tagged w/ News UK
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In a huge blow to Rupert Murdoch, his conservative News Corp. has decided it will not bid to take over Sky news. This comes days after it is revealed his news corporation is at the center of a growing scandal involving News of World, in which phones of deceased, missing, politicians, celebrities, etc.. were hacked to obtain information.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14142307In a huge blow to Rupert Murdoch, his conservative News Corp. has decided it will not... more
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E*TRADE Financial, an online broker, has introduced a new professionally managed private investment account Unified Managed Account (UMA).
E*TRADE said the UMAs seek to maximize risk-adjusted returns by investing in a variety of investment vehicles, including individual stocks through more than 30 manager models, mutual funds, and/or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Portfolios may be customized to a customer's specific investment needs, as well as managed with an focus toward tax sensitivity.
E*TRADE Capital Management president & CEO Michael Curcio said the company is introduced a personalized, flexible investment solution to serve the diverse needs of customers who want professional help to meet their long-term financial objectives.
"With nearly 30% of our brokerage accounts in retirement products such as traditional and ROTH IRAs, we believe our offering is especially well-suited for customers and prospects who want help investing to reach their retirement goals," Curcio said.E*TRADE Financial, an online broker, has introduced a new professionally managed... more
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Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison has a comprehensive piece online detailing the relationship between WikiLeaks and The Guardian. The story gives an up-close look at how Julian Assange provided his leaked cache of classified documents on Afghanistan, Iraq, and U.S. diplomacy to the British newspaper and other news organizations last year.
The alliance between the old-media outlet and the Web-driven document clearinghouse proved rocky at times. It grew particularly strained recently after the paper turned its lens on Assange. (This was pretty much the same dynamic that upended WikiLeaks' relationship with the New York Times.)
What's more, Ellison notes, the Guardian and WikiLeaks were by no means committed to a shared agenda or pursuing common journalistic aims just because each organization wanted to make information public:
The partnership between The Guardian and WikiLeaks brought together two desperately ambitious organizations that happen to be diametric opposites in their approach to reporting the news. One of the oldest newspapers in the world, with strict and established journalistic standards, joined up by one of the newest in a breed of online muckrakers, with no standards at all except fealty to an ideal of 'transparency'—that is, dumping raw material into the public square for people to pick over as they will. It is very likely that neither [Guardian editor-in-chief] Alan Rusbridger nor Julian Assange fully understood the nature of the other's organization when they joined forces."
Ellison's account offers a great tick-tock chronology of last year's set of WikiLeaks dumps, together with several revelations regarding WikiLeaks' media strategy.
How The Guardian got involved: Reporter Nick Davies has written about his involvement with Assange before, but Ellison adds new details to the timeline. In June, Davies read a short Guardian piece on the arrest of Bradley Manning, the army private who's believed to be a principal WikiLeaks source and who's been kept in solitary confinement since his detainment. Davies was determined to track Manning down. Davies learned Assange would be in Brussels, so Brussels-based Guardian reporter Ian Traynor spoke with the WikiLeaks chief and learned he had two million documents. Davies headed to Brussels and "went to the Hotel Leopold, woke up Assange, and began a conversation that lasted for the next six hours."
How the New York Times got involved: Davies and Assange discussed bringing in the Times while in Brussels, and back in London, Rusbridger called Times executive editor Bill Keller. Times reporter Eric Schmitt flew to London to see the material, reported it was genuine, and the Times came aboard. Assange then brought in Der Spiegel on his own.
How Channel 4 got involved, and Assange split with Davies: In July, Assange provided Britain's Channel 4 network with the Afghanistan documents. Ellison writes that Davies was "livid" over the breach of Assange's presumed first-look arrangement with The Guardian and that the two haven't spoken again. (Slate's Jack Shafer has a good take on Vanity Fair piece, including the expectations reporters sometimes have for the sources they've "cultivated.")
How The Guardian got the cables from Assange: Investigative editor David Leigh agreed to a delay in publishing articles related to the Iraq documents because Assange wanted to bring in the nonprofit Bureau of Investigative Journalism to work with Channel 4 and Al Jazeera. In exchange for a six-week delay, Assange provided "package three" -- the State Dept. cables -- to the Guardian. In doing so, Assange got a letter from the Guardian agreeing not to publish anything on the leaked cables until he gave the go-ahead. But...
The Guardian got the cables from a second source: This bit of news fills in an interesting gap and explains friction between Assange and The Guardian. The British newspaper agreed to Assange's embargo on a release date for the cables, because WikiLeaks was its source. But in October, The Guardian received the full cache of cables from freelance journalist Heather Brooke. She had obtained the cables independently from an ex-WikiLeaks volunteer. (Brooke suggested on Twitter today that there's more to the story). Regardless, The Guardian now had the full database from a different source and believed it was free from the embargo agreed upon with Assange. The Guardian then provided those documents to Der Spiegel and The New York Times. These news organizations planned to published on Nov. 8--with or without Assange's input.
Why Assange threatened to sue: Assange and his lawyer met in Rusbridger's office and threatened to sue if The Guardian published anything from the cables ahead of the embargo. Ellison writes that Rusbridger, Guardian investigations editor David Leigh, and editors from Der Spiegel "spent a marathon session with Assange, his lawyer, and [WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn] Hrafnsson, eventually restoring an uneasy calm." They agreed to delay publication a few weeks while Assange brought in two more media partners, Le Monde (France) and El Pais (Spain).
So what's next? Last week, The Cutline raised some questions for WikiLeaks in 2011. In Ellison's piece, Davies notes that Assange has discussed having files on all Guantanamo Bay prisoners. (Wired zeroes in on this detail). Assange has also spoken about having documents that could take down a bank or two. But it remains to be seen exactly what Assange has and also how he may choose to work with news organizations going forward. As Ellison explains, it hasn't always been an easy relationship.
Since readers have asked me about neglecting specific revelations from the WikiLeaks docs, just a reminder: this is a media blog so the focus is on the media relationships and strategy. For more on WikiLeaks revelations, check out The Guardian, New York Times, a very good new CBS round-up or WikiLeaks itself. And for daily updates on all-things-WikiLeaks, The Nation's Greg Mitchell is a must-read.Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison has a comprehensive piece online detailing the... more
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Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, part of Santander group, has entered into an agreement with GE Capital to acquire GE's consumer mortgage business in Mexico, encompassing all of its operations, including its $2bn consumer mortgage portfolio.
Headquartered in Mexico City, GE Capital has provided consumer mortgages in Mexico since 2002. Its consumer mortgage business has been part of GE Capital's Restructuring Operations organization since early 2009.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the transaction, which requires customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the first half of 2011.
GE Capital Restructuring Operations president and CEO Mark Begor said that this sale is consistent with the strategy to exit non-strategic businesses that lack scale to help reduce GE Capital's balance sheet while investing in core industrial and commercial finance platforms, including in Mexico.
Grupo Financiero Santander executive president Marcos Martinez Gavica said this acquisition will make the bank the second leading provider of mortgages in Mexico.Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, part of Santander group, has entered into an... more
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Engineering and project management firm AMEC has acquired a majority shareholding in S2V Consulting, a consultancy to the oil and gas industry, to form a new partnership in Australia.Engineering and project management firm AMEC has acquired a majority shareholding in... more
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Wikinews via Washington Post - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Starting today, it is illegal to manufacture or import 75W incandescent light bulbs in the European Union. The phaseout started last year when 100W light bulbs were outlawed. Bulbs of 60W will be phased out next year, and incandescent lighting of all types will be phased out in 2012.
The phase-out of incandescent light bulbs is part of the EU's strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020. Replacing the old lamps with more efficient models is expected to reduce energy consumption for lighting by 60% in the EU, equivalent to saving 30 million tons of CO2 pollution every year.
Although energy-saving bulbs were available since 1998, their relatively high purchase price has inhibited take-up. When the decision for the ban was taken in 2008, it was estimated that around 2,000 to 3,000 jobs would become redundant in the light bulb industry, in particular affecting Hungary and Poland. However, the European Commission also assumed that halogen production and savings of 5-10 billion euro from energy bills could be injected back into the economy to create new jobs.
In its editorial yesterday, the conservative The Washington Times harshly criticized the ban, labelling it a result of "bureaucratic irritation" and a "war on Edison's greatest invention". General criticism of such bans includes panic buying prior to phase-out, environmental impacts of the mercury which is contained in small amounts in all fluorescent lamps, and increased upfront costs for the consumer.
Brazil and Venezuela started to phase out incandescent light bulbs in 2005, Switzerland in 2009, while Russia and Canada are planning it for 2012. The United States is scheduled to begin a phaseout similar to the European one from 2012.Wikinews via Washington Post - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Starting today, it is... more
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Speaking last week he said, "In Britain now we have workforces that are locked to areas and the result of that is we have over five and a half million people of working age who simply don't do a job…. We have to look at how we get that portability, so that people can be more flexible, can look for work, can take the risk to do it."
What is the point of moving a family to an area where there is more work when another family that has work then has to move to the area where there is no work and then commute to work every day just to keep their jobs which are most probably minimum wage, so how can they afford to do so unless their employer pays the travel expenses?
It will cost quite a lot of money to relocate the families. So why don't the government give the employers an initiative to hire people that live outside of their areas by offering a grant of somekind for example a travel to work grant, so that they can just pay the travel expenses for their out of town employees. The grant would cost far less than the current benefits being paid to the out of town/out of work families.
Oh...by the way...don't the MP's get their travel expenses paid, and their accommodation paid for, just so that they are able to maintain their work!!!!Speaking last week he said, "In Britain now we have workforces that are locked to... more
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A UK woman was horrified the moment she caught her male neighbor masturbating on a trampoline, a court heard.
According to reports, the victim says she was able to see her neighbor, 55-year-old James Burden, masturbating in full view of her bathroom window at 5 a.m. on a trampoline in the back garden of their apartment building.
She says he had his genitals in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. He was “as bold as brass …and purposeful,” she told police.
When the defendant approached the back door of the apartment building, the victim rushed to her living room to call the authorities.
After deputies questioned the Burden, he admitted to the public sex act and says it was “just for the thrill of it.” He added: “I did not intend anyone to see me.”
He pleaded guilty to publicly exposing his person in a shameless and indecent manner, and approaching his neighbor’s house and placing the occupant in a state of fear and alarm.
http://www.tabloidprodigy.com/?p=14643A UK woman was horrified the moment she caught her male neighbor masturbating on a... more
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are you fed up with all the election stuff? dont know who to vote for??? here is the answer..are you fed up with all the election stuff? dont know who to vote for??? here is the... more
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Two Women, aged 41 and 66, have been released on bail after trying to take a body onto a plane at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool.
"The 91-year-old man from Germany is thought to have died the previous day, and had been put into a wheelchair."-BBC
They were arrested for 'failing to give notification of a death.'.Two Women, aged 41 and 66, have been released on bail after trying to take a body onto... more
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Residents in Benson, Oxfordshire, awoke to the news that the village was as cold as Moscow overnight, with temperatures as low as 0.14F (-17.7C).Residents in Benson, Oxfordshire, awoke to the news that the village was as cold as... more
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The UK's second-busiest airport - Gatwick in West Sussex - had to shut for more than seven hours, while there were no early-morning flights at Luton airport in Bedfordshire.The UK's second-busiest airport - Gatwick in West Sussex - had to shut for more... more
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The Brittish GP has been saved with a new 17 year deal reached today with Silverstone.
'Silverstone has agreed a 17-year deal to host the British Grand Prix from 2010.
The Northamptonshire circuit stepped in to stage the coveted Formula 1 race after Donington Park lost the rights.
Donington was awarded a 17-year deal to host the showpiece event but failed to generate the necessary funds.
Under the new agreement, Silverstone will be redeveloped, with work focusing on rebuilding the pits and paddock. '
more to follow...The Brittish GP has been saved with a new 17 year deal reached today with Silverstone.... more
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60,000 Teacher Jobs Restored with Stimulus, Educators Say It's Not Enough
New America Media, News Report, Rupa Dev and Aaron Glantz, Posted: Oct 24, 2009
More than 60,000 of the 250,000 education jobs saved nationally by President Barack Obama's stimulus package were in California, according to data released this week by the California Department of Education.
Community activists expressed relief over the saved jobs, but Fred Glass, spokesperson for the California Federation of Teachers, cautioned that while the stimulus package "stopped some of the bleeding," the state still had to lay off an estimated 10,000 teachers.
"It's slightly better than we thought it would be," Glass said. "But that's because most of the districts depleted their reserves or found other ways to keep cuts away from the classroom ... They cut back on supplies, gardeners, school support secretaries, and food service workers."
"You can't have a functional school without all that," he said.
The $4.9 billion in education funding that California received under the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partially offset deep cuts to classrooms that were made by politicians in Sacramento. Rather than resulting in new teachers being hired, the stimulus package caused fewer teachers to be laid off.
read the rest of this article at
www.NewAmericaMedia.org
www.YouthOutlook.org60,000 Teacher Jobs Restored with Stimulus, Educators Say It's Not Enough
New... more
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The UK government has launched a new campaign to highlight the effects of driving whilst under the influence of illegal drugs.
A fifth of drivers killed on Britain's roads have drugs in their system according to the transport secretary Lord Adonis.
A new £2.3 million campaign from the department of transport shows how police can spot a driver under the influence of drugs because of their dilated pupils. Ecstasy in particular has this effect.
