Service in last November’s spending review. Its advisors had helped the couple access finance to expand and apply for grants. Without the service, they would not have set up the Pontypool factory, they say.
Frog Bikes now gets help from a mentor provided by the Welsh government, and Shelley would like to see something similar across the UK.
“If you think of the number of jobs we have been able to create given the very modest investment that was required … it’s an incredibly efficient way to kickstart the economy at the small-business level.”
The Welsh government will be hoping the new bike factory helps reinforce its post-referendum message that Wales is open for business.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Welsh government worked hard to get the new Aston Martin DBX factory located in the Vale of Glamorgan. Photograph: Welsh Government/PA
Wales depends on manufacturing for jobs more heavily than the UK as a whole. The sector accounts for 11.3% of jobs in Wales compared with 7.8% across the UK.
The Welsh government has been working to increase jobs by attracting new investors. In February, it managed to beat off competition from around the world to secure a deal with Aston Martin for a new factory, creating 750 jobs.
At Frog Bikes, one of the Welsh factory’s newest employees, 26-year-old Neal Brookfield, is hopeful tthe plant and other moves to reshore manufacturing will create more secure work for his generation.
“It’s common knowledge that times are tough for finding jobs for young people, and more so in Wales,” he says. Since he started at the bike factory in July, friends have been calling to ask if he can get them work there.
“The difference with this job is it’s permanent … the fact that they couldn’t keep up with demand last year suggests there is a good future for the business.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/19/frog-bike-brexit-vote-fails-to-put-brake-on-bike-companys-new-welsh-factory
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en
| 2016-08-19T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c1ecbf70d7f6e6857f9fc2ee6d59924044de4ef8f6b2ad61dbc53d472aba4b80.json
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[] | 2016-08-26T14:50:40 | null | 2016-08-26T13:29:03 |
Alan Pardew will be the more nervous manager, despite Bournemouth also failing to record a point so far, as Crystal Palace have yet to score this season and are likely to be without Wilfried Zaha
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Crystal Palace v Bournemouth: match preview
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Something will have to give at Selhurst Park. These sides are currently pointless at the foot of the table, with Crystal Palace having been undone by set-pieces in each of their games to date and Christian Benteke’s lack of match fitness likely to see the record signing start on the bench. Wilfried Zaha may join him there after asking to leave this week. Bournemouth won in south London earlier this year as they surged to safety and Palace slipped the other way. This could condemn one of these sides to an international window dogged by self-doubt. Dominic Fifield
Kick-off Saturday 3pm
Venue Selhurst Park
Last season Crystal Palace 1 Bournemouth 2
Referee Mike Dean
This season G2, Y11, R0, 5.50 cards per game
Odds H 11-8 A 9-4 D 12-5
Crystal Palace
Subs from Hennessey, Speroni, Delaney, Kelly, Ledley, Boateng, Mutch, Benteke, Ladapo, Anderson, Zaha
Doubtful Delaney (ankle), Hennessey, Ledley (both match fitness), Mutch (thigh), Zaha (unsettled)
Injured Campbell (hamstring), Kaikai (thigh), Sako (thigh, all Sep), Williams (ankle, Oct)
Suspended None
Form LL
Discipline Y5 R0
Leading scorer n/a
Bournemouth
Subs from Allsop, Federici, Gosling, Daniels, Arter, Afobe, Gradel, Hyndman, Fraser, Grabban, Wiggins, Mousset, O’Kane, M Wilson, Pugh, Stanislas
Doubtful Hyndman (ankle), Stanislas (hernia)
Injured Mings (knee, Sep), Cargill (groin, unknown)
Suspended None
Form LL
Discipline Y2 R1
Leading scorer A Smith 1
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/crystal-palace-bournemouth-match-preview
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/0395161b4dbc4048643cc7f48a826357107dda564c4ba6d7adeb51954c7f0d72.json
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[
"Gavin Willacy"
] | 2016-08-30T12:52:47 | null | 2016-08-30T11:13:25 |
Hull’s smart overseas recruitment paid off; Warrington fans are enjoying a fine time; Abide With Me was emotional; and Wembley is no country for old men
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Fno-helmets-required%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fchallenge-cup-final-reaction-hull-fc-warrington-wolves-coldplay.json
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Challenge Cup final reaction: Hull FC beat Warrington as Coldplay tackle the crowd
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Ding dong the witch is dead. Hull FC won at Wembley at the ninth attempt but boy they cut it fine. As their coach Lee Radford admitted, his side “were in quicksand but clawed our way out of it”. Both camps thought they were the better side. Radford admired his team’s “phenomenal effort” but, at 10-0 down with 20 minutes to go, he couldn’t believe “how bad we played”. Warrington coach Tony Smith was not alone in thinking “it looked as though Hull had gone at stages in the game, that their big men had had enough at times”. Only the closeness of the scoreline kept Hull in it.
Truth be told, two outstanding defences snuffed each other out. It was no surprise it was desperately close. Saturday’s excruciatingly tight affair was just par for the course. Seven of their previous eight meetings had been decided by seven points or fewer, an average of just over three per game! After last year’s flood of points, the 34-minute famine was welcome at Wembley.
Hull FC’s Jamie Shaul’s late try takes Challenge Cup away from Warrington Read more
In the build-up, the star veterans – Gareth Ellis (35) and Mark Minichiello (34) for Hull, Warrington’s Ashton Sims (31) and Kurt Gidley (34) – took centre stage. Captain Ellis ended up lifting the cup for the Airlie Birds but Gidley’s two missed kicks at goal – one a real howler – proved costly, and, thanks to a lacerated eye socket, the former Kangaroo was forced to watch from the sidelines as Warrington’s lead slipped away. Wembley is no country for old men. Neither is it ripe for greenhorns. Players need to be battle-hardened and full of vigorous energy to cope with this.
Many of the most influential players were in their mid to late twenties: Stefan Ratchford (27) and Chris Sandow (28) for the Wire, Marc Sneyd (25), Danny Houghton (27) and Steve Michaels (28) for Hull. Even the lowest profile contestants – Hull subs Josh Bowden and Chris Green could sit on buses anywhere outside Humberside without attracting attention – were in their mid-twenties.
There were exceptions in Warrington’s ranks. When 22-year-old second rower Ben Currie skipped past Ellis and almost set up a Warrington try, it looked like the next generation taking control. Currie had his try a few minutes later thanks to 23-year-old Darryl Clark. In the battle of the hookers, Clark outplayed Houghton in attack but Houghton pulled out that magnificent cup-winning tackle on Currie with two minutes to go. His exultant scream of relief as he went to his fellow Hull fans by the corner flag before the presentation was the epitome of expressive release.
Houghton was Tony Smith’s choice as Hull’s man of the match, rather than Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd. “To come up with that game-saving tackle after 80 minutes – and he gives that effort every game – was outstanding,” said the former England coach. Radford revealed it was Houghton’s 52nd tackle of a debilitating game. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of him, a Hull boy. I know how he’ll feel walking his dog in his Hull FC tracksuit, as he does every day!”
Clubcall: Warrington Wolves
When Matty Russell finally broke the deadlock after 34 minutes, zig-zagging his way over the from two yards out after Stevie Michaels had proved he is quicker than Chris Sandow, he joined the short list of Scottish-born Challenge Cup final try-scorers, which includes Wigan’s Roy Kinnear in the very first Wembley final.
“It was great to score a try, something I’ve dreamed of as a kid, but I’d swap that for a win,” said the Irvine-born left winger. “We don’t need to bounce back as we didn’t play badly today, but it’s a learning curve for us, a lesson to finish your chances and keep going to the very end. I’ve had a taste of it and there’s no reason why this team can’t do it again. A lot of us haven’t played in a Grand Final, even the Aussies who are thirty-plus. We can still win the league and we’d be disappointed if we don’t get to the Grand Final.”
Hull FC’s Marc Sneyd says Danny Houghton deserved Lance Todd Trophy Read more
Lifting their first title since 1955 is certainly the Wire’s priority. Their last championship was their third, all won in nine glorious post-war seasons. Despite Saturday, this is a good time to be a Warrington fan. Many club’s purple periods are relatively short, leaving fans of that era to count themselves lucky. For example, when Widnes won the last of their three titles in 1989, Leeds had only won three. They now have 10.
Veteran Warrington forward Ryan Bailey won six of those, in seven Grand Final appearances for Leeds. That is the exact opposite of his Challenge Cup final record, which now stands at seven appearances, six defeats.
Foreign quota
Hull’s excellent overseas recruitment paid off in the end. Among their seven foreign players (compared to just three in Warrington’s 17), Mark Minichiello and Mahe Fonua stood out.
After a quiet first half, Italy second rower Minichiello came to the fore, his evasive footwork and drive in contact again extraordinary. He shouldn’t be able to do that at 34. “I like to keep myself fit but I was feeling it!” he admitted. Another of Super League’s newcomers of the season, right winger Mahe Fonua, also shone in the second half. The Tongan international, at the other end of his career to Minichiello, staying composed to score the first and won the leap for Jamie Shaul’s match winner. Hull’s NRL scouts have done a splendid job.
Goal-line drop-out
If Warrington and Hull meet again in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford, the attendance may actually surpass that of the Challenge Cup final. After an initial post-semi surge in ticket sales, probably fewer than 65,000 were actually inside Wembley on Saturday. The crowd figure of 76,235 included all of Club Wembley’s ring of indifference, even though it was as deserted as usual – and the vast swatches of empty red seats in the top tier looked dreadful.
There were fans of other clubs there: I saw Featherstone and Leigh shirts just in front of the press box, while dozens of Wigan fans were on Wembley Way, but nowhere near the thousands of neutrals who used to make an annual pilgrimage.
Warrington sold fewer tickets than expected for their fourth visit to Wembley in six seasons, while incredibly Hull don’t even have an online ticket facility, meaning all of their sales had to go through the RFL! Despite that, like last year, half of Kingston-upon-Hull appeared to be at Wembley, the Black and Whites considerably outnumbering the primrose and blue.
Fifth and last
Wembley’s ridiculously booming PA system drowned out any pre-match atmosphere the fans tried to build and Coldplay swamped the trophy presentation. Given the primal scream the Hull fans unleashed when they scored, it’s fair to say that was a shame. Bah humbug.
But that’s where my complaints end. While clearly spending less than the NFL or Saracens do for their games at the national stadium, the RFL got the pre-match entertainment spot on: giant club logos on air balloons paraded in front of their fans; a military brass band played pop tunes; Abide With Me – led by Aled Jones and the RFL Community Choir – brought the usual lumpy throat and watery eye, and chief guest Lizzie Jones, who sang at last year’s final, presented the trophy.
Less impressive was Hull’s decision to don tight black tracksuit bottoms on a sticky day when the pitch temperature was nudging 30 by the time Stefan Ratchford actually kicked off. That was at 3.07pm and the second half didn’t start until 4.12. An hour and half after the hooter, the eloquent and distinguished Gareth Ellis was still conducting interviews in the mixed zone in his full kit! Lee Radford said Saturday night might go on until Tuesday. Well, Saturday afternoon went on into the night, so why not?
Follow No Helmets Required on Twitter and Facebook
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2016/aug/30/challenge-cup-final-reaction-hull-fc-warrington-wolves-coldplay
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/1646e618fd77b10f97f575ddf3289ebce273e0a53c45faa95848fd26edbb779b.json
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[
"Calla Wahlquist"
] | 2016-08-29T06:52:02 | null | 2016-08-29T06:29:49 |
Inquest into reported suicide in Casuarina prison hears attempts to locate Jayden Bennell, 20, before he died were not recorded by coronial investigators
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Findigenous-man-jayden-bennell-missing-four-hours-found-dead-wa-prison-cupboard.json
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Indigenous prisoner missing for four hours before he was found dead, inquest told
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Indigenous man Jayden Stafford Bennell was missing for almost four hours before he was found dead in a prison cleaning cupboard, an inquest has heard..
Coronial investigators did not record attempts by Indigenous education staff to locate him before he had died, the inquest in Perth magistrates court was told on Monday.
Bennell, a 20-year-old Bibbulmun Noongar man, was found hanged in the unlocked cleaning cupboard at Casuarina maximum security prison at 3.45pm on 6 March 2013.
The preliminary coronial investigation reported his death as a suicide.
At the inquest on Monday, Toby Bishop, the counsel assisting coroner Sarah Linton, said Bennell was recorded as attending the midday muster the day of his death, and then tried to make a call to his brother at 1.26pm.
“This was the last sign that Jayden was alive,” Bishop said.
Death in custody and a mother's anguish: time stopped when I heard my son died Read more
Bennell was due to attend a drug and alcohol program called Pathways at 1.30pm but did not arrive, prompting the program manager, Benjamin Moodie, to ask where he was. He was marked as missing at the 3.15 pm muster. At 3.45pm, Bishop said, a prison guard named Sibongile Ncube looked in Bennell’s cell in unit five of the prison and then noticed that the door to the cleaning storage cupboard opposite was ajar.
The cupboard light was off but, Bishop said, Ncube saw a man “who she thought was standing behind a pillar or a pole” that she recognised as Bennell.
“She said to him words to the effect, ‘what are you doing in there, why are you hiding from us?’ to which she received no reply,” Bishop said. She then realised he was hanging, Bishop said.
First a team of guards, then prison medical staff, then ambulance officers tried to resuscitate Bennell for 45 minutes.
A suicide note was later found in an exercise book on Bennell’s bed.
Bishop said Bennell had been seen by prison mental health workers “on and off since 2010” and was last seen by a mental health nurse on 25 February 2013. He had been prescribed medication for “symptoms of atypical visual perceptual disturbances and accompanying mild non-systemised paranoia”, but had stopped taking it.
According to his prison medical records, he was coping without the medication.
Bishop said the adequacy of the supervision and mental health care provided to Bennell, attempts to find him between the 12pm and 3.15pm muster, and why the cleaning cupboard was unlocked would be focuses of the inquest.
Detective Sergeant Alex West, who conducted the coronial investigation into Bennell’s death, said he did not interview prison guards or inmates himself, with the exception of a follow-up interview with Bennell’s cellmate, instead relying on the interviews and investigation notes made by the Western Australian police’s major crime division and an internal investigation by the Department of Corrective Services (DCS).
He said he was not informed of Bennell’s death until “days later” and didn’t take over the investigation until 13 March. He filed his report with the coroner 21 months later.
Under cross-examination from Steven Castan, counsel for Bennell’s mother, Maxine, West said he had neither received training about nor read the recommendations of the 1989-1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, specifically recommendations 35 and 36, which say all deaths should be investigated as a homicide and suicide should never be assumed.
West said it “would have been ideal” for him to have attended the prison and taken statements from Moodie, who Castan said was not interviewed until three years later, after Maxine Bennell conducted her own investigation.
“That’s why we have the statements,” Castan said. “Because the family did the investigating.”
West also said he accepted the word of DCS’s death in custody coordinator that there was no relevant CCTV footage, despite DCS’s own report, which West relied on in making his report, making reference to “security footage” of the hours leading up to Bennell’s death.
“Really what you have done is actually failed to completely investigate this matter. You have probably done half a job,” Castan said, before suggesting that the poor quality of West’s investigation was hurtful to Bennell’s family.
West denied he had failed to properly investigate and said he had acted appropriately. He said the process had since changed to allow coronial investigators to attend at the same as major crime investigators, and noted that was a better system, but said he had nonetheless conducted a thorough investigation.
The inquest is expected to hear from 18 witnesses and run for five days.
Aboriginal deaths in custody: 25 years on, the vicious cycle remains Read more
Bennell had been in Casuarina since November 2012, after six months in Hakea remand prison. He had been remanded in custody in April that year, after being released for just 24 days, and was later sentenced to two years’ jail in October. He would have been eligible for parole just over a month after he died.
“He should not have been there, he should not have done what he did that got him there, but he was not a violent criminal, he was a kid trying to find his way,” Bennell’s mother, Maxine Bennell, said in a statement before the inquest started. “I believe that if you break the law you have to face the consequences but the consequences should not be death.”
Maxine Bennell said the prison system had failed to protect her son.
“We have waited patiently for three-and-a-half years to find out how this happened,” she said. “This delay has once again said to us that this system does not care about my son.
“But I care, I have lost part of my heart, part of my soul, and the pain will never go away.”
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/29/indigenous-man-jayden-bennell-missing-four-hours-found-dead-wa-prison-cupboard
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/46e206f5fbe99d13305e5d8358caa7fdf79ce206cddf2d271bbe4e6ed1f8ccdc.json
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[
"Baynard Woods"
] | 2016-08-26T13:16:42 | null | 2016-08-26T12:35:46 |
Police program obtained through private contractor, which allows small plane to film 32-mile section of city, has been criticized as intrusive and possibly illegal
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fbaltimore-police-surveillance-legal-questions.json
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Baltimore's newly revealed surveillance program raises legal questions
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Legal and constitutional questions have been raised over revelations that the Baltimore police department used privately contracted surveillance technology to secretly monitor vast swaths of the city, lawyers and civil liberties advocates say.
The program, confirmed for the first time by police officials on Wednesday, allows a small plane to film a 32 square mile section of the city. The tape is saved and stored and analysts can move about in time and space in order to track vehicles or individuals, although individual human characteristics aren’t discernible. Russ McNutt, the founder of the Ohio-based Persistent Surveillance, likened it to “Google Earth with Tivo.”
Baltimore police confirms aerial surveillance of city residents Read more
The Baltimore police department entered into a trial agreement with Persistent Surveillance in January and the company has filmed the city for 300 hours and provided the police department with over 100 investigative reports. According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, which broke the story earlier this week, McNutt developed the program for the Pentagon in 2006 and in 2007 it was used in Iraq.
Legal experts, struggling to catch up with a program that police just admitted exists, are questioning how these tactics will hold up in court.
“It’s highly intrusive surveillance,” said Natalie Finegar, the deputy district public defender, whose office expressed outrage over the program, which was revealed two weeks after the Department of Justice issued a scathing report claiming that the department regularly violated the rights of citizens.
Baltimore’s police commissioner, Kevin Davis, said in a statement that the technology was a reasonable response to the city’s extreme violence. “At a time when 84% of our homicides occur in outdoor public spaces, it seems logical to explore opportunities to capture the brazen killers who don’t think twice about gunning down their victims on our streets,” he said. And police spokesman TJ Smith said the technology has been central in several arrests.
Finegar said arrests that relied on the surveillance could be subject to legal challenge.
“‘If you’re walking down the street and see a blue light camera and it’s been publicly discussed and there were hearings about it, then you understand that you could be being videotaped. But if you have a Cessna flying up out of sight on random days with a 32-mile radius, then it starts to become what legal analysts call ‘aggregate data’ and that has not been held up by some of the appellate courts.”
Shahid Buttar, a constitutional lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the law hasn’t even yet “evolved to reach these circumstances”.
“The court is only now grappling with these kinds of mass surveillance technologies, and the supreme court at least has never ruled on a case like this,” said Buttar. “It’s not the case that this is legal. It is the case that no court has had the chance to clearly declare it illegal yet.”
Jake Laperruque, a privacy fellow at the Constitution Project, said similar issues are now being litigated.
“There’s a strong case to be made, based on what the supreme court has said in the past, that there is a constitutional right to be free from pervasive location tracking without court authorization,” he said.
He added that, absent answers from the Baltimore police about when and how the surveillance technology is used, there “definitely is potential for serious abuse”.
“What’s to say that the Baltimore police couldn’t zoom in on a protest, on a religious ceremony, on an abortion clinic, or just to track people in an arbitrary or improper manner?” he asked.
Part of the problem with ascertaining illegality is that some of the most objectionable practices are being performed by the private company, Persistent Surveillance, and not the police themselves. It is staff of the company who fly the plane, review the tape, and provide reports to police.
“What the private company here is doing would be flatly illegal for the government to do,” Buttar said, noting the irony of the company’s name. “Persistent surveillance has been held unconstitutional by the supreme court [in] US v Jones.”
“Who owns the material is also important,” Finegar said. “Does it belong to law enforcement or is this company now a state actor for purposes of discovery? Or are they going … to try to say that is not discoverable material, it’s not in the hands of the state?”
Finegar faces a practical problem: her office has no way of knowing which cases the technology was used in or what role it played in an investigation.
“It feels less like an investigative tool and like a potential for big brotherhood,” Finegar said. “It really needs to be regulated and it needs to be openly discussed.”
It was the city public defender’s office that uncovered earlier this year the details of the police department’s use of another form of surveillance, Stingray technology, which uses cellphone data to locate individuals without a warrant.
Last April, Maryland’s second highest court ruled that using Stingray to obtain warrants was unconstitutional, calling into question hundreds of cases.
The city council has said it will hold a hearing about the program next month. “The commissioner keeps talking about transparency, but every time we turn around, there’s something else where we’re left on the outside,” councilman Warren Branch told the Baltimore Sun on Thursday.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/baltimore-police-surveillance-legal-questions
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/02f92a378d6a64a8da61cda91c5b56424771f322386ae5a9e2728e94a93ab723.json
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|
[
"Jill Papworth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:30:11 | null | 2016-08-12T06:00:15 |
Feel at home in this former hunting lodge by buying the spacious top-floor apartment
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmoney%2Fgallery%2F2016%2Faug%2F12%2Flive-like-landed-gentry-leicestershire-in-pictures.json
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Live like landed gentry in Leicestershire - in pictures
| null | null |
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There’s the chance to live in a grand house, this former hunting lodge in Burton Lazars, Leicestershire, by purchasing the top-floor apartment, on the market for £109,950 through agent Melton Premier Estate Agency
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/gallery/2016/aug/12/live-like-landed-gentry-leicestershire-in-pictures
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en
| 2016-08-12T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c911f77b65664081369262f48c2c634f11872d4653765cda38be887b0eb8249b.json
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[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:18 | null | 2016-08-25T16:45:55 |
Police watchdog is investigating whether Freemason membership influenced decision-making over 1989 disaster
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fhillsborough-ipcc-investigates-potential-freemason-link-to-disaster.json
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| null |
Hillsborough disaster: IPCC investigates potential Freemason link
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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The police watchdog is pursuing a “further line of inquiry” over whether Freemason membership influenced decision-making over the Hillsborough disaster.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), as part of its overall investigation into alleged criminality and misconduct, has been examining concerns from the families of the 96 victims over Freemason membership.
The United Grand Lodge of England has already provided information including historical attendance records of meetings.
In her latest update on its criminal investigation, the IPCC deputy chair, Rachel Cerfontyne, said: “We are pursuing a further line of inquiry on Freemasons. We are currently liaising with the United Grand Lodge of England, and they are assisting us by checking whether certain individuals involved in Hillsborough were Freemason members.”
The overall match commander, Ch Supt David Duckenfield, told the fresh inquests into the 96 deaths that he had been a Freemason since 1975 and became a worshipful master – head of his local lodge – the year after the 1989 disaster.
He said he did not know if his promotion within South Yorkshire police in the weeks before the tragedy was influenced by his membership of the “secret society” but added: “I would hope not.”
His predecessor, Brian Mole, now dead, had also been a member of the same lodge, jurors were told.
The hearings in Warrington also heard evidence from a police constable who said he heard “a substantial meeting” of senior officers took place in the days after the disaster and it was rumoured most of those attending were Masons.
The coroner, Sir John Goldring, later warned the jury there was “not a shred of evidence” that such a meeting ever took place or that all of those named were Freemasons, and advised them to treat it as “gossip”.
In April, the inquest’s jury concluded the 96 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed and that blunders by South Yorkshire police “caused or contributed to” the disaster at Sheffield Wednesday FC’s stadium.
The IPCC is looking at whether offences such as conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice were committed in the aftermath of the disaster.
A separate criminal investigation, Operation Resolve, is investigating the lead-up to the tragedy and the match day itself with offences considered including gross negligence manslaughter, misconduct in public office and various health and safety breaches.
In her update issued on Thursday, Cerfontyne added: “Both the IPCC and Operation Resolve continue to provide the Crown Prosecution Service with files of evidence so that they can provide early advice and guidance on our key lines of inquiry.
“This is an ongoing process and is our main focus at the moment. We are prioritising their requests and working to deadlines to deliver any additional investigative, analytical and/or research work they need.
“As I have stated previously, this is in preparation for charging decisions, which the CPS will make three to six months after they receive full files of evidence from the investigations at the turn of the year.
“As we come to the latter stages of the investigations, we are examining each line of inquiry and checking for any further work that may be needed. This may mean reassessing certain areas and some investigative actions.
“This important task is being done for thoroughness and so that we can be satisfied we are fulfilling our commitment of delivering a definitive and comprehensive account of what happened at Hillsborough.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/25/hillsborough-ipcc-investigates-potential-freemason-link-to-disaster
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/eadb2285504ad39572e0eef5ecfca7dca143c0ab68c0e5fc2cfdb867b4fb8958.json
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[
"Ian Sample",
"Nicky Woolf"
] | 2016-08-31T12:59:37 | null | 2016-07-27T18:27:27 |
Not only has research funded by the stunt uncovered a gene variant associated with ALS, it has also demonstrated the huge value of scientific collaboration
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2F2016%2Fjul%2F27%2Fhow-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough.json
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| null |
How the ice bucket challenge led to an ALS research breakthrough
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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When Bill Gates pulled on a red and white-striped cord to upturn a bucket of iced water positioned delicately over his head, the most immediate thought for many was not, perhaps, of motor neurone disease.
But the ice bucket challenge, the charity campaign that went viral in the summer of 2014 and left scores of notable persons from Gates and Mark Zuckerberg to George W. Bush and Anna Wintour shivering and drenched, has paid off in the most spectacular way.
Dismissed by some at the time as “slacktivism” - an exercise that appears to do good while achieving very little - the ice bucket challenge raised more than $115m (£88m) for motor neurone disease in a single month. Now, scientists funded with the proceeds have discovered a gene variant associated with the condition.
In the near term the NEK1 gene variant, described in the journal Nature Genetics this week, will help scientists understand how the incurable disorder, known also as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, takes hold. Once the mechanisms are more clearly elucidated, it may steer researchers on a path towards much-needed treatments.
The work may never have happened were it not for the curious appeal of the frozen water drenchings. The research grants that scientists are awarded do not get close to the €4m the study required. Instead, Project MinE, which aims to unravel the genetic basis of the disease and ultimately find a cure, was funded by the ALS Association through ice bucket challenge donations.
It was more than money that made the difference. Jan Veldink, who led the latest research at University Medical Centre in Utrecht, said that ALS charities in the US, UK, the Netherlands and elsewhere joined forces to make the project happen. National funding bodies would do well to do the same, he says. “It is a call for funding agencies to collaborate and not just fund projects within a few hundred kilometres, to think globally and synchronise their efforts.”
'I don't like to sugarcoat anything': Gleason shows reality of living with ALS Read more
Bernard Muller, a Dutch entrepreneur, was diagnosed with the disease in 2010 and decided to turn his business skills to finding a solution. In 2013 he founded Project MinE, starting with thousands of untested blood samples of ALS patients that was gathering dust in a lab in the Netherlands.
He said that when he saw the ice bucket challenge play out on social media, he was thrilled, adding that he was honoured that his project was chosen as a recipient of funds.
“It was one of the most successful campaigns on social media, it came out of the blue,” he said. “The funding has helped us with research, but it has also had a profound effect on the attention not only on the general public but also in biotech and pharmaceutical companies - we are seeing more and more thinking that ALS should be a target [for research].”
The viral campaign was only the start of the crowdfunding effort that brought in the research money. “It was the first and the largest and the most important crowdfunding activity, but then there were city swims in Amsterdam and in New York, and then cycling events,” Veldink said. “The only way we could do this research was through those crowdfunding projects.”
Millions took part in the ice bucket challenge and submitted to a bucket of iced water being poured over their head in return for donations to the charity and the chance to nominate others to follow suit. When Zuckerberg got drenched he challenged Bill Gates who in turn invited Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind SpaceX and Tesla cars to do the same.
Veldink’s team of 80 researchers in 11 countries discovered the link between NEK1 and motor neurone disease by comparing the genomes of thousands of patients with the DNA makeup of healthy controls.
The NEK1 variant appears in only 3% of patients, suggesting more genes that raise the risk of motor neurone disease are out there to be found. But what is known about NEK1 has already got scientists thinking. The gene appears to help repair DNA damage that accumulates as we age. That ties in with motor neurone disease being rare in the under 40s and normally only emerging when people reach their 50s and older. Should the new variant of NEK1 work less well, faults in DNA could build up as people grow old. “It may be that DNA repair is less efficient than in healthy people,” Veldink says.
The ice bucket challenge raised more than £7m for the MND Association in the UK. More than £5m went towards research, with £1.5m going to Project MinE. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation in 2014 showed that, contrary to what some had feared, the majority of people who gave money in response to the ice bucket challenge donated on top of their usual charity giving. The campaign led to a spike in donations in the summer of 2014, particularly from younger people, but overall charity giving has remained fairly stable in the UK at £10bn a year.
Sally Light, chief executive of the MND Association, said: “Motor neurone disease is a devastating disease and kills more than half of people within two years of diagnosis. It’s fantastic that the money raised globally from the Ice Bucket Challenge has contributed towards the discovery of this new gene.
“It’s another step towards understanding so much more about what is such a complicated disease. A huge thank you to everyone who poured iced water over their heads; their support is really making a difference in our fight against MND.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/27/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-led-to-an-als-research-breakthrough
|
en
| 2016-07-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c55ffd1a6a6b796e9a011b7f34b9487f549004c61d782e9cfca99656e8dfea59.json
|
|
[
"Jan Urban"
] | 2016-08-30T04:52:16 | null | 2016-08-30T04:00:20 |
30 Aug 1991: Can Dubcek be all things to all men and all women, Czech and Slovak? The political icon is forced to wrestle with the politics of a divided nation
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Falexander-dubcek-czech-republic-slovakia-1991.json
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en
| null |
Alexander Dubcek and the great divide - archive
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
During the Prague Spring of 1968 Alexander Dubcek represented the people’s hopes for Czechoslovak independence and self-determination. After the Soviet invasion he was transformed into a political icon of a wronged people and a symbol of forbidden thoughts.
The Velvet Revolution provided a great opportunity for glorious comeback. In the first democratic elections, Dubcek was elected the President of the Parliament, from which post he inaugurated Václav Havel into his presidency. Despite this glamorous political record, however, Dubcek ‘s political career is now in jeopardy as the whole of Czech and Slovak political scene shakes.
