The Guardian World News

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• Police chiefs: we will lose 28,000 staff through cuts
• Obama ups pressure over no-fly zone
• US restarts Guantánamo Bay trials
• PM has 'full confidence' in Andrew
• Elite unis must double access funds
• Afghanistan lets Blackwater stay
• Republican urges terror hearings
• 23 oil workers abducted in Colombia
• Palestinian diplomatic status raised
• Berlusconi undergoes face surgery
• Mexican police chief Valles fired
• Couple murdered in N Ireland
• China closes Tibet to tourists
• Spain lowers speed to cut fuel bill
• 100 of the world's most inspirational women
• Cliff to record with soul legends
• Rupert Murdoch at 80
• Facebook links up with Samaritans
• Paris fashion: Return to normality
• Putting disability centre stage
• Norman Foster back in Hong Kong
• Is Jamie's Dream School a success?

Police chiefs: we will lose 28,000 staff through cuts Posted: 07 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PST Officer numbers predicted to fall by 12,000 – with crime-hit urban areas to be most affected by government cuts Police chiefs have privately told ministers that a total of 28,000 jobs will be lost from the 43 forces in England and Wales because of government funding cuts, the Guardian has learned. The confidential calculation from the Association of Chief Police Officers is the most authoritative so far about the effects on police numbers caused by a 20% reduction in government grants, and the first from police chiefs to be made public. It predicts the number of officers will fall by 12,000, while civilian staff will have to be cut by 16,000, several sources say. Urban areas, which have the highest crime rates, will be hit hardest because they are more reliant on government money, opening the coalition to charges that cuts will fall hardest on the poor areas. The figures come in one of the most tumultuous weeks for British policing in modern times and could herald a showdown with the government. The first part of the Winsor report into police pay will be released on Tuesday, with the government saying police will have to accept a cut in take-home pay in return for fewer job losses. On Thursday a review of public sector pensions by former Labour minister Lord Hutton will be released and is expected to ask police and other public sector workers to make increased contributions of hundreds of pounds a year. The moves could see officers 5-10% worse off, and come on top of a two-year pay freeze. Police officers say they already make the highest pension contributions of any group of public sector workers. Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, confirmed the figures to the Guardian. He said: "We will have fewer staff, the same or more demands, and will need to incentivise staff to produce higher quality." The government announced in October that police budgets face a cut of one fifth over four years as part of wider cuts. The Acpo figure contains mixed news for the government. It is lower than estimates around last year, with the Police Federation warning of 40,000 officers going. But the issue of police officer numbers is politically sensitive and Labour hopes to link cuts in police numbers to the government being soft on crime. According to Acpo, the cuts represent an 8% reduction in officer numbers over four years, with one in six civilian staff losing their jobs, representing an overall fall of just under 12% in overall staff numbers. By the end of last month police authorities were legally obliged to set their budgets. The figure of 12,000 police officers fewer will mean the first decisive fall in officers in over a decade, but will also mean there will still be more than in 1997, when Labour started increasing numbers. Over the weekend, the home secretary, Theresa May, who commissioned the report on police pay by former rail regulator Tom Winsor, claimed bigger savings could be made, totalling £1.8bn, by reducing inefficiencies and waste, and by freezing pay. She said: "We are working with police forces to identify savings that actually go beyond the reduction in the central policing grant in the next four years. The Acpo estimate of 28,000 job losses over four years is based on the actual cuts decided by the majority of police authorities, and some projections to cover those who have not settled on a final figure. Currently the police employ 244,000 people: 143,000 officers and 101,000 civilians. The West Midlands force faces an 18% cut in revenues, as the force gets 86.4% of funding direct from central government. Surrey gets only half its money from government, with the rest being raised locally, meaning the cut it faces is 10%. A government grant makes up 80% of the budget of the West Yorkshire force and the Greater Manchester force, 87.6% of the Northumbria force, and 81.8% of all funding of policing in Merseyside. The forces least reliant on government money are Surrey at 51.5%, Dorset at 55.6%, North Yorkshire at 56.2%, and Gloucestershire at 57.7%. Greater Manchester is losing 2,950 jobs over four years, and this year has to cut its budget by £49m. Surrey faces a £2.6m cut and says it will boost its officer numbers by 200 by the end of this year. Forces face extra difficulty in implementing cuts because the majority of them will have to be implemented in the first two years. Home Office figures show the cuts in the next financial year will be 6%, followed by 8% the next year, with the cuts falling to 4% in each of the years preceding the general election. Announcing the cuts in October last year, chancellor George Osborne said: "There will be no reduction in the availability and the visibility of policing." Ministers believe efficiency saving and reform of outdated practices such as bonuses and allowances will achieve high quality policing at a lower cost to the taxpayer. May said at the weekend: "I know that some will reject in principle the very idea of reviewing pay and conditions, but I remind them that those savings will save the jobs of thousands of police men and women." The government pledge to protect "front line policing" has run into an unforeseen problem, as there is no nationally agreed definition of what that exactly means. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is working on a definition of what front line actually means, given the growth in the different roles and functions modern day policing performs. Included in the definition of front line are first responders, neighbourhood officers, and those carrying out investigations. But the grey area covers roles such as community liaison officers and those involved in communications, such as radio systems, who have little or no visibility to the public, but whose work is deemed crucial to other parts of the service being able to work smoothly. HMIC has also visited forces to assess the risk of services being affected by the cuts. The assessments are currently private, but some are believed to be better prepared than others. Crime Police Public sector cuts Public services policy Public finance Vikram Dodd Alan Travis guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Obama ups pressure over no-fly zone Posted: 07 Mar 2011 01:28 PM PST Libyan leader told the US and Nato are weighing up a raft of military options, including arming the rebel forces Barack Obama has stepped up pressure on Colonel Gaddafi, saying the US and Nato allies were considering a military response to violence in Libya, with the list of options including arming the rebels. Obama's remarks came as Britain and France made progress in drafting a resolution at the UN calling for a no-fly zone triggered by specific conditions, rather than timelines. Downing Street is hopeful that a resolution with clear triggers such as the bombing of civilians would not be subject to a Russian veto at the security council. The foreign secretary, William Hague, told the Commons a no-fly zone would have to be supported by north African countries and rebel leaders and would also need an appropriate legal basis. He said he was looking at ways of restricting the money going to the Libyan regime from oil revenues, with one option being money going into an escrow account for the use of the Libyan people. Many Tory backbenchers voiced concerns about a no-fly zone, including the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, Richard Ottaway, who argued they had not worked in Bosnia or Iraq. The international shift towards support for a UN-endorsed no-fly zone has seen influential US senators such as John Kerry and John McCain backing the plan. There is growing concern that the rebels will be crushed unless they are given some practical military support, even if it is limited to disabling Libyan air control radar. Speaking at the White House, Obama said: "The violence that has been taking place and perpetrated by the government in Libya is unacceptable." He said Muammar Gaddafi's government "will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there". Last week Obama said Gaddafi must stand down. Behind the scenes, US officials are engaged in discussions at the UN and at Nato in Brussels on options ranging from cyber-warfare attacks to arms drops to the rebels, as proposed by some Republicans. There is at present an arms embargo on Libya. Meanwhile, a powerful US air and naval force is assembling off Libya. Kerry, chairman of the foreign relations committee, argued at the weekend that a no-fly zone would not amount to military intervention, adding: "One could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time." The Republican McCain is also pushing for a more proactive policy to support the rebels. Obama is believed to oppose US military intervention in Libya, partly because it could boost Gaddafi's standing. But if civilian deaths mount and the humanitarian crisis worsens, his hand may be forced. The US is also concerned that a golden chance to topple Gaddafi may be lost if the crisis is allowed to deteriorate into a low-intensity stalemate, with neither side able to best the other. Nato defence ministers will meet to discuss options on Thursday. An EU summit on the same subject is due on Friday. The language among British government officials is more positive than last week, perhaps reflecting less hostile noises coming out of Washington after distinctly cautious comments earlier from the US defence secretary, Robert Gates. Senior British military officials have warned David Cameron about the dangers of committing British forces to Libya when they may be needed in the event of crises in other countries, notably Bahrain and Oman, officials confirmed. The Gulf states, bases for British warships and aircraft, are of greater significance strategically for the UK than Libya, whose main interest is commercial, they indicated. Libya Barack Obama Middle East Muammar Gaddafi United States Simon Tisdall Patrick Wintour Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

