|  |  |  | | | | | The Guardian World News | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ahead of decision on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Quito accuses Britain of threat to trample international law The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday. The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that on Wednesday night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law". The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault. At a press conference on Wednesday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country. The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy." It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations." On Wednesday night appeals were tweeted for Assange supporters to occupy the embassy to prevent British police from arresting him, and while there was a police presence outside the embassy, Scotland Yard insisted that officers were simply there to "police the embassy like any other embassy". Patiño said he was "deeply shocked" by the diplomatic letter. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The government of Ecuador is considering a request for asylum and has carried out diplomatic talks with the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden. However, today we received from the United Kingdom a written threat that they could attack our embassy in London if Ecuador does not give up Julian Assange. "Ecuador, as a state that respects rights and justice and is a democratic and peaceful nation state, rejects in the strongest possible terms the explicit threat of the British official communication. "This is unbecoming of a democratic, civilised and law-abiding state. If this conduct persists, Ecuador will take appropriate responses in accordance with international law. "If the measures announced in the British official communication materialise they will be interpreted by Ecuador as a hostile and intolerable act and also as an attack on our sovereignty, which would require us to respond with greater diplomatic force. "Such actions would be a blatant disregard of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and of the rules of international law of the past four centuries. "It would be a dangerous precedent because it would open the door to the violation of embassies as a declared sovereign space." Under international law, diplomatic posts are considered the territory of the foreign nation. The Foreign Office was quick to downplay the drama. A spokesman said Britain had merely sought to "clarify its position", according to international law. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadoreans' attention to relevant provisions of our law – for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK," a spokesman said. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Ecuador revealed that it would announce its decision regarding Assange's asylum request on Thursday at 1pm. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have consistently made our position clear in our discussions with the government of Ecuador. The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences and we remain determined to fulfil this obligation. "We have an obligation to extradite Mr Assange and it is only right that we give Ecuador the full picture. Correa has said Assange could face the death penalty in the US, and for that reason he considers the asylum request a question of political persecution. Analysts in Ecuador expressed doubts that Britain would raid the embassy. Professor Julio Echeverria of Quito's Flasco University said Britain "has a long-established tradition in Europe of respecting diplomatic missions", which under international law are considered sovereign territory. A former Ecuadorean ambassador to London, Mauricio Gandara, told the Associated Press: "I refuse to believe in this threat because if asylum is granted the British government will not grant safe passage and Mr Assange could be in the embassy for a long time." Assange denies the allegations against him, but fears he will be sent to the United States if he goes to Sweden. An offer to the Swedish authorities by Ecuador for investigators to interview Assange inside the London embassy was rejected. A former computer hacker, Assange enraged Washington in 2010 when WikiLeaks published secret US diplomatic cables, has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy since 19 June. If Ecuador does give Assange asylum, it is difficult to see how the WikiLeaks boss could physically leave the closely watched embassy and head to an airport without being arrested by British police.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Eight militants and one soldier die in the attack on the facility in Punjab province Suicide bombers wearing military uniforms have stormed an air base in Pakistan, heightening fears over the strength of militant groups in the country. The attack on the facility in Punjab province on Thursday morning, which is thought to house part of the country's nuclear arsenal, damaged one plane and led to the death of one soldier. At least eight militants died during yet another high profile attack which is likely to both embarrass the Pakistani military and raise fears over the apparently undimmed strength of Taliban linked groups. The attack on the Minhas airbase at Kamra, 45 miles (72km) from the capital Islamabad, comes amid claims from the US secretary of defence that Pakistan will soon launch a major assault against the Taliban and other militant groups in the country's tribal belt. Those rumours have in turn heightened fears in Pakistan that the Taliban and its allies will mount strikes across the country. It is the third time Minhas, and the nearby Pakistan Aeronautical Complex where fighter jets are assembled, has been attacked in since 2007. Militants have mounted ambitious assaults on major military facilities across the country in recent years, including a sixteen-hour attack on a naval base in Karachi in last year which killed at least ten military personnel. In the latest challenge to Pakistan's military Islamist militants armed with rocket propelled grenades were able to sustain a gun battle against the Minhas base for several hours after the attack began at around 2am, forcing the army to call in extra support from commandos with police armoured personnel carriers seen streaming towards the base. The attackers, some of whom were dressed in military uniforms, managed to climb over a nine foot wall covered in barbed wire. A gun battle broke out after the militants attempted to approach hangers containing aircraft, an air force spokesman said. The commander of the base, Muhammad Azam, was reported to be in a stable condition after being shot in the shoulder. Soldiers searching the base later found at least two remote controlled bombs. "We are checking every inch of the complex to make sure there are no other miscreants," said spokesman Tariq Mahmood. President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the terrorist attack and expressed the government's resolve not to be deterred by such acts. Zardari said the government was determined to eliminate terrorism. Earlier this week Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said Pakistan would soon launch a major operation against militants in Waziristan, a semi-autonomous area near the Afghan border that is a hotbed of militancy. Pakistan has long resisted US pressure to attempt to clear the area, particularly North Waziristan, which is home to the Haqqani Network, a Taliban allied group known for its headline grabbing attacks in Kabul. Panetta suggested that the Pakistani Taliban would be the most likely targets of any Pakistani operation.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Banks including Barclays, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland reported to have received subpoenas from two US attorney generals investigating the alleged rigging of Libor Fresh speculation that banks could face action from the US authorities for manipulating Libor is swirling after reports that several banks are being required to co-operate with the New York regulators. Banks including Barclays - already slapped with a record breaking £290m fine for attempting to manipulate the key interest rates - as well as HSBC and bailed out Royal Bank of Scotland were reported to have received subpoenas from New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman and Connecticut attorney general George Jepsen, who are jointly investigating the alleged rigging of Libor. JPMorgan Chase, UBS, Deutsche and Citigroup are also said to have received requests for co-operation. All the banks have already admitted they are co-operating with authorities in the US and other parts of the world in the investigation, which has been going on for over a year. The fine on Barclays covered two offences - traders manipulating the rates to help each other and rivals; and during the 2008 banking crisis submitting rates that were lower than they should have been to avoid any impression that the bank was in difficulty. Bob Diamond, the Barclays chief executive, quit in the wake of the Libor fine as did Jerry del Missier, his close colleague who instructed the bank's Libor submitters to cut their rates during the 2008 banking crisis after misunderstanding a conversation with Diamond. The bank is still seeking Diamond's successor but last week named Sir David Walker as chairman from 1 November when Marcus Agius will step down. RBS chief executive Stephen Hester warned last month that the bank would also likely face fines. The UK has embarked on a review of Libor, which is set when banks submit their estimate of the price they would need to pay to borrow from other banks over periods ranging from overnight to 12 months, in a range of currencies. Martin Wheatley, the senior Financial Services Authority figure conducting the review, will report back next month on how the interest rate used to price financial products around the world can be reformed.