When the ‘Public Against Violence’ political movement - the Slovak alternative to the Czech Civic Forum - broke up in the spring, Dubcek (who is a Slovak) resigned from its committee. Reluctant to join any political party, he wisely opted for the position of an independent politician. As the Slovak problem began to deepen, the move gave him enough space to manoeuvre within various spheres of politics as they developed in parliament.
Those relatively quiet days are over. From one side, Slovak politicians adopted an increasingly defiant approach to the constitution, especially by insisting on having a Slovak national army. From the other, Czech political figures became impatient with Dubcek’s image as a non-party but left-wing politician. Suddenly Alexander Dubcek does not seem to fit very easily into the changing political scene.
As President of the Federal Parliament, Dubcek cannot say nothing about Slovaks trying to organise illegal military forces. If he wants to sustain his position as the figurehead of Czech and Slovak coexistence, he has to take a public position on this issue. If he does, however, it would be his first disagreement with Slovak politicians and with the Slovak people. It is a stiff challenge to his non-party pro-federal independence.
Dubcek’s situation is a graphic demonstration of the current chaotic Czech and Slovak political scene. Everybody wants to see only that part of Dubcek’s personality which suits their own perspective.
In Slovakia, Dubcek is still the second most popular politician. In spite of his own pro-federal inclination, much of his support comes from Slovak nationalists who like to see him only as a Slovak. The Czech right-wing, which does not think about him in terms of his Slovak nationality at all, merely criticises him for clinging to his ideas of socialism with a human face. Nobody seems to consider him as a life long left-wing, pro-federal Slovak, who was elected as president of the first legitimate and democratic Parliament.
His credit with those who honestly work for the survival of the Czech and Slovak federation still grows. Even the Slovak parties managed to unite to dissuade him from resignation, which demonstrates the respect he enjoys from the Slovaks.
If Alexander Dubcek keeps up his independence of party and if, as president of the Parliament, he maintains constitutional order over the dangerous political events which face the country this autumn, then the survival of the federation is a reasonable possibility. At such a crucial moment, it does not really matter if he is an imperfect chairman of an imperfect parliament. He has a historic responsibility over whether this part of central Europe is divided or united.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/30/alexander-dubcek-czech-republic-slovakia-1991
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/78c194bd0aa8d8c32b3936221223cffb1fa1cc61fdfb8581e23f0f41faad81eb.json
|
|
[
"Agence France-Presse"
] | 2016-08-27T10:51:17 | null | 2016-08-27T10:41:44 |
Officials say 16 victims of blaze at industrial unit in Russian capital thought to belong to printing company were from Kyrgyzstan
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fseveral-people-killed-moscow-warehouse-fire-russia.json
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en
| null |
Kyrgyz migrant workers killed in Moscow warehouse fire
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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At least 16 migrant workers from Kyrgyzstan have died in a fire at a warehouse in Moscow, Russian authorities have said.
Firefighters arrived at 8am (5am BST) on Saturday at the scene, where a blaze had engulfed 200 sq metres of a warehouse in an industrial zone to the north of the Russian capital.
The fire on the fourth floor of the building, which is thought to belong to a printing company, was extinguished at about 10am, officials said.
Tass news agency quoted the Russian emergency ministry as saying: “When the fire was being put out, a room that had been cut off by the flames was discovered. Firefighters tore down the wall and found 16 dead.”
The head of the Moscow branch of the emergency ministry, Ilya Denisov, said the victims were from the former Soviet republic.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw more than 30 migrant workers gathered outside the warehouse, some of whom wept as they waited for news about those who had been in the building when the fire broke out.
Denisov said the blaze was believed to have been caused by a broken lamp in a room containing large quantities of flammable liquid and paper products.
“The fire spread from the first floor through the elevator shaft to the room in which the people were killed,” Denisov told Interfax news agency.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, said the injured had been taken to a local hospital. City authorities have launched an investigation.
“I am certain that those guilty will be found and punished,” Sobyanin tweeted.
In a statement, the Moscow branch of the Russian investigative committee said it was looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/27/several-people-killed-moscow-warehouse-fire-russia
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en
| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/7154cacebaa44e6c369439caa841f7892e2a14e95c1ab9f63ae6a2bf636c7499.json
|
|
[
"Eric Hilaire",
"Photograph",
"Brad Goldpaint Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Ivan Eder Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Giles Rocholl Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Andrew Caldwell Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Gabriel Octavian Corban Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Nicholas Roemmelt Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Bob Franke Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum",
"Scott Carnie-Bronca Royal Observatory Greenwich S Astronomy Photographer Of The Year National Maritime Museum"
] | 2016-08-26T13:27:54 | null | 2016-07-27T07:10:36 |
Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2Fgallery%2F2016%2Fjul%2F27%2Fastronomy-photographer-of-the-year-2016-shortlist-in-pictures.json
|
en
| null |
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 shortlist - in pictures
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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M82: Starburst Galaxy with a Superwind Leonardo Orazi (Italy)
About 12 million light years away from our planet, lies the starburst galaxy M82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy. In a show of radiant red, the superwind bursts out from the galaxy, believed to be the closest place to our planet in which the conditions are similar to that of the early universe, where a plethora of stars are forming.
Photograph: Leonardo Orazi/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum
|
https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2016/jul/27/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-2016-shortlist-in-pictures
|
en
| 2016-07-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/57b97d5a26d71c041cf676e12086ec1dc2bba47a7b4b76984d441b6dc77a7724.json
|
|
[
"Oliver Bullough"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:49 | null | 2016-08-23T07:00:08 |
Crown Agents and two UN agencies are working to root out corrupt intermediaries but are facing politcal resistance to change
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F23%2Fuk-crown-agents-cuts-cost-medicines-quarter-ukraine-health-service.json
|
en
| null |
Ukraine's medicine bill slashed by 25% after UK firm brought in to handle procurement
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
A British company hired to buy medicines for Ukraine’s health ministry has succeeded in cutting prices by up to a quarter, in a rare success for anti-corruption efforts.
Last year, under pressure from activists demanding action against graft, the health ministry brought in Crown Agents, a not-for-profit development company that specialises in the procurement of medicines, and two UN agencies, in the hope this would both lower prices and drive corrupt intermediaries out of business.
Public anger over corruption was a major cause of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution. Shady middlemen dominated state procurement, using offshore companies to syphon cash to insiders, while inflating prices the government paid for crucial goods.
Ukraine could destroy 3.7m polio vaccines despite risk of major outbreak Read more
On the eve of the uprising, Transparency International rated Ukraine alongside Nigeria and Iran on its Corruption Perceptions Index.
Christine Jackson, the senior procurement expert who signed Crown Agents’ contract last November, said: “In the main, I think progress has gone very well.”
The British team is supplying Ukrainian doctors with cancer medicines, while the UN agencies are procuring HIV/Aids medicines and vaccines. Jackson said preliminary figures suggested a saving of 20% to 25%.
However, although Crown Agents succeeded in negotiating lower prices than their Ukrainian predecessors, they have struggled to actually get many drugs to the people who need them. Officials have either failed to sign off on documents, or actively obstructed shipments, meaning the final deliveries are not due until November, some 11 months late.
Members of Ukraine’s parliament have demanded Crown Agents lose its contract for next year as a result, Jackson said. She cannot buy drugs until the health ministry gives final approval, which it has been increasingly reluctant to do, while drugs worth $6m (£4.6m) were still held up at customs.
The SBU, Ukraine’s equivalent of the FBI in the US, said it wanted to check all of Crown Agents’ correspondence.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Service on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in April. The disaster has contributed to Ukraine’s high cancer rate. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
“It’s incompetence, corruption, or just not the will to make a decision,” Jackson said. “From my experience this is quite extreme, so much pushback from so many quarters. You expect it maybe from some of the Ukraine distributors, suppliers having to share the market ... we don’t usually have the same from the client who’s actually contracted with us, so that’s been a real difficulty.”
Healthcare failures
Ukraine’s government is nominally committed to fighting corruption, but has failed to jail any senior figures from the previous regime, and what little progress there is has been largely driven by Ukrainian activists and foreign diplomats, rather than ministers or officials.
At present, prosecutors and anti-corruption investigators are locked in a turf war over who exactly has the right to conduct surveillance, which is threatening to paralyse much of their work.
Cancer is Ukraine’s second-biggest cause of death, with rates driven by widespread smoking and – at least in part – residual radiation from the Chernobyl disaster. Corruption has long blocked effective treatment, starving hospitals of medicines, and keeping doctors’ salaries low. By 2014, the country’s leading oncological centre, the Cancer Institute, had become a post-revolution symbol of how bad things had got, with its doctors in open revolt against its management.
Doctors described having to ask patients for money just to afford spare parts for diagnostic machinery, while patients’ organisations had to arrange black market shipments of drugs to make up for the hospital’s failure to provide them.
Welcome to Ukraine, the most corrupt nation in Europe Read more
Following a Guardian investigation into the institute, its workforce elected a new director, Dr Olena Kolesnyk. By staging transparent tenders for supplies, she too has succeeded in driving down prices. She said that inpatients had started getting meat with their meals for the first time in at least eight years, with new contractors knocking 40% off the institute’s food bill. “Previously, they just had buckwheat porridge, or some pasta maybe,” she said.
She hoped to finally fulfil a long-delayed building project to expand the institute, and to start cooperating with major western centres to make up some of the research ground lost over the years, but was facing exactly the same problems as Crown Agents. Officials at the health ministry were failing to reply to letters, or to make basic decisions – such as about the registration of new medicines – paralysing any hopes of progress.
“Crown Agents didn’t know what they were dealing with,” she said. “But we can’t go back to the past, people won’t allow it. People have changed, their worldview has changed, I don’t think they’ll allow these old schemes to come back.”
Ukraine is now on its fourth health minister since 2014’s revolution, with the appointment of Ulana Suprun last month. She said that she signed about 5,000 documents within two weeks of taking office, just to try to remove the blockages that had built up under the previous administration, and to get the drugs procurement process moving again.
“It’s a steep learning curve but I think we are tackling it. The important thing is to identify the problem and mistakes, and to fix them so it’s smoother,” she said. “This has cut out a lot of corruption, but these forces that caused the corruption in the past are the ones that don’t want us to move forward, and they have a lot of money and a lot of strength.”
She said Ukraine hoped to have its own independent procurement agency by 2019, but would continue to employ international agencies until then.
This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/23/uk-crown-agents-cuts-cost-medicines-quarter-ukraine-health-service
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/beffb44f0a415eaa4801aff22f8f3dd15823a95bbfeb2492a8c1af57af3fda76.json
|
|
[
"Leigh Alexander",
"Matt Shore",
"Elena Cresci"
] | 2016-08-26T13:26:34 | null | 2016-07-08T03:39:51 |
We talk to internet culture experts about how memes are used to generate change in society and politics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2Faudio%2F2016%2Fjul%2F08%2Fhow-memes-create-social-and-political-change-tech-podcast.json
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en
| null |
How memes create social and political change - Chips with Everything tech podcast
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
We talk to internet culture experts about how memes are used to generate change in society and politics
|
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2016/jul/08/how-memes-create-social-and-political-change-tech-podcast
|
en
| 2016-07-08T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/ed22e6e3aa91ef7d3504fb1d45f46eb8df55f5b1a1e3211d83a4fce788e7b9e2.json
|
|
[
"Graham Ruddick"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:18 | null | 2016-08-25T11:21:51 |
Broadcaster formally withdraws proposal to buy eOne, which owns Peppa Pig and distributes films including The BFG
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbusiness%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fitv-entertainment-one-eone-peppa-pig-the-bfg.json
|
en
| null |
ITV drops plans to acquire Entertainment One
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
ITV has abandoned plans to buy Entertainment One, the owner of Peppa Pig.
The broadcaster said in a stock market statement that it had formally withdrawn its proposal to acquire eOne because the two companies could not agree on a price to begin negotiations.
The withdrawal comes just two weeks after it emerged that eOne had rebuffed a £1.01bn offer from ITV, which valued the company at 236p a share, about a fifth higher than eOne’s share price before rumours of a takeover bid emerged.
As well as owning Peppa Pig, eOne distributes television programmes and films, such as David Brent: Life on the Road and The BFG.
The move by ITV was seen as an extension of its strategy to expand its production business and reduce its reliance on advertising income. However, analysts questioned whether ITV should take on eOne’s film distribution business, which is a notoriously volatile industry and relies on the performance of a handful of blockbusters.
Despite not being able to agree on a price, ITV said: “ITV continues to believe in the strategic logic and potential benefits of acquiring eOne but has a clear view of the value of the business, recognising that this value would need to be verified by appropriate due diligence.
“It appears this value is different to the level at which the board of eOne would currently engage in a more formal process. ITV has a clear strategy to build a stronger, more diversified international business and will continue its disciplined approach to evaluating its healthy pipeline of potential investment opportunities.”
Shares in eOne fell 13% to 217.02p following ITV’s statement. ITV’s share price was up just over 1.5% to 205p.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/25/itv-entertainment-one-eone-peppa-pig-the-bfg
|
en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/bdc4d23a30a97cba9e1e8ba3670d0b09185fb9cf31d66752d82ba6aebe1828db.json
|
|
[
"Heather Stewart"
] | 2016-08-29T10:50:02 | null | 2016-08-29T10:06:28 |
Former shadow chancellor says party failed to confront Britain’s problems and reveals tense relationship with Ed Miliband
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fed-balls-labour-did-not-deserve-to-win-election-ed-miliband.json
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en
| null |
Ed Balls: Labour did not deserve to win election
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Ed Balls, former shadow chancellor, has said Labour “didn’t deserve” to win last year’s general election, because under Ed Miliband’s leadership it wasn’t ready to confront Britain’s problems.
Balls says he and Miliband – who beat him to the leadership in 2010 – rarely spoke to each other during the crucial election campaign.
In his memoir, Balls writes: “Having kept me at a distance in the run-up to the election in 2015, I think we probably only spoke twice in the whole four-week election campaign. That was astonishingly dysfunctional when I compare it to how Tony [Blair] and Gordon [Brown] worked.” His book is being serialised in the Times as he prepares to appear on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Balls, whose main focus was seeking to win back Labour’s reputation for managing the economy, also describes his horror when Miliband missed key passages on the deficit and immigration from his 2014 party conference speech - the last before the general election.
“The omissions were a symbol of Labour not being willing to face up to the problems the country was worried about, and proof that we were trying to brush difficult issues under the carpet. We weren’t ready – and didn’t deserve – to return to government. It was incredibly frustrating,” he said.
Miliband initially chose Alan Johnson as his shadow chancellor; but when Johnson stepped down for personal reasons, a deal was brokered between the two leadership rivals, and Balls agreed to serve as shadow chancellor.
Ed Balls admits he is 'scared to death' as he joins Strictly Come Dancing Read more
His memoir makes clear that the relationship between the two men remained testy, however, and Miliband rejected his advice, including on confronting publicly his decision to run against his brother, David, for the leadership.
“Ed never wanted to address the issue, and when asked, he’d pretend that everything was hunky-dory between them, something no one believed,” Balls said.
Balls also addresses the current Labour leadership, warning that Jeremy Corbyn’s brand of “leftist utopian fantasy” will never bring the party back to power, despite rising membership, and the rousing atmosphere of its mass meetings. “Refusing to listen to the electorate has never been a winning formula, any more than Jeremy Corbyn thinking the volume of the cheering from your core supporters is a reliable guide to wider public opinion,” he said.
“Caution will not win the day, but nor will Jeremy Corbyn’s leftist utopian fantasy, devoid of connection to the reality of people’s lives.”
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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/29/ed-balls-labour-did-not-deserve-to-win-election-ed-miliband
|
en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/f0c3d34407b86390431a2869d45a7e6b2e75804f003f277f180444563d224c0c.json
|
|
[
"Source",
"Www.Steampunknz.Co.Nz George Lister Artmanwatercolors Morgan Whitfield"
] | 2016-08-30T12:52:30 | null | 2016-08-30T12:07:52 |
Imagine a Victorian vision of the future spawning a whole world of literature, fashion and culture – that’s steampunk
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fculture%2Fvideo%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fsteampunk-and-the-rise-of-the-modern-day-victorian-inventors-oamaru-new-zealand-video-explainer.json
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en
| null |
Steampunk and the rise of the modern-day Victorian inventors - video explainer
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
In August 2016, Oamaru, New Zealand, broke the world record for the greatest number of steampunks gathered in once place – but what is steampunk? First used in 1987, the term refers to a sub genre of science fiction that imagines a Victorian vision of the future, spawning a whole world of literature, fashion and culture. Photograph: Eliza Clair Cadogan
How an ordinary New Zealand town became steampunk capital of the world
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https://www.theguardian.com/culture/video/2016/aug/30/steampunk-and-the-rise-of-the-modern-day-victorian-inventors-oamaru-new-zealand-video-explainer
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b357e208ee5f4e418499fabf9da178494438436e129ec6adb7bdb721369c5569.json
|
|
[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-26T22:51:04 | null | 2016-08-26T22:02:33 |
The former Rangers striker Kris Boyd caused his old side more frustration as his goal helped Kilmarnock to a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw at Rugby Park
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fkilmarnock-rangers-scottish-premiership-match-report.json
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en
| null |
Rangers held by 10-man Kilmarnock as Kris Boyd frustrates former side
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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The former Rangers striker Kris Boyd caused his old side more early-season frustration as his goal helped Kilmarnock to a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw at Rugby Park.
Premier League: transfer window summer 2016 – interactive Read more
The frontman was part of a team the Rangers chairman, Dave King, claimed had “failed miserably” when they missed out on promotion a year ago.
However, the forward put in a vintage display as he scored his 250th goal in British football with the opener against Mark Warburton’s disjointed Rangers. James Tavernier did level after the break with a superb free-kick but, even though Killie played out the last half-hour a man light after Greg Taylor was sent off for a wild challenge on Joey Barton, the visitors could not find the winning goal.
That means Celtic can overtake their rivals before next month’s Old Firm battle if they beat Aberdeen at Parkhead on Saturday.
Lee Clark – still searching for the perfect Kilmarnock blend after making 15 summer signings – made another six changes for the visit of Rangers, with Gary Dicker, Greg Kiltie, Adam Frizzell, Jonathan Burn, Taylor and Dean Hawkshaw all recalled.
Rangers were forced into a last-minute swap, with Clint Hill coming in for Danny Wilson after the centre-back picked up an injury in the warm-up. The late change did nothing to harmonise a team who have struggled for fluency this season and that only encouraged a fired-up Kilmarnock.
The hosts had a decent claim for a penalty eight minutes in when Hill stopped a Frizzell strike when he raised his hands to protect his face, while Dicker rifled just wide.
The travelling Rangers supporters, disappointed not to see the new signing Joe Garner in the starting lineup, were made to wait only 15 minutes before the £1.5m striker was introduced for the injured Joe Dodoo.
The former Preston poacher’s first touch resulted in him lashing wildly at a Barrie McKay corner and he was high again as Harry Forrester picked him out soon after.
He was soon shown how it should be done as Boyd did what he does best. The 33-year-old had come close with a volley soon after Garner’s introduction but that effort lacked belief. However, his strike on 29 minutes was reminiscent of the days when he used to score on an almost weekly basis during his first stint at Ibrox.
Jonathan Burn cut out a McKay pass and immediately fed Kiltie, who in turn slotted through for Boyd, leaving Hill in his wake; and Boyd turned back the years as he drove the ball past Wes Foderingham.
Tavernier should have equalised 10 minutes later but blazed over after better work by Garner.
The striker threw himself down theatrically looking for a spot-kick early in the second period after tangling with William Boyle but the referee, Kevin Clancy, was not impressed. The official did, though, sanction a free-kick on 59 minutes when Hawkshaw tripped McKay and the result was a superb Tavernier set piece, the right-back sweeping the equaliser over the Kilmarnock wall into the top corner.
Clancy then had another decision to make three minutes later when Taylor dived in dangerously high on Barton but there was no hesitation as he reached for the red card.
With Niko Kranjcar thrown on for Jordan Rossiter, Rangers were finally finding their rhythm. But Jamie MacDonald did better second time round as he pushed away another Tavernier set piece before keeping out a late McKay effort as Rangers dropped points for the second time in four games.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/kilmarnock-rangers-scottish-premiership-match-report
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/32f426fbb880bf85559fcc14b2124405272608024495ae5a102e1d2061874db3.json
|
|
[
"Agence France-Presse In Amatrice"
] | 2016-08-28T16:51:55 | null | 2016-08-28T16:01:19 |
Save the Children set up play area in village affected by Italy earthquake, where children can draw and play with friends
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fsave-the-children-tent-italy-earthquake-amatrice.json
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en
| null |
'It's a safe place': the children's tent in earthquake-hit Amatrice
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Inside a shady tent in the middle of quake-hit Amatrice, a little girl hunches over a table, drawing a picture of the soaring mountains overlooking this small Italian town.
For her, the drawing showed the only thing that remained constant after Wednesday’s earthquake brought death and destruction to a string of remote hilltop towns and villages in central Italy.
Mayor of Amatrice: 'the town isn't here any more' after strong earthquake Read more
Not far from the morgue where families have been identifying their dead, a group of children are playing in a tent set up by Save the Children, using drawing as a way to express the trauma they have experienced.
“This little girl drew the mountains and she told us that they were the mountains of Amatrice, the most beautiful in the world,” said the Save the Children spokeswoman Danilo Giannese. “Then she said: ‘Everything collapsed, except the mountains.’”
That drawing particularly affected those working for the NGO, which has set up a play area where children can recover some sense of the normality which has been lost through the events of recent days. The idea is to create a space where children can be with their peers and express themselves through play and drawing, under the supervision of educators trained to handle emergency situations.
It also gives the parents some time to process their grief, to deal with pressing problems and start planning for the future, knowing their children are enjoying a bit of peace in a safe place, the charity says.
“These are children who have suffered shock: suddenly, they had to abandon their homes and since then, they have only seen destruction,” said Giannese.
Many local children were sent away to relatives or friends in the wake of Wednesday’s deadly quake, in which nearly 300 people died, while others remain in hospital. But about 15 children are currently visiting the tent, which is in a camp set up by the civil protection agency.
Inside the large light-grey tent, the children feel at home. Sitting on chunky plastic chairs around a small round table, several children between the ages of four and eight take crayons out of a box and start drawing. Nearby are red plastic boxes of toy cars and Lego. Outside is a small blackboard easel with a chalk picture drawn on it.
“It’s a safe place, a protected place, where they can also find a bit of peace rather than being outside in all this dust,” said a volunteer.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/28/save-the-children-tent-italy-earthquake-amatrice
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/0c696b4171f3c345ed60da08652859243d7a29d11c292ca8119034421b699b46.json
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[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:37 | null | 2016-08-26T16:08:00 |
Liverpool’s consistency problems have continued from last season and Tottenham Hotspur will be keen to exploit their weakness in defence to secure a pleasing second consecutive victory
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Ftottenham-hotspur-liverpool-match-preview.json
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en
| null |
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool: match preview
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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A lot has happened since Jürgen Klopp’s first game in charge of Liverpool at White Hart Lane last October but not so much has changed. Problems with consistency continue , which Klopp had alluded to well before their chastening defeat by Burnley last weekend. Tottenham Hotspur, too, are yet to find top gear this season after stuttering to their first win of the season against Crystal Palace but Klopp is wary of their talents. “We know they are strong, that’s the only thing we need to know,” he said. “We can be strong too and should show this on Saturday.” Ben Fisher
Kick-off Saturday 12.30pm
Venue White Hart Lane
Last season Tottenham Hotspur 0 Liverpool 0
Live Sky Sports 1
Referee Robert Madley
This season G1, Y3, R0, 3.00 cards per game
Odds H 6-4 A 2-1 D 5-2
Tottenham Hotspur
Subs from McGee, Trippier, Davies, Wimmer, Carter-Vickers, Bentaleb, Mason, Carroll, Winks, Onomah, Chadli, Son, Njie, Lamela
Doubtful None
Injured Lloris (hamstring, 18 Sep)
Suspended Dembélé (last of three)
Form DW
Discipline Y3 R0
Leading scorers Lamela, Wanyama 1
Liverpool
Subs from Manninger, Alex-Arnold, Randall, Matip, Grujic, Stewart, Ings, Origi, Can, Moreno
Doubtful Can (ankle), Coutinho (hamstring), Origi (match fitness)
Injured Gomez (calf), Lucas (hamstring), Sakho (calf, all 10 Sept), Ojo (back, 16 Sept), Karius (hand, 24 Sept)
Suspended None
Form WL
Discipline Y4 R0
Leading scorer Coutinho 2
|
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/tottenham-hotspur-liverpool-match-preview
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/a038b280604e5d7a6be8f0d0f5be3f7b251882de0963ec6cd6439d2539a199a3.json
|
|
[
"Heather Stewart"
] | 2016-08-29T08:52:08 | null | 2016-08-29T08:48:07 |
Rightwing presidential hopefuls want to scrap Le Touquet deal which allows travellers trying to reach the UK to have their passports checked in France
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fuk-warned-calais-border-deal-is-in-danger.json
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en
| null |
UK warned Calais border deal is in danger
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Theresa May’s government could be forced to renegotiate the Le Touquet deal that allows asylum seekers in the Calais migrant camps to have their passports checked in France, Britain’s former ambassador has said.
Rightwing potential presidential candidates, including Alain Juppé and Nicolas Sarkozy, have said the agreement should be torn up; and the president of the region, Xavier Bertrand, said on Monday the current approach should be replaced by a series of “hot spots”, where migrants could apply directly for asylum in Britain.
“It’s not possible to keep people here without a new agreement between the two governments,” Bertrand told the BBC.
As a regional president, Bertrand does not have the power to unpick the deal. But Sir Peter Ricketts, the former French ambassador who retired from his Paris posting in January, told the BBC’s Today programme that if a rightwing candidate wins the presidential election next year, Britain, “is going to have to deal with a pretty serious conversation with France about the Le Touquet agreement”.
He said the UK was unlikely to accept the “hot spot” idea – adopted by the EU to tackle the crisis of mass migration from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East to Greece and Italy – warning that it would attract many more people to Calais. “As soon as you suggest that, it becomes a huge magnet.”
Instead, he said it should be made clear that, under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, migrants wishing to apply for asylum must do so in the first country they reach.
“The way to lower the number of people in Calais is to say that the door is shut,” he said, adding that he “absolutely sympathised” with what the estimated 9,000 inhabitants of the Calais camps are going through.
Bertrand had earlier told Today there should be a “new treatment” for asylum seekers trying to get to Britain from France. He said: “Where is it possible to have this kind of treatment? In England or in France? That is the beginning of the discussion. If the British government don’t want to open this discussion, we will tell you [the Le Touquet] agreement is over.”
The Le Touquet deal, which has been in place for more than a decade, is a reciprocal arrangement under which travellers trying to reach the UK can have their passports checked in Calais – and those trying to reach France can be inspected in Dover.
During the EU referendum campaign, it was suggested – including by the then prime minister, David Cameron – that leaving the EU could jeopardise the agreement.
In a speech in February, Cameron said: “Clearly the point that is being made here is that should we leave the EU then some of these other arrangements that we may have with other countries, for example the juxtaposed controls we have with France, could be called into question.
“The point here is that if that’s called into question and those controls cease to exist, then you have potentially thousands of asylum seekers camped out in Northern France who could be here almost over night.”
Immediately after the Brexit vote the French government sought to reassure Britain that the agreement would remain in place. But with the tone of political debate in France increasingly sceptical about migration, a change of government in Paris could force a rethink long before Brexit is complete.
The current president, François Hollande, discussed the issue with May when the pair met in July, in one of her first foreign trips as prime minister. At the time, she said: “Le Touquet is of benefit I believe to both the UK and France and we are both very clear, Britain now having taken the decision to leave the EU, Le Touquet agreement should stay.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/29/uk-warned-calais-border-deal-is-in-danger
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/3d7bc109e1a0d6ab02049e6e3c297861023204052f42c7a3e597b687f1d01807.json
|
|
[
"Source"
] | 2016-08-29T10:52:15 | null | 2016-08-29T10:27:08 |
Canadian diver Lysanne Richard wins the women’s category for the first time, and Russian Artem Silchenko celebrates his first win since 2014
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Fvideo%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fwinning-27-metre-dive-red-bull-cliff-diving-world-series-2016-italy-video.json
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en
| null |
Winning 27m dive from Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2016 in Italy - video
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Highlights from the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2016 held in Polignano a Mare, Italy, on Sunday. Canadian diver Lysanne Richard wins the women’s competition for the first time, diving from the 21.5m platform. The winner of the men’s category, jumping from the 27m platform, was Russian Artem Silchenko, who celebrates his first win since 2014. Photograph: AFP/Red Bull/Dean Treml
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/2016/aug/29/winning-27-metre-dive-red-bull-cliff-diving-world-series-2016-italy-video
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en
| 2016-08-29T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/3f7514e0d72010bfbbd5fc07eae291eb19df816f8198880612f934c4a3829137.json
|
|
[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-31T10:57:49 | null | 2016-08-31T10:51:01 |
Wet spring and sunny conditions pave the way for a spectacular display of colour, according to the Forestry Commission
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fbritish-weather-paves-way-for-spectacular-autumn-colour-experts-say.json
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en
| null |
British weather paves way for spectacular autumn colour, experts say
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Autumn could come as early as mid-September as a wet spring and sunny conditions pave the way for a spectacular display of colour, the Forestry Commission has said.
England’s wet spring saw rainfall 30% above average in the east and the south, data from the Met Office shows.
But wet conditions combined with sunshine has meant a good growing season for the nation’s trees, helping them build up plenty of the sugars which produce autumn reds, golds and orange as they are absorbed back into the tree, the commission said.
While autumn displays could begin as early as mid-September, continued dry conditions could mean the colours are at their best from mid to late October.
A mild autumn could mean prolonged colour well into November, though a severe frost or storm could cut the show short, according to Andrew Smith, the Forestry Commission’s director at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum in Gloucestershire.
“The abundance of rain we experienced in spring, coupled with above-average sunshine has meant a great growing season for trees as it allows them to build up plenty of sugars in their leaves.
“It is these sugars that produce the rich autumnal colours when they are absorbed back into the tree to help them survive winter.
Why are autumn leaves mostly yellow in Europe and red in North America? Read more
“Autumn’s foliage displays are certainly affected by the weather and this year we have our fingers crossed that it should be good for producing a great autumnal colour display.
“It will depend a bit on the weather in September but the ground work has been laid for a good show,” he said.
Colour changes in tree leaves take place as the days become shorter and evening temperatures cool, with the green chlorophyll in the leaves starting to disappear, exposing yellow and orange hues.
Sunny weather concentrates the sugar in the leaf which speeds up the appearance of red hues, the Forestry Commission said.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/31/british-weather-paves-way-for-spectacular-autumn-colour-experts-say
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/a33566fa9536804e5c9c5779f5ed06b3a6067e5d1acf55d4ed11432102919a76.json
|
|
[
"Guardian Readers"
] | 2016-08-27T18:54:52 | null | 2016-08-03T12:50:09 |
Which brands have you boycotted and why? Share your experiences with us
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbusiness%2F2016%2Faug%2F03%2Funpopular-brands-which-ones-are-you-boycotting.json
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en
| null |
Unpopular brands: which ones are you boycotting?
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
After accusations that Philip Green has been enriching himself at the cost of BHS one reader wrote to ask Hadley whether she should stop buying clothes from Topshop.
Protesters have also been calling on consumers to avoid the hamburger restaurant chain Byron after it facilitated an immigration raid at the Home Office’s request that resulted in several of its staff being deported.
If you’re boycotting a popular high street chain or brand we’d like to hear from you. What are your reasons for doing so? Why do you think it is important to stop buying products from particular shops and restaurants?
You can share your views with us by filling in the form below. We’ll feature some of your contributions in our ongoing reporting.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/03/unpopular-brands-which-ones-are-you-boycotting
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en
| 2016-08-03T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/e556fc05c23003c77ad9f7d660dc54ed429724b2f4f45374c2bb0857afcb3db2.json
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|
[
"Dan Roberts"
] | 2016-08-27T10:51:21 | null | 2016-08-27T10:00:00 |
Despite the Republican nominee’s apparent flip-flopping on his signature immigration issue, those on the alt-right have been emboldened by his candidacy
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fdonald-trump-legacy-race-politics-mainstream.json
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en
| null |
Donald Trump's legacy threatens to be return of race politics to the mainstream
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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The hate that dared not speak its name was in fine voice this week. In a grand Washington townhouse behind the supreme court, the air was thick with talk of what Donald Trump would do for white Americans.
'The races are not equal': meet the alt-right leader in Clinton's campaign ad Read more
“Everyone says we’re a nation of immigrants but we’re not,” said one man, proudly sporting a Trump T-shirt. “We’re a nation of northern European immigrants. We shouldn’t have to pay more just to live among our own demographic.”
“Absolutely,” agreed the woman next him. “My family go back to the 1680s.”
The party, thrown by Breitbart News, former employer of Trump’s new campaign chief Steve Bannon, was given a further veneer of respectability by an author signing a table full of hardbacks with Latin in the title. Ann Coulter’s new book, In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!, echoed the racially triumphant mood.
“The same way virtually any immigrant to Finland makes it less white, almost any immigrant to America makes it less honest,” Coulter writes in her 182-page hagiography. “There’s nothing Trump can do that won’t be forgiven. Except change his immigration policies.”
Unfortunately, at the very moment of the book-signing, that was exactly what Trump was doing.
In an interview on Fox News, the struggling Republican candidate dramatically rowed back on his signature pledge to deport undocumented immigrants, seemingly hoping to recapture moderates alarmed by the stridency of what he appears to have unleashed.
The electoral risk posed by Trump’s flirtation with white nationalism was underlined a day later, when Hillary Clinton used links to so-called “alt-right” thinkers to mount her fiercest attack yet.
“The de facto merger between Breitbart and the Trump campaign represents a landmark achievement for the ‘alt-right’,” Clinton said. “A fringe element has effectively taken over the Republican party. All of this adds up to something we’ve never seen before.”
She added: “This is not conservatism as we have known it. This is not Republicanism as we have known it. These are racist ideas, race-baiting ideas, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-women, all key tenets making up the emerging racist ideology known as the alt-right.”
The speech drew fury from Trump and Breitbart, which accused Clinton of slandering its readers and “label[ing] 31 million people as racists, simply because they don’t agree with her”.
But one need not dig far to find evidence of what Clinton is talking about. Breitbart itself recently claimed the real fascists and racists in America – the true “hate that dares not speak its name” – were the “progressive mob” that “places whites at the bottom of the racial totem pole”.
For critics of the alt-right, the question now is less whether Trump’s backpedalling can save his presidential campaign, but whether the dark forces he has unleashed can ever be put back in the box.
“For white supremacists right now, this is really a moment to cheer,” said Heidi Beirich, of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate groups and extremists across the US. “The first conservative media outlet to embrace white nationalism is merging with the Republican campaign.
“The ideas that they are pushing are the same ones that motivate the alt-right – a rebranding of old white nationalism and an attempt to give respectability to ideas that had long been unacceptable in the American mainstream.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anti-Trump protesters demonstrate outside a meeting between Donald Trump and minority Republicans at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP
The SPLC claims there has been an alarming increase in violent attacks since Trump began to legitimise what were previously fringe views on immigration and race.
It points to Dylann Roof’s shooting dead of nine black people in a church in Charleston last June, the recent killing of a Muslim cleric in New York and the racially charged murder of a Lebanese man in Oklahoma as examples of what could be to come even if Trump loses.
“There has been a lot of political violence in the last eight years and this might be something that comes up again if Trump is unsuccessful,” said Beirich, in a conference call with reporters.
“We are concerned about domestic terrorism and an organised white nationalist political movement and these are all things that Trump and Steven Bannon have bequeathed us.”
For Trump – who called the Charleston murders “incomprehensible” – these are slurs from a liberal left that is running out of ideas for addressing the bigger challenge: lifting African Americans and legal Latino migrants out of poverty.
“She is a bigot,” he said of Clinton. “She is selling them down the tubes because she’s not doing anything for those communities. She talks a good game. But she doesn’t do anything.”
Coulter, meanwhile, denied she had fallen out with Trump over his rethink on deportation, amid questions over whether it amounts to a rethink at all.
But no amount of back and forth over the question of immigration can disguise the extent to which, for the first time in decades, race is a mainstream political talking point.
In Tennessee recently, an independent candidate for Congress thanked Trump for “loosen[ing] up the overall spectrum of political discourse”. The candidate echoed the presidential campaign slogan with a billboard that read: “Make America White Again.”
Online, prominent alt-right figures happily describe themselves as “American nationalists”, poke fun at the media’s political correctness and accuse Clinton of supporting “Black Panthers who want to murder crackers”.
But Trump’s focus on immigration has arguably raised the temperature offline too. In Virginia, for example, a Latina waitress attracted national attention after she received a racist note instead of a tip. “We only tip citizens,” read the scrawl on the cheque.
‘A sense that white identity is under attack’: making sense of the alt-right Read more
Veteran civil rights campaigners think there is no going back for the Trump campaign – only the hope that enough people vote against him to limit his future impact on the national debate.
“He’s afraid his xenophobia, his racism, is going to wreck his chances for the White House,” said Ben Jealous, a former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pointing to Trump’s history of questioning Obama’s nationality as an example of a long track record.
“But his problems with race are set in stone, there is no going back on it. He’s not going to convince black and brown folks to vote for him.
“The test this fall and the reason we can’t celebrate yet is that Trump is inspiring people on both sides. He’s inspiring black and brown voters to turn out to defend their basic civil rights, but he’s also inspiring the most extremist elements in the white community, many of whom are typically not involved [in electoral politics].
“That’s why this fall will be a showdown for this country, a referendum on whether we are a country prepared to move forward on race or backwards quickly.”
|
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/27/donald-trump-legacy-race-politics-mainstream
|
en
| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/be1c0a6ebf96a677af5cb9f03f32face9dc2a7963eb37c0538df3e482f14cc5b.json
|
|
[
"Mark Sweney"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:47 | null | 2016-08-25T15:49:15 |
Shane Smith says BBC appears to have lost young viewers since channel went online-only
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmedia%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fvice-media-bbc3-shane-smith-bbc.json
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en
| null |
Vice Media founder: I wouldn't have closed BBC3 TV channel
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Shane Smith, the founder of Vice Media, has said that he wouldn’t have taken the decision to shut the BBC3 TV channel.
The corporation shut the channel in February, arguing that its youth audience is increasingly turning to digital media to find and watch content instead of traditional TV.
Asked in a session at the Edinburgh TV Festival what he would do in his first 100 days if he ran the BBC, Smith said: “reopen BBC3 on TV”.
BBC sees almost 20% drop in youth viewing after BBC3 TV channel axed Read more
Smith, a believer in developing the Vice brand over multiple media platforms, pointed to recently published figures that appear to show that the BBC has lost young viewers since closing the channel.
“If you look at the numbers the numbers say it is bad because their competitors got a 20% lift and they got a 20% hit and that 20% didn’t come back,” he said. “I think if you look at it that way, it was not good.”
By contrast Vice, which has been built into a $4.5bn (£3.4m) business off the back of successfully appealing to a youth audience online, has branched into traditional media, launching more than 50 Viceland TV channels.
“If you look at the numbers as millennials get more purchasing power they buy more screens – that can be a computer screen, for Netflix, Apple TV, all different kinds of things – but they are buying screens,” he said.
“I don’t know that I would have closed it down. I think I would have waited a little bit. But I know the [BBC’s] mandate is ‘we’ve got to get more millennials we’ve got to get online’ but if you had an asset that that’s good, that’s beautiful. What I would have done is partnered with Vice.”
The BBC’s governing body, the BBC Trust, had warned the corporation before it moved to take the channel online-only that as many as 750,000 viewers who use no other BBC TV service could be lost.
The BBC claims that the BBC3 shift online, where increasing numbers of its young audience prefer to watch shows, has been a success.
Before the closure of the TV channel and the focus online, BBC3 shows accounted for about 4% of total iPlayer requests; now they account for about 11%.
BBC3 kidnap thriller Thirteen has proved to be the single most popular show on the iPlayer this year, with about 3m requests, beating the England v Wales Euro 2016 clash at 2.8m.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/25/vice-media-bbc3-shane-smith-bbc
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/cfcdf9c8d64b6e8c60dfa470edc457677ad547a4b6fa17c79b8de9cc9c74bb78.json
|
|
[
"Dominic Fifield"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:43 | null | 2016-08-23T09:00:11 |
The Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fàbregas served notice of his qualities with an assist against Watford but he is no longer an obvious pick in Antonio Conté’s high-tempo set-up
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2Fblog%2F2016%2Faug%2F23%2Fcesc-fabregas-antonio-conte-chelsea.json
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en
| null |
Cesc Fàbregas and Antonio Conte facing up to their marriage of convenience
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
One week and two nerve‑jangling successes into Antonio Conte’s career as a Premier League manager the Italian will recognise better now the value of one of those he inherited. Cesc Fàbregas has become a recurring theme in the Italian’s post-match media briefings, whether he has been explaining the playmaker’s omission from the side, praising his professionalism in striving for a recall or hailing his impact from the bench. “We all know Cesc is a great player with a great technique,” he had said after the victory at Watford on Saturday, “always with a good pass or assist.” The interception and first-time delivery, scything between backtracking centre-halves for Diego Costa to score Chelsea’s late winner, had proved as much.
Yet there have been times this summer when those qualities actually appeared dispensable. Fàbregas has been wondering where he might fit in since mid-April, when he was a studio guest on Sky’s Premier League coverage as the top flight digested the news that Conte was bound for south‑west London after Euro 2016. He had said then he might not be the all‑action midfielder who would fit the manager’s favoured profile. The 29‑year‑old does not charge around the pitch, closing down opponents or working feverishly to reclaim possession. His own game is not about blistering pace off the mark or any great mobility when working defensively, but relies instead on more subtle contributions, whether inventive or sly in the challenge. Oscar, for all that his end product so often falls flat, offers greater energy.
Perhaps scarred by his experiences back at Camp Nou when he had slipped out of Barcelona’s mouthwatering midfield with his style apparently lacking the required intensity, Fàbregas appeared to be pinning his hopes on Conte handing him the Andrea Pirlo role. “Why not?” he had suggested that Monday night when asked if he could play the quarter-back position, in front of the rearguard, where Pirlo had been imperious for Juventus. “I love coming deep for the ball. I love long-range passes and connecting with people at the front.”
The problem is, of course, that the frenetic English game rarely lends itself to such composed conjuring from deep. Chelsea’s midfield sitter of choice is N’Golo Kanté, a player whose idea of relaxation would be to crank up the incline on a treadmill. Conte’s nominated defensive shield is charged as much with intercepting and closing down as distributing. The Spaniard prefers a more sedate involvement, picking his passes and moments to influence the contest.
Kanté will not be displaced any time soon, with Fàbregas’s dismissal against Liverpool in the team’s first friendly of their pre-season tour of the United States, for an ugly foul on Ragnar Klavan at the Rose Bowl, distinctly untimely. If he was looking to convince Conte he should be integral, his chance was gone.
A little over three weeks and five first-team games later he has still to play a full 90 minutes. His omission from the starting lineup for the fixtures against West Ham and Watford felt almost inevitable, with Conte clearly unconvinced this was a player with the legs to thrive in the four-man midfield ahead of Kanté. Back in Chelsea’s title-winning season, Fàbregas’s first at the club, he had flourished to the tune of three goals and 18 assists while benefiting from Nemanja Matic’s gargantuan performances at his side.
That combination had felt thrilling but with the Serb diminished these days the former Arsenal player had become peripheral. Then came a stodgy display at Vicarage Road, a need to unlock an increasingly cluttered defence and a chance to prove his pedigree. Desperation has driven Conte’s switch to two up front in his league games to date but Fàbregas remains the only player in the setup who guarantees a supply line through massed ranks of opponents, as Watford were duly reminded.
It may be that this is his role from now on. When rivals seek to stifle, on trots Fàbregas to pick them apart while Kanté tears around tirelessly. Eden Hazard went public in his praise for a player who seems to sniff out space to exploit. Yet the sense persists this is very much a marriage of convenience, with manager and playmaker left with little option but to make the situation work.
Fàbregas may have heard talk of interest from Juventus earlier in the summer but it soon fizzled out to nothing. At this stage of his career, and with last season’s toils still fresh in the memory, is he really likely to be the subject of concrete offers from other elite clubs?
Chelsea, for their part, are running out of time to make an eye-catching signing to bolster their midfield, and cannot even offer the carrot of European football to those players they do covet. Rather, they must tap into the talent provided by the World Cup winner. It is in his understanding with Costa where Fàbregas is key. The pair are close friends off the pitch and enjoy an almost telepathic relationship on it with the striker apparently convinced he will contribute between five and 10 more goals per season if the Spaniard is integrated into the team.
The assist on Saturday could have been plucked from late 2014 when Chelsea were all-conquering, justifying the joyous ovation the substitute had been granted from the travelling support in the Vicarage Road end up his introduction. The midfielder does not quite fit into this side as snugly as he once did, but Conte should still be grateful to have him.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/23/cesc-fabregas-antonio-conte-chelsea
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en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/108221d7e48f58157477fa3005b70a45e47fc044dd1d0e2659e88c20b71166cf.json
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[
"Rachel Woodlock"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:57 | null | 2016-08-25T13:47:38 |
Instead of co-opting rightwing voters, French politicians should admit beach-loving Muslim women are allies in the fight against perverted Isis ideology
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All hail the burkini’s blend of Islamic values and western lifestyle
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www.theguardian.com
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Men forcing women to remove their clothes is never going to look like freedom, equality, and encouraging “good morals”, no matter the justification. There are now 15 French towns that have targeted beach-loving Muslim women in the wake of July’s terrorism-linked murders in Nice and Normandy. When the inevitable pictures of French police enforcing the burkini ban emerged this week, we saw not an effective counter-terrorism measure, but a clumsy attempt to push back against Islam’s visibility in France.
Sarkozy calls burkinis a 'provocation' that supports radical Islam Read more
Keen to win over anti-immigration supporters from the right in his forthcoming bid for the French presidency, the former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy jumped in to the debate yesterday evening, claiming that burkinis are a sartorial prison and a “provocation” that supports radicalised Islam.
It’s a theme being repeated all over Europe, where the palpable fear of Islamic religiosity conflates its most extreme, violent and – as Charles Kurzman argues in his book The Missing Martyrs – rare form with the peaceable faith of ordinary Muslims. Yet we know from researching the lives of Muslims in western countries that most do not want to hide away in isolated ghettos, or abandon their cultural heritage and assimilate into invisibility. They want to find a happy balance between the two: adapting and integrating into western societies, and being acknowledged as fully contributing and worthy citizens in the nation states they call home.
It’s in this middle way between isolation and assimilation that the burkini emerged in Australia more than a decade ago. It was the creation of Aheda Zanetti, who wanted to design swimwear for Muslim women keen to splash around in the water with everyone else, but who still wanted to observe aspects of traditional Islamic modesty.
It’s the same reason that a plethora of hijabi fashionistas have sprung up on social media, the most popular of whom is a young British woman known as Dina Tokio. With an Egyptian father, an English mother and a London accent, she has over half-a-million subscribers on YouTube who watch her reviewing halal nailpolish (the ordinary stuff is no good as water cannot permeate during washing for daily prayers) and give make-up and turban-wrapping tutorials for trendy Muslim girls. Tokio epitomises the fusion of an Islamic religious identity with the multibillion-dollar beauty industry that has barely begun to tap the female Muslim market.
It’s not just clothes and fashion that the religious are adapting to meet the needs they have as western Muslims. You can watch non-swearing stand-up comedians joke about “flying while Muslim”, as you eat turkey bacon on your pizza and drink non-alcoholic beer. Modern Islamic finance was developed in the Muslim-majority world as a response to western markets and global banking in the 20th century, designed to avoid interest-based lending and non-halal investments in pork, alcohol, and gambling; and to encourage risk-sharing: all pillars of sharia-based commerce.
'Like a poison': how anti-immigrant Pegida is dividing Dresden Read more
These, along with the burkini, are examples of how Muslims are evolving and adapting to living western lives. Stretching extra material around your arms, legs and head is not the provocative symbol of foreign subjugation. There is no place for a beach-loving, burkini-clad woman in Islamic State’s perverted vision of female segregation where women are completely hidden and trapped. But I suspect even French politicians know that.
The rise of rightwing anti-immigrant movements, such as Pegida in Germany, who find their greatest support among the struggling working class and unemployed, is worrying – as is the almost phobic reaction of political elites to any form of public religiosity. This is the context in which marginalised Muslims are vulnerable to terrorist recruiters.
The good news is that the vast majority of Muslims are resilient. Those who are religious – not all Muslims, it must be recognised – are successfully finding ways of adapting reasonable faith requirements to daily living in western nations. Whether western political leaders can afford to recognise this, and undermine rightwing nationalism, is another question.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/25/burkini-french-muslim-isis
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c696ebf5c4138c671ed43c984dc8a6ab41e72cf2b7f0e3ce2fea42c169e0d6bb.json
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[
"Lauren Leatherby",
"Rich Harris",
"Guardian Us Interactive Team"
] | 2016-08-28T04:51:42 | null | 2016-08-28T04:00:22 |
Historically, presidential candidates as unpopular as Donald Trump faced decimation in the electoral college. But thanks to the increasing polarization of both parties and voters, that has become a thing of the past
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fswing-states-donald-trump-republican-democrat-polarization.json
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Swing states: how changes in the political landscape benefit Trump
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www.theguardian.com
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The map of competitive states is expanding this year as Donald Trump’s poll numbers dipped to surprising lows in historically red states such as Georgia and Arizona. The last time either state voted Democratic was two decades ago.
But even as the small club of battleground states grows this year, fewer than 10 states will likely determine the outcome of this year’s race.
Relying on the same handful of states to decide the outcome of presidential elections is a fairly recent phenomenon. Just three decades ago, when politics weren’t yet so polarized, all 50 states were up for grabs, swinging between parties from one election to the next.
Looking somber and drained near midnight on 6 November 1984, Democrat Walter Mondale conceded victory to Ronald Reagan in the presidential election after Reagan won 49 of 50 states. Mondale won only his home state of Minnesota.
Such blowout elections may seem incredible today, but Reagan’s win was less exceptional at the time. Just 12 years earlier, in 1972, Richard Nixon also swept 49 out of 50 states against George McGovern to become president. And in 1964, Lyndon B Johnson won 44 states to Barry Goldwater’s six.
That’s in stark contrast to today’s political landscape.
Despite campaign troubles and low favorability ratings, Trump will almost certainly win at least 20 states, if not 25 – half the US – on election night. In a different decade, a candidate plagued by controversial statements, with a historically underfunded campaign, and who many party elites have publicly denounced might have been tanking in more states.
The term “swing states” is well known today, but the same few states determining several consecutive presidential elections is a recent occurrence.
The phrase “swing state” wasn’t mentioned in books until the 1950s, according to Google Ngram Viewer, a service that shows how often phrases have been used in texts over time. But between 2000 and 2008, usage of the term more than tripled. During that period, Ohio, Florida, Virginia and a handful of others coalesced into the group we now think of as swing states.
Since 2000, 40 states have voted for the same party’s candidate in all four presidential elections. By contrast, in the four elections between 1984 and 1996, states “swung” more often: only 17 states voted for the same party’s candidate in the four consecutive elections during that period.
Increasing political polarization is a big factor in the swing state phenomenon. The roots of current polarization stretch back to about the 1970s; since then, the parties have become not only more ideologically sorted but also more ideologically divergent, and their members more hostile toward the opposing party.
Liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats used to make up a much larger share of both the US Congress and the broader population. Even a decade ago, conservative Democratic representatives in Congress voted alongside Republicans almost as often as they voted alongside Democrats. Now, conservative Democrats in the House and Senate have been unseated by Republicans, and liberal Republicans have lost their seats to Democrats.
It’s also increasingly rare for members of either party to break party lines when voting, both for ideological reasons and as strategic moves in an increasingly intense competition for party control.
Voters’ ideas are also becoming more homogenous and more in sync with their chosen party’s platform. In 1994, Pew Research Center found that only about one in 10 Americans expressed views across a range of issues that were either consistently conservative or consistently liberal. Today that number is one in five. Both parties’ median ideologies have also drifted apart between 1994 and 2016, which means there is less common ground between the parties.
In addition to increasing ideological differences and greater ideological sorting, Republicans and Democrats have much more animosity toward one another today compared to 20 years ago.
In another 1994 Pew survey, about one in five Americans on either side of the political aisle reported having a “very unfavorable” view of the opposing political party. Today that number has increased to three in five. When just “unfavorable” views are added in, around 90% of Americans report having unfavorable or very unfavorable views of their political opponents.
Americans’ strong distaste for the opposing party and growing ideological gap mean that today’s voters aren’t likely to switch between parties frequently, if at all.
But the way a state votes is not immune to long-term change. Demographic shifts – including growing urbanization, migration and an ageing population – mean that the swing states of the future may be different than the swing states of today. But unless politics become vastly less polarized, swing states are here to stay.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/28/swing-states-donald-trump-republican-democrat-polarization
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/ed8253356b0540f802d0a3eb5f2372653dd733a496176f13ce8d7ac6a55d4456.json
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[
"Graham Ruddick",
"Dan Milmo",
"Aditya Chakrabortty",
"Owen Jones"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:59 | null | 2016-08-24T16:21:38 |
Virgin Trains’ dispute with the Labour leader has turned fares, strikes and overcrowding into political issues
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbusiness%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fvirgin-trains-fares-overcrowding-jeremy-corbyn-railways-q-and-a.json
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Are trains in Britain as overcrowded as Jeremy Corbyn claims?
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Jeremy Corbyn’s attempt to highlight overcrowding on the rail network by sitting down on a Virgin service from London to Newcastle has erupted into a political storm. The incident has raised a number of questions, including whether overcrowding is a genuine problem on Virgin services and whether the Labour leader’s policy of nationalising train operators will make services less crowded and bring down fares.
1) How overcrowded are Virgin Trains services on a regular basis?
Virgin Trains operates two franchises – the west coast and the east coast. Virgin has run the west coast, which includes trains from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland since 1997. It took on the east coast – which runs trains from London to Newcastle, Leeds, York and Scotland – last year.
Virgin v Jeremy Corbyn: what rail passengers think of Traingate – live Read more
Jeremy Corbyn was travelling on the east coast service from London King’s Cross to Newcastle. This service is not listed by the Department for Transport as one of the 10 most overcrowded train services in Britain. In fact, passengers on Virgin Trains are more satisfied with the space on their train than most other services. The latest survey by passenger group Transport Focus found that 80% of passengers rated the Virgin Trains as “satisfied or good” in terms of the room for passengers to sit and stand between London and the north east of England. Out of 78 routes in Britain, only 14 scored higher, with five of those being Virgin Trains services too. Overall customer satisfaction on the route was rated as 86% by Transport Focus.
However, the government’s Office of Rail and Road found Virgin Trains has the highest number of complaints per 100,000 journeys in the UK. The main complaint was the train’s facilities, which the ORR said was due to the franchise covering longer distances than other services.
Virgin Trains has announced plans to launch a new fleet of 65 Virgin Azuma trains from 2018, which the company says will increase capacity into London on the east coast line by 28% at peak times.
2) How does overcrowding on Virgin services compare with the rest of the network and what are the most overcrowded routes in Britain?
In contrast to Virgin Trains, just 47% of passengers on c2c’s Tilbury line in Essex and TfL Rail in London rated the space to sit and stand as “satisfied or good”. Although the TfL Rail service is operated by MTR Corporation, a private company, it is controlled by a public authority - Transport for London.
Figures from the Department for Transport show the 10 busiest train services are commuter services travelling through London or Manchester. Staggeringly, the two busiest services carry more than double than number of passengers they are supposed to. The busiest train in autumn 2015 was the 06.57 from Brighton to Bedford, which travels through London. At its busiest point at 08.20 at London Blackfriars, the Govia Thameslink service carries 960 standard class passengers, compared with a recommended load of 480. The second most crowded services in the 04.22 from Glasgow Central to Manchester Airport. When it reaches Manchester Airport at 08.22 it is carrying 410 passengers, compared with a recommended load of 191.
3) Will fare reform – such as the introduction of airline-style pricing – solve the problem and get Jeremy a seat?
The introduction of airline-style seat pricing would result in the lifting of caps – limits on annual increases in prices – on certain fares such as off-peak return tickets on long distance journeys and anytime tickets around major cities. Season tickets are also capped, although allowing limitless increases on those would probably be politically untenable.
So, would ramping up fares on popular off-peak services like the 11am from London to Newcastle ease overcrowding? In terms of discouraging all but urgent travel on that service, and diverting those who don’t need to journey at that time on to different and cheaper services, then yes. But unless train operators pledge to make no more money from this new arrangement than they do currently, it leaves the door open to price gouging of, say, football fans or people who have to make urgent journeys for family reasons. Thus, higher profits for the likes of Virgin. This might pose political problems for the minister pushing this solution because the government sets rail fare policy.
4) Will nationalising the railways reduce overcrowding and make fares cheaper, as Corbyn claims?
Dividends paid to private train operators like Virgin reached £222m last year. Reclaim those for the public purse and it is a small contribution to the annual running costs of the railways of £13.6bn. So kicking private companies off the railways does not seem a long-term answer in terms of buying more trains – a big order for a single commuter route costs at least £1bn – or subsidising fare expenditure, which saw commuters shell out £8.8bn in 2014-15. The easiest way to reduce that fare expenditure is to look at the other side of the rail funding equation: the state. The taxpayer puts in around £3.5bn a year and if that is to increase as a Labour policy, Corbyn will need to find the money from somewhere.
5) What are the other potential solutions to overcrowding and expensive fares?
Reduce industry costs, which rose by 7%, or £900m, last year. The consequences of trying to pull that off are being played out on the Southern commuter route in London currently. Southern is introducing trains that don’t need guards, which are cheaper to operate in the long run, and it has triggered a series of strikes. Better management of industrial relations is needed to pull off meaningful cost reductions.
Secondly, costs need to fall at Network Rail, the state-owned company that operates the country’s tracks and stations. It has debts of more than £40bn and those need to be reduced. Cutting fare revenue would have to be balanced, potentially, by adding to that debt in order to make good the funding shortfall.
6) With the Southern dispute entering another month of strikes, are the railways in a bit of a mess?
The railways are in a much better state than they were at the peak of the Railtrack debacle in 2000, which ultimately saw the government take back control of the nation’s tracks and stations through the creation of Network Rail. Since that lowpoint, rail safety and punctuality has improved and passenger use has rocketed, You could argue that overcrowding is a consequence of success as more and more people use a reliable service.
7) Why did Virgin Trains go public with its footage of Corbyn?
Corbyn’s comments about overcrowding on Virgin Trains undoubtedly struck a raw nerve with Sir Richard Branson, who fiercely protects the reputation of his brands. Virgin Trains will soon be bidding to extend the west coast franchise, which ends in 2018, so will be anxious to correct any perceptions that its services are overcrowded and that customer satisfaction is falling.
The Labour leader has described Branson as a “tax exile” and made it clear that he wants to nationalise the railways, meaning Branson had an extra incentive to respond to Corbyn rather than let his comments pass. A cynic may also suggest that traingate helped to take some of the spotlight away from British Airways bringing Great Britain’s Olympic athletes back from Rio de Janeiro. BA is a bitter rival of Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic. It has taken Virgin Trains a week to respond to Corbyn’s video.
8) How much has Virgin Trains benefited from privatisation?
Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast, is 51% owned by Branson’s Virgin Group and 49% by transport group Stagecoach. Virgin Trains East Coast is 90% owned by Stagecoach and 10% by Virgin.
In the last 10 years, Virgin Rail Group has paid out dividends to its shareholders worth £414.9m. This works out as £211.6m for Virgin and £203.3m for Stagecoach.
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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/24/virgin-trains-fares-overcrowding-jeremy-corbyn-railways-q-and-a
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| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/8fbee3ef5bb3e20fcb1cbe90d1314a2430abf9804d466f80caa3b33615623ffe.json
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[] | 2016-08-26T13:22:39 | null | 2016-08-24T18:05:55 |
Letters: I introduced her to my press colleagues as ‘Barbara Streis-n’d’. ‘It’s Streis-AND!’ she hissed noisily in my left ear
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On the receiving end of Barbra Streisand’s control freakery
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I was amused to read of Barbra Streisand’s latest bout of control freakery (Streisand takes issue with Siri over surname, 23 August). Some years ago I was chairing a press conference for The Mirror Has Two Faces, an oddly appropriate title for a mediocre film which she both directed and co-starred in. After being asked first to move to her right side, presumably to enjoy a kinder profile, she then reacted again after I introduced her to my press colleagues as “Barbara Streis-n’d”. “It’s Streis-AND!” she hissed noisily in my left ear, to which I reacted with a nervous titter.