US restarts Guantánamo Bay trials Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:48 PM PST Move marks departure from election promise to close camp and use civilian law to fight terrorism Barack Obama has given the green light to resume military trials of terror suspects detained at Guantánamo Bay, making a sharp departure from his election promises to close the camp and bring America's fight against terrorism back into the remit of civilian law. The US president lifted a suspension on so-called "military commissions" which he had imposed on his first full day in the White House. By so doing, he permitted the revival of trials conducted by military officers, with a military judge presiding. Obama also signed an executive order that moved to set into law the already existing practice on Guantánamo of holding detainees indefinitely without charge. The president sought to sweeten the pill among civil rights and liberal groups of the resumption of two of the most widely criticised aspects of George Bush's war on terror by emphasising that he still wished to see Guantánamo close. When he came into office in January 2009, he repeatedly promised to have the campclosed within one year. It was set up in the wake of 9/11 in 2001 and thereafter the war in Afghanistan. As another sweetener, he also defied Republican opposition and said he would continue to allow terror suspects to be tried in federal civilian courts, known as Article III courts, on the US mainland. "I strongly believe that the American system of justice is a key part of our arsenal in the war against al-Qaida and its affiliates. We will continue to draw on all aspects of our justice system including Article III courts to ensure that our security and our values are strengthened," he said. But civil rights groups condemned what they saw as a decision that flew in the face of the president's earlier promises to close the camp. "The irony could not be more pronounced," said Wells Dixon, a lawyer with the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR). "He came into office saying it was one of his national security priorities to close Guantánamo, yet he has now become one of the first presidents to codify a policy of indefinite detention." Critics see the resumption of the military trials as confirmation that Guantánamo will be closing no time soon. Under the executive orders allowing detention without charge, there is an in-built review process that allows cases to be reconsidered after the first year and then every four years thereafter. CCR said that was in itself a tacit admission that Guantánamo would remain a place of extra-judicial detention. Dixon said that the four-year reviews were also, in legal terms, strikingly similar to the so-called combatant status review tribunals set up by the Bush administration in 2005 and struck down by the supreme court as essentially unconstitutional in 2008. "This is creating a bureaucratic morass that will achieve nothing legally but will ensure Guantánamo remains open," he said. Some relatives of victims of the September 2001 attacks said that they were also disappointed by the resumption of military trials. Colleen Kelly, whose brother Bill Kelly Jr died in the Twin Towers on 9/11, said that she knew all too well how important it was to protect all people, not just Americans, from the threat of terrorism. "There are some seriously dangerous people being held in Guantánamo Bay, I think the world understands that. "But I think there's also a huge opportunity here being missed to show the world that not only does the US talk the talk, we walk the walk also." She said that the past nine years since 9/11 showed that the criminal system of justice had proven to be fully robust enough to deal with difficult terrorism cases. "There have been more than 170 successful anti-terror prosecutions in civilian courts since 9/11, which to me suggests they work." Some 172 detainees remain in Guantánamo, of whom fewer than 40 have been earmarked for trial in either criminal courts or military commissions. Before the military commissions were suspended by Obama, only a handful of cases were ever fully processed under them. Most of them involved guilty pleas, such as that of the Australian David Hicks who was returned to Australia after his conviction. Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's driver, was convicted by military tribunal in 2008 and was returned later that year to Yemen to serve the remainder of his five-and-a-half-year sentence. It is not yet clear how cases will be decided in terms of whether they should be heard in a civilian or military setting. The issue has become a political hot potato, with Republicans strenuously opposing the transfer of terror suspects to criminal courts on US soil. The revival of the military commissions is likely to stoke speculation surrounding Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected principal architect of 9/11. The Obama administration had announced that he would go on trial in a criminal court in New York, but the move provoked a storm of protests from across the political spectrum. Other possible candidates for a military trial include Abd al-Rahim al Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the 2000 attack on the USS Cole warship in which 17 American sailors were killed. Guantánamo timeline 11 January 2002 First prisoners arrive at prison camp set up in the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Dressed in US prison-issue orange jumpsuits, the detainees enter Camp Xray. 21 March 2002 New military tribunals for detainees are announced. 3 July 2003 President George Bush designates six suspected al-Qaida members as eligible for military tribunals, the first since the second world war. 7 July 2003 The Pentagon creates special military panels (Combatant Status Review Tribunals, or CSRTs) to determine "enemy combatant" status. 23 February 2004 Bush administration lays first charges against detainees. Ali Hamza al-Bahlul from Yemen and Ibrahim al-Qosi from Sudan are charged with conspiracy to commit war crimes. 29 March 2005 The CSRT process is completed. In all, 558 detainees complete the process, with 38 judged to be no longer enemy combatants and eligible for release. 15 February 2006 A UN report recommends closure of Guantánamo. Bush speaks in June of his desire to do so. 29 June 2006 The US supreme court rules the military commission system for Guantánamo violates US and international law, and that the Geneva conventions do apply to detainees. 16 November 2008 President-elect Barack Obama declares his intention to close the prison at Guantánamo. 22 January 2009 Obama orders closure of the prison in one year. New military commissions at the prisonare also suspended. 5 January 2010 After admitting in November 2009 that plans to close the prison by January of 2010 had been missed, Obama reaffirms plans to close the camp later in the year. 7 March 2011 In an apparent acknowledgment that the camp won't be shut down any time, Obama lifts a two-year freeze on new military trials there. Guantánamo Bay Barack Obama Obama administration Global terrorism al-Qaida Afghanistan George Bush Republicans United States US politics Ed Pilkington guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

PM has 'full confidence' in Andrew Posted: 07 Mar 2011 05:23 AM PST David Cameron backs Duke of York amid controversy over ties to discredited business figures saying he has made an important contribution to UK trade Downing Street has quashed reports of a review into Prince Andrew's trade envoy role, insisting that the prime minister has full confidence in him and the "important contribution" he has made to UK trade. Pressure has been mounting on the prince amid claims he has become "a national embarrassment" following further revelations over the weekend about his controversial dealings with discredited business figures. Ministers indicated that a review of the Duke of York's role as Britain's trade ambassador would be used to lower his profile. One cabinet minister said a hard-headed assessment of Prince Andrew's role would be made during a "tasking review", which is held every six months to assess his work as Britain's special trade representative. There were suggestions that Prince Andrew could be given more of a ceremonial role rather than his official position as trade envoy on behalf of the government body, UK Trade & Investment, while government sources indicated that they would be relieved to see the back of the prince as special trade representative. Vince Cable, the business secretary, said on Monday morning that the prince would have to judge whether he should carry on as UK trade envoy. But the comments appeared at odds with ones made later by David Cameron's official spokesman, who made clear that the prince has the prime minister's full support and that there will be no review of his role. The spokesman declined to comment on unattributable briefings given over the weekend, but said the government's position was clear: "The prime minister thinks he is doing an important job and is making a major contribution and he is supportive of him in that role. "We are not reviewing that role in any way. The government's position is very clear: that we support him in his role as trade envoy. He has made a very important contribution to UK trade through the role and continues to do so. We think he makes a valuable contribution and so does British business." Asked whether the prime minister had full confidence in Prince Andrew as a trade envoy, the official spokesman replied: "Yes". He refused to comment on whether there had been contact between Buckingham Palace and Downing Street on Monday, following further revelations about the prince's links with Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire US financier who served a prison sentence for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution. The Mail on Sunday reported that the FBI is to reopen its investigation into Epstein over allegations of his involvement with underage girls. Cable told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that conversations would be taking place with Prince Andrew over his future role as Britain's special trade representative: "He is a volunteer, he has offered to perform these roles, and I think it is down to him essentially to judge the position he wants to be in. "Obviously there are conversations that will take place with him about what he is to do in future. That is simply a matter of managing the relationship." A picture was released last week of the prince with his arm around Virginia Roberts, then aged 17, who claims she was sexually exploited by Epstein and his friends. The teenager said she met the prince, who allegedly enjoyed regular massages at Epstein's home. The prince categorically denies any wrongdoing or impropriety. Chris Bryant, a Labour MP and former foreign minister, said the royal had become "a national embarrassment" who should no longer be used as a trade ambassador. Bryant, who was chastised by the Commons Speaker last week for raising the issue on the floor of the house, told BBC Breakfast: "I am sure there are some countries in the world where having a visiting royal makes a difference, it makes it possible to have some meetings which wouldn't otherwise be possible. But I am afraid he has now just become a national embarrassment. "My worry is that, sometimes when he goes on these trips, I am not sure whether he is helping us out or he is just helping himself. "The truth is we shouldn't be using him for these delegations any more." It was reported on Monday that the