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Insurgents armed with grenades and assault rifles infiltrated Minhas complex at Kamra before dawn and launched assault Militants have attacked an air force base in north-west Pakistan filled with F-16 jets and other aircraft, sparking a heavy battle with security forces that left parts of the complex in flames, officials said. Television reports said two soldiers and six of the attackers were killed in the fighting at the Minhas base in Kamra, 50 miles north-west of Islamabad. The assailants threw grenades and fired assault rifles. It was not immediately clear if the attack was beaten back but a Reuters reporter who reached Kamra in the morning did not hear any gunfire. An air force statement said commandos exchanged gunfire with "terrorists" for hours. Hafeez Aulakh, a police officer standing outside the base, told the Associated Press by phone that insurgents infiltrated the Kamra base under the cover of darkness and began battling security forces at around 2am. The fighting was still going on three hours later, he said. Special forces soldiers who joined the group trying to retake the base found the body of a suicide bomber inside, said the Pakistani air force, adding that the bomber was strapped with explosives. The air force said the battle's intensity had fallen from its height. There were no immediate reports of casualties. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion will likely fall on the Pakistani Taliban whom the government is trying to rout from hideouts mostly along the border with Afghanistan. The insurgency against the government has killed tens of thousands of people, though direct raids on military bases have been uncommon. Half a dozen Taliban militants attacked a major naval base in the southern port city of Karachi in May 2011, killing at least 10 people and destroying two US-supplied surveillance aircraft. It took Pakistani commandos 18 hours to retake Naval Station Mehran and two of the attackers managed to escape. There was speculation they had inside information or assistance. There have been at least three attacks in the vicinity of the Kamra air force base in recent years but all of them were outside the installation.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ahead of announcement on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Ecuador's foreign minister reveals letter he says was delivered by British official in Quito The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday. The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that last night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law". The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault. At a press conference yesterday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country. The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy." It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations." Last night, appeals were tweeted for Assange supporters to occupy the embassy to prevent British police from arresting Assange, and while there was a police presence outside the embassy, Scotland Yard insisted that officers were simply there to "police the embassy like any other embassy". Patiño said he was "deeply shocked" by the diplomatic letter. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The government of Ecuador is considering a request for asylum and has carried out diplomatic talks with the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden. However, today we received from the United Kingdom a written threat that they could attack our embassy in London if Ecuador does not give up Julian Assange. "Ecuador, as a state that respects rights and justice and is a democratic and peaceful nation state, rejects in the strongest possible terms the explicit threat of the British official communication. "This is unbecoming of a democratic, civilised and law-abiding state. If this conduct persists, Ecuador will take appropriate responses in accordance with international law. "If the measures announced in the British official communication materialise they will be interpreted by Ecuador as a hostile and intolerable act and also as an attack on our sovereignty, which would require us to respond with greater diplomatic force. "Such actions would be a blatant disregard of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and of the rules of international law of the past four centuries. "It would be a dangerous precedent because it would open the door to the violation of embassies as a declared sovereign space." Under international law, diplomatic posts are considered the territory of the foreign nation. The Foreign Office was quick to downplay the drama. A spokesman said Britain had merely sought to "clarify its position", according to international law. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadoreans' attention to relevant provisions of our law – for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK," a spokesman said. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Ecuador revealed that it would announce its decision regarding Assange's asylum request today at 1pm. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have consistently made our position clear in our discussions with the government of Ecuador. The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences and we remain determined to fulfil this obligation. "We have an obligation to extradite Mr Assange and it is only right that we give Ecuador the full picture. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadorians' attention to relevant provisions of our law, whether, for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Correa has said Assange could face the death penalty in the US, and for that reason he considers the asylum request a question of political persecution. Analysts in Ecuador expressed doubts that Britain would raid the embassy. Professor Julio Echeverria of Quito's Flasco University said Britain "has a long-established tradition in Europe of respecting diplomatic missions", which under international law are considered sovereign territory. A former Ecuadorean ambassador to London, Mauricio Gandara, told the Associated Press: "I refuse to believe in this threat because if asylum is granted the British government will not grant safe passage and Mr Assange could be in the embassy for a long time." Assange denies the allegations against him, but fears he will be sent to the United States if he goes to Sweden. An offer to the Swedish authorities by Ecuador for investigators to interview Assange inside the London embassy was rejected. A former computer hacker, Assange enraged Washington in 2010 when WikiLeaks published secret US diplomatic cables, has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy since 19 June. If Ecuador does give Assange asylum, it is difficult to see how the WikiLeaks boss could physically leave the closely watched embassy and head to an airport without being arrested by British police.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ahead of decision on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Quito accuses Britain of threat to trample international law The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday. The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that on Wednesday night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law". The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault. At a press conference on Wednesday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country. The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy." It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations." On Wednesday night appeals were tweeted for Assange supporters to occupy the embassy to prevent British police from arresting him, and while there was a police presence outside the embassy, Scotland Yard insisted that officers were simply there to "police the embassy like any other embassy". Patiño said he was "deeply shocked" by the diplomatic letter. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The government of Ecuador is considering a request for asylum and has carried out diplomatic talks with the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden. However, today we received from the United Kingdom a written threat that they could attack our embassy in London if Ecuador does not give up Julian Assange. "Ecuador, as a state that respects rights and justice and is a democratic and peaceful nation state, rejects in the strongest possible terms the explicit threat of the British official communication. "This is unbecoming of a democratic, civilised and law-abiding state. If this conduct persists, Ecuador will take appropriate responses in accordance with international law. "If the measures announced in the British official communication materialise they will be interpreted by Ecuador as a hostile and intolerable act and also as an attack on our sovereignty, which would require us to respond with greater diplomatic force. "Such actions would be a blatant disregard of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and of the rules of international law of the past four centuries. "It would be a dangerous precedent because it would open the door to the violation of embassies as a declared sovereign space." Under international law, diplomatic posts are considered the territory of the foreign nation. The Foreign Office was quick to downplay the drama. A spokesman said Britain had merely sought to "clarify its position", according to international law. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadoreans' attention to relevant provisions of our law – for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK," a spokesman said. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Ecuador revealed that it would announce its decision regarding Assange's asylum request on Thursday at 1pm. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have consistently made our position clear in our discussions with the government of Ecuador. The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences and we remain determined to fulfil this obligation. "We have an obligation to extradite Mr Assange and it is only right that we give Ecuador the full picture. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadorians' attention to relevant provisions of our law, whether, for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Correa has said Assange could face the death penalty in the US, and for that reason he considers the asylum request a question of political persecution. Analysts in Ecuador expressed doubts that Britain would raid the embassy. Professor Julio Echeverria of Quito's Flasco University said Britain "has a long-established tradition in Europe of respecting diplomatic missions", which under international law are considered sovereign territory. A former Ecuadorean ambassador to London, Mauricio Gandara, told the Associated Press: "I refuse to believe in this threat because if asylum is granted the British government will not grant safe passage and Mr Assange could be in the embassy for a long time." Assange denies the allegations against him, but fears he will be sent to the United States if he goes to Sweden. An offer to the Swedish authorities by Ecuador for investigators to interview Assange inside the London embassy was rejected. A former computer hacker, Assange enraged Washington in 2010 when WikiLeaks published secret US diplomatic cables, has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy since 19 June. If Ecuador does give Assange asylum, it is difficult to see how the WikiLeaks boss could physically leave the closely watched embassy and head to an airport without being arrested by British police.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ricardo Patino says the UK has threatened to enter its embassy in London and arrest the WikiLeaks founder Britain has told the Ecuadorean authorities it believes officials can enter its embassy in London and arrest Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, according to Ecuador's minister for foreign affairs, Ricardo Patino. The development came two months after Assange walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual assault. At a news conference on Wednesday, Patino said Ecuador would announce its decision regarding Assange's asylum request at 7am (noon GMT) on Thursday. Patino also released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the Embassy." The letter added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna Convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations." An Ecuadorean government spokesman said: "We are deeply shocked by the British government's threats against the sovereignty of the Ecuadorean embassy and their suggestion that they may forcibly enter the embassy. "This a clear breach of international law and the protocols set out in the Vienna Convention. "Throughout out the last 56 days Mr Julian Assange has been in the Embassy, the Ecuadorean government has acted honourably in all our attempts to seek a resolution to the situation. "This stands in stark contrast to the escalation of the British government today with their threats to break down the door of the Ecuadorean embassy. "Instead of threatening violence against the Ecuadorean embassy, the British government should use its energy to find a peaceful resolution to this situation which we are aiming to achieve." A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have consistently made our position clear in our discussions with the government of Ecuador. "The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences and we remain determined to fulfil this obligation. "We have an obligation to extradite Mr Assange and it is only right that we give Ecuador the full picture. "Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadoreans' attention to relevant provisions of our law, whether, for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK. "We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution." Assange denies the allegations against him, but fears he will be sent to the United States if he goes to Sweden. An offer to the Swedish authorities by Ecuador for investigators to interview Assange inside the London embassy was rejected.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reports suggest man was angered by conservative group's support of Chick-Fil-A and other anti-gay policies A gunman who shot a security guard in the arm the offices of a conservative lobby group in Washington DC on Wednesday was carrying "additional rounds of ammunition", according to police. Officers said the man was carrying a handgun and extra rounds of ammunition when he tried to enter the Family Research Council, NBC news reported. He was detained by guards and district police. The suspect, identified by NBC sources are 28-year-old Floyd Corkins from Herdon, Virginia, walked into the building's lobby at around 10.45am. He fired at the guard after being challenged, hitting him in the arm. Police said the injured guard was among a group of people who managed to subdue the suspect following the attack. "The security guard here is a hero, as far as I'm concerned," said DC police chief Cathy Lanier said. "He did his job. The person never made it past the front." Lanier said the guard had confronted the gunman in the lobby of the building, asking him where he was going before being shot. She said the guard and others tackled the man to the ground and held him until police arrived.
Fox News reported that the suspect had "made statements regarding [the FRC's] policies, and then opened fire with a gun". Some reports suggested the man was carrying Chick-Fil-A bags – the FRC's president Tony Perkins attracted some criticism last month after emailing members suggesting they should support Chick-fil-A's stance on gay rights. "The police are investigating this incident," Perkins said in a statement on Wednesday. "Our first concern is with our colleague who was shot today. Our concern is for him and his family." More than 20 different LGBT organisations from across the US put out a statement condemning the shooting. "We were saddened to hear news of the shooting this morning at the offices of the Family Research Council. Our hearts go out to the shooting victim, his family and his co-workers," it said. "The motivation and circumstances behind today's tragedy are still unknown, but regardless of what emerges as the reason for this shooting, we utterly reject and condemn such violence. We wish for a swift and complete recovery for the victim of this terrible incident."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | X-51A Waverider failure is the latest setback for hypersonic flight, which the Pentagon is helping develop for military An unmanned experimental aircraft failed during an attempt to fly at six times the speed of sound in the latest setback for hypersonic flight. The X-51A Waverider was designed to reach Mach 6, or 3,600mph, after being dropped by a B-52 bomber off the southern California coast on Tuesday. Engineers hoped it would sustain its top speed for five minutes, twice as long as an X-51A has gone before. But the air force said Wednesday that a faulty control fin prevented it from starting its exotic scramjet engine and it was lost. "It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the scramjet engine," Charlie Brink of the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, said in a statement. The Waverider successfully detached from the B-52 and fired the rocket booster as planned. Then its scramjet engine was supposed to take over as it attempted to climb to Mach 6. But that never happened. Fifteen seconds after separating from the rocket booster, the Waverider lost control, preventing a test of the scramjet engine. "All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives," Brink said. The Pentagon has been testing hypersonic technologies in hopes of delivering strikes around the globe within minutes. It was the latest failure for the Waverider programme. A test flight last year ended prematurely with an X-15A trying to restart its engine until it plunged into the Pacific Ocean. During the first flight of an X-51A in 2010, it reached near five times the speed of sound for three minutes. There's only one X-51A vehicle left. The air force has not decided whether it will fly.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Slapping a fine over Iran sanctions breaches not enough, says Carl Levin, as bank's share price rises on FTSE 100 A leading US senator has asked other regulators to find the "backbone" to take action against Standard Chartered following the London-based bank's $340m (£220m) settlement in New York over sanctions breaches with Iran. Carl Levin said on Wednesday that the steps taken by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) that forced Standard Chartered to agree to the civil penalty showed that it was not necessary to go through years of negotiation. "The agency also showed that holding a bank accountable for past misconduct doesn't need to take years of negotiation over the size of the penalty; it simply requires a regulator with backbone to act," said Levin, who last month accused HSBC of a "pervasively polluted" culture in laundering money for drug cartels and terrorists in a gruelling public hearing. Standard Chartered's share price rose on the FTSE 100 on Wednesday even as the bank attempted to broker a settlement with other regulators. It could face further fines from the US justice department and the US treasury, which are both investigating sanctions breaches that allegedly took place between 2001 and 2007. Settlements could come as soon as next week. Annemarie McAvoy, a former federal prosecutor who is now a professor at Fordham Law School in New York, said the pressure was on after the DFS moved alone to level charges. "Given that New York extracted $340m, the other regulators will undoubtedly have to come up with similar resolutions," she said. Even though the bank's shares rose 4% to £14.26, chief executive Peter Sands remains under pressure, as they have slumped from £16 since the DFS made the damning charges last Monday. He is believed to have resumed the family holiday he broke off to tackle the DFS claims. Benjamin Lawsky, head of the DFS, claimed that Standard Chartered schemed to hide 60,000 transactions, valued at about $250bn, that breached sanctions with Iran. Sands admitted to only 300 breaches, with a value of about $14m. Anthony Sabino, a law professor at St John's University in New York, said Standard Chartered was "far from out of the woods", but he expected federal investigations to continue in a more low-key manner. "Without a doubt the justice department and treasury will want to deal with this quickly. But I suspect they will want it done in a quieter manner," he said. He said Lawsky had acted "like the Lone Ranger". Analysts at UBS predicted the shares would rise: "The aggregate of this fine, plus any additional recompense to other regulators, could total less than 1% of Standard Chartered's equity and the DFS fine represents around 6% of our current earnings forecast for Standard Chartered, suggesting the company will be able to absorb this cost and still deliver a 10th successive year of record profits."