Mary Dejevsky: Home ownership is a fixation we need to get over

There has to be a rental sector, and part of that sector needs to be subsidised
Published: 24 July 2007

Scan planning applications for new housing in London and you will find a curious preoccupation with the number 14. Why 14? Because 14 is the maximum number of units a developer can build without having to make any "affordable". The result is that, in desirable areas, small is beautiful. The premium that can be charged for such flats makes it worthwhile to build fewer but better. Another result, of course, is less "affordable" housing. continue...

Channel 4 expands with Emap music TV deal

By Nic Fildes
Published: 24 July 2007

Channel 4 has continued to expand beyond its terrestrial channels after snapping up a stake in Box TV, Emap's music television division that includes stations Kerrang! and The Hits.

The £28m deal to buy a 50 per cent stake in Box TV from Emap follows the broadcaster's successful bid to win the rights to enter the radio market. Earlier this month, Channel 4 won the rights to compete head-to-head with the BBC in the digital radio market and will launch a number of channels over the next year. continue...

Exploiting the iPhone

• Full disclosure at BlackHat: Dr. Charlie Miller will be presenting the details of the exploit at BlackHat in Las Vegas on August 2 at 4:45.
• Preliminary technical paper: A preliminary version of the paper describing the attack is available. The full version with details of the vulnerability and exploit will be available in the evening on August 2nd.
• New York Times article: A story in the New York Times about this work is available here.
• continue...

Apple's iPhone is vulnerable to hackers, say experts

By David Usborne in New York
Published: 24 July 2007

A computer security firm in the United States has said it has exposed a hole in the technology driving Apple's popular new iPhone that could allow hackers to take "complete control" of the device, stealing information ranging from emails and text messages to telephone numbers. continue...

The 'King, Kaiser, Tsar' who were cousins

It was Queen Victoria's grandsons – Georgie, Nicky, and Willy – who marched the world to World War I.  - By Randy Dotinga

King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War
By Catrine Clay
Walker & Co.
416 pp., $26.95

There was Georgie, dutiful and perhaps a little bit dim. Nicky, loving but weak. And Willy, jealous, cruel, and insecure. Bound by family ties, dominated by bossy relatives, and crippled by personal weaknesses, these three royal cousins ineptly reigned as Europe fell into the abyss of the Great War.

Sounds pretty grim, doesn't it? Ah, but there's plenty of life in these long-dead royals and their colorful clans, as British author Catrine Clay proves in her witty, revealing, and perceptive new history.

The scandals, quarrels, and rivalries of these ruling families "were played out in public, on the dangerous stage of international politics," writes Clay in King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led  continue...

A Trap for Fools

July 23, 2007
A Trap for Fools
by Uri Avnery
In a classical American Western, the difference is as glaring as the midday sun in Colorado: there are Good Guys and Bad Guys. The good ones are the settlers, who are making the prairie bloom. The bad ones are the Indians, who are bloodthirsty savages. The ultimate hero is the cowboy, tough, humane, with a big revolver or two, ready to defend himself at all times. continue...

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Fancy that - Blair's still leading a charmed life

If you need further proof that Labour sleaze is now odour-free, come to Ealing
Published: 23 July 2007

I was quite prepared to do the decent thing and back off. We had reached the end of the road on the cash-for-peerages investigations, and we sceptics had to accept the adjudication.

http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_a_l/yasmin_alibhai_brown/article2793051.ece

Johann Hari: The pro-war left's disastrous misjudgment

The Iraq invasion was motivated not by Enlightenment values but by a desire to control Middle East oil
Published: 23 July 2007

The pro-invasion left was always a small battallion, comprised almost entirely of journalists and intellectuals who believed that toppling the Taliban and Saddam Hussein was a good idea - even if the only President available to lead the charge was George Bush. Yet almost since the first statue of Saddam was smashed to the ground, it has been losing troops - to the anti-war side, or to a sullen AWOL silence, or to despair. continue...

Mehdi Hasan: The big transfer of the season in TV news

Mehdi Hasan has just landed his biggest job. James Macintyre talks to a journalist who is challenging the status quo.

