news news Antony Gormley takes his statues to New York Antony Gormley is breaking into America with a debut showing of public art in Manhattan   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Video: Battling malnutrition in rural Afghanistan Media stories about Afghanistan tend to focus on the conflict but the people of Afghan are also coping with the effects of drought and floods and many suffer from malnutrition as this video by Save the Children shows   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Melissa Auf der Maur: 'I hope Courtney Love finds happiness' The ex-Hole bassist on the band reuniting without her, what she has learned from the industry and why Ozzy Osbourne is feminineYour new album, Out Of Our Minds, is also a comic book, a film, a live performance and a gallery. Can you tell us a bit more about it?M: It started as a song but expanded into something I always wanted to do – unite visual and conceptual art with music. Something about the climate changing, the magic of the 21st century and the technology – it just felt like this was the time when I could start pushing out of the traditional box.There's so much nostalgia around music at the moment that you don't often hear people talking about the present time as "magic".M: I think there are magic opportunities to do things new. I've always had a romantic idea about old and new clashing. I couldn't have made this album 10 years ago. Artists produce great work when technology improves and I realised that I'm living in one of those times. I'm living in this magic moment where you can change everything. And as much as I consider myself an artist in thrall to the Victorian, pre-Raphaelite and renaissance periods, I'm actually a modernist at heart.Why couldn't you have done it until now?M: I am a late bloomer. I was the last girl at school to get breasts and her period, so I've always been patient with my development. I'm also a big believer in getting an education to get somewhere. I loved school and have always referred to the Pumpkins and Hole as my university experience. And I think it's important to represent mature women, not just 21-year-olds. I feel proud to be a 37-year-old veteran who continues to grow.Let's talk about Hole. How did it shape you?M: It was a definite lesson in being human, co-existing with different people, and watching healing and destruction happen at the same time.You hadn't done much before you joined the band.M: No, I was in school and had only played seven shows – all in my hometown. Reading festival was my first proper gig. Luckily I've aways been at ease with the unknown, whether it's aliens, a through-the-looking-glass mentality, or loving hallucinogenics and David Lynch. It didn't freak me out, entering a new planet called Hole. It was just another day, another trip.How do you feel about this new guise?M: I know nothing about the new guise. It's complicated, but basically Courtney is an incredibly strong and intelligent woman with a lot of stuff to offer, and she should be releasing records and performing because she is magical at that. But I'm slightly confused. I believe it started as a solo record and ended up being a Hole record. Ultimately, she's someone who's going to do what she wants to do, so it's not worth debating. I want her to be happy and, despite this turn of events, that's still the way I feel. I hope she finds happiness and creative fulfilment.Has it closed the door on you ever going back?M: I told her I was concerned it would close the door. Not that any of us were ready to jump into a reunion. I mean I was not going to put the release of my record aside for that at all, but I wasn't closing the door. But it confuses the legacy of Hole. Courtney's the leader, but she and Eric co-founded the band, and they should discuss it more in terms of what it means to the whole ... of Hole.What's your take on the commercial side of music right now?M: Well, the best thing that happened to me was Capital Records imploding so I could begin to learn about the music business and take responsibility for all of the mistakes that have been made for all musicians. And if I'm really lucky I'll be able to use all of this learning to help other artists and be able to release other people's projects through my label.What do you think about artists signing to major labels?M: Something like 5% of new acts make money. So that seems like a really bad business plan. It's not a system that's going to survive unless you are Beyoncé. In the US, it's going to come down to a bunch of millionaire CEOs and Beyoncés and Jay-Zs. That's fine, but people like us won't be able to exist. I found partners in Canada to help support the release of my album. They are women that love film, art and music and decided to start this company.Where does the money come from?M: It's like personal, artistic philanthropy. I think there are plenty of big business people who may choose to do that, and it could be a really great way to save the arts. Anybody out there with some extra money, find an artist as a pet.We have a handful of high-profile female pop stars here at the moment ...M: There definitely is a rise of cool women.But at the same time, the press tends to lump them all together.M: Unfortunately it just says that women are still far behind in terms of equal representation. I think we've made leaps and bounds since my mother's generation. I have high hopes for the feminine era of 2010. I think the 21st century is going to be incredible. Even as we destroy mother nature, even men's hearts are weeping for the feminine side and the giving of life. A lot of beautiful men are going to step up and represent their feminine side and the world's feminine side.Is what you do feminine?M: Definitely. Am I feminine? Yes, although I did look like a boy until I was 25. I was pretty androgynous for as long as a woman can be. Have I become more feminine? Yes. But do I prefer frontmen like Danzig and Morrissey over any woman? Yes. So I think I like androgynous, feminine forces. Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Page – they're witchy, feminine men.Do you think so? A lot of people would say they're sexual, macho men.M: To me it seems more like magic than sex. Maybe I have an idealistic perspective because I don't see the world through sex glasses, I see them through sensual glasses. So somebody might be incredibly sexual but I see it as this amazing sensual thing!You sound like a real optimist.M: It's mainly because I'm really up for the challenge. I really, really am. I won't stop working and most of it is in hope of things like beauty, love and sharing. In the 90s, everyone used to say, 'Melissa's a hippy'. And I feel like in the 21st century I'm a realist. I'm not a hippy. I'm just trying to enter the future with utopia in mind, you know?Out of Our Minds is out on 3 May, the single OOOM is available as free download now.Pop and rockCourtney LoveFeminismRebecca Nicholsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Tories would play leading role in European Union, says William Hague Shadow foreign secretary says the Conservatives have been champions of EU's greatest achievements: single market and enlargementWilliam Hague said today that a Conservative government would play a "leading role" in the European Union.In a speech, the shadow foreign secretary said that although the Tories had criticised aspects of the EU, they had also "been the foremost champions of the EU's greatest achievements: the single market and enlargement."Hague said that his party would seek to "maintain and value the bonds of our relationships" with other EU states."The European Union is obviously an institution of enormous importance to the United Kingdom and its foreign policy," he said in his address to the Royal United Services Institute in London."If we win the coming general election, it is our firm intention that a Conservative government will be active and activist in the European Union from day one, energetically engaging with our partners."He said that they would be "highly active" in promoting European cooperation on climate change, energy security, and pressing for freer and fairer global trade, as well as pushing for Turkey's membership of the EU.Hague also emphasised the potential