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | UN report says Syria government forces and Shabiha fighters have carried out war crimes and violated human rights The UN has issued a damning 102-page report saying that Syrian government forces and Shabiha fighters have carried out numerous war crimes in the country including murder and torture. They are also blamed for the notorious massacre of 100 civilians, almost half of them children, near the town of Houla in May. The UN's independent international commission of inquiry said the violations were the result of "state policy". It said President Bashar al-Assad's "security forces and government" at the highest levels were involved in "gross violation of international human rights". The violations included "unlawful killing, indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations and acts of sexual violence," it said. The report also painted a bleak picture of events on the ground in Syria, noting the situation inside the country had "deteriorated significantly" since February. The commission, led by investigator Paulo Pinheiro, also said Syria's rebels were guilty of violations including murder, torture and extrajudicial killings. But it said abuses by anti-government groups were not "of the same gravity, frequency and scale" as those committed by Syrian regime forces and allied Shabiha soldiers. The UN's findings were published on another day of carnage inside Syria. Opposition activists said at least 30 people were killed on Wednesday after a Syrian jet bombed a hospital in the northern city of Azaz. Scores were wounded, a doctor speaking at the scene said. Rebels captured Azaz, close to a strategic Turkish border crossing, last month after a fierce battle. In the capital Damascus, three people were reportedly wounded in a bomb blast at a military site, near to a hotel where UN observers were staying. The Free Syrian Army said it had carried out the explosion. It said it had targeted a meeting of Syria's military security command – seemingly an attempted repeat of an attack last month which killed four of Assad's advisers. The UN's report covers the period February-July of this year. It is based on nearly 700 interviews with witnesses and survivors, as well as photos, satellite imagery and forensic and medical reports. The UN complained that its attempts to establish the truth about the conflict had been "significantly hampered" by what it called a lack of access to the country. After reviewing all the evidence, UN commissioners came to the same conclusion with regard to the Houla massacre as most independent observers: that regime forces and Shabiha fighters had carried it out. The government in Damascus had insisted that armed "terrorists" were responsible. It refused to allow the UN to investigate "despite specific requests", the report said. According to the UN, the government's version of events was implausible. It said government forces were in control of a key checkpoint just outside the village of Taldou on the day of the massacre, 25 May. Forty-seven witnesses confirmed that Shabiha fighters entered the village before slaughtering its inhabitants, the UN said, adding: "The commission concluded that the elements of the war crime of murder had been met." It went on: "The killing of multiple civilians, including women and children, was deliberate and connected to the ongoing armed conflict. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the perpetrators of the crime, at both the Abdulrazzak and Al-Sayed family locations, were [Syrian] government forces and Shabiha members." The report added that the Syrian regime was guilty of unlawful killing. Typically, it said, the army would blockade an anti-government area and shell it. It would then launch an assault by ground forces, including special forces and Shabiha. "Snipers were used extensively," the report said. After securing the area, government troops would carry out house to house searches – often "executing" wounded or captured rebels, and "in some cases" killing their relatives as well. This pattern was repeated in numerous towns and cities across Syria, the UN said, including Homs, the cradle of Syria's insurrection. The regime also used "excessive force" against peaceful demonstrators in Damascus, the northern city of Aleppo – the scene of recent fighting between the government and Free Syrian Army (FSA) – and elsewhere. The government's ostensible target was "terrorists". In reality, the UN said, the attacks were frequently directed at civilian areas. The UN also noted the regime's use of torture. Detainees were beaten on the soles of their feet, hung from walls, forcibly shaved, and even made to imitate dogs and to declare "there is no god but Bashar". Others, both men and women, were subjected to sexual violence.. This took place both in detention and during house-to-house searches by Shabiha forces, it said. Members of the security forces "in particular military and air force intelligence," were "primarily responsible". The report is unambiguous that opposition fighters have also committed human rights abuses: executing captured government soldiers, sometimes after a quick "quasi-judicial process". The commission states that "several radical Islamic armed groups" have emerged in Syria. It says that the most important –the Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant – allegedly has links to al-Qaida, and has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks against regime targets. The Free Syrian Army appears sensitive to accusations of abuses, and last week published a code of conduct. The code came just over a week after guerillas from its al-Tawhid group were filmed executing 14 members of the Berri family, an Aleppo pro-regime clan. The code includes pledges to respect human rights and to treat prisoners humanely, but it is unclear how many of the disparate city-based units fighting under the FSA banner have signed up to it, or are even aware of it.In a meeting last week in Istanbul with a political representative of Aleppo-based FSA units, Britain's special envoy to the Syrian opposition, Jon Wilks, underlined the need for the rebels to adhere to human rights principles in order to win recognition from the west, and he is believed to have warned the FSA representative that individual commanders could face war crimes prosecutions after the conflict. Western capitals and the Arab League are also putting pressure on opposition groups to coalesce around a transition plan for a post-Assad Syria. After an informal meeting of opposition figures, western and Arab diplomats in Cairo at the beginning of the month, hosted by the Washington-based Brookings Institution, the rebels were asked to nominate delegates to a "follow-up committee" to debate the plan. Diplomatic sources said that by Wednesday most of the nominations had been received by the Arab League. The committee will consist of 21 delegates split roughly equally between exile and Syria-based groups, including the Syrian National Council, Syrian Kurds, the FSA, and the network of local coordinating committees. It will work on drafting a final version of the plan in Cairo offices provided by the Arab League. They are expected to agree a compromise draft in the next two weeks to pave the way for what the Arab League hopes will be an all-inclusive opposition conference on transition in mid-September in the Egyptian capital.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Prince Philip admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital "as a precautionary measure". Prince Philip, 91, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral with the Queen, a spokeswoman said. No details were given about the reason for his hospitalisation. Philip had been attending Cowes Week in the Isle of Wight before flying by helicopter to join the Queen for the traditional summer break at Balmoral. He was later taken to hospital by road and is being medically assessed. It comes two months after he spent five nights in hospital with a bladder infection following the diamond jubilee pageant on the River Thames and missed being at the of the Queen during some of the celebrations. He was discharged in time to celebrate his 91st birthday. The duke, one of the most energetic members of the royal, has generally enjoyed good health. At Christmas, he was admitted to Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire after experiencing chest pains while at the Queen's Norfolk estate in Sandringham. He was discharged four days after undergoing an emergency operation to treat a blocked coronary artery on Christmas Eve. While officially described as a "minimally invasive procedure" to insert a metal stent into his artery to improve the flow of blood, it was by far the most serious sign of ill-health in the Queen's consort. A few days later, he made an appearance at a church service on New Year's Day and was applauded by the crowds who had gathered.