Published: 23 July 2007

Hidden behind the current spate of headlines about a television world in crisis, a quiet transfer has been underway that could in future prove to be the television industry's equivalent of Wayne Rooney's move from Everton to Manchester United. continue...

Turkish PM threatens to invade northern Iraq

By Patrick Cockburn in Arbil, Iraq
Published: 21 July 2007

Turkey's Prime Minister has threatened an invasion of northern Iraq if, after the Turkish election on Sunday, talks fail with Iraq and the US on curbing the activities of Turkish Kurd guerrillas. continue...

Calls mount for Australia to free Indian doctor

By Kathy Marks in Sydney
Published: 23 July 2007

The Australian government is facing mounting calls to explain its treatment of an Indian-born Muslim doctor detained in the wake of the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow. continue...

Attacks on Muslims increase in Strathclyde after airport attack

By Cahal Milmo
Published: 23 July 2007

Racist crime has increased by almost a third in parts of Scotland since the alleged terrorist attack on Glasgow airport, with incidents including a suspected fire bombing of a mosque and verbal assaults on Asians. continue...

Identities 'at risk on network websites'

By Nicky Burridge
Published: 23 July 2007

People who use internet networking sites could be at risk of becoming victims of identity theft, a credit information group warned yesterday. continue...

How to go public - Keep all eyes on the prize (1) - Business 2.0

How to go public
Your startup's business is booming -- but do you have what Wall Street is looking for? Steve Goldman, IPO guru and CEO of Isilon Systems, has five tips to get you ready for a market debut.

By Tom McNichol, Business 2.0 Magazine senior writer continue...

Fixing e-mail: once a savior, now a scourge - July 1, 2007

Once a time-saver, the inbox has become a burden. That's why bold entrepreneurs stand to get rich fixing it, writes Business 2.0 columnist Om Malik. continue...

More homeowners are using wind power to turn on the lights - Feb. 19, 2007

Forget solar panels. Wind turbines in your backyard are the new thing in energy conservation, reports Business 2.0 Magazine. continue...

An easier way for homeowners to go green - July 1, 2007

Want to go green but don't know how? A year-old startup promises to help you pick the right mix of alternative technologies for your home. Business 2.0 reports. continue...

The wide world of wi-max

Business 2.0 details how just a few transmitters can provide high-speed Internet connectivity for entire cities.
continue...

The greatest economic boom ever

The greatest economic boom ever

By Rik Kirkland, Fortune

Okay, it may not feel like a day at the beach to most Americans. But for your average globetrotting Fortune 500 CEO, right now is about as good as it gets. By Rik Kirkland (more) continue...

India Inc

India's highway to heaven - or hell?

The country's much-needed highway improvement program has been hobbled by delays and other problems. Still, Fortune's John Elliott argues that the project has been a success. (more) continue...

Startups to watch

It's getting crowded on the Web 2.0 frontier, but there are still some startups that truly stand out. Business 2.0 Magazine identifies the ones most likely to strike gold in 2007.

By Business 2.0 staff continue...

Future Implications: Apple's complete home dominance

Posted by Don Reisinger

In a report that is guaranteed to make Apple fanboys proud and Apple haters scoff, the market research firm IDC has released a study claiming that Apple has officially become the third-largest computer vendor in the United States. continue...

And they inhaled... cabinet ministers line up to admit youthful cannabis use

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent
Published: 20 July 2007

Days after they backed toughening the law on cannabis, six cabinet ministers have owned up to smoking the drug during their student years. continue...

Banks pay £200m to settle charges claims

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Published: 20 July 2007

Banks have paid £200m this year to customers reclaiming penalty fees, according to research that suggests the public is winning the revolt on charges. continue...

Brainwashed worker-bees ensure dominance of queen

By John von Radowitz
Published: 20 July 2007

Queen honeybees rule over a "Brave New World" society where their workers are literally brainwashed to behave, scientists have learned.

The queen exerts her power by producing an aromatic chemical that inhibits negative tendencies in the young nurse drones who feed and groom her.

By preventing them from acquiring aggressive traits, she ensures her own dominance and that the hive remains a haven of order, peace and harmony.

Effectively, the pheromone chemical keeps the drones innocently enslaved to the queen. continue...