Quentin Falk
Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire
• All my life I’ve been telling people my surname is pronounced with a V, not a W. Could Barbra Streisand start phoning the heads of global corporations for me and others who live with a similar affliction, to make them get it right?
Mark Lewinski
Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
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https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/24/on-the-receiving-end-of-barbra-streisand-control-freakery
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en
| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c2ed200ff91a7a9585d5a52304d70a88ca9423833efd5f770731036da29a1918.json
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[
"Ed Yong"
] | 2016-08-26T13:27:29 | null | 2016-08-25T05:00:02 |
The Long Read: Most of us think of microbes as germs to be feared and killed. In fact they hold the key to improving our health – and may be the key to tackling obesity
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Gut reaction: the surprising power of microbes
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Supported by Squarespace
‘So, what’s in the thermos?” I asked.
I was standing in a lift at Washington University in St Louis, with Professor Jeff Gordon and two of his students, one of whom was holding a metal canister.
“Just some faecal pellets in tubes,” she said.
“They’re microbes from healthy children, and also from some who are malnourished. We transplanted them into mice,” explained Gordon, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
The lift doors opened, and I followed Gordon, his students, and the thermos of frozen pellets into a large room. It was filled with rows of sealed chambers made of transparent plastic. Peering inside one of these chambers, I met the eyes of one of the strangest animals on the planet. It looked like just a mouse, and that is precisely why it was so weird. It was just a mouse, and nothing more.
Almost every other animal on Earth, whether centipede or crocodile, flatworm or flamingo, hippo or human, is a teeming mass of bacteria and other microbes. Each of these miniature communities is known as a microbiome. Every human hosts a microbiome consisting of some 39 trillion microbes, roughly one for each of their own cells. Every ant in a colony is a colony itself. Every resident in a zoo is a zoo in its own right. Even the simplest of animals such as sponges, whose static bodies are never more than a few cells thick, are home to thriving microbiomes.
But not the mice in Gordon’s lab. They spend their entire lives separated from the outside world, and from microbes. Their isolators contain everything they need: drinking water, brown nuggets of chow, straw chips for bedding, and a white styrofoam hutch for mating in privacy. Gordon’s team irradiates all of these items to sterilise them before piling them into loading cylinders. They sterilise the cylinders by steaming them at a high temperature and pressure, before hooking them to portholes in the back of the isolators, using connecting sleeves that they also sterilise.
It is laborious work, but it ensures that the mice are born into a world without microbes, and grow up without microbial contact. The term for this is “gnotobiosis”, from the Greek for “known life”. We know exactly what lives in these animals – which is nothing. Unlike every other mouse on the planet, each of these rodents is a mouse and nothing more. An empty vessel. A silhouette, unfilled. An ecosystem of one.
Each isolator had a pair of black rubber gloves affixed to two portholes, through which the researchers could manipulate what was inside. The gloves were thick. When I stuck my hands in, I quickly started sweating.
I awkwardly picked up one of the mice. It sat snugly on my palm, white-furred and pink-eyed. It was a strange feeling: I was holding this animal but only via two black protrusions into its hermetically sealed world. It was sitting on me and yet completely separated from me. When I had shaken hands with Gordon earlier, we had exchanged microbes. When I stroked this mouse, we exchanged nothing.
The mouse seemed normal, but it was not. Growing up without microbes, its gut had not developed properly – it had less surface area for absorbing nutrients, its walls were leakier, it renewed itself at a slower pace, and the blood vessels that supplied it with nutrients were sparse. The rest of its body hadn’t fared much better. Compared with its normal microbe-laden peers, its bones were weaker, its immune system was compromised, and it probably behaved differently too. It was, as microbiologist Theodor Rosebury once wrote, “a miserable creature, seeming at nearly every point to require an artificial substitute for the germs [it] lacks”.
Most microbes do not make us sick. At worst, they are hitchhikers. At best, they are invaluable parts of our bodies
The woes of the germ-free mouse vividly show just how invaluable the microbiome is. Most of us still see microbes as germs: unwanted bringers of pestilence that we must avoid at all costs. This stereotype is grossly unfair. Most microbes do not make us sick. At worst, they are passengers or hitchhikers. At best, they are invaluable parts of our bodies: not takers of life but its guardians. They help to digest our food, educate our immune systems, protect us from disease, sculpt our organs, guide our behaviour, and maintain our health. This wide-ranging influence explains why the microbiome has, over the last decade, become one of the hottest areas of biology, and why Gordon – arguably the most influential scientist in the field – is so fascinated by it.
By studying our microbial companions, he is trying to unpick exactly how the microbiome is connected to obesity and its polar opposite – malnutrition. He is studying which species of microbes influence these conditions, and how they in turn are influenced by our diets, our immune systems, and other aspects of our lives. Ultimately, he wants to use that knowledge to manipulate the microbial worlds within us to improve our health.
Jeff Gordon may be one of the most respected scholars of the human microbiome, but he is also one of the hardest to get in touch with. It took me six years of writing about his work to get him to answer my emails, so visiting his lab was a hard-won privilege. I arrived expecting someone gruff and remote. Instead, I found an endearing and affable man with crinkly eyes, a kindly smile, and a whimsical demeanour. As he walked around the lab, he called people “professor” – including his students. His aversion to the media comes not from aloofness, but from a distaste for self-promotion. He even refrains from attending scientific conferences, preferring to stay out of the limelight and in his laboratory.
Ensconced there, Gordon has done more than most to address how microbes affect our health. But whenever I asked Gordon about his influence, he tended to deflect credit on to students and collaborators past and present – a roster that includes many of the field’s biggest stars. Their status testifies to Gordon’s – he’s not just a king, but a king-maker, too. And his figurehead status is all the more remarkable because long before the microbiome crossed his mind, he was already a well-established scientist who had published hundreds of studies on how the gut develops in a growing human body.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Professor Jeff Gordon, one of the world’s leading experts on the human microbiome, talks to students at Washington University in St Louis. Photograph: Mark Katzman
In the 1990s, he started to suspect that bacteria influence this process, but he was also struck by how difficult it would be to test that idea. The gut contains thousands of species of microbes. Gordon aimed to isolate parts of this daunting whole and examine it under controlled conditions. He needed that critical resource that scientists demand but biology withholds: control. In short, he needed germ-free mice – and lots of them – so he bred them himself. He could load these rodents with specific microbes, feed them with pre-defined diets, and do so again and again in controlled and repeatable conditions. He could treat them as living bioreactors, in which he could strip down the baffling complexity of the microbiome into manageable components that he could systematically study.
In 2004, Fredrik Bäckhed, a member of Gordon’s team, used the sterile rodents to run an experiment that would set the entire lab on a focused path – one devoted to understanding the connections between the microbiome, nutrition, and health. They inoculated germ-free mice with microbes harvested from the guts of conventionally raised rodents. Normally, the sterile rodents can eat as much as they like without putting on weight, but this ability disappeared once their guts were colonised. They didn’t start eating any more food – if anything, they ate slightly less – but they converted more of that food into fat and so put on more pounds.
Mouse biology is similar enough to that of human beings for scientists to use them as stand-ins in everything from drug testing to brain research; the same applies to their microbes. Gordon reasoned that if those early results apply to humans, our microbes must surely influence the nutrients that we extract from our food, and thus our body weight. That was a powerful insight. We typically think of weight as a simple balance between the calories we take in through food and those we burn through physical activity. By contrast, the idea that multitudes of organisms in our bodies could influence that balance was outlandish at the time. “People weren’t talking about it,” says Gordon.
And yet, in 2004, team member Ruth Ley found another connection between microbes and weight, when she showed that obese people (and mice) have different communities of microbes in their guts. The most obvious difference lay in the ratio of the two major groups of gut bacteria – the firmicutes and the bacteroidetes. Obese people had more firmicutes and fewer bacteroidetes than their leaner counterparts. This raised an obvious question: does extra body fat cause a relative increase in firmicutes – or, more tantalisingly, does the tilt make individuals fatter? Is the connection, as Gordon likes to put it, causal or casual? The team couldn’t answer that question by relying on simple comparisons. They needed experiments.
The mice that got microbes from lean donors put on 27% more fat, while those with obese donors packed on 47% more fat
That’s where Peter Turnbaugh came in. Then a graduate student in the lab, he harvested microbes from fat and lean mice, and then fed them to germ-free rodents. Those that got microbes from lean donors put on 27% more fat, while those with obese donors packed on 47% more fat. It was a stunning result: Turnbaugh had effectively transferred obesity from one animal to another, simply by moving their microbes across. “It was an ‘Oh my God’ moment,” said Gordon. “We were thrilled and inspired.”
These results showed that the guts of obese individuals contain altered microbiomes that can indeed contribute to obesity, at least in some contexts. The microbes were perhaps harvesting more calories from the rodents’ food, or affecting how they stored fat. Either way, it was clear that microbes don’t just go along for the ride; sometimes, they grab the wheel.
They can also turn it in both directions. While Turnbaugh showed that gut microbes can lead to weight gain, others have found that they can trigger weight loss. Akkermansia muciniphila, one of the more common species of gut bacteria, is over 3,000 times more common in lean mice than in those genetically predisposed to obesity. If obese mice eat it, they lose weight and show fewer signs of type 2 diabetes.
Gut microbes also partly explain the remarkable success of gastric bypass surgery – a radical operation that reduces the stomach to an egg-sized pouch and connects it directly to the small intestine. After this procedure, people tend to lose dozens of kilograms, a fact typically accredited to their shrunken stomachs. But as a side-effect, the operation also restructures the gut microbiome, increasing the numbers of various species, including Akkermansia. And if you transplant these restructured communities into germ-free mice, those rodents will also lose weight.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Experiments on mice using gut microbes could lead to a greater understanding of the causes of obesity. Photograph: Deco Images II/Alamy
The world’s media treated these discoveries as both salvation and absolution for anyone who struggles with their weight. Why bother adhering to strict dietary guidelines when a quick microbial fix is seemingly around the corner? “Fat? Blame the bugs in your guts,” wrote one newspaper. “Overweight? Microbes might be to blame,” echoed another. These headlines are wrong. The microbiome does not replace or contradict other long-understood causes of obesity; it is thoroughly entangled with them.
Another of Gordon’s students, Vanessa Ridaura, demonstrated this in 2013 by using mice to stage battles between the gut microbes of lean and obese people. First, she loaded these human microbial communities into two different groups of germ-free rodents. Next, she housed the mice in the same cages. Mice readily eat each other’s droppings and so constantly fill their guts with their neighbours’ microbes. When this happened, Ridaura saw that the “lean” microbes invaded guts that were already colonised by “obese” communities, and stopped their new hosts from putting on weight. The opposite invasions never worked: the obese communities could never establish themselves in the gut when the lean ones were already there.
It’s not that the lean communities were inherently superior at taking hold in a mouse’s gut. Instead, Ridaura had tipped the battles in their favour by feeding her mice with plant-heavy chow. Plants contain a wide variety of complex fibres, and microbe communities from lean guts contain a wider range of fibre-busting species than those from obese guts. So, when the obese communities colonised lean guts, they found that every morsel of fibre was already being devoured.
By contrast, when the lean communities entered obese guts, they found a glut of uneaten fibre – and flourished. Their success only evaporated when Ridaura fed the mice with fatty, low-fibre chow, designed to represent the worst extremes of the western diet. Without fibre, the lean communities couldn’t establish themselves or stop the mice from putting on weight. They could only infiltrate the guts of mice that ate healthily. The old dietary advice still stands, over-enthusiastic headlines be damned.
An important lesson emerged: microbes matter but so do we, their hosts. Our guts, like all ecosystems, aren’t defined just by the species within them but also by the nutrients that flow through them. A rainforest isn’t just a rainforest because of the birds, insects, monkeys, and plants within it, but also because ample rain and sunlight fall from above, and bountiful nutrients lurk in the soil. If you threw the forest’s inhabitants into a desert, they would fare badly. Ridaura’s experiments emphasised that although the microbiome can help to explain what makes us fat or lean, it offers no simple solutions. And that’s something the team learned a second time, by studying a very different condition, in a very different part of the world.
Malawi has among the highest rates of child mortality in the world, and half of these deaths are due to malnourishment. One form of malnourishment, known as kwashiorkor, is especially severe and hard to treat. From an early age, a child’s fluids leaks from their blood vessels, leading to puffy swollen limbs, distended stomachs, and damaged skin.
Kwashiorkor has long been shrouded in mystery. It is said to be caused by protein-poor diets, but how can that be when children with kwashiorkor often don’t eat any less protein than those with marasmus, another form of severe malnutrition? For that matter, why do these children often fail to get better despite eating protein-rich food delivered by aid organisations? And why is it that one child might get kwashiorkor while their identical twin, who shares all the same genes, lives in the same village, and eats the same food, gets marasmus instead?
Gordon thinks that gut microbes are involved, and might explain the differences in health between children who, on paper, look identical. After his team carried out their groundbreaking obesity experiments, he started to wonder: if bacteria can influence obesity, could they also be involved in its polar opposite – malnutrition? Many of his colleagues thought it unlikely but, undeterred, Gordon launched an ambitious study. His team went to Malawi and collected regular stool samples from infants until the age of three; some had kwashiorkor, while others were healthy.
The team found that babies with kwashiorkor don’t go through the same progression of gut microbes as their healthy counterparts. Typically, these microbial communities change in the first years of life, in dramatic but predictable ways. Just as new islands are first colonised by lichens, then shrubs, then trees, so too is the infant gut colonised by waves of species that arrive in standardised patterns. But in kwashiorkor infants, microbiomes fail to diversify and mature correctly. Their inner ecosystems become stagnant. Their microbiological age soon lags behind their biological age.
When Gordon’s team transplanted these immature communities from children with kwashiorkor into germ-free mice, the rodents lost weight – but only if they also ate chow that mirrored the nutrient-poor Malawian diet. If the mice ate standard rodent chow, they didn’t lose much weight, no matter whose bacteria they were carrying. It was the combination of poor food and the wrong microbes that mattered. The kwashiorkor microbes seemed to interfere with chemical chain reactions that fuel our cells, making it harder for children to harvest energy from their food – food that contains very little energy to begin with.
The standard treatment for malnutrition is an energy-rich, fortified blend of peanut paste, sugar, vegetable oil and milk. But Gordon’s team found that the paste only has a brief effect on the bacteria of children with kwashiorkor (which perhaps explains why it doesn’t always work). As soon as they reverted to their normal Malawian diet, their microbes also boomeranged back to their earlier impoverished state. Why?
All ecosystems have a certain resilience to change, which must be overcome to push them into a different state. That’s true for coral reefs, rainforests, grassland – and a child’s gut. A poor diet could change the microbes within the gut. The dietary deficiencies could also impair the child’s immune system, changing its ability to control the gut microbiome, and opening the door to harmful infections that alter the gut communities even further. These communities could themselves start to harm the gut, stopping it from absorbing nutrients efficiently and leading to even worse malnutrition, more severe immune problems, more distorted microbiomes, and so on.
This is what microbiome scientists call dysbiosis – a state where the entire microbial community shifts into a harmful configuration. None of its members causes disease in its own right; instead, the entire community is at fault. It’s not clear exactly why the microbiomes of malnourished infants stall in their development in the first place. There are many possible reasons including antibiotic exposures, gut diseases, and poor diets, which vary from person to person. What’s clearer is that once microbiomes end up in a dysbiotic state, it can be hard to pull them back.
But Gordon is trying. His student Laura Blanton, the same woman who I met carrying that thermos of mouse droppings in the lift, recently implanted mice with microbes from either healthy infants or underweight ones. She then housed rodents from both groups in the same cages, allowing them to swap their microbiomes. When they did so, the normal communities from the healthy infants invaded and displaced the immature communities from the malnourished ones.
Blanton found that five species of bacteria from the healthy microbiomes were especially good at colonising the immature ones. When she fed this quintet to mice carrying the microbiomes of malnourished children, the rodents put on weight in a normal, healthy way. Rather than breaking down the amino acids in their diet for energy, they instead converted these nutrients into flesh and muscle.
This promising experiment suggests that the team might be able to create a probiotic cocktail of specially chosen bacteria that can turn a dysbiotic gut into a healthy one. But there’s reason to be cautious. Despite the hype that surrounds them, current probiotics – products that contain supposedly beneficial microbes – confer few big health benefits, because they contain small amounts of bacteria and consist of strains that are bad at taking hold in the gut. Gordon knows that if he wants to concoct better products, he must find ways of giving the incoming microbes a competitive advantage in their new homes. Maybe that means pairing the probiotics with foods that will nourish them. Maybe it means treating the human hosts as well as the microbes they carry, or training their immune systems to accept the newcomers.
Gordon is optimistic but cautious. As he sees it, studying the microbiome will ultimately help us to better treat conditions that are still mysterious and often intractable. But as he has said to me on more than one occasion, he’s wary of the intense hype that clouds the microbiome world. “I talk about the importance of sobriety and humility,” he says. “There’s lots of hope and expectation around this transcendent view of ourselves.” But he and other microbiome researchers still need to show that their discoveries can help people.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bifidobacterium are used as a probiotic to promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Photograph: Phototake/Alamy
Discoveries by Gordon and others have created the perception that the microbiome is the answer to everything. It has been linked to an absurdly long list of conditions that includes Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, coeliac disease, allergies, atherosclerosis, autism, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, and many more.
Many of these proposed links are just correlations. Researchers often compare people with a particular disorder to healthy volunteers, find microbial differences, and stop. Those differences hint at a relationship but they don’t reveal its nature or its direction. Studies by Gordon and others go one step further. By showing that transplanted microbes can reproduce health problems in germ-free mice, they strongly hint at a causal effect.
Still, they provide more questions than answers. Did the microbes set symptoms in motion or just make a bad situation worse? Was one species responsible, or a group of them? Is it the presence of certain microbes that matters, or the absence of others, or both? And even if experiments show that microbes can cause diseases in mice and other animals, we still don’t know if they actually do so in people. Beyond the controlled settings of laboratories and the atypical bodies of lab rodents, are microbial changes really affecting our everyday health? When you enter the messy, multifaceted world of dysbiosis, the lines of cause and effect become much harder to untangle.
There is still a lot about the microbiome that we do not understand, and some of what we think we know is almost certainly wrong.
Remember how obese people and mice have more firmicutes and fewer bacteroidetes in their guts than their lean counterparts? This famous finding worked its way into the mainstream press and the scientific literature – and it’s a mirage. In 2014, two attempts to re-analyse past studies found that the F/B ratio is not consistently connected to obesity in humans. This doesn’t refute a connection between the microbiome and obesity. You can still fatten germ-free mice by loading them with microbes from an obese mouse (or person). Something about these communities affects body weight; it’s just not the F/B ratio, or at least not consistently so.
It is humbling that, despite a decade of work, scientists are barely any closer to identifying microbes that are clearly linked to obesity, which has received more attention from microbiome researchers than any other. “I think that everybody is coming to the realisation that, unfortunately, a really compelling simple biomarker, like the percentage of a certain microbe, is not going to be enough to explain something as complicated as obesity,” said Katherine Pollard, who led one of the re-analyses.
These conflicting results naturally arise in the early days of a field because of tight budgets and imprecise technology. Researchers run small, exploratory studies comparing handfuls of people or animals in hundreds or thousands of ways. “The problem is that they end up being like the Tarot,” said Rob Knight, another leading microbiome scientist. “You can tell a good story with any arbitrary combination.”
Human geneticists faced the same problem. In the early 21st century, when technology hadn’t quite caught up with ambition, they identified many genetic variants that were linked to diseases, physical traits, and behaviours. But once sequencing technology became cheap and powerful enough to analyse millions of samples, rather than dozens or hundreds, many of these early results turned out to be false positives. The human microbiome field is going through the same teething problems.
It doesn’t help that the microbiome is so variable that the communities in lab mice can differ if they belong to different strains, come from different vendors, were born to different mothers, or were reared in different cages. These variations could account for phantom patterns or inconsistencies between studies. There are also problems with contamination. Microbes are everywhere. They get into everything, including the chemical reagents that scientists use in their experiments. But these problems are now being ironed out. Microbiome researchers are getting increasingly savvy about experimental quirks that bias their results, and they’re setting standards that will shore up the quality of future studies. They are calling for experiments that will show causality, and tell us how changes in the microbiome lead to disease. They are looking at the microbiome in even greater detail, moving towards techniques that can identify the strains within a community, rather than just the species.
They are also setting up longer studies. Rather than capturing a single screenshot of the microbiome, they are trying to watch the entire movie. How do these communities change with time? What makes them resilient or unstable? And does their degree of resilience predict a person’s risk of disease? One team is recruiting a group of 100 volunteers who will collect weekly stool and urine samples for nine months, while eating specific diets or taking antibiotics at fixed times. Others are leading similar projects with pregnant women (to see if microbes contribute to pre-term births) and people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (to see if microbes affect their progression to full-blown disease).
And Gordon’s group has been charting the normal progression of microbes in healthy developing babies, and how it stalls in kids with kwashiorkor. Using stool samples collected from Bangladeshi and Malawian children over their first two years, the team has created a score that measures the maturity of their gut communities and will hopefully predict if symptomless infants are at risk of developing kwashiorkor. The ultimate goal of all of these projects is to spot the signs of disease as early as possible, before a body turns into the equivalent of an algal reef or a fallow field: a degraded ecosystem that is very hard to repair.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Children wait for water at a borehole near Malawi’s capital Lilongwe. Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters
“Professor Planer!” said Jeff Gordon. “How are you?” He meant Joe Planer, one of his students, who was standing in front of a standard laboratory bench, complete with pipettes, test tubes and Petri dishes, all of which had been sealed in a transparent, plastic tent. It looked like one of the isolators from the germ-free facility but its purpose was to exclude oxygen rather than microbes. It allowed the team to grow the many gut bacteria that are extremely intolerant of the gas. “If you write the word oxygen on a piece of paper and show it to these bugs, they’ll die,” said Gordon.
Starting off with a stool sample from a Malawian child with kwashiorkor, Planer used the anaerobic chamber to culture as many of the microbes within it as possible. He then picked off single strains from these collections, and grew each one in its own compartment. He effectively turned the chaotic ecosystem within a child’s gut into an orderly library, dividing the teeming masses of microbes into neat rows and columns. “We know the identity of the bacteria in each well,” he said. “We’ll now tell the robot which bacteria to take and combine in a pool.”
He pointed to a machine inside the plastic, a mess of black cubes and steel rods. Planer can programme it to suck up the bacteria from specific wells and mix them into a cocktail. Grab all the Enterobacteriaceae, he might say, or all the Clostridia. He can then transplant these fractions back into germ-free mice to see if they alone can confer the symptoms of kwashiorkor. Is the whole community important? Will the culturable species do? A single family? A single strain? The approach is both reductionist and holistic. They’re breaking down the microbiome, but then recombining it. “We’re trying to work out which actors are responsible,” said Gordon.
A few months after I saw Planer working with the robot, the team had narrowed down the kwashiorkor community to just 11 microbes that replicate many of the disease’s symptoms in mice. None of these were harmful on their own. They only caused a problem when acting together – and even then, only when the mice were starved of nutrients. The team also created culture collections from healthy twins who didn’t develop kwashiorkor, and identified two bacteria that counteract the damage inflicted by the deadly 11. The first is Akkermansia, which is being studied as a way of reducing body weight, but seemingly guards against malnutrition too. The second is Clostridium scindens, which tamps down inflammation by stimulating certain branches of the immune system.
I had the bacteria in my gut analysed. And this may be the future of medicine Read more
Opposite the tented bench, there was a blender that could take foods representative of different diets and pulverise them into rodent-friendly chow. (On a piece of sticky tape, affixed to the blender, someone had written “Chowbacca”.) Gordon’s lab could now explore the behaviour of Akkermansia and C scindens, either in test tubes or in the gnotobiotic mice, and work out which nutrients the microbes needed. This allowed the team to compare the effects of the same microbes when fed a Malawian diet, or an American one, or on sugars from breast milk that have specifically evolved to feed beneficial microbes. Which of these foods works best? And which genes do the microbes switch on? The team can take any one microbe and create a library of thousands of mutants, each of which contains a broken copy of a single gene. They can put these mutants in a mouse to see which genes are important for surviving in the gut, liaising with other microbes, and both causing or protecting against kwashiorkor.
What Gordon has built is a causality pipeline – a set of tools and techniques that, he hopes, will more conclusively tell us how our microbes affect our health, and take us from guesswork and speculation to actual answers. Kwashiorkor is just the start. The same techniques could work for any disease with a microbial influence.
It is the right time to be doing this work. Our planet has entered the Anthropocene – a new geological epoch when humanity’s influence is causing global climate change, a loss of wild spaces, and a drastic decline in the richness of life. Microbes are not exempt. Whether on coral reefs or human guts, we are disrupting the relationships between microbes and their hosts, often pulling apart species that have been together for millions of years. Gordon is working hard to understand these partnerships to better forestall their untimely end. He is not just a scholar of the microbiome; he is one of its stewards.
Main photograph of faecal bacteria: Science Photo Library
This is an edited extract from I Contain Multitudes, published by Bodley Head
• Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread, or sign up to the long read weekly email here.
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/25/gut-reaction-surprising-power-of-microbes
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| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
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[
"Heather Stewart",
"Rajeev Syal",
"Graham Ruddick",
"Dan Milmo",
"Aditya Chakrabortty"
] | 2016-08-26T13:30:51 | null | 2016-08-24T19:44:26 |
Labour leader’s campaign team say public argument with Sir Richard Branson has ‘done us a favour’, by highlighting Corbyn’s desire to re-nationalise railways
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http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fvirgin-rail-controversy-has-helped-jeremy-corbyns-leadership-bid.json
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Virgin Trains controversy 'has helped Jeremy Corbyn's leadership bid'
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Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team believe his public spat with Virgin trains boss Sir Richard Branson has boosted his chances in the Labour leadership race.
Sam Tarry, the Labour leader’s campaign director, told the Guardian that “from the point of view of the people we want to mobilise, Richard Branson’s done us a favour”.
Labour’s already fractious leadership campaign had become dominated in the last two days by the controversy.
Corbyn himself reacted angrily on Wednesday after being repeatedly asked about the row by journalists.
But Tarry, a Labour councillor in Barking and Dagenham with links to the TSSA transport union, insisted the public spat had helped Corbyn, by highlighting his pledge to re-nationalise the railways. Tarry had earlier described Branson as a “tax exile” who was “laughing all the way to the bank”.
Corbyn faced several questions over his account of sitting on the floor of a “ram-packed” Virgin service at an event on Wednesday, held to launch Labour’s health policies in London.
The rail operator disputed his story of being forced to sit on the floor of a crowded train, releasing CCTV footage of him apparently walking past free seats.
Confronted about the row, Corbyn repeated the explanation his camp gave on Tuesday night, saying: “I boarded a crowded train with a group of colleagues; we journeyed through the train looking for places; there wasn’t a place for all of us to sit down, and so for 40 minutes or so we remained on the floor of the train, in the vestibule.” He explained that a sympathetic train manager later found seats for him and his team, including his wife, by upgrading other passengers.
Asked about the issue again by a Sky journalist later in the press conference, Corbyn initially refused to answer. “Can we have an NHS question?” he asked. But he went on to say: “Yes, I did look for two empty seats together to sit with my wife, so I could talk to her.”
Corbyn added that he hoped Branson was “well aware of our policy, which is that train operating companies should become part of the public realm, not the private sector”.
Inside Corbyn’s team, key advisers were scrambling to understand how the row had run out of control on Tuesday, with some in the leaders’ office – which is run separately to the campaign – complaining of too much freelancing.
Corbyn’s leadership team are said to have become increasingly frustrated at aggressive briefings in the press, including against the deputy leader, Tom Watson, and general secretary, Iain McNicol, and suggestions that Corbyn could launch a “purge” of party figures if he wins the leadership election in September.
One Labour source compared the campaign’s chaotic approach to that of a “pound shop Malcolm Tucker” — referring to the foul-mouthed spin doctor in political satire The Thick of It. Another complained that the leader was impossible to reach for some time on Tuesday because he was making jam.
Corbyn was speaking alongside the shadow health secretary, Diane Abbott, at the health policy launch. The pair announced a series of measures, including a pledge to restore nurses’ bursaries and to attempt to buy hospitals out of costly private finance initiative contracts.
Student nurse Danielle, introducing Corbyn, said: “To take away the bursary will not only deter students, it is one of the most insulting things I have seen this government do since they came to office.”
Corbyn also said he would support a private members’ bill tabled by Labour backbencher Margaret Greenwood aimed at unpicking the internal market in the NHS.
That approach received support from David Owen, former Labour health secretary and one of the founders of the Social Democratic party. “For the first time in 14 years we have the leader of the Labour party today unequivocally committing the party to reversing the legislation which has created in England a broken down market-based healthcare system,” Lord Owen said.
“Surely now the whole Labour movement can combine together, left, right and centre to make this official party policy at this year’s autumn conference.”
However, there is still an open question over whether the conference will proceed, with the issue over what firm will provide security still unresolved, after the national executive committee voted to boycott longstanding provider G4S.
Key Labour-supporting unions Unite and the GMB are at loggerheads over the issue. The Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, in a letter to the GMB’s Tim Roache, seen by the Guardian, said it was clear the conference would not go ahead following a GMB boycott.
“It is the responsibility of the general secretary of the Labour party, Iain McNicol, to implement decisions or to deal with any problems that may arise,” McCluskey wrote. “I am astonished that we are only four to five weeks to conference and that he has not done so.
“It is quite evident that in the event of a GMB boycott of conference, it simply won’t proceed and the blame would lay squarely at the feet of Iain McNicol.”
Separately, it emerged that Virgin Trains faces an investigation by the data protection watchdog over its release of the CCTV footage.
Officials at the Information Commissioner’s Office are making inquiries over whether the train operator, owned by Branson, broke the rules of the Data Protection Act, which governs the release of such data.
• This article was amended on 25 August 2016. An earlier version said incorrectly that Iain McNicol was the Labour party chairman.
