| |  | | | | | SHUTTING DOWN Feed My Inbox will be shutting down on January 10, 2013. To find an alternative service for email updates, visit this page. | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | The Guardian World News | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Residents of vulnerable areas take shelter from typhoon Bopha, the 16th major storm system to hit the country this year The Philippines' strongest typhoon so far this year has forced more than 41,000 people from their homes as it pounds southern provinces – cutting power, suspending travel and flooding areas that are prone to landslides. More than 41,000 people evacuated high-risk coastal villages and along rivers, including in areas that were devastated by a deadly storm a year ago. President Benigno Aquino III made a national TV appeal for people in typhoon Bopha's path to move to safety and take storm warnings seriously. Aquino said army troops had deployed search and rescue boats in advance. Authorities ordered small boats and ferries not to venture out along the country's eastern coastline, warning of rough seas and torrential rain and wind that could whip up four-metre waves. Government forecaster Jori Loiz said Bopha, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, had weakened since it made landfall in Davao Oriental province early on Tuesday but winds remained at 99mph (160km/h) with gusts of up to 121mph. The civil defence chief, Benito Ramos, said officials were checking for casualties or damage from a landslide on a mountainside village in Compostela Valley province. They were also working to verify unconfirmed casualty reports from Southern Leyte and Davao Oriental provinces. Power was cut off in several municipalities in southern Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Davao Oriental provinces after parts of Agusan del Sur province flooded. Bopha's rain front, 373 miles wide, is expected to be out of Philippine territory by Friday. Bopha, its name taken from the Cambodian word for flower or a girl, is the 16th big storm system to hit the Philippines this year. The country usually has about 20 typhoons and major storms a year.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Colonel engaged in 'duel of wills' with suspect Major Nidal Hasan rather than conducting case properly, says appeals court The military judge who ordered the Fort Hood shooting suspect to shave off his beard has been removed from the case. The accused man, Major Nidal Hasan, is a Muslim blamed for the killings of 13 people on the Texas army base in 2009 and could face the death penalty if found guilty. The judge in the court martial, Colonel Gregory Gross, had ordered Hasan's beard shaven off for the trial, either voluntarily or by force, arguing it violated army regulations. But on Monday the US military's highest court court appeal removed Gross and threw out the shaving order, saying Gross appeared to have failed to remain impartial. The court suggested Gross had engaged in a "duel of wills" with Hasan about his beard and other matters. The court said it was not ruling on whether the judge's order violated Hasan's religious rights. Hasan has argued that his beard is a requirement of his Muslim faith. "Should the next military judge find it necessary to address [Hasan's] beard, such issues should be addressed and litigated anew," judges wrote in the ruling. Hasan appealed after Gross ordered that he must be clean-shaven or be forcibly shaved. The court martial had been set to begin three months ago but has been on hold pending the appeals. An army appeals court upheld the shaving requirement in October, but on Monday the US court of appeal for the armed forces said the judge was not responsible for enforcing grooming standards. The ruling said that was one example of how Gross did not appear impartial in the case. Gross had repeatedly said Hasan's beard was a disruption to the court proceedings but the military appeals court ruled there was no evidence it interfered with the hearings. Gross found Hasan in contempt of court at six previous pre-trial hearings because he was not clean-shaven, then sent him to a nearby trailer to watch the proceedings on a closed-circuit television. The appeals court's ruling also quashed the contempt of court convictions. Hasan is paralysed from the waist down after being shot by police during the Fort Hood incident and his sanitary needs also became an issue during the court martial, with his lawyers at one stage asked by the judge to clean up a court restroom. "In light of these rulings, and the military judge's accusations regarding the latrine, it could reasonably appear to an objective observer that the military judge had allowed the proceedings to become a duel of wills between himself and [Hasan] rather than an adjudication of the serious offences with which [Hasan] is charged," judges wrote in the ruling. Army prosecutors may be able to appeal the ruling to the US supreme court but have said they will not be commenting until the trial is over. Fort Hood officials did not immediately return calls by the Associated Press on Monday or issue a statement. The 2009 shootings on the Texas army post killed 13 people and wounded more than two dozen others.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | US president reacts to reports that sensitive chemical weapons parts have been moved around the country by the Assad regime Barack Obama has warned the Syrian regime that any use of chemical weapons on its own people would be "totally unacceptable" and would result in "consequences". In strongly-worded remarks directed at President Bashar al-Assad, the US president said "the world is watching" and would act if the authorities escalated the conflict through the use of chemical warfare. Intelligence reports suggest sensitive chemical weapons parts have been moved around the country in recent days. This has raised fears that the regime is considering unleashing chemical weapons = on opposition forces. Obama told a gathering of nuclear proliferation experts in Washington: "The use of chemical weapons is, and would be, totally unacceptable and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable." Obama did not outline what consequences would be taken. His words echoed a similar warning to Damascus from the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton: "I am not going to telegraph any specifics what we do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice to say we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur." CNN reported that Syrian forces had started to combine chemicals to make deadly sarin gas which it could deploy against anti-government fighters. The network cited an unnamed US official as the source of its report. Damascus has denied the suggestion that it would resort to chemical warfare. "Syria has stressed repeatedly that it will not use these types of weapons, if they were available, under any circumstances against its people," the foreign ministry said on Monday. With little indication of an end to the conflict in Syria and signs that Assad's regime is becoming more desperate in the face of persistent opposition forces, the United Nations is preparing to evacuate all non-essential staff from Syria. Those who remain in the country will be on standby to move to places of safety, said the UN, citing the "prevailing security situation" amid growing fears in Washington that the beleaguered regime is considering using chemical weapons. The European Union also announced it was cutting its activities in the country. On a fast-moving day of diplomatic and military action, the Syrian government's foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi, was reported to have defected. The UN's under-secretary for safety and security, Gregory Starr, said it had cancelled all missions to Syria from abroad and suspended its activities inside the country. The decision marks the final step before a full-scale evacuation, a move that has not been ordered at any point during Syria's steady descent into chaos over the past 20 months. Up to 25 of about 100 foreign staff may leave this week, the UN said, adding that more armoured vehicles were needed after attacks in recent weeks on humanitarian aid convoys and the hijacking of goods or vehicles. Some convoys were caught in crossfire between government and rebel forces, it said, including an incident near the airport in which two staff were injured. The UN deploys more than 1,000 national and international staff in Syria, but its Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said movement and communications had become more difficult due to intensified fighting near the capital and a 48-hour internet blackout last week.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Granted access to the fugitive millionaire, magazine apparently neglects to remove location data from photograph's metadata One of the few journalists entrusted with the story of on-the-run multi-millionaire John McAfee may have accidentally revealed his location in a story published Monday. McAfee has maintained close contact with a select audience of people since he went into hiding on November 11 after the murder of his neighbor in Belize, Gregory Faull. Wired reporter Joshua Davis, cartoonist Chad Essley, who runs his blog, and now Vice have communicated with the software pioneer. Vice announced it had gained McAfee's confidence in a story with the headline "We are with John McAfee, suckers". Thanks to the story's accompanying photo and an observant Twitter user, Vice has also revealed where their reporters are, or recently were. Twitter user @simplenomad noticed that the article's photo contained revealing metadata and tech site TheNextWeb caught a screengrab of the information which shows that the image was taken in Guatemala. The 67-year-old multi-millionaire promptly responded to this discovery on his blog, which chronicles his life on the run, and said: I openly apologize to Vice Magazine for manipulating their recently published photo. I have been ferocioously [sic] put my place by Mr. Rocco for "interfering" with the objectivity of their reporting. I, for my own safety, manipulated the xif data on the image taken from my cellphone, and created a fake emrgency [sic] so that the urgency of movement led, as I knew it would, to the hasty posting on their website. I felt that our tenuous situation demanded action, and that was the action that I chose. I do not believe that Vice will remain with me further. Again, my apologies.