of the EU 2020 strategy on jobs and growth to enhance Europe's competitiveness – "if we get it right".While the Tories had opposed the Lisbon treaty that created the new external action service – in effect an EU diplomatic service – Hague said that they now accepted its existence and would seek to work with it.They would also work closely with Lady Ashton – the Labour peer who heads the service – although Hague warned that she had an "almost impossible task" amid the "bureaucratic turf wars" in Brussels."Whatever our disagreements on that treaty, we intend to maintain and value the bonds of our relationships with our European partners," he said."While we have had differences over the utility and purpose of institutional structures, we have always argued that it is in all our common interests that the nations of the EU use their collective weight in the world to our mutual advantage and in the promotion of our shared values."I have often argued that the nations of Europe have demonstrated insufficient determination and consistency in the delivery of our foreign policy goals. A Conservative government will be a strong advocate of the EU's collective demonstration of those qualities."So, with a Conservative government, Britain will play a leading role in external affairs discussions within the European Union."The largely positive tone of his comments will been seen as an olive branch to leaders such as Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel of Germany, who were dismayed by David Cameron's decision to pull out of the centre-right European People's party grouping in the European parliament.Hague also strongly attacked Labour's record over foreign policy and the international economy, warning that the re-election of Gordon Brown would be a "catastrophe".He said that the dominant current within Labour was no longer the outward-looking aspect of the late 1990s, but an "explicitly old-fashioned left approach" characterised by the selection of "hardened union activists" as parliamentary candidates."Five more years of Gordon Brown would mean that this country would be associated across the world with risky and unaffordable debt, lack of discipline over spending and trade union power," he said.During questions, Hague declined to respond when asked to explain why it had taken him so long to find out that Lord Ashcroft was a non-dom. Hague said he was there to discuss foreign policy.ConservativesWilliam HagueEuropean UnionForeign policyAndrew Sparrowguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Glenn Beck's Massa attack | Richard Adams Maybe it takes one to know one, but Glenn Beck wasn't buying any of Eric Massa's stream of gibberish last nightHere's a taste of the much-anticipated Glenn Beck interview with serial strange person Eric Massa, the representative who abruptly resigned from Congress for ... well, it depends who you ask and when.After alleging he was the victim of sinister forces within the Democratic party, Massa got an invite to spend an hour talking to Glenn Beck on Fox. And if you want to see what an encounter between two swivel-eyed inhabitants of the planet Mad looks like, watch the video above.As a rule: an interview where Glenn Beck comes out as the sane and rational one means you're doing it wrong.Glenn BeckUS politicsDemocratsFox NewsUS televisionUnited StatesRichard Adamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Louis Vuitton goes back to basics with a return to glamour and grace Designer Marc Jacobs's collection for the powerhouse label aims to celebrate diversity of women, in all shapes and sizes"Designers are always talking about how they design for women, and then you look at our runways and there no girls over 20," said Marc Jacobs, the American designer of Louis Vuitton, backstage after his blockbuster catwalk show in Paris today. "This time, I set out to cast a variety of sexy women – younger, older, thin, voluptuous, from every ethnic background."Think Anita Ekberg with Grace Kelly's wardrobe: ample cleavage spilling over simple sundresses, tight, glossy belts and long kid gloves.The show's title, And God Created Woman, was apt not just because the look – A-line skirts, pumps, sweetheart necklines, even cat's eye spectacles – drew heavily on the era of Roger Vadim's 1956 film. It was also a reference to the catwalk becoming such a world of teenage waifs, to the extent that the appearance on the catwalk today of 46-year-old Elle Macpherson sent a shock through the audience.Casting an ex-supermodel who is still traffic-stoppingly attractive may not sound like pushing the boundaries, but for a fiercely commercial superbrand such as Vuitton – whose recent openings include a boutique in Ulan Bator, Mongolia – it is a strong statement.The collection, which consisted entirely of skirts and dresses, with natural makeup and ladylike handbags, was a radical departure from last season's frantic, Galliano-esque paeon to festival chic. This is a collection women will want – from Paris to Ulan Bator.Paris fashion weekFashion weekFashionMarc JacobsFashion designersModelsFranceJess Cartner-Morleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Rush Limbaugh, Costa Rica bound? | Richard Adams In praise of Costa Rica's healthcare system – although Rush Limbaugh appears to be unaware of its existenceMy colleagues at Cif America have an entertaining poll running at the moment on Rush Limbaugh's vow to move to Costa Rica if healthcare reform gets passed by Congress. So far more than 2,000 voters are hoping that Rush will up and leave – although of course that number may include opponents of healthcare reform who side with Rush.What has Costa Rica done to deserve this? It's the second most beautiful country on earth, after all. More importantly, zwabber, a commenter on the Cif America poll thread points out:This does not make sense at all: Costa Rica has the best socialized medical safety net of all central American countries, if not Latin American countries. Infinitely much better then the US system. In addition there is the government run "extra" medical insurance for people who want to be treated faster in private hospitals and clinics.Is Rush totally ignorant? ... or does he want the best of all combinations: a peaceful country, no army, great health care, great affordable education. The major bad thing: lousy drivers who are intend to kill each other by the most stupid of actions. Maybe Rush would like to join the kamikaze motorcycle drivers of this country.Limbaugh should also be aware that the country's newly-elected president is a woman, Laura Chinchilla, who aims to make Costa Rica the first carbon-neutral nation in the world.US healthcareCosta RicaUS politicsUS domestic policyUnited StatesHealthcare industryRichard Adamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Michael Tomasky: Greece is the word Greece's fiscal problems is not exactly my great area of expertise, but when you're invited to meet an actual head of state, you go. And so I was one of about 17 journalists who met with George Papandreou this morning at the Center for American Progress.Here's the Reuters news write-up of the session:WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Wednesday his country was working to get its fiscal house in order and wanted markets to recognize that.Speaking at the end of his first visit to the United Sates as Greece's new leader, Papandreou said his government was not trying to "scapegoat" its problems by blaming them on market speculators.Papandreou said European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Euro Group Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker backed Greece's push to rein in unregulated markets, such as credit default swaps, blamed for exacerbating Greece's problems by betting on its debt."We want to make sure that since we're doing what we have to do, we want to make sure this has the most positive impact and we don't have forces working against us," Papandreou told reporters at an event sponsored by the Center for American Progress.That's perfectly accurate as far as I recall. It's just unfortunate that the dictates of news writing don't allow for anything descriptive. I was struck but how soft-spoken he was. One could barely hear him sometimes. It was a bit