Young poets are often the best

Philip Hensher: Young poets are often the best
Published: 20 July 2007

Byron said, after the publication of the first cantos of Childe Harolde's Pilgrimage in 1812, that he woke and found himself famous. The audience for poetry is not what it was in the Regency, but Luke Kennard would still have had a little taste of that when he woke on Tuesday morning to find himself on the shortlist for the Forward poetry prize for his collection, The Harbour Beyond the Movie. The Forward is the most admired and important of British poetry prizes, and Kennard, at 26, is the youngest poet ever to have been shortlisted.  continue...

The real reason why publishers miss good books

If I spent my life fretting about the ones that got away, I would never attend to the fish in the net

Published: 20 July 2007

Publishers are everyone's favourite whipping post. We don't pay our authors enough, books are too expensive, and no one likes the ones we love most. Now, on top of it all, we are revealed to be fools. Yesterday the director of the Bath Jane Austen Festival reported that he submitted thinly disguised versions of Pride and Prejudice and two other Austen favourites to 18 UK publishers, and every single publisher turned them down. continue...

Behind every new US disaster has been the hand of Dick Cheney - and still he goes on

Insofar as one can divine such things in Kremlinesque Washington, his influence appears as strong as ever

Published: 20 July 2007

So now we know - sort of. Six years after the event, The Washington Post published this week a partial list of those consulted by the task force headed by Vice-President Dick Cheney, set up by President George Bush soon after he took office in January 2001, to map a new energy strategy for the US. continue...

Make The Clothes, Outsource The Retailing

When brothers Shep and Ian Murray decided to expand distribution of their preppy, nautical-themed apparel, they didn't know the first thing about running a retail store. That's why they let their competitors do it for them--and have been making decent waves ever since.

continue...

The Most Expensive Celebrity Photos

In a media marketplace heavy on celebrity news, stories are interesting, but pictures reign supreme. Want proof? Just look at the price tags.
continue...

Sony Revamps Online Video Site

The clips found on user-generated video sites can be entertaining to watch, but they're just as often inane, stupid or of questionable taste or legal status. So it's no big surprise that many advertisers remain leery of associating themselves with the stuff. continue...

No Time To Think

Jack Trout, 07.16.07, 10:00 AM ET

This column could be titled, "A Tale of Three Meetings." It's a sad story about today's state of affairs. It's also a story that no one writes about, though they should. I've written about this problem before, but it is well worth repeating since I'm the only one writing about it.

The first meeting took place a while ago at Intel. I was there to discuss strategy with a conference room of middle-level executives. As the meeting began, everyone put an electronic gadget down on the table in from of them. What ensued could only be described as gadget envy as everyone began to comment on each other's gadgets. At this point, I broke in and asked them all what they did with their gadgets. Since I was without one, I felt I must be missing something.

After they all described their gadget activities, I commented that everything they mentioned, my assistant Ann did for me. My question was, "Why are you wasting your time on these unimportant activities?" Embarrassed, they admitted as such, but they pointed out the Anns were all gone at Intel, with one exception. Then-CEO Andy Grove had three such assistants. Their collective problem: They had no time to think. continue...

Objective: Increase the Solar Power in NY State

May 25, 2007

A private sector industry initiative calls for more than 2,000 MW by 2017.

Solar Energy could provide a significant fraction of New York's electricity generation requirements and, in concert with other generation sources, provide more reliable power. Aggressive state programs such as the California Solar Initiative as well as federal tax credits have stimulated renewed growth of the U.S. solar industry. Now the focus is on New York. continue....

Under the Hood: Inside the Apple iPhone

Patrick Mannion
TechOnline

COMMACK, N.Y. — Semiconductor Insights' Allan Yogasingam waited in line for 12 hours and braved the elements get ahold of the just-released Apple iPhone. He and his intrepid co-workers kept the cameras rolling as they popped the cover and dove inside what is possibly the hottest consumer device on the planet (click icon for video: ). The teardown is a follow-up to the company's teardowns of the latest gaming systems (Opportunities abound in nex-gen gaming platforms) and provides insight into what exactly Apple is doing to make a strong entry into the cell phone market. continue...