The metadata revealed the latitude and longitude data relating to the photo. It was likely taken in the very recent past as Vice said Monday that its editor-in-chief Rocco Castoro and photographer/videographer Robert King have been following McAfee for the past four days. It's customary for a smartphone to automatically catalog location data in pictures unless that setting is turned off. Vice has since posted the photo with the location information removed. McAfee is wanted by the Belize government for questioning in the murder of Faull. Police say he is a person of interest in the case but has expressed fears towards the Belize police. Belize's prime minister Dean Barrow has called him "bonkers". Reports of his alleged arrest on the Belize-Mexico border appeared over the weekend, but McAfee dismissed them on his blog, saying that a double carrying a North Korean passport was instead taken in. A Belize spokesman said he had no news of the arrest.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Plan signed by six top Republicans proposes $800bn in new tax revenue gained from closing loopholes and deductions
• Read the latest on the fiscal cliff blog Republican leaders have made their first counter bid in the ongoing poker game with the White House over the fiscal cliff, proposing new tax revenues and cuts in health and social security spending but continuing to resist any discussion of raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. The counter-proposal comes in the form of a letter to President Obama signed by six prominent Republicans, including John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives; House majority leader Eric Cantor; and Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's vice-presidential candidate and a leading fiscal conservative. The letter begins on a note of compromise. The Republican signatories say that in the wake of "a status quo election … the American people rightly expect both parties to come together on a fair middle ground and address the nation's most pressing challenges." The proposal is based on previous work by Erskine Bowles, a former chief of staff to Bill Clinton who co-chaired the Simpson-Bowles commission that last year failed to find a way through the fiscal impasse. It proposes $800bn in new tax revenues – a significant step by the Republicans who have tended to resist any such move. But it sidesteps the cause of the current deadlock by continuing to refuse to allow the tax rate on the top 2% of income earners to rise back to the levels held under the Clinton administration. Instead, the tax rises would come from closing "special-interest loopholes and deductions" while lowering tax rates for all Americans, including the very rich. That is unlikely to satisfy Obama, who since he was returned to the White House in the 6 November election has adopted a far more bullish stance in his negotiations with the Republicans. The new-look tough Obama was underlined by Jay Carney, White House spokesman, who told reporters earlier in the day: "The president will not sign a bill that extends the Bush-era tax cuts for the top 2%. Full stop." Carney emphasised the electoral mandate which the Obama team of negotiators believe give him a strong position as the talks on the fiscal crisis enter their tense final days. If agreement is not reached by 1 January, then a $607bn package of cuts and tax rises automatically kick in. The Republicans want to maintain present advantageous tax rates for the wealthy, but "the American people overwhelmingly disagree," Carney said.
Obama also took to the stage of the social media platform Twitter in an attempt to sustain popular pressure on Congress in favour of a deal that would include tax rises on those above $250,000 in income. In his Twitter town hall, Obama expressed his willingness to find a compromise with the Republicans. He said in one tweet "don't expect 100% my budget; room to negotiate". But he also kept up the heat on the opposition party by warning that if they continued to resist the end of the Bush-era tax cuts for the top 2% of earners, that would lead to "cuts w/out revenue = reductions in student loans; work/study and college tax credits expire. Bad for growth." He also warned that failure of Congress to budge on taxes would lead to possible cuts in the tax deductions for home owners – a move that would be highly unpopular with large numbers of voters and could cost the Republicans dear. "If top rates don't go up, danger that middle class deductions get hit," Obama tweeted. In their letter, the Republican leaders also propose $600bn of cuts in federal health budgets and savings of $200bn achieved by using a lower rate of inflation to calculate government benefits such as social security. The plan remains very light on details – a criticism frequently levelled by the White House at the Republicans in recent weeks.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Photo posted online appears to show the Florida man with an injured nose on the night he killed Trayvon Martin in February A photograph of George Zimmerman with a bloody, swollen nose taken on the night he shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin last February was posted on the internet Monday by Zimmerman's legal team. As the photo began to be circulated widely by the news media, lawyers on both sides disagreed about its significance to the second-degree murder case against Zimmerman. "It's not a game changer," Zimmerman lawyer Mark O'Mara told Reuters. But O'Mara said the photo was significant in that it shows vividly the injuries Zimmerman incurred during his confrontation with Martin at a condominium in the central Florida town on Sanford. On 26 February, Zimmerman, who was a neighbourhood watch volunteer, shot and killed 17-year-old Martin who was walking to the home in Sanford where he was staying with his father. Zimmerman's murder trial is set for June 2013. Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defence during a struggle.
"Does it really show what happened that night to George? Yes," O'Mara said. Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Martin's family, however said the photo adds nothing new to the case. Previously released evidence has indicated Zimmerman was hit in the nose during the fight with Martin. "Trayvon Martin was defending himself. He had every right to stand his ground to defend himself," Crump said. O'Mara told Reuters that prosecutors in May had given him a grainy black-and-white photocopy of the image which was taken in the back seat of a Sanford police cruiser. O'Mara said he received the digital image from prosecutors after repeated demands by his office and he posted it Monday on Zimmerman's defence website.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Official says Israel will 'stand by our vital national interests', after ambassadors summoned in five EU countries Israel was defiant on Monday in the face of a serious diplomatic rift with five European countries over its plans to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank, warning that it may take "additional steps" despite mounting international alarm that it was killing off any prospect of a future peace agreement with the Palestinians. Israeli ambassadors to the UK, France, Sweden, Spain and Denmark were summoned to hear condemnation of plans to develop a highly sensitive expanse of land east of Jerusalem. The move signalled a widening gulf not just between Israel and Europe but also between Europe and the United States. Despite growing international isolation, a source in the Israeli prime minister's office said: "We will continue to stand by our vital national interests against international pressure and there will be no change in the decision that was made." The source added: "There should be no surprise that Israel will not stand idly by in the face of unilateral Palestinian steps. If they continue taking unilateral steps, Israel will act accordingly." The sharp rebuke issued by the five nations followed an announcement last Friday that Israel would press ahead with plans to build settler homes that will close off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. The move came hours after the Palestinians won recognition of their state at the United Nations general assembly. Only eight countries out of 193 voted with Israel against Palestinian statehood. Despite vigorous efforts to win over European countries, only one – the Czech Republic – rallied to Israel's side. The British minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to London, Daniel Taub, to the Foreign Office to convey "the depth of the UK's concern" about the decision and to demand its reversal. In a statement, Burt said: "The settlements plan … has the potential to alter the situation on the ground on a scale that threatens the viability of a two-state solution." The Israeli ambassador to Paris was formally told of France's "serious concerns" and reminded that "settlements are illegal under international law, destroy confidence in reviving dialogue and constitute an obstacle to a fair peace based on a two-state solution", according to a statement. European countries were furious at Israel taking punitive measures in response to the UN vote, with one diplomat describing the steps as "cynical", "self-destructive" and "outrageous". Israel announced 3,000 new settler homes, the preliminary stages of the E1 development plan and the withholding of more than $100m (£62m) in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. A Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, welcomed the European diplomatic response. "For this to come from France and England is very beneficial to us. We highly appreciate it and we are hoping the US will follow their lead," he said. However, there was no parallel move from Washington. The last year has seen a growing divergence between Europe and the US, with many EU countries taking a more robust approach to Israel's continued settlement expansion. Some European diplomats believe that the EU must exert pressure on Washington to force the two sides to return to negotiations. The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly said he is willing to resume talks with the Palestinians, though many diplomats are deeply sceptical about the value of such statements when Israel continues to expand its settlements across the pre-1967 line. The Palestinians say settlement construction must cease before talks can begin following more than two years of stalemate. Earlier on Monday there were suggestions Britain and France were considering recalling their ambassadors to Israel. However, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We are not proposing to do that. We are not proposing to do anything further at this stage … Clearly, we are concerned about the situation … but we are not setting out any further action at this stage." There was no reciprocal move by the US, but a state department spokesman, Mark Toner, said any building in the E1 area was contrary to US policy. "The United States opposes all unilateral actions, including West Bank settlement activity and housing construction in East Jerusalem, as they complicate efforts to resume direct, bilateral negotiations, and risk prejudging the outcome of those negotiations," Toner said. "This includes building in the E1 area as this area is particularly sensitive and construction there would be especially damaging to efforts to achieve a two-state solution. "We have made clear to the Israeli government that such action is contrary to US policy. The United States and the international community expect all parties to play a constructive role in efforts to achieve peace. We urge the parties to cease unilateral actions and take concrete steps to return to direct negotiations so all the issues can be discussed and the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security can be realised." Israeli plans to develop E1 have been on hold for more than a decade, largely due to US pressure. Construction of Israeli homes, hotels and businesses in the area would make it almost impossible for East Jerusalem to become the capital of Palestine under a future agreement, and would almost bisect the West Bank. Western diplomats regard the development of E1 as a game-changer with regard to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu rejected criticism of the decision to activate the plan. "We will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places that are on the map of Israel's strategic interests," he said. Netanyahu's stance is expected to find wide support among the Israeli public, who will go to the polls in a general election next month. Netanyahu's rightwing coalition is on course to emerge from the election with the largest number of seats in the Israeli parliament.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Duchess taken to the King Edward VII hospital in central London, suffering from very acute morning sickness The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have ended months of intense speculation by announcing they are expecting their first child, but were forced to share their news earlier than hoped because of the Duchess's admission to hospital on Monday. News that the duchess is in the "very early stages" of pregnancy with the third-in-line to the throne was officially released after she was taken to the King Edward VII hospital in central London, suffering from hyperemesis gravidarun, very acute morning sickness. The Queen, Prince Charles and other member of the royal family were only told about the pregnancy on Monday. As the news dominated media outlets around the world and congratulation messages flooded in, the duchess was expected to remain in hospital for several days. It is understood she is less than 12 weeks pregnant, but officials were forced to go public because of fears her hospitalisation would fuel concerns over her health. She was staying at her parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, when she became unwell. She was driven to the hospital by private car and not ambulance, on Monday afternoon. Prince William, who was also staying at his in-laws' home over the weekend, is understood to have driven his wife to hospital himself and was by at her bedside on Monday evening. St James's Palace said: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.""The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII hospital in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter." Hyperemesis gravidarum is a rare condition causing severe vomiting during pregnancy, which can cause dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine. It requires supplementary hydration and nutrients and affects about 3.5 out of 1,000 pregnant women. Members of both families were said to be delighted at news that the couple are to be parents. It will be the Queen's third great grandchild, but it is the first time in almost 120 years that aserving monarch will experience the birth of a great grandchild in direct succession to the throne. In 1894, Queen Victoria, who reigned until 1901, became great-grandmother to Edward VIII in 1894. He later abdicated over his relationship with Wallis Simpson. It will be a first grandchild for Prince Charles, and also for the duchess's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. The proposed radical shakeup to the monarchy's rules of succession means this latest member of the royal family will, regardless of gender, push its uncle Prince Harry down to fourth place. Announcing the proposed abolition of an ancient rules of primogeniture, prime minister David Cameron said in October 2011 that the 16 Commonwealth countries where the Queen is head of state had agreed to give female royals the same rights of succession as their brothers. Speaking on Monday outside No 10, Cameron described it as " absolutely wonderful news" and said the couple would be "absolutely brilliant parents". He said he was informed of the news shortly before the public announcement. "I got a little note coming into a meeting I was having and I found it quite difficult to keep it to myself," he said. Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: "Fantastic news for Kate, William and the country. A royal baby is something the whole nation will celebrate". William's uncle Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, welcomed the announcement: "It is wonderful news and I am thrilled for them both." In Scotland, where the couple are officially known as the Earl and Countress of Strathearn, first minister Alex Salmond, sent "warmest congratulations" and "sincere best wishes". "Everyone in Scotland will join me in wishing the couple the very best as they prepare for the birth of their first child," he said. Dr Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury who conducted the couple's wedding ceremony, said: "The whole nation will want to join in celebrating this wonderful news. We wish the duchess the best of health and happiness in the months ahead." One area of speculation is over what surname the baby will take. William uses the name Wales professionally in the armed forces and is Prince William of Wales, taking the name from their father's title as Prince of Wales. In that fashion, his children might use Cambridge on occasion. It is also likely that if the couple have a son, the baby would one day also be Prince of Wales, although that is not automatic. The name also legally used by senior royals descended from the Duke of Edinburgh is Mountbatten-Windsor. The duchess, whose last public engagement was playing hockey at her old prep school on Friday, has cancelled a number of engagement she was due to undertake this week. Royal births are usually celebrated with a royal salute of 41 guns and with an official notice attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace, but the news is also likely to be officially posted on the monarchy's websites, on Facebook and Twitter accounts. When William was born in June 1982, thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace to wait for the announcement. During her pregnancy, it is likely the duchess will be attended to by the Queen's gynaecologist, who is currently Alan Farthing, the former fiance of murdered TV presented Jill Dando. Protecting their child's privacy will be of paramount important to the duke and duchess. But, with their baby destined to wear the crown one day, there is likely to be an acceptance that media will be given access, especially on milestone occasions such as their first day at school. The pregnancy will be seen by royal aides, and fans, as an appropriate and fitting diamond jubilee gift to the Queen. Since their marriage in April 2011, there has been daily speculation over whether Catherine was pregnant. Photographs have been analysed and rumours have made magazine covers across the globe. One of the latest fortuitously speculated on whether her recent adoption of a flick-fringe hairstyle was indicative of an imminent announcement.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From baby name suggestions to speculation about Pippa, there are some articles that should remain in the writer's imagination 1. An endless list of things she shouldn't be eating or drinkingIt is an axiom of printed media – why oh why couldn't Leveson have tackled this? – that famous or notable people are keener to have healthy children than anybody else. You read this incessantly – "Peaches Geldof will be particularly keen to avoid alcohol"; "Sophie Dahl especially won't want to eat bagged salad, in the light of the listeria risk that we have massively overstated, almost as if we don't understand epidemiological statistics at all." The insult is a double-whammy – the whole population is insulted, by the implication that we lack the distinction to care about our babies as much as Reese Witherspoon does hers. And the celebrity herself is insulted, by the insinuation that she might have her own peculiar difficulty in avoiding alcohol or salad for the sake of her baby. How much Kate Middleton likes salad, I would never speculate (see point 7). 2. Anything at all about their sex lifeIf there is one thing more nauseating than a mumsy tip about positioning round a bump, and I am leaning away from my computer and wincing even as I type that, it is the unbidden image of Prince William having sex with anyone, of any shape. I am not exhibiting feminist double standards with an unkind remark about his attractiveness. It's a mark of respect that I don't think this way about our future king. 3. Speculation about whether it's a boy or a girlI had a friend who, when asked if it was a boy or a girl, used to say "I hope so", and then make a sarcastic face. 4. Suggestions for baby namesThe royal family actually invented a crude version of the internet, some centuries ago: the Posh Name Generator. It gave you a list of four names, Elizabeth, Henry, James or Mary, and you chose on the basis of the gender of the child and the names of your existing children. It would have taken off faster if they'd had a larger database and disseminated the technique, but the problem with this family is that they don't share. 5. How soon Pippa Middleton will want to get pregnantOr, on a related topic, how much she will be wishing she had a boyfriend, now that she knows that exquisite, quintessentially feminine pain of seeing your sister fulfil her human destiny before you. Although if any news-gathering source were to put a timeline on it, estimating how soon she finds a mate, marries him, kisses goodbye to her publishing career, gets pregnant and then gives birth, allowing the reader to put a bet on that final event, then I would have a flutter. 6. Anything that mistakes hyperemesis gravidarum for "bad morning sickness"It is like mistaking pneumonia for "a bad cold". 7. How hyperemesis gravidarum is actually quite good for keeping the weight off, if you manage it correctlyJust imagine that we were working towards a world in which women weren't just the instruments of male pleasure and bearers of their genetic imprint; a place in which it was quite odd to talk about women only in terms of how attractively their flesh was arranged and how they were managing to maintain that composition; we would eventually, maybe even pretty soon, arrive at a situation where to remark upon a woman gaining weight in pregnancy would seem as banal and nonsensical as to remark that a man, upon not shaving, had grown a beard. 8. An imaginative reconstruction of how Diana would take the news, were she still aliveShe would greet the news just like anybody else who's ever been given this news. The spectrum of response-to-a-first-pregnancy-by-a-happily-married-couple is really very short, ranging from "that's nice" to "that's lovely". 9. Fashion-related comments wondering "whither the modest frock dress?" one day, and "why can't you be sexy-pregnant, like that nice Megan Fox?" the nextIf fashion can't agree – which it can't – then it should discuss something else. 10. Any article headlined "Dilatey-Katey" (I stole that off Twitter.)
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Struggling Swiss bank reported to be close to agreement with US and British authorities UBS is expected to pay more than $450m (£280m) over claims some of its employees attempted to fix Libor rates, according to reports. The New York Times said the bank was close to a settlement with US and British authorities. A company spokesman declined to comment on media reports and did not give any further details. He reiterated: "We are fully co-operating with authorities in the US and Britain in connection with Libor investigations." A payment of approximately £280m would fall within the range of provisions. At the end of its third quarter UBS had set aside £600m for litigation, regulatory and similar matters. UBS was the first bank globally to report suspected rate rigging, and has said it has received conditional immunity from some authorities for co-operating in their investigations. Barclays was fined a record £290m in June over the scandal. Under its chairman Axel Weber, previously head of the Bundesbank, UBS has to navigate a way out of choppy waters. Last month German tax investigators raided hundreds of its clients on suspicion of tax evasion and the Financial Services Authority, the UK watchdog, fined the bank £30m following the jailing of its former trader Kweku Adoboli, who had made losses of over £1.5bn during three years of secretive off-the-book trades. Recently the Zurich-based bank decided to axe 10,000 jobs as it pulls out of areas of investment banking, such as bond trading, that are not profitable enough. Barclays is the only bank to have been fined so far in the Libor scandal but last month Royal Bank of Scotland's chief executive, Stephen Hester, said that his bank is preparing to enter talks with regulators to settle Libor-rigging claims. Authorities in Europe, Japan and the US are investigating more than a dozen banks including HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Alan Gross has reportedly lost 100lbs in three years since being sentenced to prison for his work with island's Jewish community The US government has renewed its call on Cuba to release an American contractor jailed for crimes against the state, fearing the effect of a fourth year in prison on his deteriorating health. Coinciding with the third anniversary of his detention by authorities in the Caribbean island, the State Department released a statement Monday urging that Alan Gross be returned home on humanitarian grounds, noting that his 90-year-old mother was "gravely ill". It comes amid renewed efforts by friends and family of the 63-year-old to draw media attention to his plight and pressure American officials to increase their efforts to secure a release. His wife, Judy Gross, recently filed a $60m lawsuit against the US government and the Maryland-based contractor her husband was working for at the time of his arrest. She claims that Gross should not have been sent to Cuba and that it is now the responsibility of US agencies to return him home. Gross, from Maryland, is serving a 15-year sentence for taking satellite and communications equipment onto the island as part of a Washington-sponsored "democracy-building" programme. He was arrested by authorities in Cuba on 3 December 2009. Supporters have said he was merely helping the island's Jewish community improve their internet access. But a court found him guilty of involvement in a "subversive" programme funded by the United States to undermine the Cuban government and overthrow the regime. The lengthy sentence worsened the already poor relations between Washington and Havana. In comments last week, Judy Gross said the campaign to free her husband had suffered from not having generated the same level of interest as other US citizens jailed abroad, such as three hikers held in Iran and two journalists held in North Korea. Like Gross, all were arrested in 2009. But despite the intervention of former president Jimmy Carter, who visited Gross in 2011, and lobbying of the Vatican ahead of a high-profile papal visit to Cuba earlier this year, there has apparently been little progress. His wife has put part of the blame on a strategy in which for two years, lawyers tried to work through official diplomatic channels. Earlier this year, she changed her attorney and embarked on a new strategy of publicly agitating for his release. The new legal team also opted to sue the US government and Gross's employer, Development Alternatives Inc. The contractor sent Gross to Cuba on work related to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) – an arm of the government that provides economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide in support of US foreign policy; Cuba has accused it of trying to destabilise its regime. In company reports, Gross acknowledged that the work he was engaged in was "very risky business". Cuba has expressed willingness to talk with US officials about Gross but has linked his release to the plight of the so-called "Cuban Five" – a group of men convicted in Florida of participating in a Cuban spy ring. US officials have said the two cases are different. In the latest plea the State Department described Gross as a "dedicated professional with a long history of providing assistance and support to under-served communities in more than 50 countries". Noting his deteriorating health – Gross is said to have lost 100lbs and suffers from severe degenerative arthritis that affects his mobility – the statement added: "His family is anxious to evaluate whether he is receiving appropriate medical treatment, something that can best be determined by having a doctor of his own choosing examine him." As such "the Cuban government should release Alan Gross and return him to his family, where he belongs", the State Department said in a statement that did not mention the Cuban Five. Judy Gross has said it was not important to her what kind of deal is reached. "Bring him home," she told reporters last week, adding: "I don't care how they do it."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Judicial council on collision course with Judges Club over plans to oversee Egyptian referendum on draft constitution Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council will oversee a mid-December referendum on the draft constitution, despite calls for a boycott from other parts of the judiciary. Even though the council is the highest judicial body, its declaration puts it on a collision course with the Judges Club, a broader body that counts the majority of Egypt's judges among its members. The Judges Club announced on Sunday that its members would not supervise the referendum – mandated by law – until a constitutional decree issued by the president, Mohamed Morsi, which granted him immunity from judicial oversight was revoked. However, it is the council that is the official representative of the judiciary, the Judges Club being an unofficial body, and therefore the 15 December referendum on the constitution will take place with judicial supervision. "The Judges Club does not speak for the Egyptian judiciary, but the council does, but this does show the deep divisions amongst the judiciary because the council members are also members of the Judges Club," said Amr Fathy of the Arab Centre for Judicial Independence. The council also delegated members of the public prosecution alongside judges to oversee the referendum, which means that conceivably any shortage from judges that remain on strike can be made up with public prosecutors. "The public prosecution is considered a branch of the judiciary, and while prosecutors are rarely used in electoral supervision, if there is a deficit more members can be assigned to make up the difference," Fathy said. Morsi's decree, and the resulting rush to push through the draft constitution to bring an end to the crisis, have created uproar in Egypt, triggering protests and counter-protests. He contends that the powers of the decree are temporary until a constitution is passed and has called for a national dialogue, but opponents say he is attempting to force through a constitution containing equivocal articles on human rights and civil liberties. More protests are scheduled for , in which opposition forces intend to march to the presidential palace, which has cordoned off by barbed wire in anticipation. The protests come before a planned escalation by opposition forces, united under the umbrella of a national salvation front, to call for a general strike and peaceful civil disobedience. The national salvation front has refused to meet with Morsi until he revokes his decree.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Missions to conflict zone cancelled and remaining employees on standby to move, in final step before full-scale evacuation The United Nations is preparing to evacuate all non-essential staff from Syria and put those who remain in the country on standby to move to places of safety, citing the "prevailing security situation". The announcement came on a dramatic day in which the government's foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi, was reported to have defected, and the White House expressed growing concern that the beleaguered regime in Syria might be considering use of chemical weapons against its own people. The UN's under-secretary for safety and security, Gregory Starr, announced that the organisation had also cancelled all missions to Syria from abroad and suspended its activities inside the war-ravaged country. The decision marks the final step before a full-scale evacuation, a move that has not been ordered at any point during Syria's steady descent into chaos over the past 20 months. Up to 25 of about 100 foreign staff could leave this week, it said, adding that more armoured vehicles were needed after attacks in recent weeks on humanitarian aid convoys and the hijacking of goods or vehicles. Some convoys had been caught in crossfire between Syrian government and rebel forces, including an incident near the airport in which two staff were injured, it said. In all, the world body deploys more than 1,000 national and international staff in Syria, but movement and communications have become more difficult due to intensified fighting near the capital and a 48-hour internet blackout last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. While there has been intense fighting on the ground, particularly in Damascus, in the past few days, there is also growing international concern that the Syrian regime is contemplating using chemical weapons. Syria denied it planned to use its chemical weapons stockpile yesterday/on Monday, after reports that the US had observed officials moving some components of the programme. "Syria has stressed repeatedly that it will not use these types of weapons, if they were available, under any circumstances against its people," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who had warned that Washington would take action if Syria used chemical weapons, said: "I am not going to telegraph any specifics what we do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice to say we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur." Last night/Late on Monday, White Housespokesman Jay Carney echoed Clinton's words, saying the United States' concerns about Syria's intentions regarding use of chemical weapons was increasing, prompting Washington to prepare contingency plans. The Assad regime saw the first high-profile departure from its ranks in recent months on Monday with the apparent defection of the foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi. He has left Damascus, reportedly for London. Fighting continued in Damascus for a fifth day, with the international airport again receiving no flights, although unlike late last week it notionally remained open. Regime forces clashed with rebels nearby throughout the day. Intense outgoing rocket fire could be heard from behind the Kass Youn mountain, on the city's eastern fringe. The rockets appeared to be aimed at rebel strongholds on the rural outskirts of the capital, particularly Darraya, which has remained a staunch opposition hub despite months of security sweeps by regime troops and bombing by jets. The fighting in the capital is the most significant challenge to the power base of the Assad regime since mid-July, when rebel groups launched co-ordinated raids. That assault was put down by loyalist army divisions within a fortnight. The latest attack comes after steady gains in rebel capability in the north and near Damascus. Makdissi had been a forceful defender of the regime since the earliest days of insurrection. However, the once prolific Twitter user had not posted since late October and had been almost invisible in Syrian and foreign media for weeks. His sacking was announced by the Beirut-based Hezbollah TV station al-Manar, which claimed he had been removed because he was at odds with regime views. It is not clear whether he has defected. Also on Monday, a Lebanese MP confirmed that phone recordings relating to weapons transfers from Turkey to Syrian rebels, published in Lebanese media outlets including al-Akhbar and New TV, were of his voice. Orkab Sakr, who is aligned to the Future political bloc of the exiled opposition leader Saad Hariri, confirmed that he had organised the transfer of weapons to Syria. However, he said his activities for Hariri, who acts as the de facto head of the Sunni community in Syria as well as Lebanon, were limited to humanitarian missions. Save the Children claimed on Monday that an aid shortfall of more than $200m was hindering relief efforts as winter sets in. More than 400,000 refugees are thought to be living in temporary accommodation outside Syria, and many more are expected to flee.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Missions to Syria cancelled and remaining staff on standby to move, in final step before full-scale evacuation The United Nations is preparing to evacuate all non-essential staff from Syria and put those who remain in the country on standby to move to places of safety. Citing the "prevailing security situation", the organisation has also cancelled all missions to Syria from abroad and suspended its activities inside the war-ravaged country. The announcement was made by the UN's under-secretary for safety and security, Gregory Starr, on Monday afternoon. It marks the final step before a full-scale evacuation, a move that has not been ordered at any point during Syria's steady descent into chaos over the past 20 months. The UN has kept an increasingly low profile in Syria since early in the summer. Most other international organisations, including the Arab League, have sharply wound back their work inside the country. The Assad regime saw the first high-profile departure from its ranks in recent months on Monday with the apparent sacking of the foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi. He has left Damascus, reportedly for London. Fighting continued in Damascus for a fifth day, with the international airport again receiving no flights, although unlike late last week it notionally remained open. Regime forces clashed with rebels nearby throughout the day. Intense outgoing rocket fire could be heard from behind the Kass Youn mountain, on the city's eastern fringe. The rockets appeared to be aimed at rebel strongholds on the rural outskirts of the capital, particularly Darraya, which has remained a staunch opposition hub despite months of security sweeps by regime troops and bombing by jets. The fighting in the capital is the most significant challenge to the power base of the Assad regime since mid-July, when rebel groups launched a co-ordinated raid. That assault was put down by loyalist army divisions within a fortnight. The latest assault comes on the back of steady gains in rebel capabilities in the north and near Damascus. Makdissi had been a forceful defender of the regime since the earliest days of insurrection. However, the once prolific Twitter user had not posted since late October and had been almost invisible in Syrian and foreign media for weeks. His sacking was announced by the Beirut-based Hezbollah TV station al-Manar, which claimed he had been removed because his stances were at odds with regime views. It is not yet clear whether he has defected. Syria denied it planned to use its chemical weapons stockpile, after reports that the US had observed officials moving some components of the programme. "Syria has stressed repeatedly that it will not use these types of weapons, if they were available, under any circumstances against its people," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who had earlier warned that Washington would take action if Syria used its chemical weapons, said: "I am not going to telegraph any specifics what we do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice to say we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur." Also on Monday, a Lebanese MP confirmed that phone recordings of weapons transfers from Turkey to Syrian rebels, published in Lebanese media outlets including al-Akhbar and New TV, were of his voice. Orkab Sakr, who is aligned to the Future political bloc of the exiled opposition leader Saad Hariri, confirmed that he had organised the transfer of weapons to Syria. However, he said his activities for Hariri, who acts as the de facto head of the Sunni community in Syria as well as Lebanon, were limited to humanitarian missions. Save the Children claimed on Monday that an aid shortfall of more than $200m was hindering relief efforts as winter sets in. More than 400,000 refugees are thought to be living in temporary accommodation outside Syria, and many more are expected to flee.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Negotiations that once looked promising now appear certain to enter a nail-biting stalemate until spending cuts take effect Talks between the White House and congressional Republican leaders over the pending fiscal crisis have hit the buffers, with no sign of compromise on either side and with just 29 days to go before the advent of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that economists say could propel the US into another recession. The negotiations over avoiding the fiscal cliff, in which in the absence of agreement a $607bn package of spending cuts and tax rises would take effect on 1 January, now look certain to enter a nail-biting game of call-my-bluff. With so much riding on the outcome, the two main parties appear to have hardened their positions, guaranteeing a period of stalemate. Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator of South Carolina, has put it most bluntly: "I think we're going over the cliff," he told CBS. The most striking aspect of the current standoff is the unbending stance that President Obama is adopting over the talks in stark contrast to his much more flexible approach during his first term in office. White House aides have been briefing that he will not again allow the fiasco of last year's clash over the US borrowing ceiling in which Obama attempted to find a compromise with the Republican leadership only to have his fingers burned. The White House is clearly entering the fiscal cliff talks with the bullish attitude that Obama's victory in the presidential election last month, albeit narrow, has given him a mandate to stand firm on his vision of how to solve the current fiscal crisis. For now at least, he is sticking with his proposal of $4tn in deficit reduction over 10 years which includes cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and military spending, but also crucially involves a $1.6tn increase in revenue achieved by taxing top income earners more. The tax increases would allow the top tax band to rise back to the level that was in place under Bill Clinton: 39.6%. Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist who was an adviser to Harry Reid, the party's leader in the Senate, told Bloomberg News that the president and his inner circle had radically revised their negotiating position towards the Republicans after they concluded in the wake of the failed 2011 talks that attempts at bipartisan compromise were self-defeating. "They took that lesson to heart and they're not going to allow themselves to get suckered into reaching bad agreements to get a deal," he said. Both as a symbol of his new more assertive stance, and as a tactical gambit designed to increase his leverage with Congress, Obama has continued to hit the campaign trail even beyond election day to underline his electoral mandate for tax increases on the rich. He has attended a rally in Pennsylvania, and he is sustaining an aggressive outreach campaign through Twitter and his massive database of email addresses encouraging his supporters to raise their voices and make their views known about the fiscal cliff. But, so far, the Republicans are also holding firm, appearing to be as averse to compromise as the White House. Leaders John Boehner in the House and Mitch McConnell in the Senate are maintaining their hostility towards any tax increases for top earners, while deriding the president for failing to offer any new ideas about how to deal with the rising burden of so-called "entitlements" – Medicare, Medicaid and social security. "The administration has put something out that polls well: taxing the wealthy. What they haven't done is anything to deal with entitlements, which is painful, and you're not going to have a deal until that happens," said Bob Corker, a Republican US senator from Tennessee. Amid such dogged grandstanding as the clock ticks, there are a few isolated voices of optimism. Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic House representative in Connecticut, said that he saw evidence of a sea change among Republicans on the vital issue of tax rises for the rich. He told CNN on Monday: "There is a growing group of Republicans who say we really need to raise revenue, not just talk about revenue, but also increase taxes on the wealthiest 2% and they're willing to consider those kinds of taxes that the president's proposed so that middle class Americans, the 98%, will not see any taxes increases."
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Duchess of Cambridge admitted to hospital in central London with acute morning sickness, says St James's Palace The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first baby, it has been announced. St James's Palace announced the news after the duchess was admitted to hospital on Monday afternoon with acute morning sickness. It is understood that the duchess is not yet 12 weeks. But the fact she has been admitted to hospital, and is likely to stay there for several days, forced the palace into making an announcement earlier than it would have liked. In a statement, a spokesman said: "Their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news. "The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII hospital in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her royal highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter." Hyperemesis gravidarum is acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients. The baby will be the third in line to the throne, bumping Prince Harry, the baby's uncle, to fourth place.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Republicans won't provide proposals for budget cuts, leaving negotiations over fiscal cliff resolution in stalemate
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Software pioneer on the run from Belize authorities writes on his blog that he remains at large and that a decoy was detained Fugitive software pioneer John McAfee has dismissed reports of his capture, claiming that it was in fact a double carrying a North Korean passport who was detained for "pre-planned misbehaviour". In the latest twist in the increasingly bizarre tail, rumours began circulating over the weekend – originating from his own blog – that McAfee's life on the run from the Belize police was at an end. But on Monday the businessman, wanted for questioning over the murder of a neighbour, confirmed that he was still at large, apologising for his earlier "silence and misdirection". "We are not in Belize, but not quite out of the woods yet," he wrote on his blog whoismcafee.com. As to the apparent reports of his detention on the Belize-Mexico border, that appears to have been part of an elaborate escape plan, McAfee implied. "My 'double', carrying a North Korean passport under my name, was in fact detained in Mexico for pre-planned misbehaviour, but due to indifference on the part of authorities was evicted from the jail and was unable to serve his intended purpose in our exit plan," McAfee wrote. It comes two days after his website announced "unconfirmed reports" of his detention. That post came as somewhat of a surprise to authorities in Belize, who dismissed the reports. "I do not know where he is supposed to have been captured, but he certainly isn't here at San Pedro police station," said one officer stationed in the town McAfee has called home since 2008. Likewise a source at the US embassy told news agency AFP that people close to the fugitive had denied reports of his capture. A Belize police spokesman also said he had no news of an arrest. The British-born computer programmer, who built up a fortune on the back of the internet security company that bears his name, has been on the run since 11 November, when the body of fellow American businessman Gregory Viant Faull was discovered at a neighbouring property. The pair were known to have quarrelled in the past, but McAfee – named as a person of interest in the case – has always maintained his innocence. McAfee's blog, which began after he went on the run, has given regular updates as to his life as a fugitive. In an early posting, he claimed that he disguised as a drunk German tourist and a peasant hawker to spy on the police investigation. He has previously accused police in the central American county of harassment and expressed fears that he would be killed if taken into the cells. In response to those claims, Belize prime minister Dean Barrow described the fugitive as "bonkers". McAfee appears intent on remaining on the run for as long as is possible, telling CNN in a interview Friday: "I will certainly not turn myself in, and I will certainly not quit fighting. I will not stop my blog." But his latest post appear to suggest that he will return to the central African country to continue monitoring the murder investigation, but only after a companion of his is safe. "I will be returning to Belize after I have placed Sam in a safe position. My fight is with Belize, and I can do little in exile," he wrote.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Follow live updates as the international community expresses anger over Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand settlement building
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Greece is presenting the details of its bond buyback scheme, as new manufacturing survey from across the world is released
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Follow live updates as the international community expresses anger over Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand settlement building
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rupert Murdoch's online subscription venture was losing $30m a year and failed to win enough subscribers Rupert Murdoch is to shut iPad newspaper The Daily from 15 December, admitting that it has failed to win enough subscribers to make the online subscription venture viable in its 21 months of life. News Corporation said that The Daily, which was unveiled in a high-profile launch in February 2011, will "live on in other channels" with technology and some staff being integrated into the New York Post. The Daily was losing $30m a year and amassed about 100,000 subs, according to an open email in June from founding editor-in-chief Jesse Angelo. Angelo, a close friend of James Murdoch, will take the role of publisher at the New York Post, returning to a title where he was previously executive editor. "From its launch, The Daily was a bold experiment in digital publishing and an amazing vehicle for innovation," said Murdoch. "Unfortunately, our experience was that we could not find a large enough audience quickly enough to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long-term". The Daily, which operated a subscription model at $0.99 a week or $39.99 a year, needed about 500,000 subs to break even. In July it was reported that as many as a third of the 170 staff at The Daily faced being cut. "We will take the very best of what we have learned at The Daily and apply it to all our properties," said Murdoch. "I know The New York Post will continue to grow and become stronger on the web, on mobile, and not least, the paper itself. I want to thank all of the journalists, digital and business professionals for the hard work they put into The Daily." Greg Clayman, publisher of The Daily, will oversee News Corp's global digital strategy, new digital investments and distribution partnerships, working with chief technical officer Paul Cheesbrough. Paul Carlucci, who has served as publisher of The New York Post since 2005, will move to focus on his role as chairman of the News America Marketing division. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Read the Guardian editorial staff's choices and add yours in the comments below It was the year of the Olympics, the omnishambles, the Higgs boson and the Facebook flotation. In American and Russian elections voters stuck with the faces they knew, while France and China ushered in a new slate of leaders. The eurozone teetered on another brink, while the southern hemisphere powered ahead. But who were the people that shaped 2012? Below, Guardian editors and staff nominate their pick for Person of the Year. Add your selection, or endorsement, to the comment thread below. We will then conduct a readers' poll of the six most popular choices. Malala Yousafzai – nominated by Lucy Lamble, global development editor
The assassination attempt on 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai made the world acknowledge her bravery in defending girls' right to education. In a speech last November, Malala said: "I know the importance of education because my pens and my books were taken from me by force. In January 2009 the Taliban restricted my education and told girls they weren't allowed to go to school anymore. I can't tell you how saddened I was by this. This was the worst point in my life. But the girls of Swat aren't afraid of anyone. We continued with our education. We decided that we would go to school with our books hidden under our shawls." The most heartening news of her recovery has been her request for school books. Mario Draghi – nominated by Julia Finch, business editor
The Italian president of the European Central Bank was known as Super-Mario even before he managed to single-handedly save the eurozone from imminent meltdown. Through the spring and early summer of 2012, Spanish bond yields – the cost at which Spain's government can borrow – soared to 7.6%. A huge and hasty EU/IMF bailout looked inevitable. The entire future of the single currency – and its ramifications for the global economy – hung in the balance. It took just three words, a pledge from Mario Draghi to do "whatever it takes", to halt the panic. Just in case anyone remained in doubt, he added: "Believe me, it will be enough." The message to markets – which take on central banks at their peril – was that his ECB would not stand idly by. The impact was immediate: stockmarkets jumped higher and the bond yields of Spain, and Italy, went swiftly into reverse. When Draghi ultimately unveiled the details of his plans, he once again achieved what had looked impossible – outmanoeuvring the German Bundesbank. The eurozone crisis is far from over: Spain will likely still need a bailout. What is certain is that Draghi – whose CV includes stints at the World Bank, the Italian treasury, Goldman Sachs and as governor of the Bank of Italy – bought some vital breathing space. Bradley Wiggins – nominated by Ian Prior, sport editorEven without the once-in-a-lifetime exuberance of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 2012 would have always been remembered as a high watermark for British sport. Chelsea became champions of Europe for the first time, Andy Murray reached the Wimbledon final then delivered the first men's single title at a major tennis championship for Britain in 76 years at the US Open. Seven of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team were British nationals; in Test cricket England spent the first half of the year as world No 1 before being dethroned by South Africa; the racehorse Frankel, retiring unbeaten after nine consecutive Group 1 wins, might be regarded as history's greatest thoroughbred. In a year of exceptional achievement, one still seems more luminous. Bradley Wiggins' victory in the Tour de France was no great shock: his form all season had been spectacular. In March he became the first British rider since 1967 to win the Paris-Nice "race to the sun" and followed that up with victories in the Tour de Romandie in April and the Critérium du Dauphiné in June. The Tour de France, however, transformed cycling's place in the national sporting consciousness. Wiggins took the yellow jersey on stage seven and thanks to iron endurance in the mountains and near flawless support riding from his team, held his grip on the race for 13 successive stages until a rapturous finale on the Champs Elysées. Chris Hoy, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, called it the single greatest achievement by a British athlete. Wiggins, almost inevitably, capped a triumphant year with gold in the Olympic time trial. While the revelations of Lance Armstrong's doping shredded what little remained of the sport's innocence, Wiggins was a poster child for riding clean. His statement of principle in the Guardian defined a new morality at the front of the peloton while sideburns and mod fashion enjoyed a summer renaissance as Wiggins crossed over from athlete to icon. Behind the image, however, lies a very modern template for British sporting success – a combination of talent, brutal work ethic and the appliance of scientific method to performance that underpinned every triumph of the Olympic summer. If 2012 was the year Britain shed the tag of plucky losers, Wiggins was head of the revolution's vanguard. Fabiola Gianotti – nominated by Ian Sample, science correspondentShe's head of the largest scientific collaboration at Cern (and possibly the world) and found the Higgs boson in July. She trained as a musician, was seduced by the beauty of physics, and is absolutely one of the most amazing people in the world. Serena Williams – nominated by Judith Soal, deputy foreign editor
There's loads to love about Serena Williams – her athleticism, her serve, her style. I love the way she sets her own agenda on the tennis tour, selecting when and where she plays rather than trudging to every tournament – even though this costs her the No 1 ranking she undoubtedly deserves. I love that she's not a demure tennis starlet under the thumb of an all-powerful parent or coach. I loved it when she visited Nigeria last month and urged young girls in Lagos to "break the mould" and not let anyone tell them what they could and couldn't do. I love the way she came back from a first-round defeat in the French Open to win Wimbledon, the US Open, an Olympic gold medal and the WTA year-end championship, and still found the time to take several doubles titles with her sister Venus. But most of all I love the fact that as she powered through 13 aces to win her first grand slam of 2012, there was no sign of the life-threatening illness that kept her out of the game for almost a year. That kind of recovery is hard, I know. That's why I'm nominating her for my person of the year. Danny Boyle – nominated by Alex Needham, culture editor