According to government surveys of young people, attitudes towards drugs driving are not the same as towards drink driving which is deemed to be socially unacceptable after decades of campaigns. Police want drivers to know that the penalties for driving whilst unfit through drink and through drugs are the same.The UK government has launched a new campaign to highlight the effects of driving... more
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Lord Hector Diono originally wrote this song for R.Kelly in 2006, but music insiders failed to provide him with the contact information needed to submit music and song lyrics to the R&B Icon. Later that same year Lord Hector Diono joined the Songwriters Guild Of America,he then contacted his long time friend and confidant Andre"South Kak" Scott of Kore Houze Entertainment Atlanta GA, where they arranged a date to record Hector croonig the lyrics to his self titled track, " In The Mirror". Hector never scheduled a release date for the song because the intent was to shop the song through the writer's guild; now, three and half years later, the rapper decided to release the song online for the world to review and vibe to in this videosrteam.Lord Hector Diono's his motivation behind the online video releases came weeks after the former boxing champion Vernon " The Viper" Forrest was shot and killed during robbery and attempted carjacking in Atlanta Saturday night July 25, 2009
at a Chevron gas station while putting air in the tires of his vehichle. Hector, a resident of Decatur Georgia calls the violence senseless and upsetting. The song is called "In The Mirror" a piano piece wrtten and performed by the rapper who uses extremely strong language through out the song, discretion is advised.Lord Hector Diono originally wrote this song for R.Kelly in 2006, but music insiders... more
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Scientists have revealed they have decoded the entire genetic structure of HIV-1, the main type of HIV infection in humans. The vast majority of HIV infections globally are HIV-1, another strain called HIV-2 occurs mainly in West Africa.
Decoding all this information will help scientists understand more about the virus and help in the creation of further drugs treatments. With all the genetic information available, scientists will be able to look at information buried deep inside the complex virus.
HIV along with the influenza virus and Hepatitis C carries its information as single strand RNA as opposed to double strand like most other things. Whilst information encoded in DNA is usually rather sinple, in single strand RNA this is more complex. This is because RNA is able to fold into intricate patterns and structures. By opening this up scientists will have access to information that was previously unavailable.
Scientists are hoping to make small changes to the virus using this information. "If it doesn't grow as well when you disrupt the virus with mutations, then you know you've mutated or affected something that was important to the virus," says Ron Swanstrom, professor of microbiology and immunology. "We are also beginning to understand tricks the genome uses to help the virus escape detection by the human host" he added.
HIV-1 is the most transmittable form of the disease around the world and is highly virulent. It is the virus that leads to AIDS eventually after it wears down the immune system. The single most effective way to avoid infection is to use condoms and avoid sharing needles for any reason. 0.6 per cent of the worlds population is infected with HIV and it killed nearly 3 million people last year, mainly in Africa and the developing world.Scientists have revealed they have decoded the entire genetic structure of HIV-1, the... more
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Some of the worlds biggest cancer scientists have come together to announce that sun beds are as carcinogenic as smoking tobacco.
For many years members of the tanning industry have claimed that there are health benefits to using sun beds but now the group of leading scientists claims there is no evidence of this.
The Department of Health has said "Sunbeds can be dangerous – we must ensure that people who use them do so safely. If necessary we will look at new laws to protect young people."
"The use of UV-emitting tanning devices is widespread in many developed countries, especially among young women. A comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that the risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age." Several studies had also linked sunbed use to a greater likelihood of developing a rare eye cancer called ocular melanoma.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has now put sun beds in its highest risk category.Some of the worlds biggest cancer scientists have come together to announce that sun... more
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Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran
Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran
Uzi Mahnaimi in Tel Aviv and Sarah Baxter
The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossad’s director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.
The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials.
“The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic source said last week.
Although the countries have no formal diplomatic relations, an Israeli defence source confirmed that Mossad maintained “working relations” with the Saudis.
John BoltSaudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran
Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on... more
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Roosevelt wanted the Arabs to allow thousands of Jews from Europe to immigrate to Palestine to which Ibn Saud responded, “Arabs would choose to die rather ...
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The Two-State To Nowhere: Another Futile Attempt At Appeasement
By Alex Grobman
Dr. Grobman is a Hebrew University trained historian. His is the author of a number of books including Nations United How The UN Undermines Israel and The West and a forthcoming book on Israel's moral and legal right to exist as a Jewish State.
“There is reason to believe that [the president] cherished the illusion that presumably he, and he alone, as head of the United States, could bring about a settlement –if not a reconciliation—between Arabs and Jews. I remember muttering to myself as I left the White House after hearing the President discourse in rambling fashion about Middle Eastern Affairs, ‘I‘ve read of men who .........Roosevelt wanted the Arabs to allow thousands of Jews from Europe to immigrate to... more
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