Women in film on cockchops's site on Bore Me

80 years of female portraits in cinema

In order - Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Ruth Chatterton, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Vivien Leigh, Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young, Deborah Kerr, Judy Garland, Anne Baxter, Lauren Bacall, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Audrey Hepburn, Joanne Woodward, Shirley MacLaine, Natalie Wood, Angie Dickinson, Janet Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, Julie Andrews, Raquel Welch, Tuesday Weld, Jane Fonda, Julie Christie, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Kathleen Turner, Holly Hunter, Jodie Foster, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, Julia Roberts, Uma Thurman, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Diane Lane, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow continue...

The pioneering technique that's helping to combat depression in the classroom

By James Morrison
Published: 19 July 2007

Tom Bagley seems a cheerful enough lad. Like most children on the cusp of puberty, he's prone to the odd mood, and anxieties about homework or peer pressure. But, if he submitted to analysis, it's unlikely that he'd be diagnosed as anything other than a profoundly normal 12-year-old. continue...

Mum's the word: Why Oxford students are putting motherhood before career

By Lucy Tobin
Published: 19 July 2007

Oxford students Amy Butler, Chloe Mattison and Danielle Abbiss

A group of women students at Oxford are scrutinising a photo of 100 beaming freshers, wondering who will end up being famous. As an Oxford undergraduate myself, I am part of the group and I notice that, after identifying candidates for Prime Minister, next year's Pop Idol and a university professor, the girls all discount themselves from the top of any career ladder on the grounds that their maternal ambitions are stronger than their professional aims. Oxford's undergraduates are billed as among Britain's brainiest, but we female students are prioritising marriage and children over a career. continue...

Akbar Ahmed: What's fundamentalist about wanting to live in dignity?

Leaders and commentators need to stop viewing Muslims as a monolith
Published: 19 July 2007

Visiting the UK from the US is an unsettling experience. One gets a feeling of deja vu. It is like seeing a blockbuster Hollywood film on "Islamic Terror" being remade for a UK audience on English sets, with an English cast. The police are not quite as fat and drive smaller vehicles, but the emotions and prejudices are the same. continue...

Pull troops out now and stand up to Bush, inquiry tells Brown

By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 16 July 2007

British troops should be pulled out of Iraq even though the violence is likely to get worse, a cross-party commission has told Gordon Brown.

The commission co-chaired by Lord Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, called for an end to offensive military operations by British forces and a "clear exit strategy". continue...

Hain to coax lone parents and over 50s back to work

By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 16 July 2007

Lone parents are to be targeted with "tough love" as part of a radical overhaul of the welfare system aimed at getting 2.3 million people to take jobs and move off benefits.

A Green Paper delivered to the Cabinet last week by Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, will lay the foundation for the implementation of David Freud's report. It recommended that lone parents should be required to seek work if their youngest child is 12 years or over. continue...

Terence Blacker: We need to wage war on teenage boredom

Like many parents, the Government has more or less given up on teenagers

Published: 13 July 2007

The sounds of the British summer holidays will soon be heard on our city streets and on the squares of our market towns. There will be laughter, raised voices, the occasional sound of breaking glass, a squeal of tyres and, later, that now-familiar type of informal community singing which is leery with booze and boredom. Some of this al-fresco misbehaviour will come from disappointed men who are startled to discover they are middle-aged, but much will involve people under 20. continue...

THE ISMAILI - Golden Jubilee Official Video

The Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee <The%20Aga%20Khan%27s%20Golden%20Jubilee>

Butterfly shows fast-track survival skill in evolutionary 'arms race'

By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Published: 13 July 2007

A butterfly in the South Pacific has displayed the fastest known rate of evolution in a dramatic "arms race" with a microscopic parasite that kills only males of the species.

Biologists have witnessed how the butterfly has fought back against the parasite by spreading a gene that confers resistance against a bacterium that kills male embryos.

The scientists said the rapid spread of the gene exemplified the Red Queen principle of evolution - named after the character in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass who ran faster and faster only to stay in the same place. continue...

The £1 billion falling-out: A tale of two dotcom millionaires

  They were the best of friends. Their internet venture made them multimillionaires. