| |  | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | President says talks 'good and constructive' but if deal cannot be struck by Sunday Senate will have to vote on fallback proposal President Barack Obama has demanded that Senate leaders strike a fiscal cliff deal by Sunday to avert the looming US economic crisis, or face a vote based solely on his own measures. Speaking after a short meeting on Friday afternoon with Congressional leaders, the president expressed frustration with the slow pace of talks. "This is déjà vu all over again," said Obama. "The hour for immediate action is here, it is now. We are now at the point where, in just four days, every Americans' tax rates are set to go up," he said, adding: "The American people are watching what we do here. Obviously their patience is already thin." Obama met with House speaker John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, as well as Democrat colleagues Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, in the hope of thrashing out a deal. Treasury secretary Tim Geithner was also in attendance. The president described the talks as "good and constructive", but added that the way Washington works must seem to be "mind-boggling" to those outside the capital. If no deal is done, 88% of Americans will see their taxes rise on January 1, a wave of deep spending cuts will start to take effect, and 2 million long-term unemployed people will lose their benefits. Obama said he had asked Reid and McConnell to draw up a Senate bill. But in the event of no deal being struck, he has also instructed Reid to draw up a basic package to be put before the floor for an "up or down vote". That bill would be based solely on his own remedy to the immediate fiscal crisis facing the US at year end. Nonetheless, Obama expressed a belief that such a bill could pass both the House and Senate. Obama said the measures would protect "the middle class from an income tax hike, extends the vital lifeline of unemployment insurance to two million Americans looking for a job and lays the ground work for future cooperation on more economic growth a deficit reduction." McConnell said he was "hopeful and optimistic" that a deal could be done. "We will be working hard to see if we can get this done in the next 24 hours," he said after the meeting. Boehner released a statement after the meeting: "The leaders spent the majority of the meeting discussing potential options and components for a plan that could pass both chambers of Congress. The Speaker told the President that if the Senate amends the House-passed legislation and sends back a plan, the House will consider it – either by accepting or amending. The group agreed that the next step should be the Senate taking bipartisan action." Friday's moves came after a day of bitter recriminations on Thursday, there were small signs of hope Friday ahead of the White House meeting, as senior senators said they believed a deal could be brokered. "I am hopeful there will be a deal that avoids the worst parts of the fiscal cliff – namely taxes going up on middle-class people," Democrat Chuck Schumer told NBC's Today show. "I think there can be, and I think the odds are better than people think there could be." "I think in the end we'll get a deal," said Republican John Thune. "The question is the timing of that. It is encouraging that sides are sitting down. They continue to have lines of communication there, and I view that as optimistic." Scepticism remains about the chances of a deal being done. Tennessee Republican Bob Corker told reporters prior to the meeting that while he expected a new offer from Obama, "it's feeling very much like an optical meeting, not a substantive meeting." In the US, stock markets fell for the fifth straight day, as investors waited nervously for the latest twists in the slow-moving drama. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that going over the fiscal cliff will push the US back into recession, and drive unemployment up to 9.1% from its current rate of 7.9%.
Sean West, a policy analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said he was still hopeful a deal could be done. "We think the best-case scenario is that they will leave the meeting voicing cautious optimism. Everyone is looking for signs of progress. If they can't signal that things are different from last week, that would be a very bad situation," he said. Following a flurry of activity before Christmas, there has been little sign of a breakthrough in recent days. On Thursday, the White House scotched rumours that a new bill was set to be presented to Congress. Reid and McConnell will spend Saturday hammering out a bill before presenting it to the Senate on Sunday. Friday's comments came after a day of fierce rhetoric in Washington. Reid, the Senate majority leader, lambasted Boehner and his Republican colleagues, and said the speaker was operating a "dictatorship" and had delayed compromise ahead of a vote on his role on January 3. "Members of the House of Representatives are out watching movies, and watching their kids play soccer and basketball, and doing all kinds of things," Reid said as the Senate sat for the first time since Christmas. "They should be here." Boehner has now called back the House of Representatives, whose members will get back to work on Sunday. He warned colleagues to be prepared to work through the New Year.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 23-year-old's death follows mass protests in India calling for better policing and harsher punishments for rapists The Indian medical student whose gang rape triggered mass protests calling for better protection for women against sexual violence has died. The 23-year-old – who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in Delhi – died on Friday in the Singapore hospital where she was being treated. Her family had been keeping a bedside vigil after she suffered severe organ failure following the attack on 16 December. She was flown to Singapore from India two days ago as her condition worsened. "We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4.45am on 29 December, 2012 [4.45pm GMT Friday]. Her family and officials from the High Commission of India were by her side," Kelvin Loh, chief executive of the Mount Elizabeth hospital, said in a statement. "Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days. She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. "She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome." The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were travelling in a public bus after watching a film when they were attacked by six men who took turns to rape her. The brutality of the assault provoked widespread anger and demonstrations across India, focused largely on the police, politicians and senior officials, by protestors demanding better policing and harsher punishment for rapists. Indian police have arrested six people in connection with the attack. Women's rights campaigners claim that many rapes and other sexual crimes in India go unreported with offenders rarely punished, and have called on the government to offer better protection for women. The Indian government announced on Friday it is to publish the names, photographs and addresses of thousands of convicted sex offenders in a bid to head off growing anger at what has been seen as a inadequate response by leaders to the problem of sexual violence. The controversial measure, announced by the minister of state for home affairs, RPN Singh, is to start in Delhi, which has been the focus of the protests following the attack. Concerns have been raised that identifying convicted rapists will lead to vigilante attacks, but many women's rights campaigners have backed the move. "It is true that there is a risk of such attacks but at the moment it is the victim who has to suffer the shame and social ostracism," said Ranjana Kumari, director of Delhi's Centre for Social Research. "She can't get married, for example. This will make sure the rapist is shamed. He won't get a job, or somewhere to live and will be cut off from society. This is a powerful deterrent." However, there are now fears that the woman's death could trigger new protests and confrontations with the police, especially in the Indian capital. Delhi has been on edge since the weekend clashes. Hundreds of policemen have been deployed on the streets of the capital and streets leading to the main protest site, the India Gate war memorial, have been shut for long periods, causing commuter chaos in the city of 16 million people.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Congressional leaders leave White House meeting with no immediate statement but senior senators remain optimistic Washington geared up for a final effort to avert the fiscal cliff budget crisis on Friday as Barack Obama held crisis talks with congressional leaders and legislators cut short holiday plans to return to Capitol Hill. After a day of bitter recriminations on Thursday, there were small signs of hope going into the fresh White House meeting, as senior senators said they believed a deal could be brokered. "I am hopeful there will be a deal that avoids the worst parts of the fiscal cliff – namely taxes going up on middle-class people," Democrat Chuck Schumer told NBC's Today show. "I think there can be, and I think the odds are better than people think there could be." "I think in the end we'll get a deal," said Republican John Thune. "The question is the timing of that. It is encouraging that sides are sitting down. They continue to have lines of communication there, and I view that as optimistic." At 3pm, Obama met with House speaker John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, as well as Democrat colleagues Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, in the hopes of thrashing out a deal. Treasury secretary Tim Geithner was also in attendance. The meeting broke up an hour and 15 minutes later, with no immediate statement from either side. Scepticism remains about the chances of a deal being done. Tennessee Republican Bob Corker told reporters prior to the meeting that while he expected a new offer from Obama, "it's feeling very much like an optical meeting, not a substantive meeting." In the US, stock markets fell for the fifth straight day, as investors waited nervously for the latest twists in the slow-moving drama. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that going over the fiscal cliff will push the US back into recession, and drive unemployment up to 9.1% from its current rate of 7.9%. Sean West, a policy analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said he was still hopeful a deal could be done. "We think the best-case scenario is that they will leave the meeting voicing cautious optimism. Everyone is looking for signs of progress. If they can't signal that things are different from last week, that would be a very bad situation," he said. Following a flurry of activity before Christmas, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in recent days. On Thursday, the White House scotched rumours that a new bill was set to be presented to Congress. Without a compromise, 88% of Americans will see their taxes rise on January 1, a wave of deep spending cuts will start to take effect, and 2 million long-term unemployed people will lose their benefits. With such little time left, most analysts now expect a patch solution. Obama was reportedly planning a compromise that would include restricting tax hikes to those earning more than $400,000, extending unemployment payments, and stopping a cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors while a permanent solution is found. But a report from Reuters quoted a White House source denying the new deal line. Schumer and Thune's comments came after a day of fierce rhetoric in Washington. Reid, the Senate majority leader, lambasted Boehner and his Republican colleagues, and said the speaker was operating a "dictatorship" and had delayed compromise ahead of a vote on his role on January 3. "Members of the House of Representatives are out watching movies, and watching their kids play soccer and basketball, and doing all kinds of things," Reid said as the Senate sat for the first time since Christmas. "They should be here." Boehner has now called back the House of Representatives, whose members will get back to work on Sunday. He warned colleagues to be prepared to work through the New Year.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New York mayor congratulates NYPD on the city's safest year on record while Chicago nears the end of one of its grimmest A disturbing contrast between two great American cities – one seen as a capital of violence, the other as a model of urban safety in the US – was driven home Friday by a pair of year-end reports on homicides. New York City announced that 2012 was the safest on record, with 414 homicides beating the previous low of 471 in 2009. Chicago, meanwhile, at about a third the size of NYC proper, drew near its 500th homicide of the year. It was the first time the city had approached the mark since 2008, when 512 were killed. "Chicago has reached an unfortunate and tragic milestone, which not only marks a needless loss of life but serves as a reminder of the damage that illegal guns and conflicts between gangs cause in our neighborhoods," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. "We are working with neighborhood activists, community groups, faith leaders, educators and business leaders to positively change the violent culture that is too prevalent in our communities." The Chicago police department denied reports earlier Friday that the 500th homicide had already been recorded. "The department's official year-to-date 2012 murder total for the city of Chicago currently stands at 499, with one death investigation still pending classification," the police said. But with homicides running higher than a murder a day, it is thought highly likely that the grim marker will be reached before year's end. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg congratulated police officers at a graduation ceremony on the record-low deaths. "The fact that the safest big city in America is safer than ever is a testament to the hard work and determination of the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day – and it also reflects our commitment to doing everything possible to stop gun violence," said Bloomberg, one of the US's highest profile politicians pushing for stricter gun controls. Guns accounted for 237 of New York City homicides in 2012, the mayor's office said. Chicago had counted 424 gun homicides by the end of last week. The two cities are fighting different crime problems. Gun traffic in Chicago far exceeds that in New York City, where police commissioner Ray Kelly said 800 illegal handguns were removed from the streets in 2012. Chicago seizes guns at nine times that rate, according to the Washington Post. Last week Kelly suggested President Obama should be doing more to fight gun violence in Chicago. "[It's] the president's hometown," Kelly told the New York Daily News. "But barely a peep out of him." Taken over a longer period, overall murder rates in both Chicago and New York are declining. New York counted 2,245 murders in 1990, more than five times as many as this year. Chicago counted 943 murders in 1992, nearly twice today's rate. Meanwhile, a third US city also released data on homicides on Friday, with Los Angeles noting a slight incline in violent deaths. By Thursday the city had recorded 297 murders for the year, three more than the same period last year. Since 2010 homicides have hovered at just under 300, a benchmark figure four times lower than a violent peak in the late 1990s. Despite New York's pride as a safe big city, the metropolis witnesses gun violence at levels unheard of most anywhere else in the world. In the United Kingdom there were 138 deaths resulting from firearms in 2009. The entirety of Canada counted 223 gun homicides in 2005, its worst year for lethal gun violence in the last two decades.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The campaign T-shirts are already on sale, the Washington rumour mill is in overdrive. But even if Hillary Clinton does decide to run for the White House in 2016, can she win? Hillary Clinton, if you believe the hype, is only weeks away from girding up for her second run for president in 2016, this time going all the way to the White House. John Kerry, nominated last week as her successor as secretary of state, will be confirmed by the Senate in mid-January, leaving the coast clear for Clinton to begin preparing her battle for the presidency. And, after her successful term in Barack Obama's administration, why shouldn't she? The entire Democratic establishment is urging Clinton to run – not least her husband, Bill. Die-hard fans are prepping for an announcement, with Hillary 2016 T-shirts for sale online and coy postings on the Friends of Hillary Facebook page: "Merry Christmas everyone! Hillary has a present, but she'll only be able to give it to you in about 4 years ..." And after 20 years in Washington, 2012 was the year Clinton officially became hip, with her own viral internet meme, a parody Tumblr site called Texts from Hillary. All of which, bizarrely, could doom a potential Clinton candidacy. For those who watched Clinton's first run for the White House, the clamour for her to run again, the idea that there is no one more entitled than she is to the nomination and then the White House, is beginning to sound depressingly familiar. When she launched her last bid for the White House in January 2007, Clinton was the ultimate establishment candidate: cautious, calculating, hawkish on defence (to the point of voting for the war in Iraq), and reactive rather than breaking new ground. The webcast announcing her presidential exploratory committee said it all – the nomination was Clinton's for the taking. "I'm in to win," she said in the video. But of course, she didn't. But Clinton has a chance, if she wants it, to show she has learned from the strategic and tactical errors of 2008. She has gained two big pluses in her four years at the State Department. The first is a cause bigger than herself, in her work for women's rights. The second is an ability to reach out beyond a narrow circle of advisers – engaging ordinary members of the public on her frequent trips as secretary and commanding the loyalty of a large bureaucratic organisation like the State Department. Her ultra-cautious handlers give every impression they are guarding her image for a future run for the presidency. But Clinton, for the moment, isn't telling. She has spoken in interviews of taking time off, writing a memoir, teaching a class or engaging in philanthropic endeavours. Former aides and colleagues mention the possibility of a foundation, in tandem with her husband's Clinton Global Initiative, or a thinktank on women and security. But it is hard to imagine Clinton willingly walking away from a public that, after all the years of flak and controversy, is now almost universally adoring. As secretary of state she shed the political baggage accumulated as an activist first lady, and has so far avoided any blowback for the administration's failures in the Middle East and Libya. Her domestic approval ratings are at a lifetime high, above 65%. When she goes abroad, world leaders are gushing in their praise. In September, during United Nations week, one of Clinton's last set-piece events before standing down as secretary of state, there were standing ovations before she even got up to speak, and emotional tributes from a succession of world leaders. At the launch of a US-backed initiative to expand women's rights, Clinton perched in the middle of 12 red-and-gilt-arm chairs as a dozen presidents and prime ministers offered up their homages. "Hillary, you have done so much to inspire women and girls around the world," Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, said. "We stand taller and move freer because of your inspiring example." Clinton did not appear embarrassed. She been hearing such effusive praise for years. So what could keep her from running? Voter fatigue with Obama and the Clintons, the economic downturn, and the security failures at Benghazi (when four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, were killed in an attack on the US consulate in September this year) could all cause her problems. There is also the question of Clinton's health. The secretary has not been seen in public since 10 December. Aides said she fainted and suffered concussion after being weakened by a stomach virus. And though she was quick to tell Barbara Walters in a year-end interview that she was full of "incredible stamina and energy", Clinton will be 69 at the time of the next elections. It would be dangerous for Clinton to take her high approval ratings for granted. The role of secretary of state operates at a remove from domestic politics; for now, Obama or house leader Nancy Pelosi are the main targets of conservative commentators. But if Clinton were to run for the White House, she would open herself up once again to a full-on attack from the right. For now, Clinton leaves the State Department with a strong reputation – thanks in large part to the efforts of a personal staff that has been tending her image for years or even decades. A number of Clinton's team have worked for her or her husband for most of their adult lives. The communications team, headed by Philippe Reines operates out of a ground floor office of the State Department. Staff make no secret of their mission. Fanned out on the coffee table, when I visited last autumn, were a series of magazines with flattering portraits of the secretary on their covers: Clinton gazing at the Taj Mahal on a travel publication, Clinton in a glamorous black-and-white portrait. The secretary's aides decided early on that when it came to repairing the US's battered image in the world, Clinton was her country's best asset. No previous secretary of state could match her charisma or resume: first lady, senator and, at her political height, presidential candidate who won 18m votes in the toughest, most gruelling campaign in modern US history. "No one really quibbles with the underlying notion that, since [President Obama] took office and named her as secretary, America has greatly improved and restored its standing in the world," said Reines. "It is not an image thing. It is not a popularity thing. It is a necessity and prerequisite to getting work done that needs to be done to advance interests and values of the United States." And so Clinton put herself out there, like an old-style politician using her celebrity and personal connections to try to smooth over the rough years of the US's relations with the rest of the world. She logged 956,000 miles as secretary of state, visiting 112 countries, according to the State Department website. On virtually every visit, Clinton made a point of reaching beyond the stilted, formal diplomatic encounters to meet women's groups, health workers, environmentalists, students, business leaders, and to spend time with US embassy staff. This constant campaigning for America didn't hurt Clinton's future political prospects, either. Clinton's team went out of their way to promote an image of Clinton, not just as the nation's top diplomat, but its top "gal pal" – someone everyone would want to hang out with. She appeared on a comedy sketch with Australian duo Hamish & Andy. She sent in a response and posed for photos with the creators of the Tumblr parody Texts from Hillary, which featured the secretary running the world and sending badass tweets from behind dark sunglasses. She even joked about her fondness for scrunchies, the covered elastics from the 1990s she uses to pull back the longer hair she has favoured as secretary. But those hundreds of public encounters during her years as secretary of state also helped Clinton find her way back to a lifelong cause: women's rights. Since her days as a young lawyer, Clinton has cared passionately about the rights of women and children. But until she arrived at the State Department, she was ambivalent about defining herself publicly as a women's advocate. She maintained relationships with women's organisations in Africa and Asia that lasted decades, immersing herself in issues such as sex trafficking, violence against women, female genital mutilation, child marriage and women's exclusion from politics. "When it really comes to the poor and women's issues, she definitely gives it the topmost priority. She always finds time to go into the depths of it," said Reema Nanavaty of the Self-Employed Women's Association, who has been in touch with Clinton since 1982. "She shows more of a personal touch." Despite that authentic interest, however, Clinton hesitated to put women's rights centre-stage during her earlier life in elected politics. "She didn't want to just be seen as a woman. She wanted to be seen as the best candidate," said Neera Tanden, who joined Clinton's staff when she was first lady, and is now president of the leftwing Centre for American Progress think tank. Her campaign staff were divided about how to frame Clinton as a candidate. Some feared she was missing a historic opportunity by opting to run as an institutional candidate, rather than as one representing change, a potential first female president. "There was that sense that the first woman president was within our grasp, and we were losing it," said Patti Solis Doyle, who was removed as Clinton's campaign manager in February 2008. But Clinton was swayed by other advisers who warned she could put off male voters. There was also the rampant sexism of the campaigning, the dismissive commentary from TV pundits, the hecklers at campaign events calling for Clinton to iron their shirts. Key players in her campaign now acknowledge they got it wrong. "With the benefit of hindsight, there were probably more opportunities to be taken to highlight the change a Clinton presidency would represent – as opposed to presenting her as more of an institutional figure," said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster and strategist brought in to manage Clinton's campaign during its final weeks. "I think some of the people who were running her campaign at the time were concerned about the possibility of scaring off men in the general election. But it's clear that as a primary candidate there was, I think, a greater sense of energy and excitement that could have been generated from the historic nature of her candidacy." By the time Clinton came around to embracing the idea of change, it was far too late. At the State Department, however, with no immediate political stakes, Clinton felt freer to put women and children at the centre of policy-making. "Hillary came in to the office as an international superstar. I think she could afford to take a little bit more risk on that front," said Isobel Coleman, director of the women and foreign policy programme at the Council on Foreign Relations. There were still elements of the old political calculation, reminders that Clinton was still keeping options open for 2016. She disappointed activists on her trip to Ireland earlier this month, possibly her last as secretary, when she failed to publicly take up the case of Savita Halappanavar, who died after being refused an abortion. But Clinton's allies argue her advocacy on women's issues has made a profound difference. "When a secretary of state goes to a country and the embassy gets engaged in those issues again and again and again, I think that is the way you begin to change the mindset," said Alyse Nelson, who runs the Vital Voices group fostered by Clinton when she was first lady. "Hillary took it to a whole new level." When Clinton took the job as secretary of state four years ago, she could have messed up. After all, in the single most important foreign policy vote of her time in the Senate, the decision to invade Iraq, Clinton picked the wrong side, voting for war. There were also concerns about her capacity to work with her former rival Obama. "When she came in she had a very tough political task," said David Rothkopf, chief executive of Foreign Policy magazine. "She was seen as a rival to the president. She had her own political base. She could easily be seen as someone upstaging him, but that didn't happen. She put her head down and she got to work." In 2008, Hillary Rodham Clinton was a flawed candidate. Has she done enough to address those flaws and make it to the White House in 2016? Only time will tell.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Former president remains at Houston hospital in intensive care unit as reports continue that his condition is getting better Former president George Bush Sr is in "good spirits" amid signs of recovering health, even singing with doctors and nurses treating him at a Houston hospital, his spokesman said on Friday. The 88-year-old was admitted to the Methodist hospital's intensive care unit on Sunday, after a series of setbacks including a persistent fever. But in the latest update on his condition, the president's spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush "continues to improve" although he remains in intensive care. "The president is alert and, as always, in good spirits – and his exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing," McGrath said. He added that doctors and the Bush family remained "cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective". Bush, the oldest living former president, was admitted to hospital on 23 November for a stubborn cough related to bronchitis, after being in and out of hospital after complications linked to the illness. On Wednesday, it was disclosed that a fever that had kept Bush in the hospital over Christmas had worsened, and that doctors had put him on a liquids-only diet. "It's an elevated fever, so it's actually gone up in the last day or two," McGrath said. "It's a stubborn fever that won't go away." But he said the cough that initially brought Bush to the hospital has improved. A hospital spokesman said in mid-December that Bush was expected to be home in time for Christmas, but, according to Reuters, the spokesman later said doctors felt he should build up his strength before returning home. Bush has lower-body Parkinsons, which causes a loss of balance, and has used wheelchairs for more than a year, McGrath told Reuters in an email. After serving as vice-president under Ronald Reagan, Bush took office as the 41st president in 1989 and served a single term in the White House. He was a naval aviator in the second world war – at one point the youngest in the US navy – and was shot down over the Pacific. After leaving the White House in 1992, he celebrated at least three of his birthdays by skydiving, and had threatened to celebrate his 90th the same way.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Florida security firm gives detailed account of 'jail escort plan' to take Zimmerman to safe house once he was released on bail An extraordinary movie-like plot to move accused murderer George Zimmerman into hiding disguised in a hat and fake glasses has come to light, courtesy of a private investigator's legal attempts to recoup $27,000 in unpaid security bills. A lawsuit filed in Florida by an Orlando security company gives a detailed account of the secretive "jail escort plan" Zimmerman's lawyers commissioned to spirit away the man who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin once he was released from prison on bail. According to court documents, armed bodyguards from Associated Investigative Services (AIS) were to meet Zimmerman at the Seminole County jail and dress him in body armour before speeding him off in a rental vehicle previously checked for hidden GPS tracking devices. Then, Zimmerman's handlers were to deliver him to the disabled bathroom of a busy hotel in Orlando where he would dress in a new shirt, hat and glasses before casually walking out to a different vehicle and being driven to a safe house. Meanwhile, other members of the security team were to watch closely for anybody conducting "negative counter-surveillance," presumably a reference to members of the media who might have followed their client from jail. Zimmerman, a former neighbourhood watch captain who denies murdering Martin, 17, during a confrontation in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, on 26 February, was jailed and released on bail twice during the summer, and it is unclear whether any parts of the plan were ever put into effect. But AIS is claiming that Zimmerman, 29, his wife Shellie and his lawyer Mark O'Mara owe the company $27,027 for security services rendered but not paid for over 21 days from 26 June. O'Mara said he was "surprised" at the breach of contract lawsuit and told the Orlando Sentinel that he had paid the company more than $40,000 from Zimmerman's public defence fund before dropping them because the fund was depleted and could no longer afford such high rates. He has yet to respond formally to the allegations in the court documents that he reneged on a verbal promise to pay more than $66,000 to AIS in total. In its lawsuit, filed a week ago in the circuit court of Florida, Orange County, the company says it advised O'Mara that the level of protection he requested was "excessive in scope". At one point, it said, AIS bodyguards were protecting several members of Zimmerman's family almost round the clock. But O'Mara said that his client, who claims he acted in self-defence and who was originally released without charge, had received death threats and that a high level of security was necessary. Stephen Milbrath, the lawyer for AIS owner Chris Rimbaugh, told the Guardian that he did not expect the case to be heard for several months at least. The shooting of Martin, who was black, prompted almost two months of protest before Angela Corey, a special prosecutor appointed by Florida governor Rick Scott, announced the second-degree murder charge in April. The new lawsuit is one of several legal side issues swirling around Zimmerman, who is in hiding somewhere in Seminole County on $1m bail until his trial in June. He is suing television network NBC for allegedly altering a recording of his 911 call to the Sanford police department on the night of the shooting to make it appear that he pointed out the teenager's race without being prompted. Shellie Zimmerman, meanwhile, was charged with perjury after she gave evidence at her husband's bail hearing in April that the couple were virtually penniless when, in fact, they had access to tens of thousands of dollars of public donations. George Zimmerman faces at least 25 years in jail if convicted of murder, although O'Mara has said he will attempt to have the charge dismissed under Florida's stand-your-ground law, which allows a person to use deadly force if their life is in danger. Judge Debra Nelson has ruled that any stand-your-ground hearing must take place before the end of April next year.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Two amendments that would have provided basic oversight for US government's warrantless surveillance program Civil rights campaigners voiced dismay on Friday over the US Senate's re-authorization of the government's warrantless surveillance program, and the defeat of two amendments that would have provided for basic oversight of the eavesdropping. The Senate voted 73-23 to extend the law, called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act, for five years. The House of Representatives has already passed the measure, which President Obama has said he will sign. But while the program was extended as expected, campaigners saw a silver lining in that the vote was closer than when the legislation was first introduced in 2008. "We're incredibly disappointed, not just that it passed, but that they rejected some very moderate amendments that wouldn't have interfered with the collection of intelligence," said Michelle Richardson, an ACLU expert on surveillance issues. An amendment by senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon would have required the secret court that oversees surveillance requests to disclose "important rulings of law." It failed 37-54. An amendment by Merkley's fellow Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden would have required the government to estimate the number of US citizens it had spied on. It fell by a narrower margin, 43-52. "We're actually pleased that so many [Senate] members today want more transparency," Richardson said, pointing to the 43 votes for Wyden. "There were more members voting for transparency and accountability than there were in 2008. The amendments did better this time." The amended FISA Act was passed in 2008 to retroactively cover Bush-era domestic surveillance. The law permits the National Security Agency to track communication between foreign targets and people inside the United States without obtaining a warrant. Critics say it violates fourth amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. NSA whistleblower Bill Binney has estimated that the agency, under protection of the law, has "assembled" 20 trillion transactions between US citizens. Intelligence Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, said in debate on the Senate floor that the surveillance program provides useful intelligence and does not target US citizens. She opposed both oversight amendments but agreed in principle to release unclassified summaries of actions taken by the secret court. The Obama administration has already begun reviewing FISA court decisions to see what can be released, Richardson said. "I think we have a long and slow fight on this, but we'll eventually get there," Richardson said.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Longshoremen group had been preparing for strike Sunday that could have deprived US economy of billions of dollars A deal was made Friday that for now averts a strike by 14,500 longshoremen at major ports on the US east coast and Gulf of Mexico that would have threatened the country's economy. A federal mediator announced that an expired contract for workers in the International Association of Longshoremen would be extended for 30 days while negotiations continue. The longshoremen had been preparing for a possible strike Sunday that likely would have crippled operations at ports that handle about 40% of all US container cargo. The White House had weighed in on the issue, urging dockworkers and shipping companies Thursday to reach agreement "as quickly as possible" on a contract extension. The 15 ports involved in the labor dispute move more than 100m tons of goods each year. Losing them to a shutdown, even for a few days, could cost the economy billions of dollars. Major steps have been made toward resolving the dispute, said George Cohen, the head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The extension came after the union and an alliance of port operators and shipping lines resolved one of the more challenging points in their monthslong contract negotiations, involving royalty payments made to union members for each container they unload. The Alliance has argued that the longshoremen, who it said earn an average $124,138 per year, are already well compensated. Negotiations will continue until at least midnight on 28 January. "While some significant issues remain in contention, I am cautiously optimistic that they can be resolved in the upcoming 30-day extension period," Cohen said. The master contract between the International Longshoremen's Association and the US Maritime Alliance, a group representing shipping lines, terminal operators and port associations, originally expired in September. The two sides agreed to extend it once before, for 90 days, but it had been set to expire again on 12.01am Sunday. A work stoppage would have idled shipments of a vast number of consumer products, from electronics to clothing, and kept US manufacturers from getting parts and raw materials delivered easily. Major ports that would have been frozen included the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Georgia, Houston and Hampton Roads, Virginia. "The global economy moves by water, and shutting down container ports along the east and Gulf coasts while the national economy remains fragile benefits no one," Deborah Hadden, acting port director at Massport, the public agency that oversees shipping terminals in Boston. It is not a part of the contract dispute. A work stoppage would not be absolute. Longshoremen would continue to handle military cargo, mail, passenger ships, non-containerized items like automobiles and perishable commodities like fresh food. A walkout could be the biggest national port disruption since 2002, when unionized dockworkers were locked out of 29 West Coast ports for 10 days because of a contract dispute. The ports only reopened after President George W Bush ordered an 80-day cooling-off period. Some economists estimated that each day of that lockout cost the US economy $1bn. It took months for the retail supply chain to fully recover.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | George Papaconstantinou has been ejected from the Pasok party today, despite insisting he had no role in amending a list of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Condition of student who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of moving bus in Delhi is deteriorating, says hospital The condition of an Indian medical student whose gang rape triggered mass protests has deteriorated and there are signs her vital organs have failed, the Singapore hospital treating her says. The 23-year-old, who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in Delhi, was flown to Singapore by the Indian government on Wednesday for specialist treatment. Most rapes and other sex crimes in India go unreported and offenders are rarely punished, women's rights activists say. But the brutality of the assault on 16 December triggered public outrage and demands for better policing and harsher punishment for rapists. The case has received blanket coverage on cable television news channels. The woman has not been identified but some Indian media have called her "Amanat", an Urdu word meaning keepsake. "As of 9pm Singapore time on 28 December (1pm GMT), the patient's condition has taken a turn for the worse. Her vital signs are deteriorating, with signs of severe organ failure," Mount Elizabeth hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said in a statement on Friday. "Her family members have been informed that her condition has deteriorated and they are currently by her side to encourage and comfort her," he said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has been battling criticism that it was tone-deaf to the outcry and heavy-handed in its response to the protests in the Indian capital. Some Indian medical experts questioned the decision to airlift the woman to Singapore, calling it a risky manoeuvre given the seriousness of her injuries. They said she was already receiving the best possible care in India, which possesses world-class medical facilities. The Singapore hospital said earlier on Friday that the woman had suffered "significant brain injury" and was surviving against the odds. She had already undergone three abdominal operations before being flown to Singapore. Demonstrations over the lack of safety for women erupted across India after the attack, culminating last weekend in pitched battles between police and protesters in the heart of Delhi. If the woman dies it could trigger new protests and possibly fresh confrontations with the police, especially in the Indian capital, which has been the focus of the demonstrations. Delhi has been on edge since the weekend clashes. Hundreds of policemen have been deployed on the streets of the capital and streets leading to the main protest site, the India Gate war memorial, have been shut for long periods, causing commuter chaos in the city of 16 million people. Political commentators and sociologists say the rape has tapped into a deep well of frustration that many Indians feel over what they see as weak governance and poor leadership on social and economic issues. Many protesters have complained that Singh's government has done little to curb the abuse of women in the country of 1.2 billion. A global poll by Thomson Reuters Foundation in June found that India was the worst place to be a woman because of high rates of infanticide, child marriage and slavery. Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures. Government data show the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17% between 2007 and 2011. "We share the anguish and anger with the country over this heinous crime," Singh told reporters on Friday. "Our prayers are with the brave young girl and best possible medical care is being provided to her."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | After weeks of speculation, Italy's technocratic PM reaches deal to take part in next year's ballot
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | George Papaconstantinou has been ejected from the Pasok party today, despite insisting he had no role in amending a list of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | President signs bill preventing Americans from adopting Russian children in move Washington says is 'politically motivated' The US government has condemned as "politically motivated" a decision by the Kremlin to ban Americans from adopting Russian children, warning of a further wedge in relations with Moscow. President Vladimir Putin signed the controversial bill – with the immediate effect of preventing 52 children from joining pre-assigned parents in the US – on Friday. It marked the latest exchange over US legislation relating to the case of corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009 after being arrested by the same officers he was investigating over a $230m fraud. Outcry in the US led to a ban on all officials implicated in the case from travelling to, or holding bank accounts in, the US. In a statement on Friday, the State Department criticised the signing of the bill by Putin. "The Russian government's politically motivated decision will reduce adoption possibilities for children who are now under institutional care," it said. It noted that more than 60,000 Russian children had been adopted by Americans in the last 20 years. "The vast majority of these children are now thriving thanks to their parents' loving support," said the statement. The US response put special emphasis on the plight of dozens of babies and children who were already preparing for a new life with American families. "We are further concerned about statements that adoptions already under way may be stopped, and hope that the Russian government would allow those children who have already met and bonded with their future parents to finish the necessary legal procedures so that they can join their families." But Russian officials have attempted to garner support for the US adoption ban by highlighting isolated incidents of abuse, and the cases of 19 children who have died in US care. The act signed by Putin on Friday is named after Dima Yakovlev, a 21-month-old boy who died in a sweltering car in Virginia. His adoptive father was later acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, prompting strong media criticism in Russia. Putin has masked the new rules on adoption with calls for patriotism, stating that Russia should care for its own citizens. But inside Russia the bill has been criticised by opposition figures as "cannibalistic", with a petition against the act being signed by more than 100,000 people. In a bid to temper the internal criticism, Putin also signed a decree ordering a shake-up and improvement of Russia's care for orphans. But it was accompanied by further denunciations of US action by senior Kremlin officials. A spokesman for the president blamed the Magnitsky Act for "seriously undermining" attempts to rebuild relations between the former cold war enemies. In its official response to the latest move from Moscow, Washington warned that it would affect areas away from adoption work. "[It] will also make it more difficult for Russian and American non-governmental organisations to cooperate in areas as diverse as human rights advocacy, open government, and electoral transparency. "The United States remains committed to supporting the development of civil society and the democratic process around the world, including in Russia," it added. In a move that has led to further questions being raised over Russia's handling of the case, the only person to be charged over the lawyer's death was acquitted on Friday. Dmitry Kratov, a doctor at the prison in which Magnitsky died after being left untreated for pancreatitis, had previously pleaded not guilty to negligence, stating that he did not have adequate staff to ensure Magnitsky's medical care.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Senior senators say they believe a deal can be reached as US markets nervously await news from 3pm Washington meeting Washington geared up for a final effort to avert the fiscal cliff budget crisis on Friday as Barack Obama arranged crisis talks with congressional leaders and legislators cut short holiday plans to return to Capitol Hill. After a day of bitter recriminations on Thursday, there were small signs of hope, as senior senators said they believed a deal could be brokered. "I am hopeful there will be a deal that avoids the worst parts of the fiscal cliff – namely taxes going up on middle-class people,'' Democrat Chuck Schumer told NBC's Today show. "I think there can be, and I think the odds are better than people think there could be." "I think in the end we'll get a deal,'' said Republican John Thune. "The question is the timing of that. It is encouraging that sides are sitting down. They continue to have lines of communication there, and I view that as optimistic." At 3pm today Obama will meet with House speaker John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, as well as Democrat colleagues Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in the hopes of thrashing out a deal. In the US, stock markets were on track for their fifth straight day of losses as investors waited nervously for the latest twists in the slow-moving drama. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that going over the fiscal cliff will push the US back into recession, and drive unemployment up to 9.1% from its current rate of 7.9%. Following a flurry of activity before Christmas, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in recent days. On Thursday, the White House scotched rumours that a new bill was set to be presented to Congress. Without a compromise, 88% of Americans will see their taxes rise on January 1, a wave of deep spending cuts will start to take effect, and 2 million long-term unemployed people will lose their benefits. With such little time left, most analysts now expect a patch solution. Obama has proposed restricting tax hikes to those earning more than $250,000, extending unemployment payments and delaying the spending cuts until a permanent solution is found. Schumer and Thune's comments came after a day of fierce rhetoric in Washington. Reid, the Senate majority leader, lambasted Boehner and his Republican colleagues, and said the speaker was operating a "dictatorship" and had delayed compromise ahead of a vote on his role on January 3. "Members of the House of Representatives are out watching movies, and watching their kids play soccer and basketball, and doing all kinds of things," Reid said as the Senate sat for the first time since Christmas. "They should be here." Boehner has now called back the House of Representatives, whose members will get back to work on Sunday. He warned colleagues to be prepared to work through the New Year.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | President Obama convenes White House meeting with congressional leaders in a late bid for a fiscal cliff deal
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mariano Rajoy has defended his austerity package at an end-of-year press conference, and reiterated that he's not planning to ask for a bailout
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Woman in her 20s seen running from platform after man was killed in the second such instance in New York City this month Police in New York City on Friday released surveillance video of the woman suspected of pushing a man to his death in front of a subway train, the second such crime in the city this month. The video shows the woman running from the elevated platform on Thursday night. Witnesses told police she had been following the man closely and mumbling to herself. She got up from a nearby bench and shoved him as the train pulled in. It did not appear the man noticed her, police said. They said the condition of the man's body was making it difficult to identify him. The woman was described as Hispanic, in her 20s and heavyset. It was unclear if the man and the woman knew each other or if anyone tried to help the man before he was struck and killed at the station in the borough of Queens. It was the second time this month someone had been shoved to their death on subway tracks. On 3 December, 58-year-old Ki-Suck Han was pushed in front of a train in Times Square. A photograph of him on the tracks a split second before he was killed was published on the front of the New York Post the next day, causing an uproar and debate over whether the photographer, who had been waiting for a train, should have tried to help him and whether the newspaper should have published the image. A homeless man, 30-year-old Naeem Davis, was charged with murder in Han's death and was ordered held without bail. He has pleaded not guilty and has said that Han had attacked him first. The two men hadn't met before. Being pushed onto the train tracks is a silent fear for many commuters who ride the city's subway, which carries more than 5.2 million riders on an average weekday. But deaths are rare.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Abu Ali Sulaibi was one of the first people to take up arms in Aleppo. Now he controls two shattered blocks on the frontline where he lives with his wife, four children and Squirrel the cat The man stands among the blackened, shell-shattered buildings, and reaches up to encompass them in a broad sweep of his wiry arms. "This," he proclaims, "is the state of Abu Ali Sulaibi." The ruined corner of downtown Aleppo does not, of course, constitute a state and nor does it belong to the man claiming it in his name. But as the Syrian civil war has stagnated and Aleppo has fractured into "liberated" neighbourhoods run by different militias, Abu Ali and commanders like him have become the rulers of a series of mini-fiefdoms. These two blocks of the rebel frontline in Saif al-Dawla are his. Walking through the once prosperous streets, Abu Ali recalls the life he lived here, pointing out the places where he played as a child, went to school and fell in love. He now lives in a small apartment in the heart of the zone with his wife, Um Ali, three daughters, a son, and a cat named Sanjoob, or Squirrel. Fifty metres from Abu Ali's sector, across the Saif al-Dawla Boulevard, a similar array of shattered buildings is occupied by government troops. They are close enough that during lulls in the shooting they can continue the conflict by shouting abuse. Half of the building where his parents used to live has been sheared off by a rocket attack, spilling furniture and a chandelier into the street. The remaining structure serves as Abu Ali's command centre, where some of his fighters sleep. He stands in the middle of a small living room surrounded by fighters resting under thick blankets on the floor. "I can't believe that this is my mother's living room," he says. Then, to the men: "Wake up, you beasts!" As no one stirs, he pulls a pistol from his belt and fires into the ceiling, bringing down a chunk of plaster. The men jump from their mats, grabbing their guns. "That was Abu Ali's wake-up call," he says. Outside, Abu Ali sits on a broken plastic chair set amid the rubble. His fighters, bleary-eyed, sit around him, making Turkish coffee and smoking. There is no food. The men live on one meal a day and many have not eaten since lunch the day before. A trickle of civilians who braved the sniper fire to reach Abu Ali's headquarters now come forward, as they do each morning, to ask favours of the chief. Some are trying to salvage their food or furniture, others come to ask permission to scavenge or squat in the empty apartments. On this morning, six civilians stand sheepishly in front of him: a man in his 50s and his teenage son; a lanky man in a coat that is too big for him; a young engineer in rimless glasses and a bald man with his sister, who wears a black hijab. The civilians stay at a distance out of respect or fearing his unchecked anger. "What do you want?" "We want to collect some of our stuff, Abu Ali," the older man says. "Not today. Come back on Saturday." "But you told us to come on Wednesday." "I changed my mind. You should know that this is the state of Abu Ali Sulaibi." He roars out his catchphrase as much for the benefit of his men as the civilians. "You are all informers," he tells the scared civilians. "I know you cross back to government side and report on us." "We are not," says the bald man. "Our hearts are with you." "When you say that, I know you are an informer." Turning to one of his men he says, half-joking: "Wasn't he the one who was chasing us when we were out demonstrating?" The bald man's face turns pale. Abu Ali keeps the civilians waiting for two hours. Then, like a true autocrat, he quickly changes his mind and summons two of his men to take them where they want to go. Tough neighbourhoodAbu Ali's neighbourhood is a nest of snipers, and to reach the frontline you must run across streets that are covered only by curtains to hide from the gunmen's view. Elsewhere fighters have punched holes through deserted apartments to make protected routes to the front. The returning civilians register that their homes have become sniper positions, and that everything of value has been stripped. One man stops in his children's bedroom. It is a mess, the window blown in and toys scattered on the beds. He starts sifting through papers in drawers and rearranging the books on shelves. The walls are blackened, and broken pipes have flooded the floors. Gripped by a strange fervour, the man and his teenage son start to pack everything they can find into plastic bags and suitcases. Their faces are lit by slits of light that filters through the bullet holes in the blinds. "Get some sweaters for your brother," the father says. "Is there any money left?" asks the son. "No, everything has been stolen." The two fighters wait in the staircase watching the street and urging the people to move quickly. "I know they hate us," one says. "They blame us for the destruction. Maybe they are right, but had the people of Aleppo supported the revolution from the beginning this wouldn't have happened." The wind blows hard, and shards of glass from the broken windows cascade on to the street below, sending up a faint jingling sound. In the kitchen, the son finds a half-empty bag of lentils, a bag of rice and some stock cubes. He picks up a jar, opens it, sniffs and places it back on the shelf, making a disgusted face. At the sound of heavy machine-gun fire, the civilians hurry out into the stairwell, each carrying bundles of plastic bags. The father is carrying more bags than the others and a flat-screen TV. As they rush back from the frontline, he becomes dizzy and leans against a wall for support, sweating heavily. The group pauses. "This is all my life," he says to the fighters. "I worked for 30 years to buy an apartment. Will I be around for another 30 years to buy another one?" When they get back to the command centre, Abu Ali is still in a foul mood. "You were going to kill my men for this?" he says, gesturing at their bags. "All of you, get out of my area. I have a war to run." "We just wanted to check if anything was looted," the engineer says quietly. "Every single house has been looted," shouts Abu Ali. "And the [government] army has never been to this area. It is us who looted them!" Chez Abu AliLater, we walk to Abu Ali's house behind the frontline. He stops at the bottom of a flight of stairs and stands for a while in the cold next to a huge pile of rubbish, watching the distant bombs flashing over the dark city. Then he climbs up to his apartment. "Girls!" he shouts. "Girls!" The shrieks and screams of children carry out of the apartment. They come running to meet him, and he lifts the smallest on to his shoulder while another clings to his legs and the elder pulls him into their bedroom. "Father, we made a house for Squirrel," they shout excitedly. Squirrel the cat is shivering and scared, either from the continuous sounds of gunfire or from the bath the girls subject him to daily. Abu Ali sits on the floor, the three girls hanging from his neck like three little limpets. Um Ali arrives with a tray of food. Her kind, round face is wrapped in a pink scarf. Apart from the sound of shooting from down the street, it could be a typical Syrian family scene, with Abu Ali playing the harassed dad to a tee. The adult conversation is interrupted constantly by requests from the girls. The boy watches TV silently. "The kids live in the most dangerous area, but I feel safe. She makes me feel safe," he says, indicating his wife. "Daddy, make me a sandwich," says one of the girls. "Can't you get it yourself? I'm trying to talk to your mother." "Baba, can I talk into your radio?" Abu Ali's brothers had actively opposed the rule of Bashar al-Assad's father, Hafez, joining the Muslim Brotherhood in the 80s. In their fight against the state, one of the brothers was killed and another spent 15 years in jail. Abu Ali chose a different path, training to be an assistant engineer. He got a job with the government. Life was good. "I had a good income, my own car and my own house," he says. "My kids used to go to the best schools and we had a perfect family life. "When Bashar [al-Assad] came to power I disagreed with my father and brother. I said he would be good, that things would change." But little did change, and when the revolution came in 2011, Abu Ali was one of the first people to take up arms in Aleppo. With a group of friends he formed a small armed unit to target security forces. "See this pistol," he says, pulling the weapon from his belt and placing it on the floor. "The first bullet in Aleppo was fired from this pistol." The small girl grabs at the shiny gun but he snatches it away. "I knew there wouldn't be a revolution without violence, and the people of Aleppo needed someone to drag them into the revolution." "He was the first who carried weapons and I encouraged him," says Um Ali, who trained as a mechanical engineer. "His parents and family blamed me and still blame me. He was hesitant in the beginning because he had three children, but I encouraged him. "He used to go out without telling me where, but I knew it was to do with the revolution. I used to pray for him and felt ashamed in front of God because I was praying only for him." He has been hit several times in the fighting: he shows two shrapnel wounds on his head and pulls up his T-shirt to reveal a depression under his right shoulder blade where a machine gun bullet struck him. He is often referred to as the "majnoon" – the madman – for his reckless bravery. "Revolution, ah, what do you know of the revolution?" he asks her. "I said from the start that it wouldn't finish until the whole country was turned into ruins." He stirs his tea with the sugar spoon, and she admonishes him. "Sorry, sorry, I forget that here I am not the military commander any more." "This is what I know of the revolution," says Um Ali in her quiet, deep voice. "You run from shop to shop looking for things. But the pharmacies are empty. The grocery stores are empty. We toured half of Aleppo to try to find a bucket of yoghurt. This is revolution. "You don't have to work for the regime to be a shabiha," she says, referring to the hated pro-government militias. "The grocer who raises the price of the vegetables is a shabiha. "The fighting is there," she nods her head towards the window, "but how do you feed your kids and give them a normal life in the middle of this? We used to know how our days started and ended. Now I can't afford to think ahead. We just want to end the day alive." Her voice is calm but her hands tremble as she fetches another cigarette. The children are now mesmerised by the TV. "War is a moment of life frozen. Our lives have stopped. They haven't been to school, but life is moving on for them. Even before the fighting started I used to go to sleep waiting for the security forces to come and arrest him. I gave the kids cough medicine to sleep so they wouldn't wake up when they stormed into the house." Sarah, the little daughter, is asleep in her mother's lap, wrapped in a brown shawl. Abu Ali lifts her and carries her to bed. "I deserve a rest," says Um Ali. "I am too tired." Abu Ali goes to the small kitchen and squats before a small stove, boiling another pot of thick Turkish coffee. "Now I will sit with her," he says. "We will lie on the mattress, turn off the light and talk about what happened today. This my favourite moment of the day." He goes back to the room carrying the pot. Um Ali is staring at the floor, her cigarette burning slowly between her fingers. Outside, the pop-pop sound of gunfire has ceased. "I am scared of the silence," she says. "I feel something bad will happen. When they are shooting, I know we are safe." Two enemiesAbu Ali decides to attack the government forces, not only to give the impression they are strong and not lacking ammunition, but also to show the other battalions he is still active. "I tell you I face two enemies now – the battalions and the government." He stands with five of his gunmen behind a wall. He is carrying a heavy machine gun, its bandolier of bullets wrapped around his chest. The plan is simple and bold: attack the government forces face to face. They will not be expecting that, he says. "All our fighting had been with snipers for the past two weeks." As the battle rages and the volume of gunfire rises to deafening levels, Abu Ali stands in the middle of a window, exposed to the army, and fires his machine gun. His men are hiding behind walls trying to support him. Bullets fly all around him. Afterwards, back in his parent's half-ruined house, the men's morale is sky-high. In his adrenaline rush Abu Ali jokes and laughs with them. He sits on the floor listening to old Syrian musicians singing love songs, and the men talk about the battle. "I still can't believe that this was my mother's room, and now look at all of the men sitting there," Abu Ali says. "Ah, how I jumped when a bit of exploded bullet hit my ass," he laughs. "I swear we killed at least four." The Taliban and al-Qaida should employ him, he jokes, because of his experience. "Mullah Omar and [Ayman al-] Zawahiri should buy me for all the battles I have been through, just like Barcelona bought Messi." He continues in a serious tone: "For a week I told them not to shoot, but to preserve their ammunition. Now when they see we have burned 500 bullets in half an hour, they will think we have new supplies. It's a game of poker." By the time he reaches home, Abu Ali's elation has left him. He sits with one leg on the ground, the other resting on the sofa, lost in thought. Sarah comes up to him and he pushes her away. "We had a fight today," he tells his wife, like someone reporting the day's work. "I know, my love. I know the sound of your bullets." After dinner he becomes reflective: "I mix everything. Filth with honesty. Street language with religion. I have mixed all the revolutions in me. I am the Bolshevik revolution, the French revolution. I am the modern Guevara. "Do you know, I am so special. My wife hates it when I say this, but I have had angels fight with me. Many times. In battle, I can feel myself flying," he says. "Flying above the ground."
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mariano Rajoy has defended his austerity package at an end-of-year press conference, and reiterated that he's not planning to ask for a bailout
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We round up the big losers in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, the Olympics, golf & more
Who were the winners of 2012? Find out here Oh sure, everybody says "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game". But nobody really believes it. Sports are all about winning and losing. So as 2012 comes to a close, it's time to separate the year's winners and losers in US sports. Here, we consider the losers. For the winners, click here. Obviously the list is incomplete, so feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments. The NHLThe Los Angeles Kings should have made the "winners" list after winning the Stanley Cup, but it's hard to call a group of people "winners" when they end the year looking for work elsewhere. The NHL is in its second lockout of the last decade, one that's threatening to further damage an over-expanded league that is battling declining television ratings. For the casual fan, hockey might as well be the McRib, popping in and out of the public eye at seemingly random intervals, tracked by a cult of hardcore fans who have learned to accept the fact that it will eventually disappear again. Hope remains that a shortened season will be possible, but that hope seems to be growing dimmer with each fruitless meeting between the owners and the players. The turning point for many was when the league cancelled the 2013 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the outdoor hockey match that may be the greatest thing to happen to the NHL since the last lockout. After that announcement, hockey fans' moods shifted from skepticism to resignation. While many NHL players went overseas to continue playing, stadium workers were forced to look for work, businesses surrounding stadiums took a hit and hockey writers resorted to covering video-game simulations of an NHL season. The silver lining is that people still care enough to be upset, but how long will that last? Gary Bettman and Donald FehrYeah this should go along with the entry above. But NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association head executive Donald Fehr really deserve to be singled out. Just for extra emphasis. Lance ArmstrongYou and I now have as many Tour de France victories as Lance Armstrong. Although the news that a pro cyclist took performance-enhancing drugs is not exactly shocking, the information that came out after years of investigation painted such a negative picture of a once inspirational figure that Armstrong lost not only much of his public support but nearly all of his major endorsements. Armstrong's legacy is murky even for the modern era: how does it tarnish the good he has done with the LiveStrong organization? Does it at all? Does the fact that many of his competitors were doping alter the perceived "taintedness" of the Tour de France victories? And if Armstrong didn't win those races, who did? Did anyone really win here? Dwight HowardDwight Howard continued to be the best center in the NBA, but the man carried bad vibes with him all through the calender year, from the east coast to the west. First he held the Orlando Magic hostage, demanding and then dropping trade requests all the way to the deadline. Basketball Hamlet then attempted to get Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy fired, tried to deny it minutes after Van Gundy revealed it to the press and then, not too long after, had season-ending surgery right before the start of the postseason, dooming his soon-to-be-former team to a first-round exit. Van Gundy was gone shortly thereafter. The "Dwightmare" (because NBA things demand pun-based names) ended for everyone when the Magic traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a four-team deal. With Howard aboard, a Lakers team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash was expected to dominate the Western Conference. Instead, the Lakers had trouble beating anybody, thanks partly to injuries to Gasol and Nash and partly to poor team chemistry. For the second time in a handful of months, Howard found himself in the midst of a coaching change as the Lakers replaced Mike Brown with Mike D'Antoni. The move offered no quick fix as the Lakers continued to flounder. Bobby ValentineWho thought this was a good idea? In September 2011, the Boston Red Sox went from being one of the best teams in the league to lying outside the playoff picture. In response to this unprecedented collapse, they fired popular manager Terry Francona, whose player-friendly style was seen as a root cause of their September performance, and replaced him with the combustible Valentine, who had not held a coaching job in the Major Leagues since the early 2000s. Long story short: Valentine alienated his players, alienated the media (although Boston media may have that coming to them), alienated the fans, lost a bunch of games, lost his mind and finally, mercifully, lost the job. In the offseason, the Red Sox signed Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell, the guy they wanted all along. Farrell will undoubtedly find it easier to replace Valentine than Francona. PhiladelphiaIt all started when backup quarterback Vince Young called the 2011-12 Philadelphia Eagles a "Dream Team" during preseason. The football gods did not take kindly to this and the injury plagued Eagles went 8-8 and failed to make the playoffs. Coming into 2012-13, ownership promised severe changes if the Eagles ended with the same record. The good news is that's there's no chance of that, the bad news is that it's because the Eagles have lost more often this season. Michael Vick, the former dynamic quarterback and world's most controversial dog owner, is probably not coming back and neither is coach Andy Reid, who has had to deal with tragedy off the field. It's not at all sunny in the rest of Philadelphia, either. The Phillies failed to make the playoffs a year after assembling one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball, and now find themselves old and saddled with long contracts (hello, Ryan Howard). The 76ers took the Boston Celtics to seven incredibly hard-to-watch games in the second round of the NBA playoffs before being eliminated. After their exit, they traded away Andre Iguodola in the Dwight Howard megadeal and got back Andrew Bynum, whose injuries turned out to be so severe that there's doubt that he will play a meaningful game in a 76ers uniform. The Flyers do not exist at the moment. It may be a rough time for Philadelphia, but at least their fans are known for their patience. Right? BoxingManny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr are not walking through that door, at least to fight each other. The kids are all watching MMA, Mike Tyson is best recognized as an actor and even Larry Merchant has finally retired. People are learning way more about brain injuries than they ever even cared to know. Boxing has been in decline for years in America, but until very recently there was some talk of a Pacquiao/Mayweather matchup that would revive the sport. When, in a shocking upset, Juan Manuel Márquez knocked out Pacquiao late in the year, it may have been a sign that it is too late for boxing's dream fight. If it does happen, there's a sense it would be the Freddy vs Jason of boxing matches: a fight between two formidable opponents, just past their prime, for an audience that no longer cares as it once did. The US Ryder Cup teamSo that's what it's like being on the other end of a miracle. Team USA's Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker combined to blow a huge lead on the final day of the Ryder Cup, handing a 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 victory to Europe. In Europe, this was known as the Miracle at Medinah – in the US, the response was more "whatever, the whole idea of team golf sounds a little too socialist". In the fallout, USA captain Davis Love III took to Sports Illustrated to write an extended mea culpa for what he, puzzlingly, still called one of the best experiences of career. Perhaps Love, like most golfers, has a masochistic streak in him. (Note: this still is one of the less embarrassing things to happen to Tiger Woods in the last few years.) Alex RodriguezWhen a beloved player begins to decline, it's sad. When it's a player like the New York Yankees' third baseman, the response is closer to barely suppressed glee. In the playoffs, manager Joe Girardi benched A-Rod, first in favor of a red-hot Raul Ibanez and then in favor of a frozen-solid Eric Chavez. After the Detroit Tigers swept the Yankees away, Rodriguez announced that he would be out for much of 2013 while recovering from a hip injury, forcing the signing of the former Red Sox hothead Kevin Youkilis – to the displeasure of both fanbases. Rodriguez's uninspiring quest to catch up with Barry Bonds' home-run record now seems unrealistic. Chances are we're about to witness the long decline of one of the sport's most famous players. The only people who will be shedding any tears are the Streinbrenners, when they're signing his checks. Replacement officialsNegotiations between the NFL and the NFL referees' union were at a standstill at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, so the fates of the NFL teams were placed in the hands of referees called up from lower-division colleges, high schools and even the Lingerie Football League (which is exactly what it sounds like). To put it mildly, the replacement officials were out of their league. It all came to a fittingly absurd end when the Seattle Seahawks won a game against the Green Bay Packers by throwing a touchdown that wasn't. In what was surely just a coincidence, the real refs were back on the field by next Sunday. There was such relief that Ed Hochuli and his guns appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Thankfully for the universe, a few months later it was totally OK to hate on NFL officials again, especially if you were a Detroit Lions fan. OK, it was fun, but it's over, even if ESPN desperately wanted it to go on forever. When you can't win a job over Mark Sanchez on a dysfunctional Jets team going nowhere, you are no longer allowed to be a cultural phenomenon. Rob LoweThe actor made news when he tweeted that he had heard from a trusted source that Peyton Manning was going to retire after being injured all season. Instead, Manning recovered from neck surgery and moved to the Denver Broncos, where he ended Tebowmania, carried his team into a playoff berth and put himself in the MVP mix. Whoops. Luckily, Rob Lowe has that whole acting thing to fall back on if the sports reporter gig falls through. Loved you in The Stand. Roger GoodellHe overstepped his boundaries in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. He made a lot of rule changes under the guise of "player safety" while attempting to expand the number of games being played and championing Thursday night games on short rest, alienating everyone on both sides of the debate. He tried to sell the public on the replacement refs and he ended up having to crawl back to the bargaining table. There's no denying that Roger Goodell had a terrible 2012. Honorable mentions The "new look" Miami Marlins (for their old look fire sale); the Charlotte Bobcats (for being basketball's Houston Astros); Skip Bayless (for being wrong on LeBron, wrong on Tebow and wrong for America); Joe Posnanski's Joe Paterno bio (for the world's worst timing); the Houston Astros (for being baseball's Charlotte Bobcats); Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (for having to survive a second Obama term); the infield fly rule; shutting down healthy pitchers before the playoffs; and wide receivers with reality shows.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Prison doctor Dmitry Kratov was only person charged in case that has driven wedge between Russia and US A Russian court has cleared the only person charged in the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer whose death in custody three years ago has driven a wedge between Russia and the US. American outcry over the death in 2009 led to US legislation aimed at punishing those responsible. Russia retaliated with a ban on Americans adopting Russian children, which President Vladimir Putin signed into law on Friday morning. Dmitry Kratov, a doctor in the prison where Magnitsky was held, was the only person charged over the death. Several other officials accused of involvement have been awarded promotions. On Friday a judge in Moscow found Kratov not guilty of negligence. Fewer than 1% of Russians on trial each year are acquitted. Magnitsky, a lawyer for the London-based investor William Browder, was arrested in 2008 while investigating state corruption and died in prison the following year after developing pancreatitis that was left untreated. An investigation by the Kremlin's human rights council also found that he had been severely beaten. Pointing to the absence of a full investigation in Russia, Browder helped lobby for a new US law that forbids Russians allegedly involved in the death from travelling to or keeping bank accounts in the US, dubbed the Magnitsky Act. Russia responded with its own law forbidding Americans from adopting Russian children. That triggered condemnation inside Russia, where critics have accused the government of being "cannibalistic" and damaging the prospects of the country's orphans. The UN estimates that about 740,000 children in Russia are without parental custody. Putin's foreign and education ministers are among those who have spoken out against the law. In a statement the US state department said it regretted Russia's new law. "American families have adopted over 60,000 Russian children over the past 20 years, and the vast majority of these children are now thriving thanks to their parents' loving support. The Russian government's politically motivated decision will reduce adoption possibilities for children who are now under institutional care," it said. Last week at a press conference Putin defended the legislation as an appropriate response to the Magnitsky Act, which he dubbed an "anti-Russian" law. At the time of his arrest Magnitsky was investigating an alleged $230m (£143m) tax fraud by tax and interior ministry officials. He was left to die while awaiting trial. Dmitry Medvedev, now prime minister, made repeated calls for a full investigation during his presidency, to no effect. Magnitsky's supporters appear to have lost hope for an independent investigation inside Russia. His mother, Natalia Magnitskaya, boycotted Friday's hearing, saying in a statement: "Participation in this court hearing would have been humiliating for me. I understand that everything has been decided in advance and everything has been predetermined." Kratov pleaded not guilty to charges of negligence, arguing that he was unable to ensure medical care for Magnitsky because of a shortage of staff.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Foreign Office says upgrade for college in settlement of Ariel will prove an obstacle to peace in the region The British government has warned that the official authorisation of Israel's first settlement university will create another hurdle in the peace process. Israel's defence secretary, Ehud Barak, approved the upgrade of a college in the settlement of Ariel, 11 miles inside the West Bank, earlier this week. In a statement released on Thursday, the British foreign office minister Alistair Burt said the UK was deeply disappointed by the decision. "Ariel is beyond the Green Line in a settlement that is illegal according to international law. This decision will deepen the presence of the settlements in the Palestinian territories and will create another obstacle to peace," the statement said. Burt repeated the government's call for Israel to reverse a recent spate of settlement expansion plans, saying it should "take no further steps aimed at expanding or entrenching settlement activity". A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry said it was "disappointing to see that a [UK Foreign Office] minister should adopt the contested Palestinian position hook, line and sinker, thus adding controversy where it is already in excess". Britain and other European countries have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of Israel's plans to build thousands of new homes in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They say such expansion threatens the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. An internal analysis paper prepared by Israel's foreign ministry has warned that the European Union may press for the establishment of a Palestinian state independent of negotiations in 2013. According to a report in Haaretz, the paper said: "A growing understanding can be seen in the EU of the ineffectiveness of the current process. "This understanding is accompanied by repeated calls to find new channels of progress … The emphasis from their perspective is not on actual direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but rather on the essential need to move ahead quickly to a permanent-status solution, because the EU recognises that without a solution, things could go downhill on the ground." European diplomats in Jerusalem have warned that 2013 could be the last chance for the creation of a Palestinian state. Officials at Israel's foreign ministry are concerned about the country's growing isolation internationally, but fear there is a gap between their position and the stance taken by Israel's political leadership.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Former Italian prime minister had reportedly offered Veronica Lario €300,000 a month Three years after Silvio Berlusconi's wife walked out on him over his alleged frolicking with teenage girls, the former Italian prime minister has reportedly been ordered to pay her €3m a month in a divorce settlement. The climax of the long-simmering divorce battle – reported by Italy's Corriere della Sera – follows Berlusconi's offer of just €300,000 a month to the former actress Veronica Lario, whom he married in 1990 after divorcing his first wife. Although Lario had demanded €43m a year, higher than the €36m awarded, the judge's ruling is heavily in her favour. Lario denounced her husband in 2009, saying: "I cannot stay with a man who frequents minors," after he was snapped attending the birthday party of the aspiring TV showgirl Noemi Letizia, then 18. Lario, who has had three children with Berlusconi, also described his attempt to send female TV starlets to the European parliament as "shameless rubbish" and entertainment fit for "an emperor". Since their separation, Berlusconi has been engulfed by allegations of sex with prostitutes and his so-called Bunga Bunga parties in Milan. Female guests at the parties have revealed in court that Berlusconi still sends them regular cheques for thousands of euros. As he hits the campaign trail, Berlusconi has claimed he is in a steady relationship with Francesca Pasquale, a former TV showgirl and member of his political party who is 27, almost 50 years his junior and younger than his oldest daughter. That claim was challenged this month by Katarina Knezevic, a former Miss Montenegro, who reportedly attended Berlusconi's parties and said Pasquale had been given a contract to appear at Berlusconi's side. Knezevic, 22, told the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano that she was Berlusconi's true love and would marry him, adding: "I will kill for him and die for him."
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Porsche shares surge after ruling, but analysts say case was dismissed on technicality and other lawsuits are ongoing Porsche shares have surged after it won a dismissal of a US lawsuit by 26 hedge funds, one of several legal actions over its purchase of shares in Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker. Porsche shares were trading 6.3% higher on Friday morning, but analysts said the German company's triumph in court hinged on a legal formality rather than the substance of the case. On Thursday, a five-justice panel of the New York state appeals court in Manhattan found Porsche had established that the state was the wrong place in which to bring the lawsuit. The hedge funds now have 30 days to decide whether to pursue the case in the court of appeals, New York's highest state court. "The decision is made with regard to the jurisdiction and not on a claim itself," the DZ Bank analyst Michael Punzet said, adding that other lawsuits seeking damages were ongoing. A $2bn lawsuit (£1.25bn) brought by other hedge funds in a US federal court is pending. Porsche was not immediately available for comment on Friday. The company has previously said the hedge funds' lawsuits are without factual or legal merit. Last week, prosecutors in Porsche's hometown of Stuttgart announced market manipulation charges against the former chief executive, Wendelin Wiedeking, and the former chief financial officer, Holger Härter, tied to VW share purchases. The defendants' lawyers denied wrongdoing by their clients. In the case dismissed by the New York state appeals court, hedge funds including Glenhill Capital, David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital and Chase Coleman's Tiger Global had accused Porsche of causing more than $1bn of losses by cornering the market in VW shares. The funds accused Porsche of engineering a "massive short squeeze" in October 2008 by quietly buying nearly all freely traded ordinary VW shares in a bid to take over the company, despite publicly stating it had no plans to take a 75% stake. When Porsche revealed it had amassed control of roughly three-quarters of VW, shares of VW soared, briefly making the Wolfsburg-based carmaker the world's biggest company by market value. The surge caused losses for hedge funds that had bet on a decline in the stock price. Wiedeking's attempts to take over VW overwhelmed Porsche's finances, forcing it to sell its sportscar business Porsche AG to VW instead.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Foreign Office says proposal for college in settlement of Ariel will prove an obstacle to peace in the region The British government has warned that the official authorisation of Israel's first settlement university will create another hurdle in the peace process. Israel's defence secretary, Ehud Barak, approved the upgrade of a college in the settlement of Ariel, 11 miles inside the West Bank, earlier this week. In a statement released on Thursday, FCO minister Alistair Burt said the UK was deeply disappointed by the decision. "Ariel is beyond the green line in a settlement that is illegal according to international law. This decision will deepen the presence of the settlements in the Palestinian territories and will create another obstacle to peace," the statement said. Burt also repeated London's call for Israel to reverse a recent spate of settlement expansion plans, saying it should "take no further steps aimed at expanding or entrenching settlement activity". Britain and other European countries have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of Israel's plans to build thousands of new homes in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They say such settlement expansion threatens the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. An internal analysis paper prepared by Israel's foreign ministry has warned that the European Union may press for the establishment of a Palestinian state independent of negotiations in 2013. According to a report in Haaretz, the paper said: "A growing understanding can be seen in the EU of the ineffectiveness of the current process. "This understanding is accompanied by repeated calls to find new channels of progress ... The emphasis from their perspective is not on actual direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but rather on the essential need to move ahead quickly to a permanent-status solution, because the EU recognises that without a solution, things could go downhill on the ground." European diplomats in Jerusalem have warned that 2013 could be the last chance for the creation of a Palestinian state. Officials at Israel's foreign ministry are concerned about the country's growing isolation internationally, but fear there is a gap between their position and the stance taken by Israel's political leadership.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Beijing responds to the Guardian's investigation that around one third of anti-malaria treatments were counterfeit China has denied allegations that it has been exporting huge amounts of counterfeit medication to Africa, threatening public health in east Africa, five days after the Guardian published a front page exposé on the phenomenon. The official Xinhua news agency said a foreign ministry spokeswoman rejected the accusation, but "called on foreign traders to procure medicines from legitimate companies through standardised channels". "Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing that the accusations are unfounded, noting that co-operation between the Chinese government and African countries has played an important role in improving the healthcare environment for people in Africa," Xinhua reported on Thursday night. The Guardian article cited experts and NGO reports as saying that up to a third of anti-malarial drugs in Uganda and Tanzania may be fake or substandard, and that the majority of them are manufactured in China and India. The drugs look identical to real ones, and can only be distinguished with lab testing. Aside from malaria drugs, analysis of antibiotics and contraceptives have also turned up fakes. "Some pills contain no active ingredients, some are partial strength and some the wrong formulation entirely," said the article. The fake medications have led to deaths, prolonged illness and increased drug resistance in areas of east Africa, the article said. A Chinese foreign ministry official refused to specify which parts of the Guardian article the ministry disputed. She said that the repudiations were aimed at the question of counterfeit drug exports, not the article specifically. Counterfeit drugs are an endemic and long-running issue in China. According to official statements, Chinese police seized £113m worth of fake pharmaceuticals this July alone and £19m worth last November. Many ingredients were found to be harmful or toxic. According to Xinhua, the foreign ministry spokeswoman "stressed that China always attaches great importance to drug safety and resolutely cracks down on the manufacture and sale of counterfeit drugs" and defended Beijing's record of providing healthcare aid to African countries.
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Government makes bold move after criticism it is out of touch and ignored public revulsion over violence against women The Indian government is to publish the names, photographs and addresses of thousands of convicted sex offenders in a bid to tackle a wave of sexual violence against women, and head off growing anger at what has been seen as an inadequate and tardy response by elderly political leaders out of touch with a rapidly changing society. The controversial measure, announced by the minister of state for home affairs, RPN Singh, is to start in the capital, where angry protests sparked by the gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student 10 days ago are continuing. The victim of the hour-long attack, who suffered serious internal injuries, has now been moved to a specialist hospital in Singapore. Her condition remains critical. Police chiefs and officials are to meet activists and experts on Friday to discuss implementation of the scheme. "We are planning to start the process [of identification] in Delhi. Photographs, names and addresses of the rapists will be uploaded on the Delhi police website also," Singh told reporters. There are fears that identifying convicted rapists will lead to vigilante attacks. Others point out that with a conviction rate averaging 25% nationwide for rape cases, many charges taking several years to reach court and enormous numbers of incidents going unreported, the measure can only have a limited effect. Women's rights campaigners have however backed the idea. "It is true that there is a risk of such attacks but at the moment it is the victim who has to suffer the shame and social ostracism," said Ranjana Kumari, director of Delhi's Centre for Social Research. "She can't get married, for example. This will make sure the rapist is shamed. He won't get a job, or somewhere to live and will be cut off from society. This is a powerful deterrent," Kumari, who is also a member of the national commission for empowerment of women, told The Guardian. Authorities, already under fire for their failure to prevent the original attack, which took place on a Sunday evening in a bus moving on busy public roads, are now under pressure for their mishandling of the protests around India. Images of riot police beating back demonstrators carrying placards with slogans against violence who have attempted to reach parliament, the president's official residence and the official homes of top officials in the centre of Delhi, have reinforced the impression of an uncaring, out-of-touch government. Earlier this week, Abhijit Mukherjee, the president's son and an MP with the ruling Congress party, was forced to apologise after calling protestors "painted women" who "have little connection with ground reality" and "have nothing better to do". The incident has revealed deep fissures within Indian society. Described as "eve teasing", sexual harassment is endemic and rape systematically blamed on irresponsible women behaving in ways that are "un-Indian". Police routinely ignore complaints of sexual violence; senior officers have even suggested women fight rape by hurling chilli powder at their attackers. Bollywood films typically feature an initially distant girl who finally gives in to her determined, and often physically aggressive, suitor. "India is currently in a Twilight Zone, when the traditional social norms have lost their resonance while modern values based on individual liberty have not yet gained acceptance," said the financial newspaper Mint, in an editorial. The six men responsible for the incident in Delhi included a driver of an unlicensed private bus, a vegetable seller and an assistant in a gym. Most had grown up in deeply conservative parts of rural India before moving to the capital. One consequence of the focus on sexual violence against women in the media in recent days has been coverage of incidents that normally would either be relegated to local editions of newspapers or not be covered at all. A second alleged gang rape, this time of a 42-year-old woman, in a moving vehicle in Delhi made headlines. All major TV channels on Thursday reported the suicide of an 18-year-old woman near Patiala, a town in the north-western Punjab province two weeks after a serious sexual assault. When she told local police she had been raped by three men from her village, their response was to jeer, relatives said. Officials have admitted a case was only registered – the first step in a criminal investigation in India – after her suicide last month. And in Bhopal, a 21-year-old has told police she was raped in the office of a senior politician six weeks ago. Among demands by protesters are more severe punishments for rapists, including the death penalty. However laws protecting women are already on Indian statute books, the problem is haphazard implementation. Kumari, one of those who suggested the public sex offenders' register, said she was pleased by the government's move but disappointed that finances devoted to women's schemes had been cut at a meeting earlier this week. "How are they going to make all these ideas to protect women work if they are not going to fund them? There is a fundamental lack of priority and political intent," she said.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New GDP data shows French economy barely grew in last quarter, as eurozone fell into recession
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Woman whose assault in New Delhi sparked nationwide protests has suffered significant brain injury, Singapore hospital says An Indian gang rape victim whose assault in Delhi triggered nationwide protests earlier this month has suffered significant brain injury and is surviving against the odds, the Singapore hospital treating her said. The 23-year-old medical student, who was severely beaten, raped for almost an hour and thrown out of a moving bus on 16 December, was flown to Singapore 10 days later for specialist treatment. "The patient is currently struggling against the odds, and fighting for her life," Mount Elizabeth hospital's chief executive officer, Kelvin Loh, said in a statement on Friday. "Our medical team's investigations upon her arrival at the hospital yesterday showed that in addition to her prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen as well as significant brain injury." The woman had undergone three abdominal operations before arriving in Singapore, where her condition on Thursday was described as extremely critical. Protests over the lack of safety for women erupted across India after the attack on the unnamed woman, culminating last weekend in pitched battles between police and demonstrators in the heart of the capital. The outrage over the case, which caught the government off guard, triggered a blame game between politicians and the police. "We share the anguish and anger with the country over this heinous crime," the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, told reporters on Friday. "Our prayers are with the brave young girl and the best possible medical care is being provided to her." Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures. Government data shows the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17% between 2007 and 2011.
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Woman whose assault in New Delhi sparked nationwide protests has suffered significant brain injury, Singapore hospital says An Indian gang rape victim whose assault in New Delhi triggered nationwide protests earlier this month has suffered "significant brain injury" and is surviving against the odds, the Singapore hospital treating her says. The 23-year-old medical student, who was severely beaten, raped for almost an hour and thrown out of a moving bus on 16 December, was flown to Singapore ten days later for specialist treatment. "The patient is currently struggling against the odds, and fighting for her life," Mount Elizabeth hospital's chief executive officer, Kelvin Loh, said in a statement on Friday. "Our medical team's investigations upon her arrival at the hospital yesterday showed that in addition to her prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen as well as significant brain injury." The woman had undergone three abdominal operations before arriving in Singapore, where her condition on Thursday was described as "extremely critical". Protests over the lack of safety for women erupted across India after the attack on the unnamed woman, culminating last weekend in pitched battles between police and demonstrators in the heart of the capital. The outrage over the case, which caught the government off-guard, triggered a blame game between politicians and the police. "We share the anguish and anger with the country over this heinous crime," the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, told reporters on Friday. "Our prayers are with the brave young girl and the best possible medical care is being provided to her." New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures. Government data shows the number of reported rape cases in the country rose by nearly 17% between 2007 and 2011.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Highly decorated US general led the troops during the 1991 Gulf war and became known as 'Stormin' Norman'
  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The commander of the allied forces in the 1991 Gulf war earned the nickname Stormin' Norman General Norman Schwarzkopf who commanded allied forces in the 1991 Gulf war has died at the age of 78 in Tampa, Florida. Schwarzkopf, who was given the nickname of Stormin' Norman, led the invasion of Iraq and expelled Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991. The highly decorated general lived in retirement in Tampa, where he had served in his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of United States Central Command, responsible for American forces from the eastern Mediterranean and Africa to Pakistan. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1991 to punish it for allegedly stealing Iraqi oil reserves, Schwarzkopf commanded Operation Desert Storm, the coalition of some 30 countries organised by president George HW Bush that succeeded in driving the Iraqis out. "General Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomised the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said in a statement. "More than that, he was a good and decent man and a dear friend." At the peak of his postwar national celebrity, Schwarzkopf, a self-proclaimed political independent, rejected suggestions that he run for office, and remained far more private than other generals. While focused primarily in his later years on charitable enterprises, he campaigned for president George W Bush in 2000 but was ambivalent about the 2003 invasion of Iraq, saying he doubted victory would be as easy as the White House and Pentagon predicted. In early 2003 he told the Washington Post the outcome was an unknown. "What is postwar Iraq going to look like, with the Kurds and the Sunnis and the Shiites? That's a huge question, to my mind. It really should be part of the overall campaign plan," he said. Initially Schwarzkopf had endorsed the invasion, saying he was convinced that former secretary of state Colin Powell had given the United Nations powerful evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. After that proved false, he said decisions to go to war should depend on what UN weapons inspectors found. He seldom spoke up during the conflict, but in late 2004, he sharply criticised then defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon for mistakes that included inadequate training for Army reservists sent to Iraq and for erroneous judgments about Iraq. "In the final analysis I think we are behind schedule. ... I don't think we counted on it turning into jihad (holy war)," he said in an NBC interview. Schwarzkopf was born 24 August 1934, in Trenton, New Jersey, where his father, Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr, founder and commander of the New Jersey State Police, was then leading the investigation of the Lindbergh kidnap case. He graduated from West Point in 1956 with an engineering degree following stints of study abroad. He earned a master's degree in engineering at the University of Southern California and later taught missile engineering at West Point. In 1966 Schwarzkopf volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours, first as a US adviser to south Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the US Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valour including one for saving troops from a minefield plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals. While many career officers left military service embittered by Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was among those who opted to stay and help rebuild the tattered Army into a potent, modernised all-volunteer force. Although reputed to be short-tempered with aides and subordinates, Schwarzkopf was a friendly, talkative and even jovial figure who didn't like Stormin' Norman and preferred to be known as the Bear, a sobriquet given him by troops. While he later avoided the public second-guessing by academics and think tank experts over the ambiguous outcome of the 1991 Gulf War and its impact on the later invasion he told the Washington Post in 2003, "You can't help but... with 20/20 hindsight, go back and say, 'Look, had we done something different, we probably wouldn't be facing what we are facing today.'" After retiring from the Army in 1992, Schwarzkopf wrote anautobiography, It Doesn't Take A Hero. Of his Gulf war role, he said, "I like to say I'm not a hero. I was lucky enough to lead a very successful war." Schwarzkopf was a national spokesman for prostate cancer awareness and for Recovery of the Grizzly Bear, served on the Nature Conservancy board of governors and was active in various charities for chronically ill children. "I may have made my reputation as a general in the Army and I'm very proud of that," he once told the AP. "But I've always felt that I was more than one-dimensional. I'd like to think I'm a caring human being. ... It's nice to feel that you have a purpose." Schwarzkopf and his wife, Brenda, had three children: Cynthia, Jessica and Christian.
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