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Controversial ads have fuelled vicious back-and-forths as Romney accuses Obama of 'doing anything' to stay in power The US election campaign has descended into a particularly bitter phase, with Mitt Romney accusing Barack Obama of a willingness to "do anything" to stay in power and renewed controversy over a series of negative campaign ads from the president's camp. In an interview on CBS This Morning, Romney said the attack ads being run by the Obama team, and allied Obama-supporting Super Pac groups, had sought to divide the country. "If you look at the ads that have been described and the divisiveness based upon income, age, ethnicity and so forth, it's designed to bring a sense of enmity and jealously and anger … the president seems to be running just to hang on to power. I think he'll do anything in his power to try and get re-elected," Romney said in the first solo interview since announcing Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. One particularly controversial ad, produced by the Obama-supporting Super Pac Priorities USA Action, features a man claiming his wife died of cancer after losing her health insurance when his factory was closed by Romney's former firm Bain Capital. Despite a storm of criticism over the accuracy of its claims, the ad has now aired on a TV station in the key swing state of Ohio. However, a spokesman for the Super Pac has said the ad was aired via a "station error". That has cut little ice with the Romney camp. Matt Rhoades, Romney's campaign manager, said: "They claim the station aired it by mistake. But if they didn't intend to air it, why would they ship the false ad to TV stations in the first place? President Obama once set the highest expectations and is now engaged in the lowest form of campaigning." The argument is the latest spat to roil a campaign been marred by fierce disputes over political attack ads and comments by vice-president Joe Biden. Speaking at a rally in Virginia, he told a mixed-race crowd that the Republicans were "… going to put y'all back in chains". That last comment led to Republican accusations that Biden had been race-baiting: something the Democrats denied by pointing out he had been talking about Wall Street and how Romney wanted to "unchain" the banking industry from regulations. But in the television interview Romney did not let the issue die down. "These personal attacks, I think, are demeaning to the office of the White House and the comments yesterday by the vice-president, I think, just diminish the White House that much more," he said. Experts say that the 2012 campaign so far has been the most negative in recent memory in the US, spurred largely by the huge amounts of unrestrained cash flowing into the coffers of outside groups like Super Pacs. "There is so much money and therefore the quantity of negative ads is so much more than we have ever seen. They know it is far more effective to tear someone down than build somebody up," said professor David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron in Ohio. At the moment the negative campaigning seems to be working for Obama and his supporters. Most recent polls show Obama ahead of Romney in national polls with a narrow but firm lead. The situation in the key battleground states – where the election will be decided and where most negative ads have been running – often shows a stronger lead for Obama. Many experts believe that Romney's weekend pick of the firebrand Ryan as his vice-presidential candidate was a sign that the Republican believes he needed to shake up his campaign in order to stand a chance at the ballot box in November. But the Romney team's attempt to paint Obama as a negative campaigner may lead to allegations of hypocrisy. Romney's campaign, and the Super Pacs who back it, have not been shy of airing negative attack ads themselves. Romney also revealed a ruthless side during the Republican nomination race where he and his supporters unleashed a barrage of negative ads that helped beat off the challenges of former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. "Negative campaigning is very much coming from both sides," said Cohen. There are also other shadowy organisations beginning to get involved. On Wednesday a group called Special Operations Opsec Education Fund launched a 22-minute long video called Dishonorable Disclosures, aimed at attacking Obama for taking credit for the death of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and for security leaks from his administration. Though Opsec says it is an independent, non-partisan group made up of former special forces soldiers, the group's video explicitly goes after Obama. Its leader, former navy seal Scott Taylor, is also a former Republican congressional candidate. The group's formation has prompted comparisons to the Swift Boat campaign of 2004 which helped derail senator John Kerry's bid for the White House by questioning his service record in the Vietnam war.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Media group to review compliance with bribery laws in several of its publishing arms, including News International in London Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has launched a review of anti-corruption controls in several of its publishing arms, including News International in London. Murdoch told News Corp staff in a memo on Wednesday that the company recently launched the probe as a "forward-looking review" to improve compliance with bribery laws. The media tycoon told staff that the anti-corruption review was "not based on any suspicion of wrongdoing by any particular business unit or its personnel". The memo described the review as focused on selected locations around the globe. One of these locations is London, where News International publishes the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times. It also published the now-closed News of the World. It is understood that News International's broad internal anti-corruption review began officially in July last year, when Tom Mockridge replaced Rebekah Brooks as chief executive. The probe accelerated when Imogen Haddon took over as chief compliance officer at News International in March. News Corp also appointed two New York-based compliance officers to oversee company-wide procedures. Gerson Zweifach, ex-senior executive vice-president and general counsel, is News Corp chief compliance officer and Lisa Fleischman, former associate general counsel, is deputy compliance officer. The Metropolitan police has arrested 14 current or former Sun journalists as part of its ongoing investigation into inappropriate payments to police and public officials. Murdoch said in his memo to staff: "As you are all aware, our company has been under intense scrutiny in the United Kingdom. I assured parliament and the Leveson inquiry that we would move quickly and aggressively to redress wrongdoing, co-operate with law enforcement officials and strengthen our compliance and ethics programme company-wide. With the support of our board of directors, I am pleased to tell you that we have made progress on each of these important steps." He added: "We have already strengthened and expanded our anti-bribery training programmes. To ensure the effectiveness of our entire compliance and ethics programme, we have recently initiated a review of anti-corruption controls in selected locations around the globe. The purpose of this review is to test our current internal controls and identify ways in which we can enhance them. "Let me emphasise that the review is not based on any suspicion of wrongdoing by any particular business unit or its personnel. Rather, it is a forward-looking review based on our commitment to improve anti-corruption controls throughout the company." Murdoch said the strengthening of News Corp's compliance procedures will take time and resources, but added that the cost of non-compliance are far more serious. • 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
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three activists protesting in support of jailed feminist punk band Pussy Riot detained ahead of trial verdict Three activists protesting in support of jailed feminist punk band Pussy Riot were detained on Wednesday as tensions in the Russian capital heat up ahead of a verdict in a trial that is being seen as a key test of Vladimir Putin's crackdown on dissent. Wearing the bright balaclavas made famous by Pussy Riot, 18 men and women gathered on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour carrying a sign with the biblical quote "blessed are the merciful". Guards at the cathedral broke up the peaceful protest, ripping off activists' masks, twisting their arms behind their backs and kicking at least one photographer in the face as he tried to take a picture. Three members of Pussy Riot, jailed since March after performing an anti-Putin "punk prayer" inside the cathedral, are due to hear a verdict in their case on Friday. They have been charged with hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. Prosecutors have called for a three-year sentence. The trial against the women – Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30 – has become the first step in Putin's crackdown on dissent following unprecedented protests against him that began in December, the women's supporters say. Prosecutors have also brought charges against opposition leader Alexey Navalny and more than a dozen people who took part in a 6 May protest that turned violent. Police have shut down businesses belonging to Gennady Gudkov, a leading opposition deputy, amid rumours he may lose his parliamentary mandate. "The repressions will only strengthen with time and this will lead us to where Egypt, Libya and now Syria are," said Nikolai Polozov, a lawyer for the three women. During a nine-day trial marked by procedural violations and absurd lines of questioning, the prosecution argued that the women's performance inside the cathedral was not political, but an attempt to offend all of Russian Orthodoxy. The women, in powerful closing statements delivered last week, argued that they sought to highlight the destructively close ties between church and state as part of the greater anti-Putin message that drives all their performances. The trial has revived passions inside Russia against Putin's return to the presidency, with critics comparing the campaign against Pussy Riot to a Stalinist witch hunt. The Russian opposition has called on supporters to gather in front of the courthouse in balaclavas on Friday at 2pm (11am GMT), one hour before the verdict is due to be delivered. "No matter what we hope for, we are looking at this situation realistically. Considering how trials happen in Russia, we think it will probably be a guilty verdict with a serious sentence in a penal colony," Polozov said. Artists around the world have seized upon the case. Actors at the Royal Court in London will stage readings of the women's closing statements on Friday, and in New York actors, including Chloe Sevigny, will conduct a reading on Thursday. Madonna, Bjork, Franz Ferdinand the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among those who have performed in support of the group. Dozens of cities have joined the call of Pussy Riot's supporters to conduct a Global Pussy Riot Day on Friday, with protests planned from Barcelona to Vienna. Not all protest attempts have been successful. Amnesty International said the Russian embassy in Washington, DC thwarted its attempt on Tuesday to deliver a petition with 70,000 signatures calling for the women's release. An embassy employee "not only rejected Amnesty International's pleas to take our concerns to Moscow, he unceremoniously dumped the petitions on the pavement," the group said in a statement. "If this and other actions taken by Russian authorities are any indication, Putin's vision for the country is a complete breakdown of a free and just society." Amnesty International has declared the three women prisoners of conscience. The Russian opposition has called for a day-long protest on Sunday to commemorate those who lost their lives defending the Russian White House during a 1991 coup attempt. The event will seek to capitalise on the growing anger against the Putin government's handling of Pussy Riot.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Duke of Edinburgh admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital "as a precautionary measure". Prince Philip, 91, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral with the Queen, a spokeswoman said. No details were given about the reason for his hospitalisation. Philip had been attending Cowes Week in the Isle of Wight before flying by helicopter to join the Queen for the traditional summer break at Balmoral. He was later taken to hospital by road and is being medically assessed. It comes two months after he spent five nights in hospital with a bladder infection following the diamond jubilee pageant on the River Thames and missed being at the of the Queen during some of the celebrations. He was discharged in time to celebrate his 91st birthday. The duke, one of the most energetic members of the royal, has generally enjoyed good health. At Christmas, he was admitted to Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire after experiencing chest pains while at the Queen's Norfolk estate in Sandringham. He was discharged four days after undergoing an emergency operation to treat a blocked coronary artery on Christmas Eve. While officially described as a "minimally invasive procedure" to insert a metal stent into his artery to improve the flow of blood, it was by far the most serious sign of ill-health in the Queen's consort. A few days later, he made an appearance at a church service on New Year's Day and was applauded by the crowds who had gathered.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Obama supporters say law unfairly targets people more likely to vote for Democrats and vow to appeal to state's top court A tough new voter identification law championed by Republicans can take effect in Pennsylvania for November's presidential election, a judge ruled Wednesday, despite a torrent of criticism that it will suppress votes among President Barack Obama's supporters and make it harder for the elderly, disabled, poor and young adults to vote. Commonwealth court judge Robert Simpson said he would not grant an injunction that would have halted the law, which requires each voter to show a valid photo ID. Opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state supreme court as the 6 November election looms. "We're not done, it's not over," said Witold J Walczak, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who helped argue the case for the plaintiffs. "It's why they make appeals courts." The Republican-penned law – which passed over the objections of Democrats – has ignited a furious debate over voting rights as Pennsylvania is poised to play a key role in deciding the presidential contest. Plaintiffs, including a 93-year-old woman who recalled marching with Martin Luther King Jr in 1960, had asked Simpson to block the law from taking effect in this year's election as part of a wider challenge to its constitutionality. Republicans defend the law as necessary to protect the integrity of the election. But Democrats say the law will make it harder for people who lack ID for valid reasons to vote. Opponents portray the law as a partisan scheme to help the Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, beat Obama. Their passionate objections were inflamed in June when the state's Republican house leader boasted to a Republican gathering that the new photo ID requirement "is going to allow governor Romney to win the state" in November. Simpson, a Republican, did not rule on the full merits of the case, only whether to grant a preliminary injunction stopping it from taking effect. In his 70-page opinion, Simpson said the plaintiffs "did an excellent job of 'putting a face' to those burdened by the voter ID requirement", but he said he didn't have the luxury of deciding the case based on sympathy. Rather, he said he believed that state officials and agencies were actively resolving problems with the law and that they would carry it out in a "nonpartisan, even-handed manner". The law, he said, is neutral, nondiscriminatory and applies uniformly to all voters. Speculation about the potential problems in issuing valid photo IDs or confusion on Election Day did not warrant "invalidation of all lawful applications" of it, he wrote. Plus, more harm would result from halting the law, he said. "This is because the process of implementation in general, and of public outreach and education in particular, is much harder to start, or restart, than it is to stop," Simpson wrote. At the state supreme court, votes by four justices would be needed to overturn Simpson's ruling. The high court is currently split between three Republicans and three Democrats following the recent suspension of justice Joan Orie Melvin, a Republican who is fighting criminal corruption charges. The original Republican rationale for the law – to prevent election fraud – played little role in the court case. Government lawyers acknowledged that they are "not aware of any incidents of in person voter fraud." Instead, they insisted that lawmakers properly exercised their latitude to make election-related laws. Republican governor Tom Corbett signed the law in March after every Democratic lawmaker voted against it. At issue is the requirement that all Pennsylvania voters produce a valid photo ID before their ballot can be counted, a substantial change from the law it was designed to replace. That law required identification only for people voting in a polling place for the first time, and it allowed nonphoto documents such as a utility bill or bank statement. Some of the people who sued say they will be unable to vote because they lack the necessary documents, including a birth certificate, to get a state photo ID, the most widely available of the IDs that are valid under the new law. The lawyers who provided free legal representation to the plaintiffs also warned that it will be difficult for many others to get a valid ID, and they presented testimony about workers at Department of Transportation license centers who appeared uninformed about the requirement to issue free nondriver photo IDs. In addition, some voters won't know about the law until they get to the polls, and long waits will result while untrained election workers struggle to carry out a complicated and unnecessary law amid the traditionally larger turnout in presidential elections, they argued. Lawyers from the attorney general's office, which defended the law, pointed out that the state is planning to begin issuing a special photo ID card for registered voters who are unable to get a PennDot-issued ID and lack other acceptable photo IDs, such as passports or active-duty military IDs. In addition, they say the state is rolling out a public relations campaign to make people aware of the law. Authorities in Pennsylvania have not produced any kind of study or survey that estimates the number of people without a valid photo ID that is required by the law. Meanwhile, the department of justice is looking at whether the new law complies with federal laws and has asked the state's top election official and a chief supporter of the law for a long list of information about it.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Duke of Edinburgh admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral The Duke of Edinburgh has been taken to hospital "as a precautionary measure", Buckingham Palace said. Philip was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral with the Queen, a spokeswoman said. Details of the reason for his hospitalisation were not available. It comes two-and-a-half months after he spent five nights in hospital with a bladder infection following the diamond jubilee pageant on the River Thames. More details soon...
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | News agency hacked for the third time in a fortnight, as hoax story falsely claims Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has died The Reuters news agency has fallen victim to computer hackers for the third time in a fortnight, with the latest incident involving an article that falsely claimed Saudi Arabia's foreign minister had died. Reuters said unknown hackers illegally gained access to one of its journalist's blogs on Wednesday. The hackers then published a hoax story claiming the death of Saudi prince Saud al-Faisal. It is the third time that Reuters's publishing systems have been compromised in a fortnight. Hackers first targeted Reuters on 3 August, when they published a false interview with a Syrian rebel leader. Two days later the Reuters Technology Twitter account was hijacked by hackers who began to publish pro-Syrian government messages. Reuters, one of the world's most trusted news agencies, is now facing mounting questions about the security of its publishing platform following the latest incident on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Reuters confirmed the security breach and said the company would release more information when available. Reuters uses the WordPress blogging platform, used by several news organisations and blogs. Mark Jaquith, a member of the WordPress security team, told the Wall Street Journal after the first hack in August that Reuters used an outdated version of the blogging system that had "publicly known security issues". "If organisations ignore those notifications and stay on an outdated version, then they put themselves at risk of these sorts of breaches," Jaquith said. It is possible that hackers managed to obtain the password for the Reuters Twitter account when they gained access to its WordPress system. Reuters briefly took its blogging platform offline following the first incident as it attempted to fix the security flaws. • 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
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Child ingratiated herself into the lives of the average American with her infectious enthusiasm and trademark simplicity It would have been the 100th birthday of Julia Child on Tuesday, an American icon who brought two of the most beloved items in the US, food and television, together. So in recognition of her contributions to American culture, let us celebrate one of the country's most endearing characters. Child's culinary career began after she graduated from the prestigious Cordon Bleu culinary school in France, and made her name authoring the 752-page cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This followed her stint as a spy with top-level security clearances, naturally. She then she ingratiated herself with the everyday American on her show The French Chef, which premiered in 1963 and aired for a decade on National Education Television, the publicly-funded precursor to PBS. On The French Chef, Child didn't use cutesy abbreviations or branding gimmicks, she simply offered straightforward cooking technique with a heavy dose of real world wisdom. The French Chef wasn't the glossy, over-edited cooking production of today, but a fun and lighthearted class in truly excellent cooking. ''We should enjoy food and have fun,'' Child said in 1990. ''It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life.'' After The French Chef, Child's infectious enthusiasm for food, penchant for wine and soaring voice carried a slew of other shows through 2000, when Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home, a show she co-hosted with French chef Jacques Pépin, aired its final episode. She died of kidney failure in 2004, a couple of days before her 92nd birthday, in her home state of California. Cooking a Julia Child meal is a culinary rite of passage in the US and her birthday is being celebrated in some of the pre-eminent restaurants in the US. Google has also honored her with the ever-prestigious day's doodle.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | US defence secretary weighs in as Israel fears prolonged conflict on various fronts as war jitters with Iran continue War with Iran would probably turn into a month-long conflict on various fronts with missile strikes on Israeli cities and some 500 dead, Israel's civil defence minister said in an interview published on Wednesday. "There is no room for hysteria. Israel's home front is prepared as never before," Matan Vilnai, a former general who is about to leave his cabinet post to become ambassador to China, told the Maariv daily. The interview coincided with Israeli media reports over the past week suggesting that Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities before the US presidential election in November. US defence secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that Washington does not believe Israel has made a decision on whether to strike. "I don't want to be dragged into the debate," Vilnai said, when asked if Israel should go to war against Iran. "But the United States is our greatest friend and we will always have to co-ordinate such moves with it." Echoing an assessment already voiced by Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Vilnai was quoted as saying hundreds of missiles could hit Israeli cities daily and kill some 500 people in a war with Iran, which has promised strong retaliation if attacked. "There might be fewer dead, or more, perhaps ... but this is the scenario for which we are preparing, in accordance with the best expert advice," Vilnai said. "The assessments are for a war that will last 30 days on several fronts," he said, alluding to the possibility Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and Palestinian militants in Gaza would also launch rockets at Israel. Israel has built a sophisticated missile shield likely to stop some of the salvoes and regularly holds civil defence drills to prepare for rocket strikes. Vilnai made no mention in the interview of the impact a month of conflict would have on Israel's economy should Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial centre, be hit by long-range missiles. Tel Aviv was not struck by missiles during Israel's three-week war in the Gaza Strip in late 2008 and early 2009 and in a 34-day conflict with Hezbollah in 2006. But it came under Scud rocket fire from Iraq during the 1991 Gulf war. War jitters with Iran, which denies accusations that it is striving to develop nuclear weapons, caused steep declines in Israeli financial markets on Monday although some of those losses were recovered on Tuesday. "Just as the citizens of Japan have to understand they are likely to be hit by an earthquake, Israelis must realise that anyone who lives here has to be prepared for missiles striking the home front," Vilnai said. Vilnai is set to leave office by the end of August. Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he will be replaced by Avraham Dichter, a previous head of the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | All the latest as Democrats pounce on Medicare issue in place of jobs and Pennsylvania refuses blocks a strict voter ID law
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | US defence secretary Leon Panetta says he does not believe Israel has made a decision to attack Iran at this point
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If Julian Assange makes it to Ecuador, he won't be short of travel options. This country packs an astonishing array of landscapes, wildlife and indigenous cultures into an area the size of Britain QuitoSurrounded by Andean peaks, Quito's setting is enough to make anyone forget their troubles. The Unesco-listed historic, colonial Old Town is a maze of churches, plazas and narrow streets, perfect for getting lost in. Anyone with issues with the corporate multinational machine should make a beeline for the presidential palace – Carondelet Palace – which socialist Rafael Correa opened up to the public after becoming president in 2007. Of particular interest are the gifts of indigenous clothing and artwork on display from Correa's pal Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. North of the Old Town is the Palacio Legislativo. When the government is not in session you can take a guided tour (entrance $5) to marvel at the mural depicting the sufferings of indigenous people complete with an evil-looking face wearing a helmet labelled CIA. The fact that the unveiling of the painting in 1988 caused the US ambassador to storm out of the room will be an added attraction for anyone wanting to stick it to The Man. The city tour is completed by visiting the masterwork of the artist Oswaldo Guayasamín (completed following his death in 1999) at La Capilla del Hombre, high above the New Town. The massive dome ceiling is covered in depictions of the indigenous workers who died in the Bolivian mine of Potosí. Other highlights include the gigantic Bull and Condor, symbolising the struggles between Spain and South America, and La Ternura, a tender embrace of a mother and child. The Llanganati MountainsIn 1532, the conquistadors held Inca leader Atahualpa for ransom, only to execute him before the largest portion of the treasure could arrive. This vast amount of gold and silver was spirited away by Inca porters into the rain-drenched mire of the Llanganati Mountains in Ecuador's central highlands. Ever since, adventurers have tried to locate it, often with fatal consequences, leading to the legend that the gold and the region that enclosed it were cursed. If you do go in search of treasure, make sure you take a guide, which can be hired in nearby Baños for $80 per day with Geotours (groups of four minimum, geotoursbanios.com). Alternatively, it's the ideal place to disappear without a trace. Stay with Shuar IndiansDon't mess with the Shuar – traditional greetings among men include "I see you're still alive". This infamously fierce tribe was the bane of Spanish invaders – they apparently poured molten gold down the throat of a unpopular Spanish governor in 1599 in a gruesome version of poetic justice by satisfying his thirst for gold. Descendants of the Jivaro tribe, split across Ecuador and Peru, the Shuar were performers of the headshrinking ritual, where the lips and eyes of an enemy are sewn shut before the head is shrunk and the soul supposedly destroyed. You can learn about Shuar communities by taking a tour from the southern jungle near the town of Macas. Stays can be arranged in town with Insondu Mundo Shuar from $50 per night. Needless to say, don't lose your head and attempt to venture into Shuar territory alone. More information on the tourist board website (in Spanish). Canoa beach townMontañita is Ecuador's version of Goa with stoned rastas and tanned surfers transforming this cramped beach town into a hippy haven. Head further north to Canoa, a smaller, more laidback resort with a long beach for a quieter place to ride the waves, sip cocktails and forget your troubles. While the 1998 El Niño shrank the beach at Montañita, it actually grew in Canoa. Stay at Coco Loco (from $8pppn) or Hotel Bambu (from $12pppn). Ten miles north of Canoa Rio Muchacho is an organic farm producing fruit, vegetables, jams, coffee and chocolate. A one-day tour costs $30pp or stay there for three days ($120pp), ride horses into the forest, catch freshwater shrimp and make your own organic dinner. Andean adventuresTry out zip-lining in Mindo in the cloud forest two hours north-west of Quito with Mindo Canopy Adventure. Thirteen zip-lines cost $10. Other adventure options include tubing – racing down river rapids sitting in an inflatable tube. Alternatively, head five hours south-east of Quito to tackle whitewater rafting in the jungle town of Tena. British-run River People and Quito-based Rios Ecuador are good local operators. The river Misahualli is the most tempestuous (Class IV), and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Floreana, Galápagos IslandsWhile Ecuador beat off half-hearted claims from the US and Britain to claim the Galápagos in 1832, the developed world has still left an indelible mark here. The US navy used Baltra as an air base in the second world war and used the famous Pinnacle Rock for target practice. A lesser known chapter of history is the series of strange disappearances among a small German community on the island of Floreana in the 1930s. A baroness arrived on the island with three lovers and quickly ruffled feathers with her eccentric antics. She and her lover suddenly disappeared one night and both of the chief suspects ended up dead in the next few months. To delve deeper into this cold case, stay at the Pension Wittmer on Floreana, run by the son of an original settler, Margaret Wittmer. The hotel has bungalows overlooking the beach from $30pp. Floreana itself is the oldest inhabited Galápagos island and has a giant tortoise centre in the highlands. Other highlights include flocks of flamingos at Punta Cormorant, snorkelling with sea lions at Champion islet and world's quirkiest postbox at Post Office Bay, originally launched by homesick sailors in 1793. Visit the Galápagos national park at galapagospark.org for further information. DancingTaking a dance class is a great way to meet people. In Quito try Academia Salsa and Merengue in the district of Mariscal (classes from $6pp). Once you've honed your skills, head to discos Seseribo (on Veintimilla y Avenida 12 de Octubre, Edificio El Girón) or Mayo 68 (on Lizardo García 662 y Juan León Mera). In contrast to many other Quito discos, which pump out electronic and international music, these specialise in salsa and merengue. Another great place for a party is the coastal city of Guayaquil where it's as hot and steamy outside as inside the clubs. Tear it up at Cali Salsoteca (on Panamá 418 y Tomás Martínez) or the huge dancefloor of Jardin de la Salsa (on Av de las Américas). If you can't get the hang of salsa's complex rhythm, the new craze in Ecuador is the Caribbean techno-reggae fusion of reggaeton. Bumping and grinding is obligatory and there are countless discos to shake your booty at. Caña Grill in Montañita (on Guido Chiriboga y Costanera a la Playa) is a popular spot or try Bungalow 6 (on cnr Calama & Almagro) in Quito. Yasuni national parkEcuador is one of the world's most biodiverse countries with more species of plants (25,000) than the entire continent of North America and one-sixth of the world's bird species. Much of this is in the jungle, but the country's slice of the Amazon has a troubled history. Yasuni national park in the north-east of the country, bordering Peru, is a biodiversity hotspot that sits on an estimated one billion barrels of oil. The Ecuadorian government is holding off drilling in return for compensation for preserving the rainforest, but for how long, nobody knows. See it while you can on a four-day jungle tour. Highlights include views of the forest canopy on 40-metre-high observation towers, night walks to tarantula holes and flocks of parakeets descending daily from the canopy to drink at the clay licks near Napo Wildlife Centre. Watch out for hawks circling overhead. Stay at La Selva Jungle Lodge (laselvajunglelodge.com, four days from $699pp) or Napo Wildlife Centre (napowildlifecenter.com, four days $760pp). FiestasNobody parties like Latinos and Ecuador has raucous festivals every month, so whenever you visit there's an excuse to party. New Year includes the ritual burning of a symbol of the Año Viejo (Old Year) – anything from the President to TV characters such as Homer Simpson. Carnival, marking the beginning of Lent in February or March, is a four-day party. The best indigenous celebrations are in the highland towns of Ambato and Guaranda, while every beach resort in Ecuador is heaving. But for something a little different, head to Latacunga, an indigenous highland town with a colonial centre and friendly locals, for the Mama Negra (black mother) celebrations held in September and November, the latter of which is most raucous and lasts a week. This bizarre mix of Catholic, indigenous and African rituals originated from the town's pleas to be saved from destruction by nearby volcano Cotopaxi. Parades involve poets, musicians, transvestites and witches. The centerpiece is the arrival of a black-faced Mama (a man) who sprays the crowd with water and milk, supposedly symbolising fertility. Stay at backpacker favourite Hostal Tiana (from $10pppn). Panama hatsPanama hats are from Ecuador. The misnomer is a sore point for locals and an American president is largely to blame. During the construction of the Panama canal, thousands of these hats were exported by the Ecuadorian government for the toiling workers. US president Theodore Roosevelt was pictured wearing one and they were dubbed "Panama Hats" by the world's media and the name stuck. You'll struggle to find a better handmade hat anywhere else. To see how they're made visit the Museo del Sombrero on Calle Larga in the highland city of Cuenca, where production is biggest. However, the hats actually originated from Montecristi on the central coast. Prices range from US$15-$20 for a standard hat to more than $200 for the famous superfinos, which should last a lifetime if well-treated. Good spots to buy include Homero Ortega's store in the centre of Cuenca, but the best deals are directly from the Atma factory in the village of Sigsig, about 40 miles south-east of Cuenca. Here superfinos sell for just $80. Of course, aside from their aesthetic value, hats are the ideal disguise for those wishing to keep a low profile. • Ben Westwood is author of the Moon guide to Ecuador and Galapagos
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