prince was shortly planning to lead a trade mission to Saudi Arabia, which has been identified as one of the most attractive potential markets for British companies. The Duke of York has held the trade role since 2001 and Downing Street cited letters from the business sector hailing the role he has played over recent years. Though the role is unpaid, the state pays the expenses for his trip. Mike Gapes, a member and former chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said the prince should be replaced in the role with someone accountable to parliament. The Labour MP for Ilford South told the BBC News Channel: "I'm not doubting that, over the years, he will have promoted British trade and British exports, but the argument that we have to have an unelected and unaccountable person doing that job, I think, is out of date. "We need to recognise the revolutions taking place in the Arab world and other changes. It's now time that we actually were able to have somebody who is accountable. Because of his royal position, we in parliament are not able to hold him to account. If he was a volunteer receiving an office with financial support, we could question ministers about his role and he himself could be called before select committees of the house. "Because of his royal position, we can't do that. We can't ask questions about the truth of the allegations that were in the newspapers and elsewhere. I think his position is untenable." Prince Andrew Monarchy David Cameron International trade Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Elite unis must double access funds Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:00 PM PST Institutions wanting to charge more than £6,000 must draw up agreement with Office for Fair Access England's most prestigious universities will have to double the amount they spend on widening access to poorer students if they charge the maximum tuition fees, government guidance has warned. MPs voted in December to raise fees from £3,350 a year to £6,000 in 2012, and up to £9,000 in "exceptional cases". Universities that want to charge more than £6,000 will have to draw up an agreement with the Office for Fair Access (Offa) stating how they will widen their pool of applicants. The warning came as Sir Martin Harris, director of Offa, said there was a "real risk" when fees rose that teenagers from low-income homes would believe they could not afford university. The watchdog's guidance states that universities that wish to charge £9,000 but which have a student intake that fails to reflect the English population will be forced to more than double their efforts to widen access. The universities of Exeter and Cambridge and Imperial College London have already said they intend to charge £9,000; Oxford has said it wants to charge at least £8,000. David Willetts, the universities minister, has called for a system in which institutions charge varying amounts. Offa said that universities that had the least diverse student population but were the most academically selective spent an annual average of £400 a student on widening access; from next year, they will be asked to spend up to £900. Its guidance advises universities to come up with targets for taking teenagers from low-income homes, and those in care. They will also be told to come up with targets for increasing their pool of candidates with disabilities, as well as those from under-represented ethnic-minority backgrounds. Harris said progress in improving access to the most selective universities had remained "virtually flat" in the last few years. "Those charging the highest fees will need to spend significantly more on access measures than those charging lower fees," he said. Universities had to target the most disadvantaged "more tightly". Universities will be free to choose how best to increase diversity, but they will be encouraged to pour money into outreach work in schools and colleges, rather than into bursaries and scholarships. These incentives have been found to have little effect, Offa said. At the moment, 85% to 90% of some universities' access funds are spent on bursaries and scholarships. Universities should also consider waiving fees. The watchdog advises institutions to employ staff to help teenagers make decisions on which subjects to study at A-level and which degree course to aim for. Offa wants more universities to take students' backgrounds into account. This could mean assessing how well an applicant has performed at school in relation to how good their school is. Harris said "relatively few" universities did this; Oxford and Bristol are among those that do. Universities with a more diverse student body will still be expected to spend more on outreach, but to concentrate on reducing the number of students who drop out of their courses. If universities break their access agreements, the watchdog will be able to stop them charging fees above £6,000. A university can demand a review of its access agreement from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if it cannot agree on it with the watchdog. Last week, in a speech to the British Academy, Willetts said fees for arts and humanities students need not be more than £6,000 because these courses were cheaper to teach than sciences. Universities argue that they have to charge higher fees to make up for government cuts of £940m over the next academic year. Wendy Piatt, director of the Russell Group, which represents large, research-intensive universities, including Oxbridge, said prestigious universities were committed to broadening access. But she insisted the "most important" reason for the under-representation of poorer students at leading universities was that they were failing to achieve the required grades at school. The lecturers' trade union, the University and College Union, warned that outreach work would fail to overcome the fears of students and their families from poor and average-income homes, who would be "very wary of getting themselves into thousands of pounds of debt". Willetts said universities were being asked to work much harder to recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds. "The government has been clear that universities charging more than £6,000 who are not meeting their access benchmarks should redouble their efforts to widen participation," he said. Access to university Higher education Tuition fees University funding University administration Students Equality Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Afghanistan lets Blackwater stay Posted: 07 Mar 2011 09:16 AM PST Hamid Karzai forced to back down over expulsion of mercenary companies, with many likely to remain in country Blackwater looks set to survive an Afghan government clampdown on mercenaries after Hamid Karzai was forced by his western partners to abandon a complete disbandment of private security companies. Under plans to be announced by the Afghan government this month many security contractors, whom Karzai regards as being little better than militias, will be allowed to continue operating for another year. As part of a complex new transition strategy the government is giving them until 21 March 2012 before most security for development projects is taken over by the Afghan Public Protection Force. The APPF is a government security service intended to assume control over the country's hugely lucrative commercial security industry, which employs around 30,000 guards. Western and Afghan officials say the draft plans drawn up by former Karzai opponent Ashraf Ghani will actually allow companies to keep supplying private guards and security services to development projects indefinitely. According to a list seen by The Guardian 11 companies operating in Afghanistan that have a good reputation with government officials will enjoy favoured status in taking over contracts. Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, is included in that group despite being banned in Iraq and notorious for its activities in Afghanistan. Seven companies deemed too closely linked to senior Afghan officials have been sent orders to disband within 90 days. They include NCL, which is owned by the son of the defence minister and has interests in a $2.2bn US government transport contract. Another company, Watan, is frantically trying to win a stay of execution by arguing that its owners, the Popal brothers, are not as closely related to the Karzai family as widely believed. Karzai had previously described the companies as "thieves by day, terrorists by night". Last August he wanted them all disbanded by the end of 2010. That decree sparked months of chaos and acrimonious wrangling between Karzai and his overseas allies. The foreign ministry refused to issue new visas to foreign guards. "Karzai is doing what the Americans are telling him to do because he has no choice," said a senior western diplomat. "But if he thought in terms longer than just the next 24 hours he would not have got himself into this mess." Karzai is said to be unhappy with parts of the new plan. He must give it his assent before it is due to come into effect on 21 March, the Afghan new year. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan, has helped to put pressure on Karzai. Afghan officials are acutely aware that without a bridging agreement billions of US aid dollars could be threatened by the general's forthcoming testimony to the US Congress on the security situation in Afghanistan. Karzai had already conceded that embassies and Nato, which rely on private guards to protect supply convoys, could continue to use security companies. But questions remained over development projects, such as road construction, that the US regard as essential for winning over ordinary Afghans. Under the new plan companies guarding reconstruction projects will be able to have 500 of their own guards, or up to 1,000 if they pay a one-off fine. For contracts requiring more than that the companies will be expected to recruit, train, arm and pay new APPF guards who will then take control of the contract after 12 months. If the APPF proves not up to the job the private company will continue to be in control, according to the draft proposal. Many officials think that is likely. "Building up Afghan capacity so that it is big enough, is clean and not corrupt is a huge task that I think could take at least two years," said General Manan Farahi, a senior adviser to the country's interior minister who has been closely involved in the issue. Kabul's expatriate security contractors will be able to reinvent themselves as consultants to the APPF. "There's no incentive in it for the companies who are being asked to train up these guards and then just hand them all over with all their equipment," said a manager for a large security company. "But most of us will keep our jobs as consultants and be simply rehired ... Most of my clients want to see an expat to keep an eye on things." Blackwater's clean slate Eyebrows were raised among Kabul's security contractors when it emerged this month that one of the most notorious companies in the industry was deemed free of any offences. Out of 52 companies on a list of security providers drawn up by the Afghan government Blackwater, or Xe Services as the US company is now known, was among nine considered to be in good standing.That is despite a 2009 incident when two allegedly drunk employees working for a subsidiary company killed two Afghans after opening fire on their car. Most of the other companies scrutinised by officials were deemed guilty of considerably less serious crimes, including possession of unregistered guns, having too many guards and tax violations that they will have to rectify in order to keep operating. A US Senate inquiry has found that the Blackwater subsidiary, called Paravant, illegally signed out 500 machine guns from a US military store under the name Eric Cartman, the South Park character. In September a US court declared a mistrial in the case of the two contractors involved in the 2009 Kabul shooting. A jury considering claims that the men were acting in self-defence was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. That the CIA-connected company remains welcome in Afghanistan, where it works on huge contracts to train up the Afghan security forces, is in sharp contrast to Iraq. The Iraqi government refused to renew its operating licence after Blackwater contractors were involved in a notorious 2007 shootout that let 17 civilians dead. It prompted the company to change its name to Xe Services. Afghanistan Xe (Blackwater) United States US foreign policy Jon Boone guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Republican urges terror hearings Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:59 AM PST Peter King, chair of homeland security committee, wants to show 'extent of radicalisation within Muslim-American community' A New York Republican has pressed ahead with congressional hearings on the threat of homegrown Islamist terrorism , dismissing claims of a McCarthyite witch-hunt against America's Muslims. Peter King, who chairs the homeland security committee in the House of Representatives, said the hearings were essential to national security, and that Muslim leaders should do more to help authorities prevent extremist attacks. "The main goal is to show the extent of radicalisation within the Muslim-American community, how dangerous that is, how serious that is," he told Fox television. "It's a real threat. It's a growing threat, and it's not just me saying this." He accused community leaders of not doing enough to protect America from attacks – although he said the majority of US Muslims were "good Americans". "The fact is, the main threat is coming from within the Muslim community," he said. "The Muslim community should be embracing what I am doing, should be willing to co-operate because they should be trying to root these people out of their community and co-operate with the police and the FBI." King's focus on extremists in the Muslim community – to the exclusion of other potential threats – has outraged security experts and human rights activists. The Congressman has rejected calls from Democrats on the committee to broaden the hearings to look at threats from white supremacists and anti-tax protesters – both of whom have carried out fatal attacks in recent months. Several hundred protesters, led by imams, rabbis and priests, met in Times Square on Sunday to denounce King. In the Monday's Washington Post, John Esposito, a professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, called the hearings an excuse for "Islamaphobia draped in the American flag". He criticised King for not calling security experts to the hearing, and noted that federal government officials had acknowledged they had several times received important information from the Muslim community that prevented attacks. Esposito went on: "Peter King's hearing is a staged event that will do little to shed light on the causes of domestic terrorism. If that were the goal then why not have government and non-government experts testify? Instead the hearing will be a platform for Islamophobia draped in the American flag, reinforcing ignorance, stereotypes, bigotry and intolerance in the name of national security." The White House also responded to the controversy, sending the deputy national security advisor, Denis McDonough, to a mosque in the Virginia suburbs of Washington on Sunday. He told an interfaith service that no group should bear sole responsibility for extremism. McDonough said: "No one community can be expected to become experts in terrorist organisations, how they are evolving, how they are using new tools and technology to reach our young people." Two of the witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing are relatives of men who were recruited by extremists. One is the uncle of a Somali man from Minneapolis, who is believed to have been killed in Somalia. Another is the father of Carlos Bledsoe, a convert to Islam accused of killing a soldier at a military recruiment centre in Arkansas in 2009. A third, Zuhdi Jasser, a navy veteran and doctor, is well-connected to the Republican party and has made two films warning of the dangers of radical jihad in America. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim elected to Congress, is scheduled to testify at the hearings, which he has branded "McCarthyite". He told the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Its a bad idea to single out a religious minority group for an investigative hearing on violent radicalisation. "I think it would be a problem to say we are going to have an investigation congressional hearing on Irish people who drink too much, or black people who sell drugs, or Jewish people who are engaged in financial crimes, or white people who commit bias crimes. Clearly this is singling out a particular group." King told Fox television that the witnesses would provide much-needed information about how extremist organisations gained recruits in America. He repeated his charge of non-co-operation from Muslims, saying: "Somehow a wall of silence has developed." US domestic policy Republicans Democrats US politics United States Global terrorism Islam Religion Suzanne Goldenberg guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

23 oil workers abducted in Colombia Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:58 PM PST Kidnappings have become rarer in Colombia as security has improved, but this large-scale hostage-taking shows the risks still facing the oil and mining firms Suspected Farc guerrillas have kidnapped 23 local oil contractors carrying out exploration work in a remote jungle area of Colombia for Canada's Talisman Energy Inc, authorities said. Vichada Governor Juan Carlos Avila said gunmen forced the contract workers out of the camp from which they were conducting work for Talisman which is a partner of state oil company Ecopetrol. "They entered the camp and forced the 23 to go with them into the jungles," Avila told Caracol radio, saying all those kidnapped were Colombian nationals. The Colombian army said the gunmen appeared to belong to a local unit of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, Latin America's oldest surviving rebel insurgency. A spokeswoman for Talisman in Canada could not immediately comment on the incident. Colombia has enjoyed a boom in oil and mining investment as violence from its long war has subsided, but illegal armed groups remain a threat in remote areas where the state's presence is weak. The Farc operate in Vichada province along with illegal cocaine-trafficking gangs, in the oil-rich flatlands of eastern Colombia near the Venezuelan frontier. Kidnappings have become rarer in Colombia as security has improved, but this large-scale hostage-taking shows the risks still facing the oil and mining firms. Companies are still targeted for extortion by armed groups. The Farc still kidnap for ransom but they are also holding around 15 police and soldiers hostage for political leverage. The country's oil infrastructure has also been attacked recently. Last month, the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline was attacked and earlier the Transandino oil line was halted for a few days by a suspected rebel bomb. Last month, a coal rail line operated by the coal producer Cerrejon was also hit by a bomb in a second attack on the installation in a month. Once written off as a failing state mired in drug violence, Colombia has enjoyed a sharp decline in bombings, kidnappings and attacks since 2002, when the government began a US-backed security crackdown on armed groups. Foreign direct investment grew more than five-fold as violence waned and oil and mining companies moved into areas once considered off limits for exploration. The Farc and cocaine-smuggling militias linked to former paramilitaries are still proving resilient in remote jungles, mountains and flatlands, however, where the Colombian state has yet to establish a strong foothold. Colombia Farc Canada guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Palestinian diplomatic status raised Posted: 07 Mar 2011 12:48 PM PST Palestinian delegation in London to become a diplomatic mission, bringing Britain into line with several other EU countries William Hague said that Britain had upgraded the status of Palestinian diplomats in the UK, in a largely symbolic move aimed at encouraging progress in peace talks with Israel. The foreign secretary told parliament that the current Palestinian delegation in London would become a diplomatic mission. The announcement, effective immediately, brings Britain into line with several other European countries, and coincides with a visit to London by the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas who is due to meet both Hague and the prime minister.British officials said the only real change in the work of Palestinian diplomats will be that they will be given parking spaces by Westminster council, and find it easier to get British visas for their staff. "This really reflects our acknowledgement of Palestinian progress in achieving administrative goals in building institutions and in progress made in fulfilling the road map," a British official said. The "road map", promoted by the Quartet of the US, the UN, the EU and Russia, is intended as a framework for achieving a settlement, but it has long been stalled over the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian Authority spokesman, said: "This is very good news for Palestinians and it is consistent with general trends in the international community towards support to end the occupation, a reward for the building of the institutions of state and towards the recognition of a Palestinian state within its 1967 borders." But the Foreign Office sought to distinguish the UK's move from the decision of several Latin American countries to offer the Palestinians full recognition as a independent state. British officials said that such recognition should be the outcome of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. One diplomatic source also suggested that the British decision was aimed at reassuring the Palestinian leadership of western support, after the diplomatic damage inflicted by a US veto last month on a UN Security Council resolution condemning the construction of Israeli settlements. The Israeli embassy in London said: "We firmly believe that an upgrade in status will not encourage the Palestinians to return to the negotiation table. The real upgrade that's missing is in the Palestinian willingness to talk peace." Palestinian territories Middle East William Hague Mahmoud Abbas Israel Julian Borger guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Berlusconi undergoes face surgery Posted: 07 Mar 2011 01:13 PM PST Italian prime minister, who has a history of cosmetic surgery, has operation to repair damage to face from 2009 assault Silvio Berlusconi surprised friends and foes alike when his office let it be known that he has had a four-hour operation under general anaesthetic. The prime minister took temporary leave of absence from his mounting woes, legal battles over his private and financial antics, and a foreign policy headache over the upheaval across the Mediterranean, to undergo a medical intervention that was described by his office as jaw and dental surgery. A statement which quoted the prime minister's doctor, Alberto Zangrillo, said that the surgery was carried out to repair damage done to Berlusconi when he had been attacked by a psychologically disturbed man in December 2009. Zangrillo said the 74-year-old was "in good condition" after the operation, had been discharged from hospital in Milan, and was back at his villa near the city. Zangrillo was quoted as saying Berlusconi had a "jaw and face operation" with bone transplantation, and an implant to restore Berlusconi's ability to chew, which had been "seriously compromised" by injuries in the attack, the statement said. Last month, the prime minister tugged at the side of his mouth during the course of a press conference, as if to demonstrate that inside all was not as it should be. He received a broken nose and two broken teeth when Massimo Tartaglia, 42, hurled a model of Milan cathedral at him from a few feet away. "I make so many sacrifices to do a service to the country," said the prime minister, who frequently complains of the hardships he endures in order to carry on governing Italy. "I still haven't managed to put in the other [missing] tooth because I have a nerve underneath that has not healed." The sudden operation meant that he had to cancelled a scheduled meeting with Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, due tomorrow. Publicly at least, nobody in Italy suggested that there had been any other reason for Berlusconi's sudden disappearance from view. But it is nevertheless a fact that similar, previous vanishing acts by Italy's image-conscious prime minister have turned out later to have been for cosmetic surgery. It is fair to say that, when he returns to view, his jaw, and particularly his face, will be examined closely for signs of modification. Berlusconi is quite clear in holding to his view that, when it comes to ageing, nature should not be allowed to take its course. After finally admitting, in December 2004, that he had had a hair transplant, he told reporters that going under the knife to improve one's looks was "a way of showing respect to those who share your life, your family. It is [also] a way of showing respect to those who expect you to represent them on an international and national stage." The prime minister is believed or known to have had at least five cosmetic operations in the past 15 years. The first was in 1996, when he claimed to have been bitten by a spider. The most extensive is assumed to have been in the winter of 2003-04 when he vanished for almost a month, prompting speculation that he was seriously ill. He reappeared in mid-January wrinkle-free and discernibly slimmer, even though his then-doctor insisted he had merely had a minor nip-and-tuck around the eyes. Zangrillo indicated that his patient was unlikely to be absent for as long a time on this occasion. Indeed, a "possible return to work" was pencilled in for Thursday when the next cabinet meeting is scheduled. On Friday, Berlusconi is due in Brussels for a European summit. Silvio Berlusconi Italy Europe John Hooper guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Mexican police chief Valles fired Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:35 AM PST Mexico's media claim the 20-year-old border town police chief is seeking asylum in the US after receiving death threats A 20-year-old woman who made international headlines when she accepted the job as police chief in a violent Mexican border town has been fired for apparently abandoning her post after receiving death threats. Marisol Valles Garcia was given permission to travel to the US last week for personal matters but failed to return to Praxedis G Guerrero as agreed, according to a statement from the city. "In the absence of [her] presence on the agreed-upon day and since there was no notification of a need to extend the period of her absence, the mayor has decided to remove her from office," the statement read. Local media have reported that Valles Garcia was seeking asylum in the US but there has been no confirmation. Her whereabouts are not known. On Friday Chihuahua state human rights commission official Gustavo de la Rosa Hickerson said Valles Garcia's relatives and friends told him she had received telephone threats against her life the previous weekend. A local official accompanied the police chief this week to the international bridge connecting El Porvenir to Fort Hancock, Texas, he said. De la Rosa Hickerson and city officials tried to contact Valles Garcia by phone amid increasing speculation that she was seeking refuge but were unable to reach her. Valles Garcia was named police chief of Praxedis G Guerrero in October. The town had been without a police chief since her predecessor was shot dead in July 2009. Drug violence has transformed the town of about 8,500 people from a string of quiet farming communities into a lawless no man's land. Two rival gangs – the Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels – are battling over control of its single highway, a lucrative drug trafficking route along the Texas border. Marisol Valles Mexico Drugs trade guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Couple murdered in N Ireland Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:06 PM PST Couple found dead at their home in Craigavon, Co Armagh, a stronghold of Continuity IRA Detectives in Northern Ireland are investigating a republican dissident link to the murder of a couple in Co Armagh. The man and woman were found dead at their home on the Legahory housing estate in Craigavon , the Police Service of Northern Ireland said. The pair both had gunshot wounds to the head and had been discovered by their son, the police spokesman said. It is understood the male victim had been known to police for some time over criminal activities and in the past had been forcibly expelled from another part of Co.Armagh by the Provisional IRA several years ago. The Craigavon/North Armagh area is known to be a stronghold of the Continuity IRA - one of three republican organisations opposed to the power sharing settlement. All three republican dissident movements have been involved in a wave of so called "punishment attacks" on politically uninvolved criminals within nationalist communities as a means of building popular support. Local SDLP councillor for the area Michael McGoldrick condemned those responsible for the double-murder. He said: "The discovery of two dead bodies in a house in Legahory in Craigavon has stunned everyone in the local community. "News that the police are treating the deaths as murder will compound the sense of shock and disbelief felt by residents in the area. "My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the man and women who have lost their lives. "I would appeal to anyone with any information to contact the PSNI immediately." Northern Ireland Crime Northern Irish politics Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

China closes Tibet to tourists Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:48 AM PST Visas denied in 'control measures' ahead of 14 March, the date in 2008 when Tibetans began attacking ethnic Chinese Chinese authorities have closed Tibet to foreign visitors as the third anniversary of anti-government riots approaches. The region's top official confirmed the restrictions after travel agents reported orders not to arrange trips for tourists, who need a special permit to visit the region in addition to the visa for China. Zhang Qingli, the Communist party secretary in Tibet, said there were "some control measures" for safety reasons, citing potential overcrowding and freezing winter weather. He told reporters at an annual political meeting in Beijing that the region was stable. "It's not that the anti-Chinese forces and the Dalai clique haven't thought of it but the fact is they haven't been able to stir up any unrest since the March 14 incident." Twenty-two people, almost all Han Chinese, died when Tibetans took to the streets of the capital, Lhasa, in 2008, burning shops and attacking passers-by. Unrest rippled out across other Tibetan areas in western China. Exiles allege that scores of Tibetans died in the ensuing crackdown. It has not been possible to verify the claims. The government blamed the unrest on the Dalai Lama, accusing him of seeking a separate state. He says he wants only meaningful autonomy. Both Beijing and the exile community in Dharamsala, India, are manoeuvring in preparation for the day when the 76-year-old no longer leads the exiles. Qiangba Puncog, formerly the region's governor and now head of the National People's Congress, said the exiled leader retained religious but not political influence. "Of course there will be some small shockwaves [when he dies] due to religious factors, but we will take that into consideration and will surely guarantee long-term political stability in Tibet," he told reporters at the rubber-stamp parliament's annual meeting in Beijing. The Dalai Lama has suggested that his next incarnation could carry out spiritual duties while another figure takes on his temporal role. He has talked about new ways to determine his successor and suggested there could be a referendum on the subject. The current governor of Tibet dismissed breaks with tradition. "We must respect the historical institutions and religious rituals of Tibetan Buddhism," said Padma Choling. "I am afraid it is not up to anyone whether to abolish the reincarnation institution or not." Beijing has for several years insisted it has the right to approve the reincarnations of senior Tibetan lamas and even determine whether or not they are born again. It has said the next Dalai Lama will be born within China. But he has suggested that since he expects to die in exile he will surely be reincarnated in exile. That raises the prospect of two Dalai Lamas – one chosen by China, the other by the exile community. In 1995 the Dalai Lama named a young boy in Tibet as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest monk in Tibetan tradition. But he was rejected by Beijing and has not been seen since. Authorities announced that a search committee had chosen another boy, whom many Tibetans refuse to recognise. Tibet China Freedom of religion Religion Human rights Protest Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Spain lowers speed to cut fuel bill Posted: 07 Mar 2011 09:15 AM PST An army of workers changed motorway speed signs overnight from 120km/h to 110km/h, as part of a series of measures designed to save €2.3bn a year in oil costs Spanish drivers have begun keeping their speed to below 110 km per hour (68mph) on motorways after the government made a cut in the speed limit a key measure in moves to lower Spain's energy bill. The controversial 10 km/hr change to the speed limit will remain in place at least until the end of June as part of a series of measures designed to cut consumption by more than 5%. Other measures included schemes for replacing old tyres, switching public lighting to low energy bulbs and helping town halls hire consultants to reduce their electricity consumption. Spain's socialist government aims to save the country from importing 28.6m barrels of oil a year – a potential saving of €2.3bn (£2bn). The government said it also hoped to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 12.5m tonnes. More than 6,000 motorway speed limit signs had to be changed overnight, with an army of workers sticking the new speed limit over the old one. Opposition parties said the reduced speed limit would make little impact on Spain's overall oil bill. Right-wing commentators claimed the change was mainly aimed at increasing income from speeding fines. The government is also reducing the price of commuter train tickets in order to persuade more Spaniards to leave their cars at home and use public transport. Increased oil prices and a rise in eurozone interest rates could further slow Spain's return to growth, analysts warn. Oil Commodities Oil Energy Fossil fuels Petrol prices Motoring Spain Europe Giles Tremlett guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

100 of the world's most inspirational women Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:03 PM PST Celebrating economic, political and social achievements, what better way to mark the centenary today than with a list of 100 of the world's most inspirational women

Cliff to record with soul legends Posted: 07 Mar 2011 12:54 PM PST Album will feature Percy Sledge and Candi Staton – and may include a duet with a rapper, executive producer David Gest claims It will not go down as the most rock'n'roll story ever told – Gloria Hunniford meets David Gest on Celebrity Cash in the Attic and persuades him to work with a very good friend of hers – but heck, does it matter? Cliff's going to Vegas. In news that will divide opinion, it has been announced that Sir Cliff Richard's next musical escapade will be an album of duets with a string of soul legends recorded in Memphis. His partners will include Percy Sledge (When a Man Loves a Woman), Candi Staton (Young Hearts Run Free) and Freda Payne (Band of Gold). The album will include covers and new material, with about half the songs produced by Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier. The venture will culminate in a December gig in Las Vegas, executive producer Gest said at a launch event on Monday. "I have never made it in the States," admitted the 70-year-old Richard. "And I think it is jolly well about time." His success over 52 years is undeniable: more hit singles – 123 – than any other British artist and a fanbase as loyal as they come. He said if the new album comes off, he will "have died and gone to heaven".Despite his success, Richard still feels he's misunderstood. He said: "Sometimes the public make a mistake – as do DJs – where they compartmentalise us. I'm the goody two-shoes who sings Living Doll? Sorry – I do Devil Woman as well." Part of the problem, he said, are the British radio stations who refuse to play his songs: "It smacks of ageism to me, but I'm always careful, it may not be that – it may just be that people don't like what Eric Clapton does any more, or Tina Turner, or Elton John, or Phil Collins. It may be that we're not making the records." Richard claimed a lack of airplay was denying a new generation of fans access to his music, saying: "People say, 'Well why don't they just download you on the internet?' Well, what are they going to download if they don't know your name." The album, due out in October, will be a mix of new and old and there will also, Gest promised – or warned – feature contemporary artists duetting with Richard. "Can't say who yet," said Gest. "But don't be shocked if there is a rapper or two on one of these records." A mild ripple of amusement swept the room at the launch, in Camden, London. "You may laugh now, but we're going to have the last laugh." Gest is most famous in the UK as – briefly – Liza Minnelli's husband and as a figure of fun on reality TV programmes. But as a showbiz impresario he has produced many shows, including Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary special in 2001. He said the album would be followed by a Cliff tour taking in the O2 in London – and Las Vegas. "Additionally, I will bring Cliff Richard to Vegas in December 2011 where he will perform for the first time on the strip with an entirely brand new show that I am producing and directing." Richard was slightly more circumspect on Vegas, preferring a "one step at a time" approach. Hunniford – the linchpin for Richard's latest outing – was also at the launch. Gest said: "This all came together when Gloria and I were doing Celebrity Cash in the Attic. She said, 'You should do something with Cliff Richard, do something unique.'" Other artists lined up to sing on Richard's album include Billy Paul, the Stylistics' original lead singer Russell Thompkins Jnr, Dennis Edwards of The Temptations, Peabo Bryson and Chanté Moore. Cliff Richard Hip hop Urban music Pop and rock Mark Brown guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Rupert Murdoch at 80 Posted: 07 Mar 2011 01:00 AM PST Some critics may wish he would retire, but others believe the media mogul is at his most powerful Rupert Murdoch turns 80 on Friday, which has prompted this MediaGuardian special looking back at the mogul's career and, in the case of this piece, looking forward into the future for News Corporation, the behemoth he built along the way. Yet while critics may wish the Australian-turned–American would simply retire, in truth the business he runs has never been more powerful than it is now, as he stands on the threshold of completing his biggest ever transaction, the £8bn or so buyout of BSkyB's other shareholders. Those who work for Murdoch talk about a man reluctant to discuss his age – although one long-serving London-based executive was advised to mention diets as a way of making conversation with a man careful to maintain his health despite a punishing travel schedule. Even the suggestion he might be slowing up is dismissed internally. When this writer, while working at the Times, was advised by sources at HQ that Murdoch would "travel less" after it was announced that his son James would join the business to run News Corp Europe and Asia in 2007, the phrase was struck out by those more senior. On the face of it, his recent moves could be argued as forming part of a tidying-up which prepares the company for whenever Murdoch does choose to retire. Not only is BSkyB – the business previously run by his heir apparent and youngest son James Murdoch – being brought into the fold, but there is now a company role for daughter Elisabeth following the agreed £415m purchase of her production company Shine. Both sit on the board – as does brother Lachlan, the middle child from Rupert's second marriage, but he remains for the moment outside the business, building up media investments in Australia. However, as News Corp's infernally complex capital structure – and family interests – have gradually been simplified there is little sign of Rupert losing his way. "I had lunch with him recently," says Kelvin MacKenzie, who edited the Sun through most of the 1980s. "He was going on about the iPad this and internet that. I think he's 80 going on 18." And while that may be something of an exaggeration , there is no obvious sign of the man's power diminishing. Murdoch's great skill has – again, and again – been in deploying profits from one business to invest in growth elsewhere, creating the Sun, the Fox television network, and Sky. While other newspaper owners have been mesmerised by that business, Murdoch has simply scooped up papers and moved on. Back in 1987, after the Wapping restructuring, News International in the UK earned £150m – which compares with £107.3m in 2008 and £27.3m in 2009 as the recession hit. So while the newspaper business has barely grown, and remains a drag on Wall Street's perception of the business, News Corp has diversified into TV so successfully that once the company completes the buyout of BSkyB it will generate at least $4bn of cash after tax a year. "The question will rapidly become," says Rich Greenfield, a New York analyst with BTIG Research, "what will Rupert do with the cash?" News Corp has tended to trade at a discount to other integrated media groups, the likes of Disney and Time Warner, because of a "Murdoch discount" in which investors fear that the company's leader only reluctantly offers share buybacks or high dividends in preference to acquisitions. "He scares investors because he disregards near-term considerations." There may remain no shortage of near-term controversies. The News of the World phone-hacking stink threatens to worsen in coming weeks, as more lawsuits emerge, and even Roger Ailes, the Fox News boss, has been hit by allegations that he encouraged a former colleague to lie to federal investigators. But News Corp's newspapers are rounding errors in a company on track to generate 75% of its $7.2bn operating profits from US cable channels and satellite broadcasters around the world next year. On this prospectus it does not matter that Murdoch has consistently failed to get to grips with the internet, with the failure of MySpace the most obvious recent example. While businesses like the company's Fox film studio – the Avatar blockbuster apart – may be operating in a mature market, there is plenty of growth coming from subscription television, not just in the US, or with Sky in the UK, but with the earlier stage Sky operations in Italy or Germany. And it is James Murdoch's job to cast around for more countries to populate with more Skys to come. Even the US Fox television network – supposedly a mature business also – is now targeting $1bn of profit (twice this year's anticipated level), partly because News Corp is hoping that it can run two $800m reality television hits in a year: American Idol where Simon Cowell used to judge, which has held up better than expected in the first year after his absence, and the new US X Factor, which comes to screens this autumn, and whose importance to Cowell and Fox is so great that it may see the impresario disappear from ITV. Fast forward to 2015, and News Corp is predicted by BTIG Research to have worldwide revenues of about $44bn, with BSkyB included, and pre-tax profits of $8.7bn. When MacKenzie says that News Corporation is "in the best shape I can remember" his words are not those of a Murdoch-booster, but an accurate assessment of a remarkable 20-year recovery for a company that was once a phone call away from going under as the losses from the infant Sky soared. It is, in short, an astonishingly bountiful inheritance, for a business that Murdoch has always intended to be run by his children, as his former deputy Peter Chernin told Steve Hewlett for a BBC radio documentary. Those who believe – or hope – that there is a strong sibling rivalry among the next generation are sorely mistaken, but the hard part will be keeping together the Murdoch Family Trust that owns nearly 40% of the voting shares when each of his six children by three marriages share an economic interest. Yet, even that is some way in the future. Rupert Murdoch's battle to get the BSkyB deal through is unlikely to be his last significant act. Rupert Murdoch Media business News Corporation BSkyB Television industry Dan Sabbagh guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Facebook links up with Samaritans Posted: 07 Mar 2011 12:23 PM PST Social networking site will forward to police any details of users judged at imminent risk A facility allowing members of Facebook to sound the alert about friends they believe may be suicidal has been launched as part of a collaboration between the social networking site and the Samaritans. The launch follows a number of reported cases in which Facebook users posted messages before attempting suicide, and the death over Christmas of Simone Back, who told 1,048 Facebook friends that she had taken an overdose. No one raised the alarm until the following day. Via Facebook's help page, its 30 million UK users can now submit reports of potentially suicidal content to the website by clicking on a link that allows them to record the name and other details relating to the person they are concerned about. Facebook will immediately alert the police if the person is judged to be at imminent risk and pass on all alerts to the Samaritans, a spokesman for the charity said. Concerned Facebook users will also be redirected to contact details for the Samaritans in the UK and Ireland, as well as for similar organisations in the US and Norway, which have already been operating in conjunction with Facebook. According to the Samaritans, the system was under trial before the death of Back, from Brighton, who posted a message on Facebook after 10pm on Christmas Day saying: "Took all my pills, be dead soon, bye bye everyone." Instead of trying to help, some of her online contacts left messages taunting her and arguing among themselves. One called her a liar, another said she "does it all the time, takes all her pills", while another said it was "her choice". Her mother, Jennifer Langridge, called police the following day after receiving a text message about her daughter's online note. Samaritans also launched an awareness campaign via its Facebook page, which is advising people on how to spot signs of distress and offer support to vulnerable friends. The charity's chief executive, Catherine Johnstone, said: "Through the popularity of Facebook, we are harnessing the power of friendship so people can get help. As a friend you are better placed to know whether someone close to you is struggling to cope or even feeling suicidal. We want to remind people that if a friend says that life isn't worth living, they should always be taken seriously. Facebook is a part of daily life for so many of us and we must make sure that people online have support when they need it." Facebook's director of policy for Europe, Richard Allan, added: "We're pleased to welcome the expertise of a great partner in Samaritans. They will help to make our robust reporting system even more effective, as friends are encouraged to look out for one another on Facebook as they do in the real world. This supplements the number of ways to get help already available on Facebook, from our help centre to the reporting tools we offer." Facebook Internet Social networking Mental health Health Charities Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Paris fashion: Return to normality Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:06 AM PST Stella McCartney's latest collection light on theatrics as fashion slams door on diva designers At Paris fashion week, "normal" is the new fabulous. The moment Christian Dior suspended John Galliano was the moment the door slammed shut on the era of flamboyant designer-as-superstar. Featuring flat shoes, knee-length pencil skirts and chunky sweaters, with DIY-look hair and makeup, Stella McCartney's collection was light on theatrics and heavy on clothes that women wear. Where many designers are in denial about life before cocktail hour, McCartney's readiness to put a black coat and a long sweater dress on the catwalk is refreshing. For evening, there were elegant sheaths in panels of black, navy and slivers of sheer mesh, as well as daringly sheer, polka-dot dresses for the red-carpet-dwelling customer. Even before this week, catwalk histrionics had outstayed their welcome. The chief executives of luxury companies in thrall to divas are catching up with what consumers have known for years – that dialled-down, believable clothes are where the smart money goes. Normality is relative, and outside fashion the high-achieving daughter of a Beatle might not be an obvious example of it, but McCartney has built a label on a business model where the clothes on the catwalk are the clothes in the stores, rather than exaggerated trailers. McCartney took her brief bow at the Paris Opera in rolled-up jeans and a blazer. The atmosphere backstage was informal, with the designer holding her youngest child in her arms. The contrast with recent Dior shows – where Galliano took a five-minute stroll along the catwalk in full costume before retreating to a private room within the VIP section backstage – could not be starker. In the autumn, the Stella McCartney label, which is owned by Gucci Group, announced a rise in profits of 17.8% for 2009, compared to the previous year. The chief executive, Frederick Lukoff, said of the brand: "It's very grounded, there's a strong sense of reality in the brand ... the style is applicable to the reality of [customers'] lives ... and that's meant that even in a very difficult year for the industry as a whole, we've actually had a great year." Despite Galliano's departure, British designers remain a strong presence at Paris fashion week. Giles Deacon's second collection for Emanuel Ungaro was provocative, with high ponytails bound into horsewhip shapes, and skirt suits cut to reveal a slither of corset. A departure for a label once associated with lovehearts and the colour pink, it was inspired by Ungaro's pronouncement that he dressed mistresses rather than wives. Deacon said: "There is an awareness and an acceptance of artistic decadence in Paris." It may be that there is a little less acceptance than there was a week ago. Paris fashion week Fashion weeks Fashion designers Stella McCartney John Galliano Fashion Jess Cartner-Morley guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Putting disability centre stage Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:34 AM PST Symposium explored the importance of live performance in disability art practice It's the art and artists who tend to be marginalised at so many conferences, but on Saturday they took centre stage at Access All Areas, a symposium created by the Live Art Development Agency (Lada). The two-day programme examined disability and how live art lies at the forefront of disability art practice, thinking and theory. Maybe it's because disability itself is so marginalised in mainstream culture (as indeed is access to art by the disabled) that Lada was so stringent about refusing to divorce theory from practice, talking from doing. Live art has always been about breaking the rules, so it's particularly well positioned as a platform for disabled practitioners. So many symposia simply invite talking heads to deliver papers that you might just as well have read in the comfort of your own home. Not here. In many cases, such as Kim Noble's account of his depression (including the making of a new Pret sandwich featuring "ham, anti-depressants and mayo"), the Disabled Avant-Garde's response to the word "sick", and Sean Burn's reclamation of the language of lunacy featuring a "nutcase", marbles and several walnuts, the presentations became performance. Never for a moment during discussion could you forget what was being talked about. Indeed, you were constantly aware of the hacking and pounding sounds coming from behind a curtain where Martin O'Brien was undertaking a durational performance. Mucus Factory was inspired by his cystic fibrosis and presents his body as a medical specimen on which he brutally performs the physiotherapy necessary to clear his airways of mucus and keep himself alive. Even the titles of the sessions were taken from artworks, including Raimund Hoghe's Throwing the Body into Flight and Bobby Baker's Pull Yourself Together. With the art centre stage, the programme allowed for the emergence of some challenging issues that are not frequently voiced or dealt with honestly. Which comes first: the disability or the artist? Does the work of disabled artists have to foreground disability? Is it the artist's task to upset people? When does interest become voyeurism? How do disabled artists use their bodies to create work over which they have control, and which does not simply demand that they make a spectacle of themselves? The latter was brilliantly demonstrated by Pete Edwards, who has no control over his body because of cerebral palsy, but who showed in a short presentation that he was totally in control of his art. Dancer and choreographer Caroline Bowditch commented that she often preferred to create work in an intimate setting because it gave audiences permission to look upon the disabled body. Another key issue raised was how to create a context for work that ensures it is accepted as much as mainstream art and has equal legitimacy, rather than just being tolerated. Is the answer, as Matt Fraser put it in a filmed intervention, a matter of "thrusting the disabled agenda hard and erect into the arse of mainstream arts", or are other strategies necessary? What are the responsibilities of the disabled artist and what are those of the able-bodied audience who often respond to the work like social workers? Accounts by the choreographer, epileptic and dancer Rita Marcalo of well-meaning attempts to dissuade her from trying to induce a seizure as part of a performance pointed this up beautifully. In the end, the day provided no firm answers, but plenty of food for thought about a different way of considering art and disability. It was humorously encapsulated by Graeae's artistic director, Jenny Sealey, recalling an encounter with a woman who was astonished to discover that Sealey was deaf and declared: "But you don't look like a deaf person." The final questions raised by Access all Areas were what does a disabled person look and sound like, and what does an artist look and sound like? Theatre Disability Lyn Gardner guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Norman Foster back in Hong Kong Posted: 07 Mar 2011 10:21 AM PST British architect's firm announced as masterplanners for waterfront site that will become a major hub for the arts Norman Foster's magnificent HSBC HQ, which looks out from central Hong Kong to the shores of Kowloon, is one of the great buildings of the 20th century, a brilliantly crafted structure standing 180 metres tall. Costing £500m in 1986, the bank is also one of the most expensive buildings ever created. Yet the HSBC building is now surrounded by enormous, brash neo-art deco skyscrapers erected in recent years; today, it seems almost toy-like in scale, demonstrating just how big, in every way, Hong Kong (and by extension China) has grown since the British handed back the former crown colony to Beijing in 1999. But now Foster and his team are back in Hong Kong in a big way. It emerged this weekend that the firm has won a tightly contested international competition to masterplan the ambitious new West Kowloon cultural district, a 40-hectare site of reclaimed land on the Kowloon waterfront that will host no fewer than 17 major cultural venues, including an opera house (watch out, Guangzhou), a museum of modern art known as M+, a 15,000-seat arena and an art school. China is taking cultural development increasingly seriously, as if telling the world that while the country might be best known at the moment for manufacturing on an unprecedented scale, it believes in the arts, too. The plans make allowance for 19 of the 40 hectares to be dedicated to parkland – much-needed in densely packed Hong Kong – and the entire area will be connected by a planted avenue stretching all the way west to Harbour Tunnel, the lifeline between the two major districts of the city. Traffic will go underground. Every effort will be made to ensure this is a showcase of "green" as well as eye-catching design. The scheme will also include housing and shops; it is meant as a proper, fully integrated piece of the city rather than a vast urban redevelopment project parachuted down on the hem of Hong Kong. As Foster says: "Hong Kong is a great city and this project captures what is important about its DNA: the civic spaces, the squares, the parks, the greenery, the avenues and the small side streets." With more than 30 years' experience in Hong Kong – along with the HSBC headquarters, the practice also designed the city's Chek Lap Kok airport – Foster and Partners were always on fairly strong ground here, although the firm's earlier masterplan for a West Kowloon cultural district, announced in 2002, was cancelled three years later. This year, the choice of masterplanner for this enormous project was made from three practices: Foster and Partners, Rem Koolhaas's Office for Metropolitan Architecture, and the Hong Kong and Guangzhou-based Rocco Design Associates. But Henry Tang, chief secretary of Hong Kong, admits that elements of all three are likely to appear in the scheme as it develops over the years. The first buildings should emerge from the old docklands in 2015, while the last will not be completed until 2031. Foster says that the masterplan is highly flexible in terms of exactly where individual buildings are placed; the idea is to be neither prescriptive nor simplistic, but holistic. Fosters will now work with the Hong Kong authorities on the choice of architects for individual buildings. Meanwhile, the great challenge for Foster and Partners will be working out ways to make their parkland scheme meet the rest of Kowloon. It is a densely occupied yet seemingly unplanned part of the city that needs drawing together across extremely busy arterial roads and railway tracks. If the West Kowloon cultural district is to be an island it will prove a failure in decades to come; it has to work as a vast, green, vital and cultured junction box linking disparate parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong as a whole. Will it work? Yes, with time, some degree of patience (Hong Kong and China like to move quickly) and the involvement, wherever possible, of local people. This, in itself, would be a major step forward for China and will set a precedent for its rapidly expanding cities. Quite how it will all look in the end is open to question – the illustration shown here is only indicative of what might happen. But, as this is Hong Kong, expect some tall towers somewhere in the mix of parks, avenues and a new generation of busy commercial alleyways, towers that will make Foster's bank – just 25 years old – seem increasingly like a prized architectural jewel from a different era. Norman Foster Architecture China Hong Kong Jonathan Glancey guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Is Jamie's Dream School a success? Posted: 07 Mar 2011 09:30 AM PST Teachers give their verdict on the first episode of Jamie Oliver's new venture, getting accomplished public figures to teach young people who have given up on education Jamie Oliver might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's hard to fault his enthusiasm. His efforts to revolutionise school dinners, coax the British into cooking healthy food and get young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into employment through his Fifteen restaurants have turned the TV chef into something of a national treasure. His latest mission is to persuade 20 teenagers who left school without GCSEs to give education a second chance. Jamie's Dream School brings together some of Britain's most accomplished people, including Andrew Motion and the athlete Daley Thompson. The brief? To deliver inspiring, engaging lessons to young people who have given up on education. Episode 1, featuring lessons from the actor Simon Callow, scientist Robert Winston, yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur, artist Rolf Harris and the historian David Starkey (who called one of the students fat) was aired last week. Here, teachers give their verdict: Rebecca Malone, head of English, Bennett Memorial Diocesan school, Tunbridge Wells, Kent I was expecting Jamie's Dream School to take another pop at the profession, but it demonstrated why good teachers are such talented, good-humoured and skilled people. Jamie's teachers may have fantastic subject knowledge, but they haven't been trained and some of them would have certainly benefited from this before being exposed to a class of their own. Wayne Redmond, maths teacher, Babington Community college, Leicester. He is also involved in Train to Teach, a government initiative to recruit more teachers It was good to see passionate, accomplished people trying to inspire those without passion, but this was a showpiece. It wasn't anything like a school – it was just big fun party time, like Celebrity Big Brother or The X Factor. I suspect the way the programme was edited made the students' behaviour seem worse than it was. While most teachers would recognise that kind of attitude, it's certainly not representative of what goes on in schools every day. Jo Shuter is headteacher of Quintin Kynaston school in London I love Jamie Oliver, but this programme made me really angry. What makes him think he has the right to play with children's lives like this? These young people may have been failed by the system, but it felt like the public were voyeurs watching a load of chimpanzees, waiting for them to misbehave. If Jamie wants to understand inspirational teaching, there are many headteachers who could help. If he wants to use his wealth to help with charitable causes, there are much better ways of doing it. I'm trying to set up a hostel for the homeless at my school. I'd welcome a couple of hundred thousand for that. Sean Bradley, law teacher, Gloucester college It was good to see the celebrities struggling. Teaching can be a tough job and it's good for the public to see that. My only disappointment was that Jamie didn't get involved with any of the teaching. He had the best rapport with the kids and I'm sure he would have made a really good job of it. Catherine Bourne, assistant headteacher at Mascalls school, Paddock Wood, Kent I was irritated by the programme because it was yet another example of young people being stereotyped negatively. There are many enthusiastic students in schools who want to do well, but this is never celebrated in the media. The assumption was: bring a load of middle-class white males, middle-aged and beyond, and expect young people to listen to them, just because of who they are. It doesn't work like that; as a teacher, you have to earn children's respect. People have praised Jamie for his rapport with the kids, but it's much easier to do that if you can slouch around in jeans and talk mockney to them. Katharine Birbalsingh is a teacher and author of To Miss With Love, an account of life as a teacher in an inner-city school The very first episode of Jamie's Dream School unwittingly exposed precisely what is wrong with our education system. David Starkey made a grave mistake at the start: he tried to be cool and hip. No doubt remembering how teachers behaved in his day, he called one of his pupils fat. The pupil hit back with venom, and was then lost for the rest of the lesson, and possibly forever. Jamie and John D'Abbro, the headteacher, talked of possible disciplinary action and how to get Starkey to realise that his behaviour was unacceptable. But what about the pupil's reaction? Starkey was wrong, there is no doubt. But for it not to occur to anyone that these pupils needed a conversation on how one should always show one's teacher respect, that one should always try to turn the other cheek … it is indicative of what is wrong with modern Britain. Martin Waller, year 2 teacher at Holy Trinity Rosehill primary school, Stockton-on-Tees The programme made some important points about teaching; it's not just about knowing your subject. You have to be able to engage children, and get them excited about learning. Rolf Harris was the most successful at this. He was the only celebrity "teacher" I heard calling a student by their name. Starkey's attitude was shocking. There is never any excuse for ridicule. Jane Waters, English teacher, Gravesend Grammar school At the very least, the programme provides insight into how difficult it is to maintain a calm environment when faced with mutiny. My 12-year-old son said he had never seen such behaviour from fellow pupils, nor had he seen such bad teaching. David Weston, maths and physics teacher, Watford Grammar school for boys The programme clearly showed what heroes teachers are, day in, day out. When David Starkey's lesson didn't go well he put the blame completely on the students. As a real teacher, you can't do that. You have to take responsibility for your own actions. You can't just give up on your students, even when they are really testing. James Williams, lecturer in science education, University of Sussex Michael Gove wants to get teacher training back into schools and for all teachers to have at least 2:2 degrees, but Jamie's Dream School showed exactly why he is wrong. Seeing the celebrities trying their hand at teaching highlighted the fact that good subject knowledge alone is not enough. Of the four celebrity teachers featured in episode 1, I'd offer Rolf Harris and Robert Winston a place on a teacher training course. Winston had put a lot of thought into how he might engage the students, and Harris was able to analyse what went wrong and what he could have done better. I'd need to see more of Callow in action, but Starkey, I'm afraid, would not be offered a place. Teaching Jamie Oliver Schools Janet Murray guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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