This time last year, the opening ceremony of the Olympics prompted a mixture of mirth and trepidation: surely we could never beat Beijing? Yet Danny Boyle proved that Glastonbury-style euphoria could beat ruthlessly drilled choreography any day. With a three-hour spectacular that took in the chartists, Tim Berners-Lee, Mr Bean, the lesbian kiss from Brookside, a troupe of dancing NHS nurses, Arctic Monkeys, Wiggo, Doreen Lawrence and – of course – a skydiving Queen, Boyle completely redefined what was great about Britain to the rest of the world. It set the tone for a golden month which at its headiest seemed to offer a glimpse of a better, kinder country. Clare Balding – nominated by Jane Martinson, women's editor2012 was the year for women in sport: Jessica Ennis, Charlotte Dujardin, Nicola Adams, Ellie Simmonds among many competing and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson among inspirational women policymakers. But if there is one woman who proved an irrepressible force when it came to helping us understand, enjoy and admire the role of sporting women, it was Clare Balding. Previously best known for her successful complaint to the media regulator against writer AA Gill for a homophobic jibe, the TV presenter has become a national treasure in the space of 12 months. Even the Daily Mail was forced to call this campaigning lesbian "Britain's favourite roving sports reporter". With just 4% of Britain's sports reports written by women, Balding proved that they could be well-informed, interesting and interested in a male-dominated field. Based at the Aquatics centre during London 2012, the former amateur jockey was constantly called upon to inject some enthusiasm and expert commentary on other sports– from equestrianism to running. Did you know that the last time London hosted the Olympics, the maximum distance women were allowed to run was 200 metres? We do now. Since the summer, she has attended events aimed at encouraging more girls into sports (nine out of 10 teenage girls do not do enough sport to maintain their health) and has spoken out about homophobia in sports. She is to front Channel 4's horse racing coverage from January and, let's hope, continue to do her bit to show us that sport is every bit as much for girls as boys. Bill McKibben – nominated by Adam Vaughan, environment editor
Few would argue that McKibben has been one of the most relentless and effective US campaigners on climate change. He is a grandmaster when it comes to using media, from print and broadcasters to social media, and is perhaps the only person who could write a 6,000-word feature on the "carbon bubble" and get more than 100,000 Facebook likes for it. His continued organising and activism on the ground, such as a protest at the Keystone XL pipeline at the White House in November, has kept issues such as fossil fuel subsidies and links between those fuels and extreme weather on the agenda. For keeping at climate change in 2012 while others get tired or distracted, he deserves to be crowned person of the year. • Who would you nominate for person of the year, and why? Share your view in a comment
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | UBS spokeswoman tells Reuters that bank is in discussions with authorities in the US and Britain The Swiss bank UBS is close to a settlement with US and British authorities and is expected to pay more than $450m (£280m) over claims that some of its employees submitted false Libor rates, the New York Times reported. A UBS spokeswoman told Reuters that the bank was in the midst of discussions with authorities in the two countries in connection with Libor investigations and had been co-operating fully with the regulatory and enforcement authorities, but gave no further details. "As we are in the midst of discussions with those authorities, we cannot comment further," the UBS spokeswoman Karina Byrne said. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the US justice department and Britain's Financial Services Authority declined to comment to the newspaper, which cited unnamed officials briefed on the matter. None of the authorities could immediately be reached for comment by Reuters. In June, the British bank Barclays was fined more than $450m for manipulating Libor benchmark interest rates, prompting the resignation of its chairman and chief executive. The reliability of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, which underpins transactions worth trillions of dollars, has been cast into doubt by the rate manipulation accusations. Libor is used to set interest rates on credit cards, student loans and mortgages.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Treasury secretary joins House speaker in taking US economic debate to Sunday morning talk shows as sides struggle for agreement Republican leader John Boehner said Sunday he was "flabbergasted" by Treasury secretary Tim Geithner plan to save the nation from the fiscal cliff, in the latest show of brinkmanship over a deal to avert the year end budget crises. His statement came as Washington leaders took to the airwaves amid an escalation in the clash over how to avert the automatic triggering of massive spending cuts and the expiration of across-the-board tax cuts. Geithner went on a media blitz Sunday to defend president Barack Obama's position over the fiscal cliff. With less than a month to go, Geithner said he could not promise Congress would find a solution. If the tax rates expire and cuts are imposed as they stand, the Congressional Budget Office calculates the US will be plunged back into recession and unemployment will spike to 9.1%. "That's a decision that lies in the hands of the Republicans that are now opposing an increase in tax rates" for the wealthiest Americans, Geithner told Fox News Sunday. Geithner told CBS's Face the Nation: "Just remember to extend those tax cuts costs $1tn dollars over 10 years. There is no way we can get back to a balanced plan that put us back on the path to living within our means, protects Medicare, invests in things we need, if you extend those tax cuts." Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives, renewed his stand against increased tax rates for the rich. "Here's the problem," Boehner told Fox. "When you go and increase rates, you make it more difficult for our economy to grow." Boehner said if Republicans agreed to give Obama a proposed $1.6tn in new tax revenue, "He's going to spend it," not reduce the deficit. Last week, Obama said he believed the two sides would reach an agreement before Christmas. "We're nowhere," Boehner said Sunday. The president's advisers have set out a plan that calls for the expiration of tax cuts for those earning over $250,000 as part of a plan to raise $1.6tn more in tax revenues over the next 10 years. In exchange, Obama agreed to $400bn in savings from entitlement programmes over the next 10 years but pushed those talks into next year with no guarantees. On CBS, Republican senator Lindsey Graham slammed Obama's plans to tackle the debt crisis by imposing higher taxes on the most wealthy. He said Obama's plans failed to address entitlement reform – cuts in social security and Medicare benefits. Graham championed a plan first put forward by failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney to cap the size of deductions that the rich can take. "If you raise tax rates you get $400bn in revenue and you hurt job creation. If you limit reductions to about $40,000-$50,000 per person, you protect the middle class and you get about $800bn in revenue," he said. "And 100% of Americans are going to lose everything we know as America if we don't fix entitlements. We are becoming Greece because of out-of-control entitlements." "I think we are going over the cliff. It's pretty clear to me they have made a political calculation," said Graham. Geithner said he still believed a deal was possible and that the "political theatre" could be a sign of progress. "I actually think that we're gonna get there," he said on ABC's This Week. "I think we're actually making a little bit of progress, but we're still some distance apart." The row comes amid signs that political deadlock is harming the US economy. Business leaders have said they are holding back on hiring as they deal with the uncertainty created by the fiscal cliff. On Friday, the US releases its latest non-farm payroll figures, the key monthly jobs report which may give a fuller picture of the fiscal cliff's true impact.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bomb left over from Vietnam war explodes killing four young children and injuring five other people A mortar shell left from the Vietnam war has exploded in a village in the south, killing four children and seriously injuring five other people. Le Van Giang, an official from the village of Hieu Nghia, said three children aged four to 11 died at the scene on Sunday afternoon and a six-year-old boy died later at hospital. The blast seriously injured two other children and three men. Giang said the children found the shell in a bamboo brush then dragged it out and were playing with it when it exploded. A villager had originally found the shell five years ago when dredging a canal. The village in Vinh Long province was a communist stronghold during the war. Vietnamese government figures show that unexploded bombs have killed more than 42,000 people since the war ended in 1975.
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