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| 2016-08-24T00:00:00 |
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[] | 2016-08-27T20:51:47 | null | 2016-08-27T14:35:07 |
Warrington Wolves’ Ben Currie and Kurt Gidley, right, play tug-of-war with Hull FC’s Mahe Fonua as he tries to pass the ball under pressure
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Sport picture of the day: Warrington Wolves stretch Hull FC in Challenge Cup final
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www.theguardian.com
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Warrington Wolves’ Ben Currie and Kurt Gidley, right, play tug-of-war with Hull FC’s Mahe Fonua as he tries to pass the ball under pressure. Fonua scored a try as Hull FC battled back to win the final 12-10 at Wembley
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/picture/2016/aug/27/sport-picture-of-the-day-wolves-stretch-hull-in-the-challenge-cup-final
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| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/650c6734e4ecc88abca89310cfa801d8cfb9ca0e44e391fd583221855e9d8708.json
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[
"Katharine Murphy"
] | 2016-08-31T00:52:31 | null | 2016-08-31T00:44:55 |
Ewen Jones, who lost seat, accuses senators of pushing personal agendas instead of focusing on Coalition policies
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fformer-liberal-mp-blasts-senators-for-reopening-18c-racial-discrimination-debate.json
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Former Liberal MP blasts senators for reopening 18C racial discrimination debate
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Ewen Jones, the Liberal backbencher who lost his Queensland seat at the recent election in part because of the high One Nation vote, has blasted his former Senate colleagues for reopening the debate on the Racial Discrimination Act.
Jones has revealed that when Tony Abbott pursued the issue in the last parliament, he warned the then prime minister that the Liberal party’s Ken Wyatt, the only Indigenous MP in the lower house, would cross the floor to oppose watering down protections against hate speech. He told Abbott he wanted to join Wyatt but he wasn’t sure if he was “brave enough.”
“I told Tony Abbott, when it was put forward the last time, that the thing he had to watch out for was Ken Wyatt crossing the floor – not that in itself is such a big issue, one MP crossing the floor, but the image of all us white guys on one side and Ken sitting on the other,” Jones told Guardian Australia on Wednesday.
“I told Tony I would want to join Ken but did not know if I was actually brave enough. I don’t know if that played a part but it was dropped soon after.”
Labor moves to establish banking royal commission – politics live Read more
Jones blasted his colleagues for launching an identity politics frolic when the government needed all MPs to knuckle down on the government’s policy agenda.
“How many of these men from my party had their seats in jeopardy during the election? This is what gives me the shits,” Jones said.
“I lost my seat. It is a marginal seat and I know the risks. But I never freelanced or pushed my own personal agenda. Neither did Wyatt Roy, Matt Williams, Russell Matheson, or Natasha Griggs.
“Yet here we have a bunch of men in the Senate, many of whom were elected at about 10 past six on election night, pushing personal agendas while the government needs them to work at getting its agenda through.”
“I think 18C is a croc but I am a white Anglo-Saxon male who has never been discriminated against on anything. No joke starts with ‘two Wasp men walk into a bar’ because we are the ones who offend people.”
“I have kept my mouth shut since the campaign and losing my seat but I am yet to see any of these men sit down with Ken Wyatt, Lisa Singh, Ed Husic, or any other ethnic representation inside the house and have that chat.”
He said his former colleagues in the Senate have the best resources on the subject of racial discrimination that they could possibly find in Wyatt “but, apart from Dean Smith, I don’t reckon any of those people would have spoken to him”.
“I believe that RDA case at QUT should be thrown out with prejudice but I was not there and I have not spoken to the people concerned. My bet is that none of these people have either.”
Jones lost his Queensland seat of Herbert to Labor’s Cathy O’Toole and the One Nation candidate, Geoff Virgo, secured 13.5% of the local vote. It is not yet clear whether the Liberal party will take the result in Herbert to the court of disputed returns.
As revealed by Guardian Australia on Tuesday, 20 senators are backing a push by the Liberal senator Cory Bernardi to remove the words “insult” and “offend” from the Racial Discrimination Act, including every Liberal and National backbencher in the upper house, bar one.
The break-out at the opening of the 45th parliament defies an exhortation by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, for government MPs and the non-government forces in the parliament to focus on the economy and budget repair.
The prime minister on Wednesday said he was not distracted by the renewed RDA debate within his own ranks. “I’m talking about the economy, I’m talking about the ABCC, I’m talking about savings, I’m talking about the moral challenge that we have to get our budget back into shape,” Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
“The issue of section 18C has been a controversial one for a long time, and there are many views expressed about it, and there’s nothing new that is being canvassed at the moment in terms of the debate,” the prime minister said.
“It’s filled the op-ed pages of newspapers for years and years but the government has no plans to make any changes to section 18C. We have other more pressing, much more pressing priorities to address.”
Malcolm Turnbull says Coalition will negotiate on ABCC bill Read more
The conservative senator Eric Abetz, who is one of the signatories on the Bernardi motion to bring on consideration of the private senator’s bill to water down the RDA, and a constant critic of the prime minister since he was dumped from the cabinet, said the RDA push was not about undermining Turnbull’s authority.
“This sort of industry of taking offence at everything has gone far too far within our society,” Abetz told the ABC. “Freedom of speech does require the capacity of people to engage in robust discussion – do we want vilification? Absolutely not. And that is not what’s being suggested.
“What’s been suggested is that these very subjective terms such as insulting or offending, that somehow I take offence and therefore you should not be allowed to say what is on your mind, that stifles free speech.”
Bernardi’s private senator’s bill is on Wednesday’s notice paper for consideration in the Senate.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/31/former-liberal-mp-blasts-senators-for-reopening-18c-racial-discrimination-debate
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/708b4ae90bdc2c6df7536156f4f10fa219890ee86872e745a84c74479e41143d.json
|
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[
"Tara Conlan"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:34 | null | 2016-08-26T16:33:59 |
Netflix’s British debut The Crown is hot on the heels of Amazon’s first original UK series, fashion drama The Collection
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmedia%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fthe-collection-v-the-crown-amazon-and-netflix-turn-to-uk-talent-in-tv-wars.json
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The Collection v The Crown: Amazon and Netflix turn to UK talent in TV wars
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www.theguardian.com
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As the battle between Amazon and Netflix for the next generation of viewers intensifies, both streaming services are adding a new weapon to their arsenal: the creative muscle of the British television industry.
Next week, audiences who miss the stylish US hit Mad Men will be able to get their fix from lavish fashion drama The Collection, Amazon’s first original UK series. Netflix will soon follow suit with its own British debut, The Crown, focusing on the life of Elizabeth II.
Amazon’s all-star postwar period piece cost £16m to make. A large part of that budget went on costumes, with Parisian designers spending six months creating a couture collection especially for the show and more than 1,000 outfits for the cast.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Claire Foy and Matt Smith in Netflix’s The Crown. Photograph: Robert Viglasky/Netflix/PR HAND
It is perhaps more than just fortunate timing that the retail giant has this year launched its own clothing lines. The Collection may provide the kind of advertising tie-in Don Draper would dream of, and Simon Vaughan, the chief executive of producer Lookout Point, acknowledges that Amazon may have foreseen some kind of “strategic” benefit when it picked up the show.
But Vaughan says Amazon also saw that the glamorous, pacey drama is much more than just good marketing – it is a big-ticket series in the increasingly competitive world of global television. The Collection is a serious rival to another postwar series, Netflix’s £100m The Crown, which begins in November.
Netflix's The Crown won't give 'toadyish' view of royals, says Matt Smith Read more
The Collection’s top-notch cast includes Mamie Gummer, The Good Wife actor and daughter of Meryl Streep; Harry Potter and The Lady in the Van’s Frances de la Tour; Crossbones and Coupling actor Richard Coyle; Mistresses star Sarah Parish; Games of Thrones’ James Cosmo; and Jenna Thiam of French drama The Returned.
The show’s eight episodes follow the rise of the fashion house of Paul Sabine, played by Coyle, whose creative genius is actually his brother, Claude, played by Da Vinci’s Demons actor Tom Riley.
Coyle took the part because he was “intrigued by the delicious dramatic set-up – an ambitious and hugely gifted man on the cusp of the superstardom he craves, terrified of what the spotlight will also show in the shadows behind him”. He adds: “Paul is like a moth drawn to the flame that may well kill him.
“Reinvention is one of The Collection’s major themes. Paul has worked fiercely to reinvent himself and his family, and the new Sabine collection represents the reinvention of France after the stain of Nazi occupation and collaboration in World War II.”
Coyle admits he knew “little of the business of haute couture”, nor how “extensively it reached into all aspects of French society and culture during this period”. But he now sees it as “a mirror which reflects who we are, what we are and where we are, but more than that endows possibility and hope”.
Amazon fashion drama The Collection to star The Good Wife's Mamie Gummer Read more
The series was sparked by a visit to the Victoria & Albert museum in London by one of the show’s executive producers, Kate Croft. She took the idea to Oliver Goldstick, showrunner and writer on hits such as Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Lipstick Jungle and Pretty Little Liars. Despite the glamorous world the Sabines work in, Goldstick was keen to make the series work primarily as a family drama and an “entrepreneurial fable”.
Although it is threaded through with sumptuous couture, The Collection contrasts the glitz with the grit. “I thought there was just this incredible juxtaposition,” Goldstick tells the Guardian. “I felt that needed to be illustrated … and show these clothes represented something politically, too. The clothes represent hope. I can’t think of a time in more recent history where clothes had more impact emotionally and politically.”
Amazon’s advertising team have got behind the show with a big campaign and Goldstick has started preliminary work on a second series, in the hope that the first is a hit. With its themes of family, success, secrecy and love, as well as its stylish look, The Collection should appeal to a global audience, not just a UK one.
The Crown writer Peter Morgan: 'I bet the queen would've voted Brexit' Read more
It represents the new way television drama is being made in the US and the UK, with producers and writers having more of a say in how the finished show looks than under the traditional system, where broadcasters have greater ownership and sway.
Lookout Point made the acclaimed War and Peace for the BBC, and although the corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, was involved in putting together funding for The Collection, it was just one of a number of production partners.
Vaughan says: “It’s been very different on this particular project. Amazon have been very hands-off editorially. It started off more like an acquisition. In a funny kind of way, it almost felt like a self-commissioned series, in that we are making it together with a number of commercial partners. We’ve had input from our partners, but in some ways it’s been quite an independent project.”
Goldstick agrees Amazon have been “supportive partners who want to hire the best people and the best teams”. He adds: “Amazon is a company that’s all about thinking what’s next. Being on set on Wales, it wasn’t a day-to-day relationship, but they were very supportive and benevolent, encouraging us to hire the best people and see this vision through without compromise.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/26/the-collection-v-the-crown-amazon-and-netflix-turn-to-uk-talent-in-tv-wars
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/e8c1508a7101435560ce650c4227ce19216c91aac704e53d312c8a8e41953491.json
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|
[
"Ruth Maclean"
] | 2016-08-31T12:53:05 | null | 2016-08-31T11:43:00 |
Opposition led by Jean Ping rejects electoral commission results and demands recount in province with reported 99.98% turnout
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fgabon-election-results-disputed-incumbent-ali-bongo-victor-jean-ping.json
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| null |
Gabon election results disputed as incumbent Ali Bongo named victor
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www.theguardian.com
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One of Africa’s longest political dynasties looks set to extend its half century of rule, after sources inside Gabon’s electoral commission told Reuters that the incumbent president Ali Bongo had won another term with 49.85% of the vote.
The commission was expected to announce that the opposition candidate Jean Ping, a half-Chinese diplomat who was previously in the Bongo family’s trusted circle, narrowly lost with 48.16%, after a fraught election that observers warned as likely to result in violence.
Ping’s party, which claimed victory soon after the vote, rejected the claimed result and demanded a recount in Haut Ogooué, a Bongo stronghold, which according to the sources, the commission was to claim saw a 99.93% turnout.
The national election commission (Cenap) was due to announce the result on Tuesday afternoon at 5pm local time, but delayed repeatedly and still had not declared the winner 19 hours later.
Many Gabonese suggested that five days to count 600,000 votes was excessive.
Several analysts, including François Conradie, with NKC African Economics, suspected fraud.
“We think, based on what the opposition has reported and on what sources have told us about people’s voting preferences in Gabon, that Mr Ping won more votes than Mr Bongo, and this election is a one-round, first-past-the-post contest. It seems that the fight is happening within the Cenap,” Conradie said.
Residents of Libreville ventured out in the early morning to buy groceries but later stayed at home in anticipation of violent protests. The army has been deployed to the capital’s streets, and opposition members reported that their houses were surrounded by police.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/gabon-election-results-disputed-incumbent-ali-bongo-victor-jean-ping
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/9442f63140cdc1b4907a78d60e1d1349ea6f32287e02fb709d2bfc42098bc49c.json
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[
"Sarah Galvin"
] | 2016-08-26T13:16:00 | null | 2016-08-26T11:00:17 |
I swung from one fright to another shortly after my college graduation. A friend said it was ‘adulthood crashing in’, but it was an episode
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fmanic-personalities-adulthood-facing-my-fear.json
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Facing my fear: I thought I feared adulthood. It turned out I was manic
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www.theguardian.com
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“I understand you’re frightened, but you need to just go do this,” my dad said after I fled the oral surgeon who was scheduled to pull out my wisdom teeth. I had read a Yelp review by a woman whose entire face went numb from his handiwork.
Tell us about a time you faced your fear Read more
I knew from everything else on Yelp what anything it said was worth. Still, I couldn’t enter that operating room. I’d had a phobia of dentists since witnessing my surgery reflected in a dentist’s glasses when I was eight. I was now 22, though. There was something irrational about this.
But I was barely able to tell what was irrational and what wasn’t at that point. About eight months earlier, shortly after graduating from college, I got a phone call from a student loan company about what I owed. I was confused: I had had a year of college free on scholarship, and my parents told me they would pay back the rest of the loans I took out to pay my in-state tuition.
I called my mom, who explained I would have to pay the loans in my name after all thanks to the recession and her own expensive oral surgery. She told me I should get a job in an office to pay the loans, confused as to why I still worked for minimum wage at a movie theater.
Trying to digest the news, I stared in the bathroom mirror, swigging Evan Williams from a mug that said “Sexy Grandpa”. I picked at scabs and looked in my mouth, a lifelong nervous habit. I suppose I’d been too busy with school before then to notice the top of one of my wisdom teeth had turned to black mush. I had no insurance and about $300 to my name.
I got an additional job writing ad copy for Amazon. Though I identify and present mostly as male – the only items marketed to women that I buy are tampons – the company put me on the women’s jewelry beat, writing 50 paragraphs a day about where one might wear a pewter charm shaped like a hat or a woman bathing a baby.
My roommate would wake up at 3am to pee and find me standing in the living room peeling my skin off or researching dentistry. He cooked for a living and frequently brought me enticing work leftovers, but I was in such complete panic at all hours that the only things I could keep down were cereal and whiskey.
“It’s just adulthood crashing in,” my friend Web assured me one evening, handing me a double shot of something far nicer than I could afford. I desperately hoped that was a natural sort of violence, like how caterpillars completely liquefy to become butterflies.
After all, I couldn’t understand my inability to focus on anything but terror, and my seeming inability to do anything about it. Why was I working a minimum wage job? Why was I so upset by having to pay my loans when most people are in that same boat? Why wasn’t I a grownup like my parents yet, who were utterly exasperated and worried about me? Why was my tooth rotting out of my head?
In therapy years later, I was told that what kept me from sleeping, and made me stare at nothing until someone told me to finish cleaning the popcorn machine, wasn’t solely fear of adulthood. I was actually having a manic episode.
I don’t know what causes them, though I can now recall and identify several. But at the time I didn’t know that, and tried to make the feeling stop by working through the list of things I thought were the source of my fears: my impending dental bills, my loans and my future.
Facing my fear: being in public as a woman for the very first time | Chelsea E Manning Read more
My dental dread was assuaged after I found a surgeon with great reviews who, after I finagled my way on to my dad’s insurance, cost about $300. Also, I met a girl, which kept my mind good and occupied. (Fortunately we lasted a few weeks past the surgery.)
I took some insurance-funded Valium on wisdom tooth eve, and the last thing I remember before falling asleep on my mom’s couch was the girl texting me that she wished she was holding me. I was still high on Valium when I got to the dentist and have a blurry recollection of asking the hygienist not to put my head inside Gary Coleman’s head while I was out.
“I could kill you,” my mom said when I came to. “All that worry and the surgery took 15 minutes.” She made me macaroni and I watched a movie. “Do you feel better?”
I didn’t at that moment. But over time, though I still didn’t know I was in the throes of a manic episode, I finally felt it lift, like a fever, as I sat on the roof of my apartment building writing a poem, one wisdom tooth pinned to my coat for luck.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/26/manic-personalities-adulthood-facing-my-fear
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/ed2764032895bec7fd31378adcdd727a2991e4d037817d2bed8e225f3c5a4b4a.json
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[
"Max Rushden",
"Ben Green",
"Paul Macinnes",
"Jonathan Wilson",
"Jacob Steinberg"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:35 | null | 2016-08-22T10:29:05 |
The podders reflect on Middlesbrough’s victory in the Wear-Tees derby. Plus, Hull continue to shine, Burnley boss Liverpool, and Italy and Spain go goal crazy
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2Faudio%2F2016%2Faug%2F22%2Fsunderland-have-that-sinking-feeling-again-football-weekly.json
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| null |
Sunderland have that sinking feeling again - Football Weekly
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Max Rushden completes his three-show stint at the helm of Football Weekly, and he’s got Jonathan Wilson, Paul MacInnes and Jacob Steinberg for company.
We begin by discussing the impressive starts to the Premier League season made by the three promoted clubs, Middlesbrough, Burnley and Hull - and the familiar sense of slog and struggle at Sunderland.
Next, we turn our attention to Manchester, where City and United continue to set the pace. As if to confirm that Mancunia is the centre of the footballing universe, we’ll be doing our first Football Weekly Live of the season up there on Friday 2 September. Tickets still available, dontcha know.
Finally, we wonder what was in the water in Italy and Spain after La Liga and Serie A went goal crazy in their opening round of fixtures.
Jimbo’s back on Thursday. Make sure you give Max a nice send-off...
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2016/aug/22/sunderland-have-that-sinking-feeling-again-football-weekly
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en
| 2016-08-22T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/a346713d10bc5253a2e8bd9c2019d3d11dcf36db1e56dad51a2ca8ade6854d26.json
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|
[
"Gabrielle Chan"
] | 2016-08-30T22:52:30 | null | 2016-08-30T22:52:06 |
Debate over government’s planned industrial relations changes and a backbench revolt on the Racial Discrimination Act to dominate first sitting day, while Malcolm Turnbull faces challenge over marriage equality plebiscite. Follow all the developments live ...
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2Flive%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fparliament-back-in-business-with-abcc-18c-and-marriage-equality-debate-politics-live.json
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| null |
Parliament back in business with ABCC, 18C and marriage equality debate - politics live
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Debate over government’s planned industrial relations changes and a backbench revolt on the Racial Discrimination Act to dominate first sitting day, while Malcolm Turnbull faces challenge over marriage equality plebiscite. Follow all the developments live ...
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/aug/31/parliament-back-in-business-with-abcc-18c-and-marriage-equality-debate-politics-live
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/72e330fd51fe12ba88e20674f4d3855129274d26b2861285b10d5ffe4f1a88e6.json
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|
[
"Jonathan Freedland",
"Matthew D'Ancona"
] | 2016-08-26T13:17:37 | null | 2015-05-08T00:00:00 |
Columnists Jonathan Freedland and Matthew d'Ancona discuss the bloody night for Labour and the Lib Dems. How were the media and political class beguiled into believing that Labour could get away with being behind on the economy?
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2Fvideo%2F2015%2Fmay%2F08%2Fgeneral-election-david-cameron-tories-jonathan-freedland-matthew-dancona-video.json
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| null |
Three-minute election: How did David Cameron and the Tories do it? And what happens now? - video
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Columnists Jonathan Freedland and Matthew d'Ancona discuss the general election result: a bloody night for Labour and the Lib Dems and a stunning victory for David Cameron. How were the media and political class beguiled into believing that Labour could get away with being behind on the economy? And are the Conservatives as surprised at the result as everyone else?
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/may/08/general-election-david-cameron-tories-jonathan-freedland-matthew-dancona-video
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en
| 2015-05-08T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/93dd80a814e84adbfda2984f1418c1f550e5464ff486f526cc9a7f6d3ef7737b.json
|
|
[
"Anna Tims"
] | 2016-08-26T13:29:13 | null | 2016-07-15T22:45:12 |
It could be thirsty work choosing between a house in Northumberland and a swish penthouse in Chelsea
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmoney%2Fgallery%2F2016%2Fjul%2F15%2Fhomes-in-former-pubs-in-pictures.json
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en
| null |
Homes in former pubs - in pictures
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Lawrence St, London SW3
Such was local outrage when Chelsea’s oldest pub was sold for redevelopment that the buyer kept the bars in use and converted the upper floors into flats, including this two-bedroom penthouse. In this postcode you don’t get much space for the £1.695m price tag, and living over a pub could be noisy. Knight Frank , 020 3811 2131
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/gallery/2016/jul/15/homes-in-former-pubs-in-pictures
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en
| 2016-07-15T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/757bf24a310b6ffd2b7a24a2cc4ce8d1ac2b5e63b30eadd1f0de98d8485e1dc0.json
|
|
[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-31T08:50:18 | null | 2016-08-31T07:10:32 |
Lord Dannatt says he would not take Lariam after his son suffered mental health problems after two doses
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fex-army-chief-lord-dannatt-apologises-anti-malarial-drug-lariam.json
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Ex-army chief apologises to troops over anti-malaria drug
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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A former head of the British army has apologised to troops who took a controversial anti-malarial drug while under his command as he admitted he would not take it himself.
Lariam has been associated in a minority of users with depression, hallucinations and panic attacks.
And while it is not the main anti-malarial drug used by the armed forces, at least 17,368 personnel were prescribed it at least once between the start of April 2007 and the end of March 2015.
Lord Dannatt, who was chief of the general staff between 2006 and 2009, told BBC2’s Victoria Derbyshire programme he would not take the drug because of his son’s experience with it.
Dannatt said his son Bertie had suffered mental health problems after taking two doses of Lariam before visiting Africa in the late 1990s. He was not in the armed forces at the time but had been prescribed the drug by his father’s army doctor.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lariam antimalarial tablets Photograph: Kumar Sriskandan / Alamy/Alamy
Dannatt said his son became “extremely depressed” and if he had been left untreated “who knows where it would have gone”. He told the BBC the side-effects of the drug could be “pretty catastrophic”.
“Because Bertie had that effect, whenever I’ve needed anti-malarial drugs, I’ve said, ‘I’ll take anything, but I’m not taking Lariam,’” he said.
Dannatt said he was “quite content to say sorry” to those troops who had taken Lariam while he was head of the army.
He suggested evaluating the merits of the drug was put on the “backburner” because between 2003 and 2014 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was focused on conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are not malarial areas.
Dannatt also suggested the MoD was afraid of opening the “floodgates” to expensive compensation claims if it admitted the drug had harmed troops.
An MoD spokeswoman said: “The vast majority of deployed personnel already receive alternatives to Lariam and, where it is used, it is only prescribed after an individual risk assessment. But we have a duty to protect our personnel from malaria and, as the last defence committee report concluded, in some cases Lariam will be the most effective way of doing that.
“It continues to be recommended as safe by Public Health England and the World Health Organisation.”
The drug’s manufacturer, Roche, told the BBC it “will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that they have all the relevant information to ensure Lariam is prescribed appropriately”.
Earlier this year, the House of Commons defence committee called for Lariam to be designated a “drug of last resort”, to be issued only when there was no alternative available.
The company has pointed out that the most recent safety assessment conducted by EU authorities in March 2016 reinforced previous guidance that the benefits of Lariam outweigh the potential risks of the treatment.
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/31/ex-army-chief-lord-dannatt-apologises-anti-malarial-drug-lariam
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/1176c4c952689c32a6567a8cab022d08432332f305551b7cd4337a63e010567a.json
|
|
[
"Heather Stewart",
"Jessica Elgot"
] | 2016-08-27T10:51:02 | null | 2016-08-11T21:04:57 |
Broad agreement between rivals on areas such as minimum wage and childcare overshadowed by party’s internal politics and electability
|
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2016%2Faug%2F11%2Fjeremy-corbyn-and-owen-smith-clash-over-future-of-labour-in-leadership-debate.json
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| null |
Corbyn and Smith clash over future of Labour in leadership debate
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Owen Smith, the challenger in the Labour leadership contest, launched a series of scathing attacks on Jeremy Corbyn at a hard-fought public hustings in Gateshead on Thursday night, as the struggle for the future of the party intensified.
A day after Corbyn had been accused by his deputy, Tom Watson, of allowing “Trotskyist entryists” to infiltrate Labour, he clashed repeatedly with Smith, who accused him of returning to the 1980s politics of mass protest rallies and a Labour party out of power for a generation.
“We know how this one ends, Jeremy, and it doesn’t end well for the working people of Britain. It’s not about the T-shirts we wear or the badges on our lapels; it’s about power,” he said, to jeers from the audience.
If the Trotskyists are on the march there’s chaos ahead | John Harris Read more
When Corbyn criticised Smith for stepping down as shadow work and pensions secretary, the Pontypridd MP shot back that he had resigned “because you cannot lead us back to power, you could not fulfil the basic task ... of working with your colleagues. You undermined [your] colleagues at every turn.”
The electorate for the leadership contest has still not been finally determined, with the party awaiting an appeal court ruling, due on Friday, in a case brought by five new party members over the imposition of a six-month cutoff date to qualify for voting. There have been a series of legal clashes over the rules of the race, with Labour’s national executive committee defending its decision to impose the rules that have excluded up to 130,000 members who have joined the party since January from voting.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jeremy Corbyn looks on as Owen Smith speaks during the hustings. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
Smith, who appeared to have abandoned the cautious tone in which the early stages of the leadership debate were conducted, reiterated that he would offer Corbyn a shadow cabinet post – but said he would refuse to serve under Corbyn on the frontbench.
The leader insisted: “Our party is a strong party, our party is a big party, our campaigning abilities are immense if we work together on those campaigns. We have to build and transform our society and give people the confidence things can be done differently in Britain.”
The pair agreed on many policy issues, including the need to boost the national minimum wage, improve state-funded childcare and fight government spending cuts.
But they clashed over the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system, which Corbyn recently voted against retaining, while Smith says he is a “reluctant” supporter, because he believes in multilateral disarmament.
Smith also said he would have liked to see an all-woman shortlist for at least one of the recent elections to choose the Labour candidates for the forthcoming city mayoral races. Corbyn, however, said that was not a matter for the party leader.
Corbyn said many of the ideas Smith outlined throughout the debate – including fighting for social justice and raising taxes on the wealthy – were Labour policy before he resigned from the shadow cabinet.
It’s not the 1980s. Labour must unite to fight the Tories | Polly Toynbee Read more
But Smith shot back that Corbyn had been “long on slogans and long on rhetoric and short on policies and short on solution”.
“The rhetoric may well appeal to our base, Jeremy, but it won’t win us back Nuneaton, Cardiff North, Milton Keynes,” Smith said.
On Europe, Smith suggested Corbyn had failed to fight hard enough against Brexit: “You never really bought into the idea of remaining in the European Union … You never really liked the idea of the European Union.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith take part in the second of the Labour leadership hustings. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
Corbyn, a longstanding sceptic about the EU, before campaigning for a remain vote in the referendum, asked his rival: “Are you becoming a mind-reader?” Smith replied: “I don’t need to be; you told us what you thought for 40 years.”
Unison, the second-largest union, became the latest to endorse Jeremy Corbyn yesterday, after the GMB backed Smith on Wednesday. Corbyn has most of the major unions on his side. However, on Thursday Unison’s general secretary, Dave Prentis, warned that Labour was becoming “the new nasty party”. In an opinion piece for the Mirror he said: “There can be no place for witch hunts against Labour MPs, councillors and party staff by the left or right of the party.” He said there were many people in the union who backed Smith and “their views will always be respected”. He warned that to do otherwise would lead to more Tory governments.
Corbyn’s backers, who are scathing about the “spin” operations run by New Labour, declared Thursday night’s debate “two-nil to Jeremy”; and have set up a website – corbynfacts.com – to rebut claims about him.
“The look on Owen Smith and his team’s faces at the end said it all. All they have is Project Fear and Project Smear and when they don’t work they just talk down the party,” a campaign source said.
Meanwhile, the row over “Trotskyist entryism” in Labour rumbled on, with members of the Socialist party – the successor to Militant, which was thrown out of Labour in the 1980s – suggesting they hope to win the right to be affiliated to Labour, alongside groups such as the Co-op party, if Corbyn wins.
Peter Taaffe, the veteran leader of the movement, reiterated his hope of returning to the Labour fold. Hannah Sell, the Socialist party deputy general secretary, told the Guardian: “We hope to be on a list of organisations which are distinct, but also come under the umbrella of the Labour party. If the NEC took a decision that we were allowed in, it would be possible.”
Jeremy Corbyn earns geordie acclaim at debate against Owen Smith Read more
Corbyn’s allies suggested they have no plans to change the rules preventing members of parties that have stood candidates against Labour in the past five years from joining the party – but see no in principle objection to former members of any party signing up.
However, a source at Momentum, the grassroots movement set up to support Corbyn, and which Watson suggested was operating “entryist” tactics, said of Taaffe: “He is hostile to our party and has been openly talking about splitting it”.
John McDonnell, Corbyn’s ally and campaign director, had earlier accused Smith of “smear tactics” and suggested his plan for infrastructure investment was “mimicking” a similar proposal from the former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb.
Another Socialist party member, Iain Dalton, identified himself as one of the people whose activities were highlighted in Tom Watson’s document, as attending and speaking at Momentum meetings in Leeds and York.
“I would like us to be an affiliated body to Labour,” he said. “I don’t want to go back to the 1980s, with people afraid of being hounded out. I would want it to be an open thing. It’s not as if there’s some iron wall between being a Labour party member and a Socialist party member. We talk about stuff.”
Asked whether he was a Trotskysist, Dalton said: “It’s not the first thing I would describe myself as; but I guess I am a Trotskyist if I had to pin it down.”
He insists that he is not a revolutionary, and wants to help create a socialist government – not an uprising on the streets. “The only time I have ever fired a gun was on Scout camp,” he said.