odd, considering that he's a third generation politician. His lofty grandfather, of course, was prime minister, what, three times, I think -- emerged from the fire of the Greek civil war, then overthrown by the fascist junta in 1967, then back in power after the democratic restoration. And his father was prime minister too.You'd think a guy with that lineage would be a bit, well, louder, anyway. But he was more like a technocrat. I count this as a plus, really.What was striking was how a head of state of a middle-sized country, especially one in the throes of a deep crisis, has to watch every word he says when he comes to Washington DC to meet the rulers of the world and the masters of international capital. He didn't say much of genuine interest, but then if you or I were in his shoes, we wouldn't either.For example, Ed Luce of the FT asked him to comment on the Goldman Sachs role, which the New York Times reported was rather nasty. But he wouldn't go after the firm in any way, citing a pending investigation.I asked about the simmering cultural tensions between his nation and Germany, whose banks hold Greece's fate to some extent. I heard a report on NPR last night saying that some Greek media are broadcasting sound clips of Hitler these days, just to remind people of the things they've never liked about Germany. He said the things you'd expect him to say about the strength of the ties between the two peoples.He also spoke at some length about austerity and anti-corruption measures at home. It sounded like these are going to be awfully tough, and there's a slightly comic aspect to a bit of it. For example, he said the government is cracking down on forcing businesses to make it standard practice to give customers receipts. Apparently it's s.o.p. for businesses not to write people receipts; that way the transaction is off the books for all involved.When that's your starting point, you've got a job ahead of you. He seemed like a decent man. And though he's the head of the Socialist International, he did not strike me as a Kucinich-esque purist and would thus surely in my eyes be the type to accept two-thirds of a loaf on healthcare reform. So I wish him luck.GreeceUnited StatesMichael Tomaskyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 The trend of falling violence is intact | Giles Wilkes Statistics record a wider range of sexual, racial and domestic offences than before. Britain's not broken – it's more humaneSomething puzzling yet wonderful is happening in the US. For nearly two decades, and in almost every city, murder rates have been in steady decline. Experts disagree about the reason; some cite better policing, others the advent of legalised abortion removing a cohort of angry, unwanted children from the streets. It might just be spiralling rates of incarceration.But nobody can deny that it is happening. Los Angeles is heading for a year in which a mere 230 people will be murdered. Having suffered about 800 homicides a year in the early 1990s, this must represent a profound change. Quentin Tarantino could never film Pulp Fiction there today.This brings LA down to a level of safety it last enjoyed in the 1960s. Yet even after such a transformation it remains three times as murderous as Britain. In fact, of 35 American cities larger than half a million, only Honolulu has a murder rate near ours.This jars with the populist characterisation of Britain as a broken society beset by growing violence and disorder, one where even Americans claim to feel less safe than in their gun-ridden homeland. David Cameron, in particular, is reluctant to abandon Broken Britain rhetoric: listing Britain's social failings – including a million violent crimes a year – he recently demanded in his spring conference speech: "Which bit of 'broken society' don't these people understand?"(Indeed, Alan Johnson, the home secretary, is currently urging the UK Statistics Authority to censure the Conservatives for what he deems a "concocted deception" in their portrayal of the crime figures.)Britain's raw crime figures are shocking, suggesting that the UK is far more violent than the US – despite much less murder. But clearly something is awry. Can Britain really have 1500 violent crimes for every killing, while in the US they have just 80? If so, this would feed a myth beloved of gun-owners: yes, they kill more, but those guns are great at stopping fights breaking out. Such an explanation is nonsense. The answer instead lies in how we categorise crime. In America only robbery, murder, forcible rape and aggravated assault count as violent. In the UK the definition includes harassment and verbal abuse, as well as threats of violence and stalking. A 2006 study found that half of all violent crime in the UK involved no injury.Furthermore, as shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has discovered, the way we measure violence can change radically. What may once have gone down as a minor scuffle has become an act of violence. With the advent of large-scale surveys and an increasingly bureaucratised police, ever more is measured. Moreover, social standards change, so that we recognise a far wider range of sexual, racial and domestic offences than before. In 1956 an Andy Capp cartoon could portray the hero blackening his wife's eye, quipping: "I'm a man of few pleasures, and one of them 'appens to be knockin' yer about." So much casual violence not only went unmeasured but was scarcely regarded as a crime.The truth is that there is a well-established historical trend towards falling levels of violence. Despite the combination of lurid media reporting and an enlarged definitions of "violence", this trend is still broadly intact. Of course, this historical achievement can never mean total freedom from horrific acts, or that every indicator will always point the right way. This is beyond any liberal society that allows a decent space around free, imperfect human beings. Politicians will forever condemn the conditions of the day and decry the dangerous streets. They have done so for generations, right back to when they actually were dangerous.Murder rates are unambiguous, and thankfully going the right way. People flock to America, despite it being three times as murderous as Britain. Alarmist statistics are a lousy way of telling whether we have a "broken society". As much as they appear to tell a story of rising mayhem, they may instead reflect our increasingly humane standards.CrimeUnited StatesDavid CameronGiles Wilkesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 André de Wet My friend André de Wet, who has died aged 75, was a photographer with a sharp eye for news pictures and a rare sense of artistry.Born in Cape Town, he was educated at Wellington boys high school, in Cape Province. He tried various occupations before discovering his ability with cameras. To earn a living, he roamed the beaches of Hermanus on the coast of the western Cape, taking pictures of holidaymakers. But his were not seaside snapshots – these were real photographs.Not surprisingly, André easily found his way into the country's newsrooms. Between 1959 and 1973, he worked as a staff photographer for several newspapers. His stint at the Cape Times coincided with the newspaper's fierce opposition to the apartheid regime. The Cape Argus, the Cape Herald, Die Vaderland and Dagbreek all benefited from his work. His frequent job changes were indicative of his restless nature.After moving to London in 1973, he worked as a freelance photographer for an impressive list of clients, including Reuters, Associated Press, South African Associated Newspapers, Le Figaro, El País and the New York Times.His sculptures and drawings were exhibited in Cape Town. He published two books of his drawings and poetry and exhibited abstract lithographs, based on photographs, in London.Eye disorders slowly robbed André of his sight, but he admirably conquered the depression that struck him after he went completely blind in the early 1990s. He is survived by his daughter, Eunice, and son, Jan, from his first marriage; and a daughter, Una Maev, from his second marriage, to Moya McGuin.NewspapersSouth Africaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Mad Men stars to be made into Barbies Mattel to launch