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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/11/jeremy-corbyn-and-owen-smith-clash-over-future-of-labour-in-leadership-debate
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en
| 2016-08-11T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/73fbff560e1a7ab229e4ea9f4fbe62159bca7c4f3759fd8ca17ca10b41ab29e3.json
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[
"Shaun Walker"
] | 2016-08-28T14:51:57 | null | 2016-08-28T14:10:51 |
After two years of fighting, every day continues to bring new casualties and many fear a new Russian-backed offensive
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Feast-ukraine-frontline-europe-forgotten-war.json
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East Ukraine: on the frontline of Europe's forgotten war
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www.theguardian.com
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From the top of the nine-storey building in Avdiyivka, Sergei Veremeyenko and his men can see the separatist capital of Donetsk just a few miles away. Avdiyivka has been on the frontline between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces for the past two years, and recently fighting has intensified in the “industrial zone” on the outskirts of town.
The war in east Ukraine rarely makes the headlines two years on, but every day brings new casualties. The situation is now at its most tense since the end of large-scale fighting in February 2015. Russian claims to have foiled a “terror plot” in Crimea earlier this month, followed by strong rhetoric from the president, Vladimir Putin, led many in Kiev and the west to worry that a major new Russian-backed offensive could be imminent.
Avdiyivka is one of the first places where such a move would be visible. Clambering up a ladder to the roof, Veremeyenko pointed out what he said was the closest separatist position, just over a kilometre away. A few kilometres in the opposite direction are the twin towers of Donetsk airport, seized by separatist forces last January after an epic, bloody battle lasting several months.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sergei Veremeyenko, left, looks out over separatist positions from the top of an apartment block in Avdiyivka. Photograph: Shaun Walker for the Guardian
Shortly after the separatists, backed by a contingent of regular Russian troops that the Kremlin denies were there, seized the airport and other territory, a peace deal was signed in Minsk. Full-scale fighting has stopped since then, but skirmishes continue on almost a daily basis. August has been the worst month for a long time.
The unarmed monitoring mission from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) logs hundreds of explosions a day. It is not full-blown war, but it is not much of a ceasefire, either.
Every day there are one or two injured and killed on the Ukrainian side around Avdiyivka, Veremeyenko said. The separatist side also reports frequent losses. On Thursday, when the Guardian visited the apartment block where Veremeyenko’s group are based, it was shaken by what the men believed to be mortar fire from separatist positions. They claim they have strict orders not to fire, and only respond to attacks. The separatist side says the same.
“We noticed an intensification of activity in the last few days; they even drove up tanks to their forward positions, just so we could see them,” said Viktor Shotropa, who leads Veremeyenko’s group, which is part of the Kiev Regiment, initially a volunteer battalion that was later given official status as part of the Ukrainian interior ministry.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Separatists at the destroyed Donetsk international airport in October last year. Photograph: Aleksey Filippov/AFP/Getty Images
“But mainly I think they are just firing out of boredom. In order to actually seize more territory they would need a full-blown invasion, with the full support of the Russian army,” he said.
Events over the past fortnight have put everyone on edge, however. Earlier this month, Russia said a soldier and a security services officer had died while detaining a Ukrainian terror cell that had planned attacks in Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in February 2014.
Later, Russian television showed footage of a bruised Ukrainian and claimed he was working for Ukrainian military intelligence. “We obviously will not let such things slide by,” Putin said.
The Russian president accused Kiev of embracing “tactics of terror” and said there was little point in four-way negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, planned for the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in China. This led many to suspect that a new Russian offensive could be on the way, possibly with the aim of opening up a land bridge between Russia and Crimea.
Ukraine insisted the entire plot was fabricated by the Russians, and the Russian move caused the president, Petro Poroshenko, to put his forces on high alert. Ukraine has also not been immune to militaristic rhetoric: last week, the country celebrated 25 years of independence with a huge military parade in central Kiev that critics said differed little from the Soviet-style shows of force Kiev is trying to distance itself from.
After the initial panic over the Crimea incident, things have calmed down somewhat. “People were worried for a day or two but then they realised it didn’t seem to be the start of something major,” said one Ukrainian official.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest An elderly woman approaches a destroyed bridge near Donetsk airport in March 2015. Photograph: Vadim Ghirda/AP
The timing for a major Russian escalation also seems wrong: with European unity on sanctions against Russia wavering, a Russian-backed offensive now would reignite anger in western capitals over Moscow’s behaviour.
Up to now, Russia has used a mixture of loosely directed volunteers, military advisers, and occasional injections of regular troops at key moments, while denying it has ever had a major military presence in east Ukraine. But with Ukraine’s army improving over the past two years, a push for further territory would probably require a full-scale, overt Russian invasion that would irrevocably damage relations with the west.
For all the improvements, there is still a certain ad-hoc nature to the Ukrainian military effort. Veremeyenko said he was not officially signed up to the army, and is technically registered as a mechanic, although he fights on the frontline. The group operates from a number of apartments in a block that until fighting started housed civilians; amid the weapons and other accoutrements of war, kitchen tiles featuring kiwis and watermelons are a reminder that this was once someone’s home. The nine-storey building was only finished in early 2014; now the residents from all but one floor have fled as almost every apartment has some kind of damage. In the courtyard, an elderly woman pleads with the soldiers to bring her some potatoes.
The OSCE has blamed both sides for the repeated ceasefire violations. At a briefing earlier this month, Alexander Hug, the deputy chief OSCE monitor, said a lack of trust hampered any lasting peace, because “without trust each side fears the vacuum will be filled by the other”.
He criticised both sides for barring access to the monitors. “We need access and to be frank that’s not happening. The sides prevent our monitors from accessing certain areas. The sides plant landmines and obstacles. The sides threaten and intimidate our unarmed civilian monitors.”
As the potential for renewed full-scale hostilities remains, it is the population of east Ukraine who suffer the most. At Mariinka, one of the few points where civilians can cross the frontline, snaking queues of people, including the elderly and young children, wait for permission to cross the makeshift border. On Thursday morning on the Ukrainian side, outgoing rounds of light artillery were audible, as well as the crackle of machine-gun fire.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A woman inspects her damaged house on Thursday after shelling in Gorlovka, eastern Ukraine. Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/EPA
The weary Ukrainian soldiers at the checkpoint and the beleaguered locals trying to cross the lines hardly paid attention; the war has become a way of life here over the past two years, and they were far more concerned about whether or not they would make it across the border. An elderly woman burst into tears as her pass to cross the line was not in the system and she was forced to turn back after many hours of waiting.
The checkpoint at Mariinka has gradually taken on the trappings of a real border, with passport booths and customs check, and is one of many signs that a political solution to the conflict seems further away than ever.
Moscow is keen for a settlement that would see much of the separatist infrastructure legalised; giving it de facto control over part of Ukraine without having to fund it. In Kiev, attitudes have hardened against any compromise at all with the “terrorists” in the east. Amid the deadlock, many in Kiev still worry about the possibility of Russia opting for full-scale war. “It doesn’t seem logical but then the things they do often don’t,” said the Ukrainian official.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/28/east-ukraine-frontline-europe-forgotten-war
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/688e6bfb73d14727c3399cf782a800ffd902a2d034627929c72ce7e2b1816dd4.json
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[
"Oliver Milman"
] | 2016-08-26T14:57:00 | null | 2016-08-22T11:49:00 |
As the National Parks Service turns 100 this week, we look at how receding ice, extreme heat and acidifying oceans are transforming America’s landscapes, and guardians of national parks face the herculean task of stopping it
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F22%2Fclimate-change-national-parks-threat.json
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Climate change will mean the end of national parks as we know them
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www.theguardian.com
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After a century of shooing away hunters, tending to trails and helping visitors enjoy the wonder of the natural world, the guardians of America’s most treasured places have been handed an almost unimaginable new job – slowing the all-out assault climate change is waging against national parks across the nation.
As the National Parks Service (NPS) has charted the loss of glaciers, sea level rise and increase in wildfires spurred by rising temperatures in recent years, the scale of the threat to US heritage across the 412 national parks and monuments has become starkly apparent.
As the National Parks Service turns 100 this week, their efforts to chart and stem the threat to the country’s history faces a daunting task. America’s grand symbols and painstakingly preserved archaeological sites are at risk of being winnowed away by the crashing waves, wildfires and erosion triggered by warming temperatures.
The Statue of Liberty is at “high exposure” risk from increasingly punishing storms. A national monument dedicated to abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who will be enshrined on a new $20 note, could be eaten away by rising tides in Maryland. The land once walked by Pocahontas and Captain John Smith in Jamestown, the first English settlement in the US, is surrounded by waters rising at twice the global average and may be beyond rescue.
These threats are the latest in a pile of identified calamities to befall national parks and monuments due to climate change. Receding ice, extreme heat and acidifying oceans are morphing America’s landscapes and coasts at a faster pace than at any time in human history.
New York's remodelled Governors Island has built-in climate change defense Read more
“Yosemite’s famous glacier, once a mile wide, is almost gone,” fretted Barack Obama during a visit to the vast park in June.
“Rising temperatures could mean no more glaciers in Glacier national park, no more Joshua trees in Joshua Tree national park.
“Rising seas can destroy vital ecosystems in the Everglades and at some point could even threaten icons like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. That’s not the America I want to pass on to the next generation.”
Change, however, is inevitable no matter how quickly greenhouse gas emissions are cut. An NPS study from 2014 found four in five of America’s national parks are now at the “extreme end” of temperature variables charted since 1901.
“We are starting to see things spiral away now,” said Gregor Schuurman, an ecologist at the NPS climate change response program. “We are going to look back at this time and actually think it was a calm period. And then people will start asking questions about what we were doing about the situation.”
Alaska: the front line
There is now a broad new push to work out exactly what heritage is at risk and how to best to react.
If there is a front line, it’s probably found in Alaska. The state has 24 national parks, including Denali, the largest protected park in the US at 6m acres. It is also part of the Arctic, the fastest warming region on Earth.
Permafrost, which currently sits underneath 80% of Alaska, is beginning to melt, causing sinkholes and landslides. The north-west coast is being chewed away by almost 150ft a year in places due to sea level rise aided by wind erosion from more intense storms. Wildfires are increasing, with a lack of snow cover allowing the flames to lick areas that haven’t burned in almost 5,000 years.
These trends imperil treasures such as those found in Cape Krusenstern national monument on the north-west coast. It has extensive evidence of human habitation stretching back 9,000 years. The NPS is scrambling to survey the area as inundations are wiping away this heritage, often before archaeologists can document it.
Dael Devenport, an NPS archaeologist based in Anchorage, takes regular helicopter trips to survey the 70-mile coast of the park. There are groups of abandoned houses claimed by the sea and wind, containing items such as lamps, stone tools and ulus – a type of half moon-shaped knife used to skin seals and caribou. The Inupiat people who live in the region have retreated from this part of the coast.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The remote Cape Krusenstern national monument, on the northwestern coast of Alaska, is being claimed by sea and wind. Photograph: Danita Delimont/Getty Images/Gallo Images
“A lot of these sites haven’t been surveyed properly, we are trying to figure out which are most vulnerable and mitigate against that,” Devenport said. “You can see houses that are washing away, if you walk along the coast you see the profile of houses.
“Most people haven’t thought about how climate change affects archeological sites. A site is a snapshot in time, it’s not like we can pick it up and move it somewhere else. We are in danger of losing a great deal.”
The problem is exacerbated by rampant looting of artifacts. A recent survey found almost all of a former settlement of the Thule culture, ancestors of today’s Inuit, had been disturbed and stripped of items such as harpoon tips and figurines carved from walrus ivory. As permafrost melts and walls are washed away, more treasures are revealed to opportunists.
“It’s a big problem,” Devenport acknowledged. “It’s probably done by people from local communities who know where the sites are. They can sell items onto dealers, who can get about $50,000 for a figurine from a buyer in Japan.
“When that artifact has been pulled out from the ground and not documented, we lose all of that information. You’ve lost the whole story behind that item and how it was used.”
‘The longer we wait, the more we lose’
Further south, in the lower 48 states, a different heritage is at risk. Changing rainfall patterns are affecting a number of parks in the south-west. Extreme rain events caused two major wall collapses in historic structures at Tumacácori national historical park in southern Arizona.
The structures, built by Spanish missionaries more than 300 years ago, are made from adobe, a type of sun-dried clay. The NPS already devotes 2,500 hours a year to maintain these buildings. However climate change is placing a further strain on this heritage.
“For the more vulnerable sites, particularly adobe structures which seem to be the canaries in the coal mine in the south-western US, losses are already rapidly occurring,” said the NPS’ Lauren Meyer, who is heading new research into the issue.
Meyer said there is a “great urgency” to intervene and save cultural sites at risk from a rapidly warming planet. “The longer we wait to act, the more history we lose,” she said.
Conservationists complain about a lack of funding to identify and preserve at-risk sites, but even if these locations could all be propped up and artifacts protected, the changes to the wider ecosystems march on.
Climate change is set to alter American forests as much as the arrival of white settlers
Temperature increases vary slightly according to park (the Grand Canyon has warmed on average by 2.4F since 1916, while the Everglades has heated up by 1.5F) – but the trend is inexorably upwards.
This warming is influencing a complex web of processes in national parks. As John Muir, considered the father of US national parks, put it: “Tug on anything at all and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe.”
Climate change is set to alter American forests as much as the arrival of white settlers did. The fire season is expanding dramatically. Some species are suffering, such as the native birds of Hawaii targeted by invasive mosquitos, which are able to survive in higher elevations as the forest habitat warms.
The remaining 65 groves of huge sequoia trees in California, among the largest living things on the planet, could be decimated by a warmer, drier climate. High-elevation species, such as red spruce and balsam fir, could be pushed off the mountains. The tree that gives Joshua Tree national park its name may not be able to adapt.
Such changes cascade through the food chain. The grizzly bears of Yellowstone like to feast on the cone seeds of the white bark pine, a species under attack from the mountain pine beetle. If warmer winters fail to kill off the beetle, the bears will have to find another food source, impacting other species. A lack of snow for denning will affect bears and wolves; warming river waters will force out the salmon.
“It’s hard to predict exactly what will happen but some systems have been pushed over the threshold, certainly,” said Schuurman.
“We need to recognize that climate change is ongoing and we can only expect the impacts will get stronger time goes on. I tell park managers that whether they are thinking about climate change every day or not, it is likely to find you and tap you on the shoulder. We should take heed of it.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The number of glaciers in Glacier national park, Montana, has halved since 1968 due to rising temperatures. All are on course to disappear by the middle of the century. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images
A pressing question for the NPS is how these changes will go down with the public. Last year was a record, with 305 million visitors to national parks. But Sally Jewell, secretary of the interior, recently warned that a lack of funding to deal with the “existential” threat of climate change, along with unchecked development, will lead to ruin.
Jewell said that current trends mean that the next century will mean “national parks and wildlife refuges will be like postage stamps of nature on a map. Isolated islands of conservation with run-down facilities that crowds of Americans visit like zoos to catch a glimpse of our nation’s remaining wildlife and undeveloped patches of land.”
Some national parks are already looking at how to respond to this potentially diminished future. Parks in the south, for example, may offer nighttime activities such as star gazing or bat-spotting.
Visitation could actually jump by nearly 25% in 2060 as it warms, according to one forecast.The summer months may become too hot for visitors to parks in the southwest.
Either way, it will be hard to hide that a trip to the Rocky Mountains in Montana to see Glacier national park won’t involve seeing any actual glaciers.
“Yes, that will be a visible and dramatic change,” said Schuurman. “Without being blasé in any way, people are adaptable and Glacier national park without its glaciers will still be a stunningly beautiful place. That said, I think anyone would look back and be sad about the loss.”
The effects of climate change
Temperature rise
Temperatures across US national parks have risen by about 2.4F in the past century.
Disappearing snow and ice
The number of glaciers at Glacier national park has halved since 1968. All of the park’s glaciers are on course to completely disappear by the middle of the century.
Sea level rise
Approximately 40 protected sites are at risk from a 1m sea level rise, with an NPS analysis calling it “one of the most obvious and most challenging impacts” of global warming. The Everglades could become inundated with salt water, with the ecosystem overwhelmed by invasive species drawn to its changed environment. More powerful storms could endanger the Statue of Liberty, which closed for nine months after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Wildfire
The wildfire season in the west is far lengthier than it was in the 1970s. The risk is compounded by shrinking snow abundance – in Yellowstone there is an average of 30 fewer days with snow on the ground compared to the 1960s.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/22/climate-change-national-parks-threat
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en
| 2016-08-22T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/6b7398111dba39cde04cb5a64590d4545f432c04b9aa685d67c678f40c3be4cc.json
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[
"Dominic Fifield"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:19 | null | 2016-08-25T11:25:49 |
Arsenal are set to trump Everton by securing the Deportivo la Coruña forward, Lucas Pérez
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Farsenal-set-to-beat-everton-to-signing-of-lucas-perez.json
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Arsenal set to beat Everton to signing of Lucas Pérez from Deportivo la Coruña
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Arsenal are set to trump Everton by signing the Deportivo la Coruña forward Lucas Pérez.
Premier League: transfer window summer 2016 – interactive Read more
Lucas, who scored 17 goals last season and opened his account for this season with the winner against Elbar last Friday, has a buyout clause of around £17m. Everton had been prepared to meet that amount and had even agreed personal terms in principle with the 27-year-old, only for Arsenal to emerge as suitors.
Negotiations between the clubs and player are understood to be under way in Spain, with Arsenal confident the move will be confirmed before the weekend. Arsène Wenger had been targeting a central defender but moved for Lucas after Saturday’s goalless draw at Leicester City, having seen interest in Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette come to nothing earlier in the summer.
Lucas, who began his career at Atlético Madrid, can operate through the centre or on the flank having established his credentials during spells at Rayo Vallecano, Karpaty Lviv in Ukraine, PAOK Salonika in Greece and, initially on loan in 2014, at Deportivo la Coruña. He signed a fone-year deal at the Spanish club last summer.
Confirmation that Arsenal, who can offer Champions League football, have edged out Everton for Lucas represents a blow to the Merseyside club, whose recently appointed director of football, Steve Walsh, had earmarked the forward while at his previous club Leicester.
Ronald Koeman is still searching for a player to operate alongside Romelu Lukaku, who has agreed to remain at Goodison Park for at least another season. Oumar Niasse, a £13.5m signing from Lokomotiv Moscow in February, is still expected to join Hull City on loan in search of first-team football.
Everton could yet sell James McCarthy before next week’s deadline, with Crystal Palace, Southampton and Stoke City having all expressed an interest in the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland midfielder, who would cost around £18m.
Arsenal hope to add a centre-half to their squad before the deadline, with Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi still their first choice. The 24-year-old German is priced at around £26m.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/25/arsenal-set-to-beat-everton-to-signing-of-lucas-perez
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b4d03dd7caf117ce0c5ca6aff953a656e87f85579b7a3ad46f6b712a75668bb4.json
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[
"Holly Watt"
] | 2016-08-26T13:30:35 | null | 2016-08-25T18:54:28 |
Electoral Commission figures show donation from Gerard Lopez, whose companies appear in Panama Papers
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http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fluxembourg-based-businessman-donated-400000-to-tory-party.json
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Luxembourg-based businessman donated £400,000 to Tory party
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www.theguardian.com
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A Luxembourg-based businessman who chaired the Lotus Formula One team and was linked to a takeover of a French football club has given the Conservative party £400,000, raising concerns about the party’s plans to crack down on offshore funds.
Gerard Lopez, who co-founded Genii Capital, which owned Lotus before Renault’s takeover, gave the Conservatives the large donation shortly before the EU referendum. Genii’s website says he is based in Luxembourg but he can donate to a UK political party if he is on the electoral register.
May's campaign was given £35,000 by donors Cameron put forward for honours Read more
Lopez’s companies appear extensively in the Panama Papers, the huge leak of information from the Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, which show the host of ways in which the rich can exploit secretive offshore tax regimes.
The donation emerged in the latest disclosure from the Electoral Commission that also showed that the Labour peer Lord Sainsbury gave over £2m to both the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats in the run up to the referendum – prompting the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, to query why he was allowed to financially support both parties when other Labour party members had been expelled.
The Panama Papers reveal that Lopez was granted “power of attorney” over a British Virgin Islands company called Gravity Sport Management Limited, which meant he would have been able to control it. Gravity Sport handled the careers of Formula One drivers including Romain Grosjean until it was put into administration last year.
Tom Watson declares £200,000 donation from Max Mosley Read more
Lopez’s donation emerged as the Electoral Commission published information about funding to political parties in April, May and June of this year. The donation is likely to raise questions about the Conservatives’ plans to crack down on the use of offshore investment vehicles. Jonathan Ashworth, the Labour MP for Leicester South, said: “This raises serious questions for Theresa May’s government, when they continue to tolerate tax avoidance by the wealthy and fail to address serious concerns among the public about tax havens. It’s ordinary people and public services that pay the cost.”
According to the Electoral Commission’s disclosure, the Labour party received £6,186,695 during the second quarter of 2016, while the Conservatives were given £4,321,937.
Ukip received £1,252,891 in the months leading up to the Europe referendum in June, with Ko Barclay, the stepson of the Telegraph’s co-owner Sir Frederick Barclay, giving Ukip £100,000.
Apart from Lord Sainsbury’s donation, the second largest donation from an individual to Labour was £200,000 from Max Mosley, the former Formula One boss. Mosley became a privacy campaigner after the now defunct News of the World published a story about his sex life in 2008.
Almost all the other donations to Labour came from unions including £816,559 from Unite and £604,411 from Unison.
Other political donors include £262,500 to the Conservatives from the mining tycoon Mick Davis. Alexander Fraser, the Conservative party treasurer who was awarded a peerage in David Cameron’s honours list in July, gave the Conservatives £261,900 in June.
Labour's donor exodus 'will leave it struggling to fund general election' Read more
Lopez, who speaks seven languages and was an early investor in Skype, has business interests around the world. He is the co-founder of Mangrove Capital Partners and the chairman of a brokerage firm called Nekton, which focuses on Latin America and Africa.
A spokesperson for Lopez said: “Mr Lopez has invested significant amounts in the UK, creating local jobs and generating tax revenues. Mr Lopez pays the full amount of tax owed as per his legal obligations.”
Lopez has previously spoken about chairing the Lotus Formula One team, saying it was “an embassy on wheels”. “It’s extraordinary what owning an F1 team does for networking,” he told the Independent. “Everybody who is anybody wants to be invited into the paddocks. You can’t quantify the value of this network.”
The Panama Papers are records which were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Guardian. There is no suggestion that Lopez has done anything wrong.
They caused serious political embarrassment for David Cameron in the last weeks of his premiership, after it emerged that he benefited from a Panama-based offshore trust set up by his late father.
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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/25/luxembourg-based-businessman-donated-400000-to-tory-party
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en
| 2016-08-25T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/e3cb6b96115f660ca025561c87278cb6c6909f1b382ca2bab3fd3c16b918804b.json
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[
"Jamie Jackson"
] | 2016-08-26T22:51:03 | null | 2016-08-26T21:30:45 |
José Mourinho said Marcus Rashford needs to be playing games rather than sitting on the bench for England
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fmanchester-united-marcus-rashford-england-jose-mourinho.json
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José Mourinho reassures Marcus Rashford after England demotion
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www.theguardian.com
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José Mourinho has welcomed Marcus Rashford being dropped from the England squad, with the Manchester United manager believing the teenager will benefit more from being part of the under-21 setup.
Rashford has won three England caps and was in the squad at Euro 2016 but after failing to feature in either of United’s matches this season, Sam Allardyce decided he could not select him and so allowed Gareth Southgate to include him in the under-21 squad.
“I prefer he is not selected for the national team, because to be on the bench after Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy and all the experienced players and play one minute is not the best,” Mourinho said. “I would prefer him to play for the under-21s and what Southgate decides – to play 90 or 80 minutes – and contribute to his development, so no problems. All good.
Luke Shaw: ‘I could hardly walk for six months, never mind play football’ Read more
“Marcus will play a lot. I cannot choose competitions. I cannot say Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t play one single match in the Europa League because that is not the case. I cannot say Marcus doesn’t start matches in the Premier League because that is not the case. He is a young and talented player. We didn’t buy more strikers. We bought one, not two or three or four. If you don’t trust him, or want him to play, we buy other strikers. Zlatan is playing and showing why and Marcus is striker No2 at the moment. For an 18-year-old boy, he is amazing.”
Asked if Ibrahimovic and Rashford might be selected as a combination for United, Mourinho said: “They played against Leicester as a two. Marcus came on for the last 30 minutes and played alongside Zlatan. We were 1-1 and I played them both. On the other two matches he was on the bench and the team was winning. I didn’t see a reason to break the structure of the team. It was the last 30 minutes and I did not want to go to penalties. In the two league games, I didn’t see a reason to break the system.”
Mourinho has also not started Henrikh Mkhitaryan despite him being the Bundesliga player of the year last season and costing United close to £30m. “It’s difficult but if Juan Mata is on the bench you tell me I want to kick him out,” Mourinho said when asked about Mkhitaryan’s lack of playing time. “If I don’t play Anthony Martial it’s because he is in crisis or Ashley Young, it’s because I don’t like Ashley Young. Or Memphis Depay is not playing because he is on his way out.”
Mourinho is clear why Mkhitaryan has been left out. “The others are playing really well,” he said. “When some managers buy players they play because they think about protecting themselves: I choose this player, I bought this player, I have to show the world I was right.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic puts seal on Manchester United win at Bournemouth Read more
“No, the first thing I think about is my team. Miki is a super player and so I am sure he will succeed. I am not in a rush to play him to show the world how good he is. Maybe he will play at Hull. We have a very good squad and every weekend we are going to be here and you are going to ask about A, B or C because it’s a normal thing.”
Martial has started quietly following last season’s impressive form. Regarding whether the Frenchman is suffering from an inevitable dip, Mourinho said: “When a team is not playing especially well [as United were last season] and when in the middle of that average level somebody comes out of that, they go immediately to be the highlight.
“This now is a different picture. Last season, no Martial, no three points. This season, no Martial goals and three victories. The team is OK. Other players are scoring goals. He’s performing more than OK. I wouldn’t expect much more than that.
“He had no pre-season. He was the last to arrive [after Euro 2016]. Some guys take more time. I think he’s doing fine. I think he’s going to have a normal season. For a guy of his qualities, a normal season is a good season so I think he will have a good season.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/manchester-united-marcus-rashford-england-jose-mourinho
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en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/2beece2557544a950d35d7f514c01fecf418a72cb1a366be8415818727f70082.json
|
|
[
"Peter Walker",
"Martin Kettle",
"Larry Elliott Economics Editor",
"Ed Miliband"
] | 2016-08-27T18:51:25 | null | 2016-07-22T14:22:27 |
Briefing note argues for ‘further injection of democracy’ so the public or parliament are able to vote on the terms of Brexit
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http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fpolitics%2F2016%2Fjul%2F22%2Flabour-second-eu-referendum-brexit-negotiations-emily-thornberry-barry-gardiner.json
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| null |
Labour won't rule out second referendum on European Union
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Labour has not ruled out the possibility of another referendum on the European Union, whether over continued membership or the terms of Britain leaving the bloc, according to a briefing note circulated among the party’s MPs.
The 10-page document, prepared by the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, and Barry Gardiner, the shadow minister for Europe, also lays out how Labour hopes to have a say in Brexit negotiations.
“Britain has now been left in a total mess of the Tory government’s own making,” the document states.
On the idea of a second referendum, the paper, a copy of which was passed to the Guardian, says that many Labour activists have appealed for a rerun of the referendum, in part because of “the disinformation of the leave campaign and the dysfunction of the government”.
It argues that before exit takes place “there should be the opportunity for some further injection of democracy into this process, so that either the public or their parliamentary representatives are able to vote on the reality of a post-Brexit Britain”.
Britain's economy shrinking at fastest rate since 2009, says survey Read more
Earlier this month the Labour leadership challenger, Owen Smith, said he would like to see a referendum on any Brexit deal. However, the party’s leadership has previously been less keen, with the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, appearing to rule it out.
Gardiner and Thornberry, the latter of whom has also taken the role of shadowing David Davis, the new Brexit minister, stress there are risks in proposing a new referendum or running a general election campaign based on overturning the EU decision or offering a vote on the terms of exit.
“Some colleagues are concerned that this would look like trying to have a second in-out referendum by the back door,” they write.
The document, titled Responding to the EU Referendum Result, shows continued uncertainty within Labour over how to balance controls on the free movement of EU nationals into Britain against trade with the bloc. On Thursday, France’s president, François Hollande, told the British prime minister, Theresa May, that staying in the EU’s single market could not happen if the UK imposed control over arrivals.
The briefing note agrees this balance will be “extremely difficult”, and that Labour had to accept voters’ concerns over immigration. The document says the party must have a strong voice on the subject but does not yet set out what this will be. It tells MPs: “It will take time, and much greater consultation within the party, to develop proposals in this area, but that will be our priority for the coming months.”
Other areas are much clearer. The document says Labour deplores May’s lack of guarantee for the status of EU nationals already in Britain, arguing this has “created a climate where a small minority of individuals in our society feel it is acceptable to talk in terms of EU migrants living in Britain being told to go home”.
The document also calls for the party to campaign hard over preserving rights originating from EU rules, such as those over employment.
It demands a delay in triggering article 50, which would formally set a two-year process for departure. This should not happen, the document argues, “until there is a clear plan in place about what the UK will be negotiating for, and how that is going to be achieved, and until there has been some form of consultation on that negotiating plan, and formal approval of it by parliament and/or the public”.
On a more openly party political note, a section of the document titled Key Lines to Take, urges Labour MPs to say the confusion is the fault of the Conservatives.
“It was David Cameron who set a wholly artificial timetable for this referendum, believing that internal opposition inside the Tory party would be quelled as a result of his election victory last year,” one reads. “He was wrong, and we ended up with media coverage of the referendum campaign entirely dominated by the bitter in-fighting within his cabinet.”
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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/22/labour-second-eu-referendum-brexit-negotiations-emily-thornberry-barry-gardiner
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en
| 2016-07-22T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/3283c8e038366e4a2a3a34a2ec271fd2f8e2b5bcae1e3fce66a14000fe070fb5.json
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[
"Catherine Bennett"
] | 2016-08-28T00:52:18 | null | 2016-08-27T23:03:16 |
The Lloyds chief may feel he has a right to privacy, but he can’t have one law for himself, another for his staff
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fpublic-private-lives-lloyds-horta-osorio-privacy.json
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Conflating public and private lives makes fools of us all
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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As financiers from RBS’s Fred Goodwin to Northern Rock’s Adam Applegarth and the IMF’s Dominique Strauss-Kahn have demonstrated, senior bankers are quite as likely as, say, Boris Johnson and members of the SNP to embark on extramarital relationships, sometimes discovered before they move on, sometimes not. Though given the superhuman abilities reflected in the bankers’ salaries, it should be emphasised that they are obviously many thousands of times better at conducting affairs than the average married person and would take their talents abroad if anyone questioned their rewards in this respect, with grievous consequences for the British economy.
António Horta-Osório, the CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, is entitled to ask why his recent sightseeing in Singapore, accompanied by the chief executive of the Russell Group, Wendy Piatt, was of such interest to Sun readers, that the paper revealed it, beneath the front-page headline: Lloyds Bonk. That the bank is still 9% state-owned cannot amount to the public’s right to CEO uxoriousness or not, anyway, at the same time that the once-dedicated shagger Boris Johnson is promoted to prime minister’s understudy.
If anything, modern Westminster shows that, while not exactly compulsory, a furious extra-marital sex life is a tremendous way for a male public servant to create interest and progress his career. On the left, John, now Lord Prescott, rose from shifty practitioner of the office knee-trembler to become one of the greatest moralists of the age, certainly a rival for John Major. It remains only for women MPs to be rewarded, or pardoned, for the same enthusiasm, before the parliamentary sex scandal is redefined as the obvious stepping stone between backbencher and junior minister. Though, as David Mellor’s career reminds us, why stop there?
As for any link between continence and competence, Horta-Osório’s record, like Johnson’s, speaks for itself. Give or take a further 3,000 job losses, a fall in profits and a record fine for mishandled PPI claims, Lloyds bank is now in such excellent shape that Horta-Osório’s latest pay deal, including a 6% salary rise, was £8.5m. Having established that Horta-Osório had not claimed any Piatt-related costs of his trip on expenses, Lloyds told the Sun: “In this regard, the review found there were no breaches of the group’s policy and there was no case to answer.” It continued: “Lloyds has been returned to financial health over the last five years under the leadership of António, and is well-placed to continue supporting the UK economy and to help Britain prosper.”
But in another regard, it might have added, António had a little explaining to do. Shortly after his arrival at Lloyds, Horta-Osório introduced a code of personal responsibility, one intrusive enough to satisfy the Sun, and designed to help Lloyds staff to “strive to always do the right thing”. Incentives were included: “We take any non-compliance with the codes very seriously.” I recommend the code’s crystalline “decision guide” to any employee who is contemplating something that might not merely make them look exceptionally silly, but cost them their job.
For instance, a married employee might ask himself/herself: “I would like to meet my girlfriend/boyfriend while on company business in Singapore, then take boat trips together, even though discovery would cause personal and professional agonies and raise unfair questions about my judgment and expenses. What should I do?”
In this instance, the decision guide would lead the troubled employee straight to three questions: “Am I leading by example?”; “Would Lloyds Banking Group be comfortable if my actions were reported externally?” and; “Would I be happy to tell my colleagues, friends and family about my actions?” If, like our fictitious employee, you answered no/not sure to one or more, then the code is clear: “Contact your line manager or a responsible senior leader in your business area for further advice and guidance.”
The glaring omission here is how to proceed if you are already CEO of Lloyds and therefore have no line manager or responsible senior leader with whom to discuss your Singapore trip. In earlier times, Mr Horta-Osório praised his wife’s advice – she recommended he take the Lloyds job – but in this case, that, presumably, was contra-indicated. Perhaps the careless code-writers thought it inconceivable that any leader brilliant enough to help Britain prosper wouldn’t also be enough of a genius not to breach his own regulations by taking an ostensibly adulterous mini-break on the Singaporean harbour front. Such a gigantic talent would be sure to remain, judiciously, indoors. One recalls that even Prescott was exposed only after his diary secretary’s boyfriend went to the Daily Mirror.
It becomes clearer why, in what first resembled some grim, public-appeasing precedent, Mr Horta-Osório felt compelled to issue a staff memo much praised by PRs and trumpeted by the Sun as a “grovelling apology”.
On examination, there is little sign of accountability in Mr Horta-Osório’s effort, which adheres strictly to the “mistakes were made” method of apology, so dear to politicians and bankers, that regrets, preferably in the first person plural, whatever unfortunate circumstances have mysteriously arisen. More than anything it recalls those forced HBOS apologies: “We are profoundly and I think unreservedly sorry at the turn of events.”
In the current case, Mr Horta-Osório says: “I deeply regret being the cause of so much adverse publicity” (ie, being found out); he dwells on the company’s “major accomplishments”; he delicately alludes, as he must, to the code he has transgressed – “the highest professional standards”. From which it is but a short step to shared responsibility. “We must recognise that mistakes will be made. I don’t expect anyone to get everything all the time.”
Quite. It would be ridiculous to think that, in the lower regions of the Lloyds banking group, nobody on a fraction of his £8.5m would impulsively do something, as prohibited by the Antonine Code, that they would be unhappy to tell their colleagues, friends or family about.
Perhaps it is not so unreasonable, however, for Mr Horta-Osório’s co-workers, and even for the public, with its 9% holding, to wonder if someone in such hilarious contravention of his code can be worth the full £8.5m. Can António, the star in his own revival of Measure for Measure, be the right person to lead by example?
Either, as Mr Horta-Osório says, his “personal life is obviously a private matter”, and elements of his code are an outrageous imposition, in which case he’s in the wrong, or his code is defensible and he is in the wrong for non-compliance. “I strongly believe you should link compensation with performance,” he has said. A merciful public might conclude that, if Mr Horta-Osório is not to join the blameless 3,000 staff now earmarked for disposal, he should continue in employment only on a salary that better demonstrates this link, £15,156 per year being both generous to him, and the same as a Lloyds customer service assistant.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/27/public-private-lives-lloyds-horta-osorio-privacy
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en
| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/af7cb2b5a4f2f17d145580563da1d207fbb7cf270dd3462d2c00bd70daa0c077.json
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[
"James Riach"
] | 2016-08-28T22:51:45 | null | 2016-08-28T21:30:43 |
Wayne Rooney says that José Mourinho has already boosted the confidence of a Manchester United team who go into the international break after three league wins and with Manchester City next
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fwayne-rooney-jose-mourinho-revived-manchester-united-winning-mentality.json
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José Mourinho has revived Manchester United’s winning mentality, says Wayne Rooney
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www.theguardian.com
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Wayne Rooney says José Mourinho has already created a winning mentality at Manchester United to boost the confidence of a team who have lacked such belief in recent years.
Marouane Fellaini rescues fan caught in crush during Manchester United celebrations Read more
Mourinho’s United side secured their third successive victory of the new Premier League season at Hull City on Saturday evening – Marcus Rashford scoring an injury-time winner – and go into the international break joint top of the fledgling table.
The ill feeling that was evident around Old Trafford during much of Louis van Gaal’s reign as manager appears to have lifted before the derby against Manchester City on 10 September. Rooney, who created Rashford’s late goal with a fine run and pass from the byline, praised the impact that Mourinho had made in such a short space of time and said it had been crucial for United to start the season well after their struggles in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
“You look at the years when José won the title at Chelsea, they always started well, but I think the way it’s been for us the last two or three seasons, it was important for us as a team,” Rooney said. “José has brought that experience in, that winning mentality again. That’s showing in the players and it’s maybe lacked over the last couple of years.
“It’s early but you want to try to build momentum and especially going into the international break. To go there with three wins is important and with the next game being Man City it was a big win for us, even though it’s so early in the season. We know whatever happens against City isn’t going to define the season but it’s always nice to go into that break with the three wins.
“It’s a game players, staff, media, fans, everyone will be looking forward to. It’s a Manchester derby but also with José and Pep Guardiola at Man City. It’s exciting for everyone and exciting to play in.”
Rooney’s position in the United team has come under question this season. The 30-year-old had not enjoyed the best of games at Hull before producing a telling piece of play in the dying moments to set up Rashford for a tap-in.
Mourinho praised the England captain’s display, insisting Rooney is not immune to being substituted but that his presence on the pitch until injury time was a tactical decision. “I can take him out. It’s no problem for me to take him out, no problem for him to be out,” he said.
“But I was just reading the game and feeling that playing with the two strikers, Marcus and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], I needed [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and Rooney just inside because the full-backs were the ones playing really wide on the touchline.
“I didn’t need wingers because at this moment the wingers were [Antonio] Valencia and Luke Shaw, so instead of wingers I needed people to play inside in that position and I know that he’s the guy with the vision for an assist and a feeling for the ball, and that he could perfectly be important, like he was.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/28/wayne-rooney-jose-mourinho-revived-manchester-united-winning-mentality
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/85f8d194c7eecc4bdb95c8d910e22d8e8acd5f37b2bd3b2a0d3bea5b6f40e24f.json
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|
[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-31T06:50:16 | null | 2016-08-31T05:01:28 |
Former Crimewatch presenter says he had to cancel his wedding and has put his home on the market because of accident in pre-show training
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmedia%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Frav-wilding-sues-splash-diving-crimewatch.json
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Rav Wilding sues makers of Splash! after diving injury 'changed my life'
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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Former Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding is suing the production company behind ITV’s Splash!, saying an injury he suffered while training for the diving show has derailed his career.
The ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant said he had to cancel his wedding and has now put his home on the market because of the accident, which occurred in pre-show training in 2013.
Wilding underwent surgery after snapping the hamstring tendons in his left leg during a somersault dive on the third session of training for the now defunct ITV show.
The ex-soldier and policeman was discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve but readmitted on New Year’s Day 2014 after suffering from a pulmonary embolism at home.
His injuries meant he did not appear on the diving show, which was made by production company Twofour.
Legal firm Irwin Mitchell said Wilding now has one leg shorter than the other and cannot walk or stand without pain.
He needs a lift in his shoe to walk properly and has been told he will never be able to run or play rugby again.
Wilding called the injury an “absolute nightmare” which has “completely changed my life”.
He added: “It breaks my heart that Jill (Morgan) and I had to cancel our wedding.”
He said of his TV work: “I have been in a few things here and there, but the active physical work is no longer possible.
“I used to play rugby every week, go running, and, having been in the army and a police officer in the past, my fitness was pretty high.
“I used to get active jobs based on my fitness, but now I can’t do those things, the opportunities aren’t really there any more, so it’s changed the entire course of my career.”
He said: “I’m still in pain every day. It has turned my world upside down.”
Lauren Hurney, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Sadly Rav appears to have been let down during his training for Splash!.
“He has been left with a life-changing injury which has already had a profound effect on his career, relationship and finances. We have written to Twofour and are currently awaiting a response.”
Wilding left Crimewatch after seven years on the BBC1 show in 2011 and took part in the 2009 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
He previously had a relationship with ex-Big Brother star Chantelle Houghton.
Twofour has been contacted for comment.
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https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/31/rav-wilding-sues-splash-diving-crimewatch
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/c889d3470114552c5994e0653d4b4bf47fb6c7ab412685005fe4f340d2cc1b91.json
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[
"Tom Phillips"
] | 2016-08-31T02:52:35 | null | 2016-08-31T02:45:58 |
Activists say Chinese president has presided over dramatic offensive against Communist party’s opponents since taking power
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fchinese-dissidents-urge-obama-press-xi-jinping-human-rights-g20.json
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Chinese dissidents urge Obama to press Xi Jinping on human rights at G20
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www.theguardian.com
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Chinese dissidents have urged Barack Obama to confront Xi Jinping over what they called China’s worst human rights crisis since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown when he travels to the G20 economic summit in Hangzhou this week.
During a meeting at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, prominent Chinese activists told Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser, that China’s president had presided over a dramatic offensive against opponents of the Communist party since taking power in late 2012.
'Paradise on earth': China's Hangzhou gets propaganda facelift for G20 summit Read more
Teng Biao, an exiled human rights lawyer who was among those invited to address Rice, told the Guardian he had called on the US president to publicly speak out on what is likely to be his final presidential visit to Asia.
“China is experiencing its worst human rights crackdown since the Tiananmen massacre in 1989,” Teng said.
“Especially since Xi Jinping came to power, many human rights lawyers and activists were detained and disappeared; many, many NGOs were shut down; and other civil society organisations, universities, media, internet, Christian churches and other religious groups were also targeted. It is obvious that the Chinese government has violated human rights and the current situation is very, very worrying,” he added.
World leaders will fly into Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China, later this week ahead of the two-day summit which kicks off on Sunday.
Obama and Xi are scheduled to meet for the first time on Saturday for what the White House this week called “an extensive bilateral meeting”.
Officials said the pair would then share a “small dinner” on Saturday night.
Speaking on Monday, Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the US president would use his time with Xi to review “all of the issues that have been front and centre in the US-China relationship for the last seven and a half years” including flash-points such as the South China Sea, cyber espionage and “our longstanding differences on human rights”.
Teng, who fled China in September 2014 and lives in exile in New Jersey with his family, said White House officials had summoned a small group of activists “to talk about the G20 summit and what President Obama should do when he is in Hangzhou”.
Also invited to the meeting were Lu Jun, a civil society activist who was forced to leave China after security forces targeted his organisation; the Tibetan activist Golog Jigme; the executive director of the Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project, Alim Seytoff; and Bob Fu, a prominent Christian activist.
Zhang Quing, wife of the democracy activist Guo Feixong, who has been on hunger strike in a prison in southern China, is also understood to have been present.
Speaking after the meeting, which lasted about 80 minutes, Teng said he had told Rice he hoped Obama would publicly call for the release of a series of “political prisoners” and activists. They included the jailed Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo as well as Li Heping and Wang Quanzhang, two civil rights lawyers caught up in a Communist party crackdown on their trade.
Teng also urged Obama to highlight the plight of dissidents being held in prisons in Hangzhou, the G20’s host city, and to draw attention to local political activists who have been placed under house arrest to prevent them speaking out ahead of the summit.
Rice had not indicated to her guests how Obama planned to handle human rights issues during his visit to China, Teng added.
“She didn’t say anything about what they are going to do but we did give her a clear message. We know it will be President Obama’s last trip to China and Asia as American president and we hope that the American government can really give a message to China and to the world that human rights are part of American policy.”
Asked if she was hopeful that the US might publicly denounce Xi’s crackdown, Sophie Richardson, the China director of Human Rights Watch, said: “I don’t see a good reason what they can’t … It’s a question of whether they really believe that this is an important issue and are wiling to put it out in a very frank and public way while standing in China.”
Richardson said Obama – who received the 2009 Nobel peace prize for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples” – had a particular duty to demand the release of Liu Xiaobo, China’s best-known dissident. Liu was awarded the same prize a year later after being jailed for 11 years for subversion as a result of his calls for political reform.
“I do think that it would be unconscionable for the 2009 Nobel peace prize winner to fail to publicly call for the release of the 2010 Nobel peace prize winner. Unconscionable,” Richardson said.
“He’s done it from Washington. He’s done it from New York. They’ve done it in statements. He needs to stand up in public in China and say that. If Obama is really standing with civil society that’s what he must do. If he is genuinely concerned about the fate of independent organisations and lawyers he cannot do less.”
Political opponents also urged Obama to confront Xi over human rights abuses, although an anticipated joint announcement that the US and China will ratify the Paris climate agreement makes it unlikely he will be overly critical of his hosts.
In a statement, the Republican senator Marco Rubio said: “I am glad the Obama administration is meeting with men and women who can speak authoritatively about the Chinese government’s gross human rights abuses, but I urge the president to meet with these freedom fighters himself and then press President Xi directly at the G20 summit regarding his government’s failure to uphold the rule of law and its violations of the Chinese people’s basic human rights.”
Chris Smith, a Republican congressman who chairs the congressional-executive commission on China, said: “[Obama] should consider doing something radically different on his last trip to China, something that will give hope to China’s dissidents and freedom advocates. Mildly raising human rights issues is important, but not enough anymore.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/chinese-dissidents-urge-obama-press-xi-jinping-human-rights-g20
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/3cfebbb2567e8441d554a59733cdd7875dd83d274c69ce4e7ca9d6ef1d95d23e.json
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|
[
"Paul Doyle"
] | 2016-08-31T10:53:05 | null | 2016-08-31T08:00:31 |
Roberto Martínez, the former Everton manager, charmed Belgium’s interview panel to become national coach but now has to win over the players and turn underachievers into world-beaters
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Froberto-martinez-belgium-manager-spain.json
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| null |
Roberto Martínez a left-field choice out to put Belgium on the right path
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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A few days after cutting ties with Marc Wilmots in the wake of dishonourable failure at Euro 2016, the Belgian Football Association took the unusual step of posting an advertisement on its website inviting applications for the role of manager of the national team. Inevitably hundreds of spoofers sent CVs that included fantastic achievements such as guiding Norway to World Cup glory in a computer game or beating Barcelona 10-0 on Fifa. When, in early August, Belgium revealed the identity of the successful candidate – Roberto Martínez – many people’s first reaction was to wonder whether that was also a wind-up.
Transfer deadline day news: Leicester agree Slimani deal, Brahimi to Everton – live! Read more
In at least one respect Martínez seems like a badly wrong answer to Belgium’s problem. The affliction in recent years has been an inability to forge the most talented squad in their history into an organised and clear-thinking team. Martínez, whose reign will kick off with Thursday’s friendly against his native Spain, was sacked by Everton in May for a similar offence.
At Goodison Park he guided a squad he described as the most gifted in the club’s history to successive bottom-half finishes in the Premier League, campaigns during which he rarely found a balance between attack and defence, leaving Everton like charging soldiers continually tripped up by their own falling trousers. With that misadventure so fresh in the memory, it was a shock when Martínez was chosen, especially after word got out about inquiries from Marcello Lippi, who won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, and Louis van Gaal, who reached the 2014 World Cup semi-final with a Holland side less skilled than this Belgium one.
The list of candidates was not quite as sparkling as might be expected for a country ranked No2 in the world, owing to the lack of appeal of international management to top club managers and the smallness of the Belgian association’s budget compared with bigger but lower-ranked countries, the salary being less than £1m per year. Lippi and Van Gaal were too expensive. The three preferred Belgian options were unavailable, as Michel Preud’homme and Hein Vanhaezebrouck are contracted to Club Brugge and Gent respectively and Eric Gerets insists he is happily retired at 62.
The selection committee held talks with four candidates: Martínez, Dick Advocaat, Rudi García, the former Lille and Roma manager, and Ralf Rangnick, formerly of Schalke and now director of football at Leipzig. Apparently Martínez, whose ability to talk a good game has never been in doubt, aced his interview, with one member of the selection committee, Mehdi Bayat, revealing “he was the unanimous choice thanks to his charisma and knowledge of football”.
Martínez helped to demonstrate his knowledge by giving the committee a video presentation of Belgium’s past tactical shortcomings. He did not include footage of Everton’s past tactical shortcomings, an omission that could be construed as another failure to find an appropriate balance.
Belgium’s selectors, who want the new manager to help foster a playing style across all age categories, factored in Martínez’s contribution to the rise of Swansea City and also his partial success at Wigan Athletic, where a novel switch to a 3-4-3 formation helped avert relegation in 2012 and, of course, he delivered FA Cup victory in 2013. Although he ultimately took Wigan down, Belgian selectors have seen enough to convince them he has the knowhow for which several Belgian fans and several players called after the Euros. Jan Vertonghen, for example, said after Wilmots’ departure that “what we need above all is someone who is very strong tactically”.
Martínez’s credentials after seven years as a Premier League manager have to be seen in contrast to those of Wilmots, who had had only a few months in charge of Schalke and Sint-Truiden before landing the Belgium job.
It was interesting to hear Bayat refer to another of the qualities detected in Martínez. “He is able to communicate with this generation while also removing them from the cocoon in which they’ve become locked,” he said, adding an indirect reference to Wilmots by explaining: “Players must understand there is a boss at the head of the national team, not a friend.” Frosty relationships with Everton’s Belgian forwards, Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku, did not count against Martínez.
The new management’s authority with the players should be strengthened by the appointment of Thierry Henry as one of Martínez’s assistants, along with the Spaniard’s customary No2, Graeme Jones. It was Rangnick who mooted the idea of bringing Henry on board and the association, despite deciding against hiring the German, put the proposal to Martínez, who agreed.
Roberto Martínez sacked by Everton after disappointing season Read more
“If you can get somebody like Henry, who has a fantastic record and had to know how to deal with everything to become one of the best in the world, then you have to do it,” said Eric Van Meir, the former Belgium defender whom the association also considered inviting to be an assistant before learning he could not combine the role with managing Lierse. A pity, perhaps, as it may be useful for Martínez to be supported by someone with defensive expertise.
“One thing is for sure is that Henry will get a lot of respect and maybe Marc Wilmots did not get enough,” Van Meir said. “The newspapers claimed Marc Wilmots was always telling the players about how he won the Uefa Cup as a player with Schalke, but for players like Hazard and Courtois that is nothing. It is important for this generation to be talked to by someone who has achieved more than them.”
Perhaps Belgium’s best hope is that France’s record goalscorer turns out to have the coaching prowess to hone the instincts of forwards such as Lukaku, Christian Benteke, Divock Origi and Hazard, none of whom has translated rare natural attributes into regular goals for their country. Then maybe Belgium can outscore even the best opponents.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/31/roberto-martinez-belgium-manager-spain
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en
| 2016-08-31T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/f6aa4fdffe72c9233895e37df6ec7b073316813234a114ff1fee01924f99eb32.json
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[
"Alex Andreou"
] | 2016-08-26T13:29:47 | null | 2014-11-24T00:00:00 |
You can find a card supplied by almost anyone, but beware of only paying the minimum your provider asks for each month
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmoney%2F2014%2Fnov%2F24%2Ffactsheet-credit-cards-borrowing-money.json
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Factsheet: Credit cards
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www.theguardian.com
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Credit cards are available from a wide range of providers, from supermarkets to airlines and even charities.
Applying for a card is simple – applications can be made in a bank branch, on the phone, online or by post. To qualify for a card you will need to give information about where you live, how much you earn and what other credit cards you might have.
The card provider will do a credit check before it offers you a card and the amount it allows you to spend – your credit limit – will be based on this and your other circumstances. Credit limits tend to be modest to begin with but are often increased by banks over time.
As well as putting a limit on your spending, the card provider will stipulate a minimum monthly repayment you need to make. This tends to be £5 or 2.5% of the outstanding balance on the card, whichever is greater, but some providers set lower limits.
You should beware of only paying the minimum your provider asks for each month, as outstanding balances will attract interest and your debt can quickly grow.
Interest rates
Interest rates vary from card to card and according to how you use your card – for example, you might pay a different rates for withdrawing cash, for purchases and for balance transfers. Rates typically range from less than 10% to as much as 34.9% APR, although they can be as much as 69.9% APR (depending on how risky the card provider decides it is to lend to you).
Cash withdrawals – from an ATM or using a credit card cheque – tend to be the most expensive way to borrow; as well as a high interest rate there is often a fee of at least 1.5% of the amount you take out. Most providers also charge this kind of fee if you use your credit card overseas.
Most cards offer an interest-free period on purchases – usually around 56 days – while cash advances tend to attract interest straight away. A number of providers run introductory offers, which include interest-free periods for as long as 20 months on purchases and 33 months on balance transfers.
As well as charging different rates, providers calculate interest from different times so it can be difficult to compare costs fairly.
Balance transfers
If you have a debt on a credit card you can often save money by transferring your balance to a new card with a low introductory rate. Many card providers offer interest-free balance transfers for a number of months, which could give you a chance to clear your debt without accruing more interest.
While the transfer is interest-free, there will be a fee to pay. This is generally around 2.5% of the total debt being transferred. This means for smaller debts that you expect to pay off within a few months it may not be worth making the switch.
Default fees
As well as transaction fees and interest, you may end up paying a fee if you miss a monthly repayment. Following a 2006 ruling by the Office of Fair Trading that card providers were charging unlawfully high default fees, most have now cut them to £12. Those that charge more generally insist on cardholders making monthly repayments by direct debit, which greatly reduces the chances of a payment being missed.
Insurance
Many cards have some form of insurance built into them, covering damage to goods purchased with the card or cancellation of a flight or holiday. This is free and can be useful if you have a problem with a bought item, but there are usually conditions attached so read the small print if you intend to rely on the cover.
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 offers another layer of cover. It protects purchases over £100 and under £30,000 made on credit cards provided by Visa or MasterCard. If you have problems with goods or flights and the retailer goes bust you will be able to reclaim a refund from your card provider.
Bear in mind that you don’t have to pay the full amount on your card to get protection – the key thing is the price of the product you are buying. For example, if you’re buying a £500 flight, even just paying £100 towards the purchase on a credit card will protect you for £500 if the airline cancels the flight, exactly the same as if you had paid for the flight in full on your card.
Choosing a card
The easiest option is to get a card from your bank, but it may not offer the best deal for your circumstances. Instead you should consider how you will use the card and look for one that suits your needs.
If you pay off your credit card bill in full every month, go for a card with a long interest-free period and avoid lenders that charge interest from the date of the transaction, rather than the statement date. You could also look for a card with a loyalty scheme, for instance one that offers cashback or airmiles on your purchases.
If you do not usually settle your account in full at the end of each month, opt for a card with a low interest rate on purchases. If you plan to make a big, one-off purchase it may be wise to look at cards with 0% introductory offers.
Store cards and affinity cards
Store cards are usually available at the point of sale and once a credit check and application form has been completed, which can take as little as 10 minutes, can be used to make a purchase.
Retailers often offer incentives to sign up for their cards – these may include an introductory discount on goods, typically 10%, or extra money off during sales. You might also be invited to sale previews or be sent magazines, catalogues and details of special offers.
However, interest rates tend to be far higher than on normal credit cards. Signing up for a card to get a discount should not be a problem, but remember to pay off the balance within the interest-free period.
Affinity cards are credit cards with an organisation’s logo on them. Usually the organisation will receive a preset donation when you make your first purchase with the card, often around £5, then smaller donations based on your subsequent spending.
These don’t tend to add up to much, and if the card has an uncompetitive interest rate, you may be better off choosing a cheaper card and making donations separately.
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/nov/24/factsheet-credit-cards-borrowing-money
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en
| 2014-11-24T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/786e1b5c7c65018cf604b8e08e37838dd37e775b81d192564ed5ab3a4a49323c.json
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[
"Anushka Asthana",
"Graham Ruddick",
"Dan Milmo",
"Owen Jones"
] | 2016-08-28T16:49:43 | null | 2016-08-28T15:50:47 |
Leaked internal policy document raises questions over why Virgin and Richard Branson released images
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fvirgin-broke-rules-releasing-corbyn-cctv-document.json
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Virgin broke own rules by releasing Corbyn CCTV, document shows
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www.theguardian.com
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The decision by Virgin Trains to release CCTV images of Jeremy Corbyn on one of its services after he complained on video about the journey being “completely ram-packed” was in breach of the company’s own policies, the Guardian can reveal.
The company handed images, which appeared to show the Labour leader walking past empty seats before sitting on the train’s floor, to the media earlier this week in a bid to embarrass Corbyn after he filmed the video.
A leaked internal document warns that CCTV images will only be made available to the media in two situations: where it is “necessary to seek assistance from the public in connection with a criminal investigation” or where it might improve the “safety of the railway or prevent railway accidents of incidents”.
The Virgin policy, written by the company’s emergency planning, fire and security manager, Jim Rawcliffe, adds: “Any such decision to release footage for these purposes will be approved by the head of safety and environment and, where appropriate, following consultation with the relevant police authority.”
The revelation raises questions about why Virgin and its chief executive and founder, Sir Richard Branson, released CCTV images to make a political point about the Labour leader.
The company published pictures of Corbyn walking past seats that appeared available in order to hit back after he was filmed sitting on the floor saying that his experience was a good argument in favour of public ownership.
The party leader’s claim was derided, with accusations that he had lied about how busy the train really was.
However, leaked emails reveal that the managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast told staff that the controversy had highlighted how crowded services can be, and that finding seats could make customers anxious and stressed.
David Horne also admitted having to stand by a customer toilet for a journey of almost 200 miles, from Newark to London. He said that was during Virgin’s “hot seat week”, when directors and managers are banned from travelling in first class in order to “take a hard look at our standard class offer”.
On Friday, he wrote: “Putting politics aside, this incident demonstrates just how busy many of our services are, those in the middle of the day as well as at peak times.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sir Richard Branson has faced calls from the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, to be stripped of his knighthood. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Horne also said the controversy highlighted the “great job” that Virgin guards did in helping to find seats for customers on busy services, after a family were upgraded to first class so that Corbyn and his team were able to sit down later in the journey.
“We know from our ‘ideal customer experience’ research that boarding a train and finding a seat can be one of the most anxious, stressful times for our customers, particularly if they do not travel by train frequently,” he said.
“Endless rows of seats with reservation labels inevitably can increase the tension. So top marks to our guards who, day in day out, help customers to find empty seats on busy services – on this occasion it was Newcastle guard Ian Mitchell who is due the credit.”
It followed an email in May, when Horne wrote: “This week it has been another hot seat week, a week when directors and managers are banned from travelling in first class and we take a hard look at our standard class offer – to help us look at what we need to do to make it not so standard!
“Myself I’ve stood up with other customers next to toilets from Newark to London, I’ve seen fellow passengers get stressed out over seat reservations and I’ve realised that it is impossible to juggle a coffee cup and a laptop on one of our airline seatback tables!”
The revelations come as the row between Branson and Corbyn intensified after the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, told the Sunday Mirror that he thought Branson should be stripped of his knighthood because he was a “tax exile who thinks he can try to intervene and undermine our democracy”.
But Virgin sought to diffuse the row. A spokesperson did not address the documents obtained by the Guardian, but instead repeated a statement thanking Corbyn for highlighting how helpful Virgin staff had been during his video.
“He’s also right to point out the need to introduce more trains on our route – that’s why we’re introducing a brand new fleet of 65 Azuma trains from 2018, which will increase seating capacity out of King’s Cross by 28% at peak times,” they said.
They admitted it could be hard to find a seat, particularly during sporting events or at certain times.
“Unfortunately we can’t do anything about cup finals or fares regulation, which could spread demand much more effectively if it was less of a blunt instrument. We have discussed regulation with the government at various points over the last two decades and we would be delighted to work with ministers if they were interested in reviewing the fares structure for long distance services, with the aim of reducing the overcrowding that can sometimes occur.”
Virgin Trains is facing an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office over the controversy, amid concerns that the publication of images may have broken the rules of the Data Protection Act.