Don Draper and Joan Holloway dolls – but without the whisky and cigarettesIt is a move that would have the male denizens of Sterling Cooper reaching for their whisky and cigarettes. Don Draper, a symbol of pre-sexual revolution male values from the hit TV show Mad Men, is to be made into a Barbie doll.The licensing rights to Draper and three other characters from the critically acclaimed series have been acquired by the toy firm Mattel to be part of a line called the Barbie fashion model collection.The featured dolls – Draper, his wife, Betty, and colleagues Roger Sterling and Joan Holloway – will cost $74.95 (£50.16) each.Mattel's senior vice-president, Stephanie Cota, told the New York Times: "The dolls, we feel, do a great job of embodying the series. Certain things are appropriate and certain things aren't."Given the drinking, infidelity and smoking that marks the show's chronicle of life at a New York advertising agency, the line of dolls will be aimed at the adult collectibles market and not the young girls who comprise Barbie's massive fan base.The Mad Men dolls will be in shops this summer, just in time for the start of a fourth season of the show.Mad MenToysTelevisionUnited StatesPaul Harrisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Sebastián Piñera to take power in quake-hit Chile President-elect faces changed priorities after country devastated by worst natural disaster in half a centuryThe Chilean president-elect, Sebastián Piñera, will take power tomorrow in the aftermath of the country's worst natural catastrophe in 50 years.Piñera, a moderate conservative who had planned to cut social spending and introduce a market-based economic model, now faces much-changed priorities after last month's devastating earthquake demolished Chile's physical infrastructure."Chile expects quite a bit of its governing officials. Perhaps they have never been so needed," Alejandro Ferreiro, a columnist with the Chilean newspaper, wrote."Nature has assured that Piñera will have no honeymoon, no trial periods."Federal and private spending is now a priority for Piñera, Chile's first rightwing leader since General Augusto Pinochet stepped down in 1990.He has vowed to spend the first three years of his presidency upgrading and replacing the heavily quake-damaged industrial and public infrastructure in the hard-hit central valley. Estimates for the cost of rebuilding range from $10bn (£6.6bn) to $30bn.While Santiago and the northern cities were largely spared serious damage, much of Chile's industrial production – including wine, forestry products, fishmeal and agriculture – were damaged.Final death tolls for the quake have fluctuated wildly, with the latest figures standing at 500 killed and more than one million homeless.Working closely with the outgoing administration of the socialist Michelle Bachelet, Piñera has asked key aid and administrative officials to remain in their posts.Plans to rebuild the nation's entire hospital infrastructure will be put on hold as the government focus on rebuilding medical institutions in key quake-affected regions.With thousands of homes destroyed and autumn rains expected soon, Piñera's government faces a race to free up federal funds.The incoming president, a successful businessman, made his fortune by investing in LanChile airlines and introducing credit cards to Chile.He has distanced himself from the policies of General Pinochet.ChileNatural disasters and extreme weatherJonathan Franklinguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Half all food sent to Somalia is stolen, says report Corrupt contractors and militants take up to 50% of aid before it reaches the country's hungry people, says leaked documentUp to half the food aid meant to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people in Somalia is being stolen, according to a leaked UN security council report.The report, seen by the New York Times, says the food is being diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamic militants and local UN workers. It advises the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to open an independent investigation into the organisation's world food programme operations in Somalia.The losses are blamed on improper food distribution and the country's war-ravaged infrastructure.The bags of food have to be driven through roadblocks manned by a bewildering array of militias, insurgents and bandits.Not only are kidnappings and executions common, the country's insecurity also makes it difficult for senior UN officials to travel to the country to check on procedures. Investigators who do go there run the risk of relying for protection on the same people they are examining.A UN diplomat, who did not wish to be named, told Associated Press that a significant amount of food delivered by the UN food programme was being diverted to cartels who were selling it illegally.Although nearly half of Somalia's 3.7m people need aid, the country's main extremist Islamic group said earlier this year that it would stop the UN's food programme distributing food in areas under its control because it says the aid undercuts farmers selling recently harvested crops.The group, al-Shabaab, also accused the agency of handing out food unfit for human consumption and of secretly supporting "apostates" who have renounced Islam.The UN's ability to conduct investigations was badly damaged in 2009 when it dissolved its special anti-corruption unit, the procurement taskforce, three years after its establishment. Investigations are now conducted by the office of internal oversight services' permanent investigation division.An AP analysis in January found not a single significant fraud or corruption investigation was completed in 2008 out of about 150 begun. Five major corruption cases were halted.A spokesman for the world food programme, which is based in Rome, said it would not be commenting until it had studied the report.A Nairobi-based spokesman for the programme had previously said that internal investigations showed between 2% and 10% of aid was being sold.The US reduced its funding to Somalia last year after its treasury department said it feared that aid could be diverted to al-Shabaab, which the Americans say has links to al-Qaida. The issue remains unresolved.The report also found regional Somali authorities to be collaborating with pirates and says that government ministers have auctioned off diplomatic visas.However, the Somali finance minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman, denied the charge. "We don't sell visas. That is not true," he said, adding that his government would investigate the allegations.Somalia's government is readying a military offensive to combat an Islamist insurgency linked to al-Qaida and to retake Mogadishu, the capital. The insurgents frequently attack government forces in the city and stage public amputations with impunity.However, the report described the security forces as "ineffective, disorganised and corrupt".The issue of aid distribution has been in the news over the last week following a BBC World Service programme which claimed that 95% of the $100m (£67m) aid raised to fight famine in northern Ethiopia was diverted by rebels and spent on weapons.The allegation prompted a furious denial from the veteran aid campaigner Bob Geldof, who threatened legal action and called for a string of resignations at the World Service.Others, however, have argued that any allegations over the misuse of aid have to be investigated.The former BBC correspondent Rageh Omaar, who was born in Somalia, provoked Geldof's ire by saying that humanitarian operations in disputed territories were "almost always politicised and misused".He added: " The idea that this never happens and that NGOs are never put in situations where, in order to get the aid delivered, they have to work with and often through the powers that control the territory where the suffering is taking place is a ridiculous fantasy."It's happening now, in Congo; in my own country, Somalia, where al-Qaida-affiliated groups have dictated how the world food programme delivers emergency food; and also in Zimbabwe, where I have just spent two weeks talking to aid workers having to work through government bodies in delivering aid to prisoners of Mugabe."Somaliaal-QaidaUnited NationsEthiopiaZimbabweFamineFoodInternational aid and developmentSam Jonesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Rachel Corrie civil action begins in Israel Richard Purssell describes 'shocking event' in Haifa court on first day of civil suit brought by Corrie family against IsraelA British witness told a court today about how he had watched an Israeli military bulldozer run over and kill the American activist Rachel Corrie while she was trying to stop Palestinians' homes being demolished in Gaza.Richard Purssell, who was also a volunteer activist in Rafah at the time, seven years ago, described the "shocking and dramatic event" in an Israeli court in Haifa on the first day of a civil suit brought by Corrie's family against the Israeli state.Twenty-three-year Corrie, from Olympia, Washington, in the US, went to Gaza for peace activism reasons at a time when there was intense conflict between the Israeli military and the Palestinians.The Corrie family lawyer, Hussein Abu Hussein, said he would argue that her death was due either to gross negligence by the Israeli military or that it was intended. If the Israeli state were found responsible, the family would press for damages.Purssell, a Briton, now working as a landscape gardener, said he volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to witness events in the occupied Palestinian territories for himself. In Rafah he had been hoping to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing Palestinian homes. The organisation was strictly non violent, he said. "Our role was to support Palestinian non-violent resistance."On the day of her death, 16 March 2003, Corrie was with seven other activists, including Purssell, in Rafah, close to the Israeli-guarded border with Egypt. They saw an Israeli military armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozer approaching the house of a Palestinian doctor.Purssell described how the bulldozer approached at a fast walking pace, its blade down and gathering a pile of soil in its path. When the bulldozer was 20 metres from the house Corrie, who like the others was wearing an orange fluorescent jacket, climbed on to the soil in front of it and stood "looking into the cab of the bulldozer"."The bulldozer continued to move forward," Purssell said. "Rachel turned to come back down the slope. The earth is still moving and as she nears the bottom of the pile something happened which causes her to fall forward. The bulldozer continued to move forward and Rachel disappeared from view under the moving earth."The bulldozer continued forward four metres as the activists began to run forward and shout at the driver."It passed the point where Rachel fell, it stopped and reversed back along the track it first made. Rachel was lying on the earth," Purssell said. "She was still breathing." Corrie was severely injured and died shortly afterwards.The Israeli military says it bears no responsibility for Corrie's death. A month after her death the military said an investigation had determined its troops were not to blame; the driver of the bulldozer had not seen her and had not intentionally run her over. It accused Corrie and the ISM of behaviour that was "illegal, irresponsible and dangerous".Hussein will argue at the Haifa district court that witness evidence shows that the soldiers did see Corrie at the scene, with other activists well before the incident, and that they could have arrested her or removed her from the area before there was any risk of injury.Before the hearing began, Craig Corrie, Rachel's father, said the family had been on a "seven-year search for justice in Rachel's name". He added: "I think when the truth comes out about Rachel the truth will not wound Israel, the truth is the start of making us heal."Cindy Corrie, Rachel's mother, said the family was still waiting for the credible, transparent investigation Israel first promised regarding her daughter's death. "I just want to say to Rachel that our family is here today trying to just do right by her and I hope that she will be very proud of the effort we are making," she said. She said the family had met the staff of US vice-president Joe Biden on Tuesday to talk about the case.Three other witnesses, two more Britons and an American, who were all at the scene in Rafah when Corrie was killed will give evidence at the Israeli court. It is not clear if any Israeli military officials will speak.The hearing is scheduled to run for at least two weeks.Rachel CorrieIsraelUnited StatesProtestRory McCarthyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Sami people adapt to climate change As global warming and habitat degradation accelerates, people indigenous to the Arctic circle say they have much to teach the world about how to adapt, survive, and thriveElina Helander-Renvall comes from Utsjoki, a place so obscure that even many Finns have little idea where it is. Utsjoki, or Ochejohka, Uccjuuha, and Uccjokk, depending on which local language you are speaking, is Finland's northern-most municipality. Straddling the border with Norway, it shivers, unregarded, deep inside the Arctic circle, a few icy miles from the shores of the Arctic Ocean.Utsjoki, population 1,034, is home to Finland's largest concentration of Sami speakers, the indigenous people once loosely known as Lapps who have eked out an itinerant existence herding reindeer across the frozen wastes of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and western Russia since the last Ice Age. Nearly 50% of Utsjoki's population are Sami. In Finnish terms, it's the closest this eternal minority has got to being the majority.Born and raised on the margin though she was, Helander-Renvall's message these days is strictly mainstream. As accelerating climate change and other man-made environmental degradations create growing alarm across the planet, the Sami people have much to teach the world about how to adapt, survive, and thrive, she says."There is a lot to learn from the Sami, they have the traditional ecological knowledge, they really know about nature," said Helander-Renvall, head of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Office at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi. "They have the most precise knowledge about the weather conditions, about the plants, the diet, the resources. The Sami people have an ethical relationship with nature; a respect for nature that also has a spiritual side."The Arctic region is uniquely vulnerable to global warming, but if it is to weather the storm, it would do well to adopt Sami methods of land and resource management, communal co-operation and communication, local knowledge and best practice, she said.In order to keep a reindeer herd out of trouble, for example, a knowledge of different types of snow could be decisive, Helander-Renvall said. Muohta (ordinary snow) or oppas (untouched snow) might be safe. But the presence of sievla (wet snow), skarta (thin, ice-like snow layers) or ceavvi (a hard layer that the reindeer cannot penetrate in search of lichen) could dictate a life-saving change of route or decision to move camp.Local knowledge will also be vital to the large-scale industrial development on the fast-expanding oil and gas fields of western Russia's Yamal peninsula, and for the burdgeoning commercial and tourism industries in the Scandinavian north. Knowing where it is safe to build, how to site the foundations for a new road, airstrip or pipeline, what terrain to avoid, and how to do so responsibly while protecting biological diversity will all be increasingly important. "We need to preserve and transfer indigenous knowledge to future generations," Helander-Renvall said.Professor Monica Tennberg of the Arctic Research Centre in Rovaniemi said the Sami had shown notable ability to adapt to changing climate conditions. "We've seen how the community adapts, for example finding new ways to deal with floods. We've seen better co-operation, better municipal leadership, better communications, better early warning systems," she said. Adverse effects of climate change on pasture and traditional herding trails had been met with new rotation and migration patterns and also by a tighter communal discipline.The Arctic as a whole faces enormous challenges. Broadly speaking the region is warming at double the rate of the rest of the world, said Paula Kankaanpaa, director of the Research Centre, with local "hotspots" that fare even worse.Symptoms include reduced sea ice; the opening of blue-water sea passages both east and west in summer, north of Canada and Russia; increased levels of carbon-carrying organic waste in the Arctic Ocean caused by melting tundra; coastal erosion due to increased wave activity; loss of habitat for large mammals such as seals and polar bears and growing disruption of indigenous human communities.Governments still resist the idea that Arctic indigenous peoples have something unique to contribute. Canada announced this month that it will convene a foreign ministers' meeting of the five Arctic Ocean states (Canada, Russia, the US, Norway and Denmark/Greenland) in March "to encourage new thinking on responsible development" and "reinforce ongoing collaboration in the region".To their dismay, Arctic indigenous people's organisations, including the Sami, Inuit and Inuvialuit, were not invited.Climate changePolar regionsFinlandArcticSimon Tisdallguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Libya-Switzerland feud deepens Leader among Tripoli officials slapped with Europe-wide travel ban as relations with Berne take turn for worseIn the bad old days before Muammar Gaddafi cleaned up his act, international isolation and confrontation with the west were a normal state of affairs for Libya. But now the Jamahiriya – the "state of the masses" – is mired in an embarrassing crisis with Switzerland that has escalated into a Europe-wide travel ban for the country's leaders and top officials.From Gaddafi downwards, no senior Libyan is allowed to visit the Schengen area, the 25-country passport-free zone that includes most EU member states, as well as non-EU Switzerland.The trouble began in 2008 over the arrest in Geneva of Gaddafi's son Hannibal on charges, later dropped, of mistreating two domestic employees. Libya retaliated by arresting two Swiss men on visa charges, cutting oil supplies and withdrawing billions of dollars from Swiss banks. A controversial public apology by the Swiss president failed to end the affair.Switzerland struck another blow by banning 188 named Libyans, in effect the country's entire ruling elite. Other Schengen members were required to follow suit. Italy protested, suggesting it valued its relations with Libya, its main energy supplier, more highly than its Alpine neighbour. In mid-February Libya hit back by stopping issuing visas for Schengen nationals.Diplomats say a solution would probably involve dropping the Swiss blacklist in exchange for the freedom of Max Goeldi, the remaining Swiss national in prison in Tripoli. But there is no deal in sight.Britain, ironically, is unaffected because it has an opt-out from Schengen and controls its own borders. Given its past, deeply-troubled relations with Libya, from support for the IRA to the Lockerbie bombing, there is relief in Whitehall that the UK is not involved. No one wants lucrative business opportunities to be lost because of another overreaction by the famously mercurial colonel.The problem was sufficiently worrying for Libya's man in London, Omar Jelban, to convene a rare press conference at the Knightsbridge offices of the people's bureau (embassy) to "clarify" Tripoli's position. "It is now difficult for any EU citizen to come to Libya," he said on Tuesday, insisting that Libya had been forced to take reciprocal action because of Swiss bad faith. "We are ready to resolve this problem with the Swiss. This is a bilateral issue that has nothing to do with other European countries."Libya wants arbitration to settle the dispute. Spain, which holds the EU presidency, is doing its bit. So is the European commission, which spent months trying to defuse an earlier crisis over Bulgarian medics convicted of trying to infect Libyan children with HIV.This latest affair shows alarming signs of getting out of hand. The Hannibal problem was compounded when the Swiss voted in a referendum to ban minarets. Last month, Gaddafi used a speech on the birthday of the prophet Muhammad to call for "jihad" against Switzerland and to lambast it as an "infidel and obscene state which destroys mosques". Clarification quickly followed that he didn't mean a real war but rather a "struggle" on many fronts. But more damage had been done by his theatrics."The leader's speech reflects the anger of the Muslim people against the Swiss decision to ban minarets," explained Jelban. "This was seen as an insult to their religious beliefs and symbols. There are many ways of jihad." Libya then announced a total trade and economic boycott of Switzerland.Tripoli then opened a second front, after a US state department spokesman asked about the threat to the Swiss, made a flippant remark about Gaddafi's speeches "not necessarily (making) a lot of sense". On Tuesday, Tripoli got the public apology it had demanded from Washington after bluntly warning US oil companies that billions of dollars worth of investments could be at risk."I should have focused solely on our concern about the term 'jihad', which has since been clarified by the Libyan government," said the chastened spokesman, PJ Crowley. "I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship."Gaddafi-watchers say the key to understanding these rows with the Swiss and the Americans is his acute sense of personal honour – the slight to his son, his family and to himself. In reflective moments, Libya's diplomats must sometimes hark back to simpler times before their leader abandoned terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and came in from the cold.Muammar GaddafiLibyaEuropean UnionSwitzerlandMiddle EastAfrican UnionIan Blackguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Expel Suu Kyi, Burma tells party New law prohibits parties taking part in this year's election from having members with a court convictionBurma's military government is to force Aung San Suu Kyi's political party to expel her if it wants to participate in the upcoming election, under the terms of a new law announced today.The political parties registration law, published in official newspapers, requires the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other parties to re-register within 60 days with a new election commission.It prohibits anyone convicted by a court from joining a political party, and instructs parties to expel members who are "not in conformity with the qualification to be members of a party". Parties that do not register automatically cease to exist, the law says.The Nobel peace prize winner, who has spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention, was convicted last August of violating the terms of her house arrest by briefly sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside residence. She was sentenced to a new term of house arrest that is due to end in November.The sentence was seen as a way to keep Aung San Suu Kyi locked up during the election campaign. Last month, the supreme court dismissed her latest appeal for freedom.The new election law was immediately criticised by the NLD and by the US and Britain. The NLD's deputy chairman, Tin Oo, called the law unfair, politically motivated and designed to restrict activities of the party, which has already been battered by arrests and harassment."The fact that [party] registration will be allowed only after expulsion of a convicted member is too much. This is politically motivated," he said.The junta enacted five election-related laws on Monday, two of which have now been made public. Three more are to be unveiled in the coming days.The US assistant secretary of state Kurt Campbell said Suu Kyi should be released from house arrest so she could "play an active role in the political life of the country going forward"."We've seen the first of five [laws]. I think it would be fair to say that what we've seen so far is disappointing and regrettable," Campbell said during a visit to Malaysia.The date of the election has not been announced, and the NLD has not said whether it will take part. The government announced in 2008 that the election would take place in 2010. The last election in 1990 was won overwhelmingly by the NLD but the military refused to hand over power.Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win, said the new law also barred people who had lodged an appeal against a conviction, which he said "clearly refers" to his client.Aung Thein, a lawyer who has defended activists in the country, said: "It is very unfair that a party member serving a prison term for his or her political convictions has to be expelled from the party. This clause amounts to interfering in party internal affairs."He said the provision would exclude many pro-democracy individuals who had been imprisoned for their beliefs. Human rights groups say the junta has jailed about 2,100 political prisoners.It was widely assumed that Aung San Suu Kyi would be shut out since a provision in the constitution bars anyone with foreign ties from taking part in elections. Her late husband was British, her two sons have British citizenship, and she has been described by the junta as enjoying special links with Britain."We're going to need to study the election laws carefully once they've all been released," said the British ambassador, Andrew Heyn. "But it's regrettable and very disappointing that the laws are not based on a dialogue with a range of political opinion."He stressed that the release of political prisoners, freedom for all to participate in the elections, freedom to campaign and access to media were essential for the election to be credible.Aung San Suu KyiBurmaHuman rightsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Dalai Lama lashes out at China • Spiritual leader repeats call for autonomy within China• Annual address marks 51st anniversary of failed uprisingThe Dalai Lama today lashed out at Chinese authorities, accusing them of trying to "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet as he commemorated a failed uprising against China's rule over the region.The Tibetan spiritual leader's remarks showed his frustration over fruitless attempts to negotiate a compromise with China, and came amid reports that hundreds of Tibetans have been rounded up in the capital, Lhasa.Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of fighting for independence for Tibet, which China says is part of its territory. The Dalai Lama says he wants some form of autonomy for Tibet within China that would allow his people to freely practise their culture, language and religion.The dispute turned violent two years ago when anti-government protests erupted in Tibet, leaving around 20 dead. Now Chinese soldiers patrol the streets of Tibet.In his annual address from exile in India, marking the 51st anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against China, the Dalai Lama said Chinese authorities were conducting a campaign of "patriotic re-education" in monasteries in Tibet."They are putting the monks and nuns in prison-like conditions, depriving them the opportunity to study and practise in peace," he told about 3,000 Tibetans in Dharamsala, the northern Indian town where the he has lived for five decades. He accused Chinese authorities of working to "deliberately annihilate Buddhism"."Whether the Chinese government acknowledges it or not, there is a serious problem in Tibet," he said, adding that attempts to talk to the Chinese leadership about granting limited autonomy to the Tibetan people had failed."Judging by the attitude of the present Chinese leadership there is little hope that a result will be achieved soon. Nevertheless our stand to continue with the dialogue remains unchanged."A commentary by the official Xinhua news agency described the speech as "resentful, yet unsurprising", adding that it was full of "angry rhetoric".It went on: "Regardless of his allegations of not separating China, the Dalai Lama's request for 'genuine autonomy' on one-quarter of the Chinese territory is anything but acceptable for the central government."In January Beijing reopened talks with the Dalai Lama's envoys for the first time in 15 months, but in February the regime was incensed when he met Barack Obama in the US.Thousands of Tibetan exiles, most of them dressed in traditional silk and wool robes, gathered in the compound of a Buddhist temple to hear the Dalai Lama and other senior leaders of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The crowds included hundreds of Tibetan nuns and monks in orange and maroon robes.In Nepal about 1,000 Tibetan exiles chanted anti-China slogans and waved Tibetan flags at a temple on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Riot police kept protesters from marching in the streets and arrested about a dozen people as they tried to storm a Chinese consulate office. The protesters, who shouted "Free Tibet", were dragged away by riot police to waiting vans.Dalai LamaChinaTibetBuddhismguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 Five aid workers killed in Pakistan attack Grenades set off in offices of World Vision humanitarian groupAttackers armed with grenades bombed the offices of an international aid group in north-west Pakistan today, killing six people working for the organisation, police said.The attack targeted World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group helping survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Mansehra district.The dead were all Pakistanis and included two women, said a police official, Mohammad Sabir."It was a brutal and senseless attack," said Dean Owen, World Vision spokesman in Seattle, Washington. "It was completely unexpected, unannounced and unprovoked."Islamists often target Christian groups, which they accuse of trying to convert Muslims.Another World Vision spokesman said the group, which was founded 60 years ago in the US and is one of the world's largest and most well-funded Christian aid organisations, had suspended operations across Pakistan as a result of the attack.Al-Qaida, the Taliban and allied groups are strong in north-western Pakistan, but Mansehra lies outside the tribal belt next to Afghanistan where the militants have their main bases.Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organisations are working against Islam. The attacks have greatly hampered efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region.Militants see the aid groups as a challenge to their authority. The aid groups often employ women and support women's rights initiatives, angering the extremists.Many foreign aid groups set up offices in Mansehra after the 2005 earthquake, which killed about 80,000 people.In 2008 militants in Mansehra killed four Pakistanis working for Plan International, a British-based charity that focuses on helping children.PakistanInternational aid and developmentCharitiesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 'Jihad Jane' faces terror charges US woman accused of plotting to murder unnamed Swede and raising money for her cause on the internetAn American woman who called herself Jihad Jane has been charged over an alleged plot to murder a Swedish man.Colleen Renee LaRose, 46, from Philadelphia, is also accused of conspiracy to provide support to terrorists, making false statements and attempted identity theft.Irish police yesterday arrested seven people over an apparent plot to kill Lars Vilks, a Swedish cartoonist who had a bounty put on his head after depicting the prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog – though Vilks has not been named as LaRose's alleged target.Garda sources said the four men and three women were in their mid-20s to late-40s. Some of them arrested hold Irish citizenship and some are from the Middle East. Converts to Islam were among them, the Irish police said.Vilks's cartoon, drawn in 2007, prompted al-Qaida to place a $100,000 (£67,000) bounty on his head and offer a 50% bonus to anyone who slit his throat to ensure he was "slaughtered like a lamb".At least three Swedish newspapers – Dagens Nyheter, Expressen and Sydsvenska Dagbladet – published the cartoon today.The US justice department declined to comment on whether the two cases were connected.David Kris, the head of the department's national security division, said: "The indictment, which alleges that a woman from suburban America agreed to carry out murder overseas and to provide material support to terrorists, underscores the evolving nature of the threat we face."LaRose, who also called herself Fatima LaRose online, allegedly posted a comment on YouTube in June 2008 saying she wanted to help "the suffering Muslim people".According to the indictment filed in a federal court in Pennsylvania she sent emails to unnamed co-conspirators offering to become a martyr as well as to use her American background to avoid detection.The indictment accuses LaRose of agreeing in March 2009 to marry a co-conspirator from a south Asian country who was trying to obtain residency in Europe. He is alleged to have urged her to go to Sweden, find the unnamed Swedish man "and kill him". The indictment claims she tried to raise money over the internet, lure others to her cause and lied to FBI investigators.LaRose was arrested after returning to the US in October 2009 on a charge related to the theft of a US passport, according to court documents.If convicted on the four counts in the indictment, which was dated 4 March 2010, LaRose could face a sentence of life in prison and a fine of $1m (£670,000).Michael Levy, the US attorney in Pennsylvania, said the case showed that terrorists were looking for Americans to join their cause. "It shatters any lingering thought that we can spot a terrorist based on appearance."The Obama administration has grown increasingly worried about Americans and foreigners living in the US taking up the cause of anti-American militants.Two recent cases have fuelled those concerns: the arrest of a Chicago man accused of helping plot the 2008 Mumbai attacks and an Afghan immigrant living in Colorado who pleaded guilty to plotting a bomb attack on the New York subway system.Global terrorismUnited StatesSam Jonesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds   guardian.co.uk   2010-03-10 The Violence in Nigeria: What's Behind the Conflict? The hundreds of villagers killed with machetes near the central Nigerian city of Jos have thrown the sectarian problems of Africa's most populous nation into the spotlight again   feedproxy.google.com   2010-03-10 Biden Israel Trip: Apology for Timing of Settlement News Vice President Joe Biden was publicly humiliated by the Israeli announcement of a controversial settlement project, and said it undermined trust in a new U.S. peace effort. But Israel has no plans to shelve the project   feedproxy.google.com   2010-03-10 Internet up for Nobel Peace Prize The internet is among a record 237 individuals and organisations nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Daly 'fighting' to save marriage Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly says her marriage to fellow presenter Vernon Kay is "worth fighting" for.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Scientists to review climate body The UN Secretary-General has asked the world's leading science academies to review the UN's climate science body.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Smaller losses at Northern Rock Northern Rock says that it made "good progress" in 2009, after reporting a sharp fall in its annual losses.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Iran attacks US over Afghanistan Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says it is the US, not Tehran, that is playing a "double game" in Afghanistan.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10

news news Spanish hostage in Africa freed A Spanish woman aid worker kidnapped in West Africa last year has been freed, the Spanish government says.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 'Bali bomber' killed in Indonesia Indonesia's President Yudhoyono confirms security forces killed Bali bomb suspect Dulmatin in raids in Jakarta on Tuesday.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Egypt's top cleric dies aged 81 Egypt's top Muslim cleric has died suddenly in Saudi Arabia at the age of 81.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Insurers 'face $7bn Chile bill' The earthquake in Chile may cost the global insurance industry as much as $7bn (£4.7bn), Swiss Re estimates.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Nigeria charges over Jos killings Police say 49 people are to be charged with murder following communal violence that left scores of Nigerian villagers dead.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Fighting the tide Church authority at risk as scandals spread in Europe   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Nick Robinson PM tries to be seen as modern-day Churchill   bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 How can we reduce reoffending? About 60% of prisoners serving short sentences reoffend within a year. Is prison the right answer?   bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Oscar bosses defend Farrah Fawcett snub Actress Farrah Fawcett was not in the Oscars memorial segment because she was more known as a TV star, the Academy says.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Lost Boys actor Haim dies aged 38 Lost Boys actor Corey Haim dies at the age of 38, the Los Angeles coroner's office confirms.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 US 'hid terror suspect treatment' A former head of MI5 says she did not know US intelligence services were mistreating terror suspects until after she retired.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Biden steps up pressure on Israel The US vice-president renews criticism of Israel over an East Jerusalem building project and urges bold steps to peace.   news.bbc.co.uk   2010-03-10 Borghi’s New Zealand “Your Big Break” film - Video Academy Award®-winning Director Chooses Winner of 100% Pure New Zealand's Filmmaking Competition to Premiere March 5, 2010   feedproxy.google.com   2010-03-09 "Milestones", Lexus Television Commercial - Video Automaker showcases full line of hybrid vehicles in new marketing campaign   feedproxy.google.com   2010-03-09 First Ever Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup Announces Winner - Video FIRST EVER NASTIA LIUKIN SUPERGIRL CUP ANNOUNCES WINNER   feedproxy.google.com   2010-03-09 Carl Edwards gets 3 weeks' probation from NASCAR CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Carl Edwards has been placed on three weeks' probation by NASCAR for intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski's car during last weekend's race at Atlanta....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 AP source: Guilty plea expected in Letterman case NEW YORK (AP) -- A person familiar with the case says a TV producer is expected to admit trying to shake down David Letterman over the comic's sexual affairs....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 Britain could force owners to microchip their dogs LONDON (AP) -- British dog owners may be forced to microchip their pets and take out insurance, part of a proposed crackdown on the country's dangerous canines....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 Samsung, Panasonic start selling 3-D TVs this week NEW YORK (AP) -- Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what TV makers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 Continental CEO will cancel flights before fines DALLAS (AP) -- Continental Airlines plans to cancel flights rather than risk stiff fines under new federal rules designed to punish carriers for delaying passengers....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 12 centuries-old shipwrecks found in Baltic Sea STOCKHOLM (AP) -- A dozen centuries-old shipwrecks - some of them unusually well-preserved - have been found in the Baltic Sea by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 As Chile shook, cities rolled to the west a bit WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Earth really did move during the massive Chile quake: Researchers say cities and islands physically shifted west a bit....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09 Israel, Syria announce nuclear energy ambitions PARIS (AP) -- Mideast rivals Israel and Syria on Tuesday each announced ambitions to develop nuclear energy, with Israel facing the prospect that its plan could bring new international attention to its secretive nuclear activities....   hosted.ap.org   2010-03-09