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/28/virgin-broke-rules-releasing-corbyn-cctv-document
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/d2420fc1a3034d191730a6d90cfd5500543dc85978c15daacf51beeb8a753fc2.json
|
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[
"Agence France-Presse In Abuja",
"Bukola Saraki"
] | 2016-08-28T12:51:49 | null | 2016-08-28T11:13:06 |
Muhammadu Buhari repeats claim by Nigerian military that Abubakar Shekau was injured in airstrike
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fnigerian-president-boko-haram-leader-wounded-muhammadu-buhari-abubakar-shekau.json
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Nigerian president says Boko Haram leader has been wounded
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www.theguardian.com
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The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, has said the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is wounded in his first comments on military claims that the jihadi leader was injured in an attack.
Nigeria’s armed forces said on Tuesday that Shekau had been wounded in an airstrike on Boko Haram’s forest stronghold, but released no further statement or evidence confirming his condition.
“We learned that in an airstrike by the Nigeria air force he was wounded,” Buhari said in a statement from Nairobi, where he is attending a development conference.
“Indeed their top hierarchy and lower cadre have a problem,” Buhari said. “They are not holding any territory and they have split into small groups attacking soft targets.”
Buhari said Shekau had been “edged out” of the group, adding credence to claims that Isis-appointed Abu Musab al-Barnawi is now in charge of the insurgency.
Signs of a power struggle in the top echelons of the jihadi group appeared earlier this month when Shekau released a video denying he had been ousted.
Barnawi is believed to be the 22-year-old son of the Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, and was announced as the group’s leader by Isis this month.
Buhari made his remarks from Nairobi this weekend where he is attending the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, a summit designed to boost ties between Africa and Japan.
The president also said he was “prepared to talk to bona fide leaders of Boko Haram” to negotiate the release of 218 Chibok girls captured by the militants in 2014.
Boko Haram has ravaged north-east Nigeria in its quest to create a fundamentalist Islamic state, killing more than 20,000 people and displacing 2.6 million from their homes.
Turning to another major security concern in Nigeria, Buhari gave a warning to militants sabotaging oil infrastructure in the southern swamplands of the Niger delta.
“We will deal with them as we dealt with Boko Haram if they refuse to talk to us,” Buhari said.
The country’s petroleum minister has said that as a result of the ongoing attacks Nigeria’s oil output has dropped 23% from last year to 1.5m barrels a day, according to Bloomberg News.
Groups including the Niger Delta Avengers are demanding a greater share of oil revenues, political autonomy, and infrastructure development in the southern riverlands where despite massive oil wealth people still struggle to access basic healthcare and education.
Buhari said his government was in talks with the some of the militants but said there was no “ceasefire”, despite an announcement by the Avengers last week.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/28/nigerian-president-boko-haram-leader-wounded-muhammadu-buhari-abubakar-shekau
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en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/4d644f57c9f0074600dec74c1c77bbad6c6e107e9e850454aa04473eaa0bc7d5.json
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[] | 2016-08-30T20:52:54 | null | 2016-08-30T19:00:41 |
Editorial: Ireland’s illegal aid to the world’s richest firm is a sad story – and a warning to Brexit Britain
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https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fthe-guardian-view-on-tax-and-ireland-apple-pay-your-way.json
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The Guardian view on tax and Ireland: Apple, pay your way
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
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How’s that for taking control? On Tuesday the union that Britain has just voted to leave delivered its biggest and most important tax ruling of the lot. After two years of investigations, the European commission ruled that Apple had enjoyed special favours on its taxes from Ireland. Very lucrative favours, worth around €13bn (£11bn) in unpaid tax to the Irish government.
The case goes to the heart of much that is wrong with modern politics and business – of a system in which ministers help tax-dodgers and rent-seekers to rake in billions, while community businesses go to the wall and hard-pressed families see pay packets shrink and their public services cut. It also offers the voters of Brexit Britain a grim warning of the ever more dysfunctional capitalism being urged on their government by the free-market fundamentalists around the cabinet table and the lobbyists for investment banks and big business.
The big underlying question here goes far deeper than tax. It is this: how much is enough? How much should the top executives and big shareholders of Apple, or any other major company, get back – and how much do they owe their workers, the societies that protect their property rights, provide their infrastructure and workforces, and grant their legal liabilities? The story of the world’s most famous consumer electronics firm confirms how much the pendulum needs to be swung back towards the rest of us.
As companies go, you don’t get richer than Apple. Analysts calculate that the firm is sitting on $216bn (£165bn) – getting on for double the total international reserves of the entire US government (worth $121bn, at the last count). This is not money just about to be invested in excellent new products, ploughed into improving conditions and training for workers, or donated to good causes. This is a straight-up hoard, a rainy-day fund for the super-rich.
Apple has amassed such purposeless riches in large part by exploiting the opportunities and loopholes offered by contemporary globalisation. It has outsourced production to China and it has enjoyed decades of tax reductions from Ireland. All profits from all sales made in Europe were booked in Ireland. Almost all the profits allocated to Apple Sales International, in Cork, were shifted to a head office within the firm. This “head office”, remarked the commission, “was not based in any country and did not have any employees or own premises. Its activities consisted solely of occasional board meetings.” The head office existed only on paper, and the profits allocated to it went untaxed – a version of globalisation taken to its deformed, absurd limit. If Samuel Beckett had dabbled in accounting, this is the kind of elaborate joke he might have dreamt up.
Perhaps even he would have stopped short of scripting Dublin’s response , which was to angrily reject the €13bn on offer – and to begin a costly legal appeal. The unpaid taxes would pay for all public spending on the Irish health service for a year – and then some. But for decades the Irish state’s business model has been based on super-low tax rates for multinationals such as Facebook, in the hope of getting some coppers off their cash piles and a few jobs. When Apple said on Tuesday that next to no research work was carried out in its European headquarters of Cork, it was both preparing for a legal appeal and giving the game away about the quality of jobs it has actually created in Ireland.
It is no good the Obama administration accusing Europe’s competition enforcer, Margrethe Vestager, of being anti-American: she has recently dished out punishment to Italy’s Fiat and Russia’s Gazprom. Apple once boasted that its machines were “made in America”, but it has now shifted manufacturing jobs to China, even though research shows that it would still make a healthy profit keeping its factories in the US.
The lessons here for Brexit Britain are unignorable. For a long time, the City of London has functioned as a tax haven, the no-questions-asked capital of the rich world. As she maps out the UK’s future outside the EU at Chequers on Wednesday, Theresa May is under ever more pressure to go further down that route – to turn all of Britain into some light-touch special enterprise zone, with favours for industries making extravagant promises. The lesson of Apple in Ireland is that such promises are never as good as they seem. The foreign direct investment turns out to be indirect enrichment of a few, even while the host country’s economy gets ever sicklier.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/30/the-guardian-view-on-tax-and-ireland-apple-pay-your-way
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en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/9bd5104618b2a630067548d882e13431096c33c7ce0a72b9557fcebad918321b.json
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[
"Aditya Chakrabortty"
] | 2016-08-26T13:22:15 | null | 2016-08-23T05:00:06 |
Rightwing critics have long railed against efforts to address world poverty. Now one of them is in charge
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A death foretold: watch as Priti Patel trashes our proud record on aid
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Let me make a prediction. Over the next year, Theresa May’s Tories will tack right – but it will not be immediately obvious. The NHS budget will stay ringfenced. Ministers can say what they like about grammar schools, but major changes to education will first need to be dragged past local government, the teachers’ unions and parents.
A letter to Priti Patel, the new international development secretary Read more
No, if you want to see how far to the right our new prime minister will go, watch one area that most papers barely cover. Watch international development.
By development, I mean emergency relief for Syrians bombed out of their homes, healthcare for new mothers and their kids in Sierra Leone and school lessons for girls in Pakistan. Who could be against any of that? The answer is: no one in mainstream politics. It may have been Labour that pledged a target for government aid spending, but it was the Tory-led coalition that made that promise reality so that, of every £100 Britain earns, 70 pence goes to poor countries. That, David Cameron claimed on his last day at No 10, was one of his proudest achievements.
Even then, Cameron heard a constant hum of discontent from the Brexit brigade: taxpayer-funded blimps such as Peter Bone and Philip Davies (he of the recent attacks on “feminist zealots” . Their line never changed: development money funds corrupt Africans and charity begins at home. Penned in for years on the fringes of politics, the Brexit brigade took a big stride on 24 June towards the mainstream of their party. And now one of their number controls spending on aid and development.
In all the hilarity over Boris Johnson sharing Chevening with Liam Fox and David Davis, one of the most remarkable of May’s appointments went almost unnoticed. Because by making Priti Patel international development secretary, the new prime minister placed the department in the hands of someone who is on record as calling for it to be shut down.
If you want to see in which direction Britain’s right wing is travelling, follow Patel’s career. In the same generation as Cameron, she shares none of his anxiousness to “modernise” and claim the centre ground. Patel is an out-and-out rightwinger, of a kind that senior Tories have been trying to keep out of the cabinet for a generation. On Question Time, she called for the return of the death penalty, in parliament she voted against same-sex marriage. The woman who would go on to become employment minister co-wrote a book attacking Britons as “among the worst idlers in the world”. The austerity maven, who spent years banging on about the need to bring down the budget deficit, was last summer asked by a BBC interviewer how much the deficit actually was. She blinked. She squirmed. She patently didn’t have a clue.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Priti Patel calls for the return of the death penalty on Question Time.
Before entering politics, she worked as part of an expensive team of lobbyists at Shandwick on behalf of British American Tobacco. In correspondence unearthed by the Observer, a senior BAT executive complained at the time: “We have felt a sense that Shandwick does not actually feel comfortable or happy working for BAT.” He made an exception for Patel: “Priti [and another employee] seem quite relaxed working with us.” So relaxed, in fact, that as an MP, Patel campaigned against plain packaging on cigarettes.
As for development, our new secretary of state has called it “low priority”. All this is remarkable, as is the fact that Patel has brought along as one of her key aides Robert Oxley, formerly of the TaxPayers’ Alliance. As campaigns director for the pressure group, Oxley spent years vilifying government spending – with a special assault on development. The TPA provided the Mail on Sunday with a good chunk of its knocking copy for its campaign against aid – which made claims so ludicrous that government officials were forced to declare them as “simply incorrect”.
Doubts may have been voiced about the commitment of Patel’s predecessor, Justine Greening. Visitors may have noted that her office at the Department for International Development was festooned with model planes and other memorabilia from her stint at the Department for Transport. But Patel and Oxley have been actively hostile to the jobs they are now being paid handsomely to do. As Stephen Doughty, on the Commons international development committee, says: “These are two of the most ideological critics of aid. They’ve got an agenda to pursue – against the very department they’re in.”
Cash earmarked to help people in poor countries will instead be offered to middle-income giants like India and China
As much as Patel and Oxley detest the aid-spending target, I cannot see them junking it – not when it was in the Tories’ last election manifesto. Much more likely is that they will erode it. Cash earmarked to help people in poor countries will instead be offered to leaders of middle-income giants such as India, China and South Africa, to get them to buy British exports. Look at Patel’s announcement last week of a new “partnership” with India, which promised “support for India to boost economic growth, jobs and trade, which will also benefit Britain”. It contained blah about “smart cities” and equity funds, even a rupee-denominated bond. Only in the very final sentence was there any clue that this document had come not from the former minister for hi-vis jackets, with the casual, dubious claim that “investing in India’s private sector benefits India’s poorest people”.
Looming over this is the shadow of Malaysia’s Pergau Dam, that milkiest of white elephants funded by Thatcher over official objections, in return, it was alleged, for Kuala Lumpur buying British arms. While the first Tory development secretary, Andrew Mitchell, says people “should wait and see what Patel says and does”, insiders have already seen enough. As one former senior DfID employee says: “It’s a choice between a fast death for the department – and a slow death.” That demise will not be prevented by the NGOs, who have gone quiet while awaiting their government grant settlements. Nor will it be mourned by a largely hostile press.
One of the tragedies of this is that over two decades, Britain has led the world in both its commitment to development and its thinking on the subject. And the need for money going to the poorest and most vulnerable people, whether hit by climate change or by war or by decades of underinvestment – often linked to empires such as Britain’s – hasn’t gone away. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a Syrian violinist who played at this summer’s Proms. He told me about his home of Damascus, about his aunts and uncles still there. About his neighbours who would sometimes get maimed or killed by a stray bomb. “You can’t have a European heaven while you have a Middle Eastern hell,” he said.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/23/priti-patel-foreign-aid-world-poverty
|
en
| 2016-08-23T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/b44718dd67cd7ccdfe82ed69a7058a3cd576bb49e74b0a82704392439434d792.json
|
|
[
"Press Association"
] | 2016-08-30T16:52:45 | null | 2016-08-30T13:49:33 |
Arsenal have announced the signing of striker Lucas Pérez from Deportivo La Coruña for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £17m
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Farsenal-lucas-perez-deportivo-signs.json
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en
| null |
Arsenal confirm signing of Lucas Pérez from Deportivo La Coruña
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Arsenal have announced the signing of striker Lucas Pérez from Deportivo La Coruña for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £17m.
Transfer news live: Hart to Torino, Barcelona sign Alcácer, Rémy joins Palace and more! Read more
Arsène Wenger said: “He’s not only a goalscorer, he’s a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs. He’s got a good eye for goal and had an outstanding season last year.”
Lucas scored 19 goals in all competitions and 17 in LaLiga last season. He also scored in seven successive games.
He began his career with Atlético Madrid C and then moved to Rayo Vallecano before spells with Ukraine’s Karpaty Lviv and PAOK in Greece. He joined Deportivo in 2014, initially on loan.
Lucas becomes Wenger’s third summer signing – after midfielder Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach and Rob Holding from Bolton – but more could follow, taking the Gunners’ spending close to £100m.
Valencia’s Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi is a summer-long target and a £30m deal is close.
Meanwhile, Werder Bremen are on the verge of completing the signing of Serge Gnabry from Arsenal, according to the Bundesliga club’s director of sport Frank Baumann.
The 21-year-old German midfielder, who scored six goals for his country as they clinched a silver medal at the Olympic Games, is out of contract next summer and set to return to Germany.
Baumann said he expects Gnabry to arrive in northern Germany on Wednesday and dismissed reports that Bayern Munich would participate in the transfer by buying the player and loaning him to Bremen.
“We’ve got an agreement with the player and we’re confident it will go through,” he said on Tuesday. “We have reached a fundamental agreement with Arsenal, but nothing is signed yet. Bayern have no influence on the potential transfer.
“It could all go through by lunchtime tomorrow. We’ve gathered information on him from Per Mertesacker, who was full of praise for him.”
|
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/30/arsenal-lucas-perez-deportivo-signs
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/118de023a75296a7cc9328d9ab29b1f03ad825d942e20a4f3ba8f6c27536949b.json
|
|
[
"Sean Mcindoe"
] | 2016-08-26T13:16:05 | null | 2016-08-26T11:52:31 |
The former Browns QB doesn’t seem to have a future in the NFL. But more and more fans are wondering if a stint in Canada might work for player and league
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fjohnny-manziel-cfl-canada-nfl-football.json
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en
| null |
Would Johnny Manziel be a good fit for the CFL?
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2016 regular season in the Canadian Football League. It’s been an eventful year so far, one that’s seen the Calgary Stampeders establish themselves as the favorite, the Saskatchewan Roughriders struggle badly, and the East Division look entirely up for grabs.
Player suspensions: the best punishment an NFL team could hope for Read more
The season has served up plenty of compelling storylines to chew on. All of which makes it a little odd that, for a few days this week, the biggest story in Canadian football was a failed American quarterback who isn’t playing anywhere right now.
That’s the power of reputation and celebrity, both of which Johnny Manziel has more than his share of. What the former Browns starter doesn’t have, at least right now, is much of a future in pro football. But that could change, and more and more fans are wondering if a stint in the CFL might serve as a starting point.
It’s an intriguing idea. But could it happen? Let’s work through the key questions.
Could Manziel actually come to Canada?
Technically speaking, sure. Manziel’s Canadian rights are owned by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and there’s nothing in the rulebook that would prevent them from bringing him aboard if both sides could agree to a deal (or sending his rights to some other team that wanted him).
Of course, Manziel has far bigger problems right now. The former Heisman Trophy winner washed out of his first crack at the NFL thanks to a combination of on-the-field struggles and off-the-field issues. That latter category includes rumors of out-of-control partying, a suspension for substance abuse, and an indictment for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. In recent public appearances, he reportedly hasn’t looked like he was in any sort of playing shape.
So clearly, Manziel has some significant questions to answer before he’ll be playing anywhere, and it’s quite possible that we’ve seen the last of him on a football field. But speculation over his future flared up this week in part thanks to CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge, who appeared to leave the door open to Manziel playing in the league in comments made to ESPN. Orridge’s words were framed as suggesting that Manziel would be welcome in Canada, a characterization he later denied. And the Tiger-Cats say that they’ve had no contact with Manziel of his camp.
So if all of this is largely speculation and what-if scenarios, why were so many people talking about it? A big part of that is no doubt based on Manziel’s fame, even if it’s largely been of the train wreck variety lately. But there’s another piece here, and it has to do with some CFL history at the quarterback position.
Could Manziel succeed in the CFL?
While Manziel has recently spoken about his desire to return to pro football, we’re working with a question of “if” and not “when”, and the “if” is bolded and underlined. But if Manziel did manage to play again, could the CFL be a good fit? There’s some reason to think that it could.
Canadian football is similar to the American version is most respects, but with some key differences. It’s a three-down game, which makes a traditional running game less attractive. The field is wider, and the end zones are larger. There’s an extra player on both sides of the ball, and the offense can send all its backfield players in motion before the snap. And, of course, the players simply aren’t as good as their NFL brethren – billion-dollar TV contracts tend to have that effect.
Add it all up, and the CFL game is one that favors passing, especially from mobile quarterbacks. The league’s history has been filled with athletic QBs who could use their legs to chew up all that real estate, buying enough time and space to find open receivers or just to find the first down market on their own.
That list includes legendary CFL quarterbacks like Damon Allen, Tracy Ham and Matt Dunnigan. And perhaps more importantly from Manziel’s perspective, it also includes some players who established themselves up north before going on to stardom in the NFL, such as Jeff Garcia and Warren Moon.
And then there’s the most obvious comparison of all: Doug Flutie. Like Manziel, he was a former Heisman winner. Like Manziel, he had limited success in his first crack at the NFL. Like Manziel, he was a mobile quarterback who some saw as too small to succeed in the American game.
Flutie headed to the CFL in 1990, and proceeding to rewrite the league’s record book. Over eight years with three teams, Flutie won three championships and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Player – the CFL equivalent of MVP honors – six times. He’s widely considered to be among the best players in league history, if not the very best, period.
Flutie didn’t enjoy the same level of dominance when he returned to the NFL in 1998, but he made a Pro Bowl and played for eight seasons, four as a starter. When you talk about using the CFL as a stepping stone back to an NFL job, Flutie is the archetype.
So could Manziel someday do the same? It’s tempting to think that he could, given the similarities he shares with Flutie. But as this ESPN article explains, CFL offenses have evolved over the years, and would appear less welcoming to a player like Manziel. Quarterbacks don’t run as much as they once did, with game plans now favoring efficiency and accuracy.
Manziel’s scrambling style produced highlights in college, but rarely translated to success in the NFL. He wouldn’t be facing the same caliber of defenders in Canada, but he also wouldn’t have the same line protection of offensive weapons. You can carve the CFL up if you’re Doug Flutie, but at this point, there’s little indication that Manziel could do the same.
And again, that assumes that he’s even able to sort out his long list of off-the-field problems. Which brings us to our last question.
Would Canadians even want him?
Canadians are different from Americans, as you’ve no doubt already been told if you’ve ever spent more than three minutes talking to a Canadian. And those differences extend to the sports stars we cheer for. Americans love controversy, attitude and over-the-top antics. Canadians appreciate dull and dreary.
America is LeBron James throwing chalk, Floyd Mayweather talking trash and Bryce Harper flipping bats. Canada is Sidney Crosby talking about getting pucks in deep. America is about destroying your opponent and then standing over him. Canada is about becoming his new best friend.
That’s the way we Canadians like to think of it, at least. So it’s tempting to say that no, Manziel wouldn’t be wanted up here. The kid is a bad apple, and he wouldn’t be a good fit in a country where you’re expected to apologize to people who bump into you.
But strip away the pretentious back-patting, and Canadians turn out to be a lot like everyone else: we’ll put up with a lot from our athletes as long as you can win games. If Manziel could really be the next Flutie, or even anything close, lots of Canadian fans would forget all about his other issues. It’s just the nature of being a sports fan, wherever you are.
After all, Manziel would hardly be the first troubled ex-NFLer to be welcomed to the CFL with open arms. Dexter Manley’s history of failed drug tests didn’t stop him getting a shot in Ottawa. Same with Ricky Williams in Toronto. And more recently, controversial receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson was signed by Montreal.
None of those players had much success in the CFL, and there’s a good chance that Manziel would meet the same fate. But if he found his game, and stayed out of any off-the-field headlines, plenty of Canadian fans would welcome him.
For now, based on denials from Orridge and the Tiger-Cats, it doesn’t seem like those fans will get the chance any time soon. There’s a long way to go before Manziel plays football anywhere; it may never happen. But from time to time, Canadian football fans will at least mull over the possibility, debating it from barstools and tailgates. Manziel wouldn’t be the first speedy quarterback to try his hand up north and turn heads, just like he wouldn’t be the first American washout to arrive and then quickly vanish.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/26/johnny-manziel-cfl-canada-nfl-football
|
en
| 2016-08-26T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/e3e7752ab3e3c1659aff8f7d52dae91a8f719745d55f56b5649a05cfd7ea4618.json
|
|
[
"Greg Wood"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:48 | null | 2016-08-30T18:21:50 |
Tony McCoy has said he has no plans for the future after he finishes with Channel 4
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Ftony-mccoy-not-approached-by-itv.json
|
en
| null |
Tony McCoy says he is unlikely to move to ITV in January
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Tony McCoy, whose work as a member of the Channel 4 Racing team at major meetings has brought a wealth of insight and first-hand experience to the station’s coverage, said on Tuesday that he does not expect to be part of ITV’s racing team when it begins a four-year exclusive contract to cover the sport from January.
McCoy, the most successful National Hunt jockey of all time and the champion over jumps 20 years running until his retirement in April 2015, joined Channel 4 Racing’s team in November, working on showpiece events including the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National meeting at Aintree, as well as the Derby and Royal Ascot on the Flat. He is contracted to work one more afternoon for Channel 4, at Ascot on Qipco Champions Day on 15 October.
Ed Chamberlin, formerly the presenter of Monday Night Football on Sky Sports, was confirmed as the lead presenter for ITV Racing in June. Chamberlin has been a close friend of McCoy for 15 years and following his appointment it was widely assumed that the former champion jockey would also join ITV racing as an expert pundit.
Several more roles in ITV’s team have been finalised in recent weeks, with Francesca Cumani, the daughter of the Newmarket trainer Luca, confirmed as a co-presenter during the Flat season. Hayley Turner, Britain’s most successful female jockey on the Flat, and Sally Ann Grassick, a presenter for RTE Racing in Ireland, are also expected to be employed by ITV, while Mick Fitzgerald and Rishi Persad, members of C4’s lineup, will switch channels at the end of the year.
“Claire [Burns], who looks after me, talked with them a while ago but I haven’t heard any more,” McCoy said. “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life at the moment. I definitely haven’t made any plans for the future. I’ve only got one day left on Channel 4, so we’ll see how it goes.
“They seem to have announced their presenters and I wish them the best of luck and hope they do well.”
McCoy’s most recent appearances on Channel 4 were during the Ebor Festival this month. “I enjoyed the couple of days I worked with Nick Luck at York,” McCoy said. “I thought he was brilliant and he’s going to be a loss [if, as expected, Luck is not part of the ITV team]. It’s very hard to say there was an awful lot wrong with Channel 4 but now ITV has got it I hope they do the best for racing.
“It’s going to be a hard thing for them to keep everyone happy. One thing they need to cater for is the older audience. I’m not sure about just bringing in a lot of young people, because racing has an older audience.
“I’d like to think that they’ll do a good job for racing, and that when I put the racing on, on a Saturday afternoon, I can watch it and enjoy it.”
McCoy says that he will take his time to decide what the next step will be in his career out of the saddle. “I’m lucky that I still work for JP [McManus]. I still ride horses for him that he’s thinking of buying and I spend a lot of time with them, and I’m lucky that I’m in the position where I can do what I enjoy.
“Whatever I am going to do, I need to be sure it’s something that I’m going to enjoy. I was lucky all my life that I enjoyed riding, it meant that I never really worked. Finding something that you enjoy is the difficult thing – and something that’s challenging.
“I’ve had over a year out now and we’ll just see what comes next.”
|
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/30/tony-mccoy-not-approached-by-itv
|
en
| 2016-08-30T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/0c545c4ec2d6894a2cc807133256c2a10a0472bcae6085416e3dffa1b621a525.json
|
|
[
"Daniel Harris"
] | 2016-08-28T12:51:59 | null | 2016-08-28T12:51:17 |
Lap-by-lap report: Lewis Hamilton starts from the back of the grid. Can pole-sitter Nico Rosberg take back the initiative in the title race? Join Daniel Harris for the latest
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Flive%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Ff1-belgian-grand-prix-live.json
|
en
| null |
F1: Belgian Grand Prix - live!
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
| null |
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/aug/28/f1-belgian-grand-prix-live
|
en
| 2016-08-28T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/1172975b73b96763a3937b4639efcfc51a437f74caf5b7b2f3d011733b58747d.json
|
|
[
"Peter Stone"
] | 2016-08-27T16:51:17 | null | 2016-08-27T11:00:01 |
Some Republicans fear Trump’s behavior could threaten party majorities in Congress as ‘irked’ Sheldon Adelson met with the candidate, sources revealed
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Frepublican-donors-trump-congress-local-races-sheldon-adelson.json
|
en
| null |
Turned off by Trump: Republican mega-donors focus on congressional races
| null | null |
www.theguardian.com
|
Several leading Republican donors and groups that spent large sums in the 2012 presidential campaign are either wavering or opting outright not to back Donald Trump this year. Instead, they are spending tens of millions of dollars on congressional races as fears mount that the candidate’s poor poll numbers and incendiary gaffes are placing majorities in the House and Senate in danger.
Steve Bannon moves Florida voter registration to home of Breitbart writer Read more
“I believe there’s an emerging consensus in the party that Trump isn’t going to win,” Vin Weber, a former Minnesota representative turned lobbyist who helps raise money for House candidates, told the Guardian. “We need to shift resources as much as we can to help down-ticket candidates including members of Congress.”
Should Hillary Clinton defeat Trump, Democrats would need only four more Senate seats to take control through the vote wielded by the Senate president, Clinton vice-president Tim Kaine. The Republicans’ House majority is stronger, but not safe.
The Guardian can reveal that the casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is said by well-placed sources to be worried about losing control of Congress, met Trump in New York last week.
The donor, who one friend said has been “irked by a lot of things”, had already met Trump privately at least twice this year. He has pushed for the candidate to visit Israel, which has not happened, and supported former House speaker Newt Gingrich for vice-president. Trump chose the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence.
Earlier this summer, Adelson endorsed Trump, reportedly signaling that he was willing to spend up to $100m on the presidential contest. To date, however, he has not given money to any Super Pac. Three fundraising sources with good ties to Adelson said he is focused on trying to keep control of Congress, though he could donate to Trump if his gaffes are eliminated and his poll numbers improve.
“I’m shocked that Adelson has not done anything yet for Trump,” a senior GOP operative told the Guardian. “Sheldon knows that late money is wasted.”
While in New York, Adelson also met the South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham. The two men, who share a sharply pro-Israel stance, discussed the financial needs of senators in tough races.
Two other GOP operatives familiar with Adelson told the Guardian he had given $10m to One Nation, a group run by Steven Law, once a top aide to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. A “dark money” group, legally able to keep its donors secret, One Nation was launched in May 2015. This year it has spent at least $16m on ads in several Senate races.
Asked if Adelson had given $10m, Law said “we don’t comment” on donors. Asked if the group or two others of which he is president – American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS – would get involved in the presidential election at all, he said: “We’re keeping our options open.”
In 2012, groups backed by the Koch brothers and American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, both of which were co-founded by former Bush adviser Karl Rove, focused heavily on the presidential race, spending more than $200m. Adelson and his wife gave $23m to American Crossroads.
In 2016, Koch network leaders have said they do not intend to get involved and Rove has been sharply critical of Trump, writing in the Wall Street Journal that he has been “graceless and divisive”.
Several groups are pouring millions into TV spots and get-out-the-vote drives in Senate races in states including Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Nevada and North Carolina. The US Chamber of Commerce has run ads in eight states as part of “Save the Senate”, a drive it launched in May, its earliest ad foray in a presidential year.
“I think the most productive way of using our money right now is for the Senate and House elections,” said Michael Epstein, a Maryland executive who has helped raise money for the Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. “Winning the Senate would be a terrific victory and help rebuild the GOP brand. But it’s going to be a tough struggle.”
Many donors and fundraisers worry that a heavy Trump defeat could wreak havoc on Republican representatives and senators.
The lies Trump told this week: from immigration to the safety of inner cities Read more
“If the guy at the top of the ticket is going to lose by double digits it’s a cause of concern,” said former Minnesota senator Norm Coleman, who helps steer the American Action Network, a dark money group, and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Super Pac that must disclose its donors.
Coleman’s fears seemed to increase after the Trump campaign shake-up that led to Steve Bannon, the chairman of Breitbart News, becoming chief executive. In response, Coleman tweeted that Trump was “really dialing in his 38%” – a reference to his base support among Republican voters – “and saying to heck with down ballot Rs”.
This week, the Congressional Leadership Fund unveiled a $10m ad buy to support House members in a dozen key races.
Even some old friends of Trump seem to have soured. In May, the casino tycoon Steve Wynn, arranged a meeting for Trump and Rove at his own New York residence.
According to a GOP operative briefed on the meeting, Wynn was disappointed Trump “didn’t listen to Rove’s advice”. Earlier this month, Wynn said he would stay out of the presidential race.
|
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/27/republican-donors-trump-congress-local-races-sheldon-adelson
|
en
| 2016-08-27T00:00:00 |
www.theguardian.com/d3232475a46baf5b4d77de4cf26f7754b14a2b9309a3a4ccbf059bed84352b9a.json
|
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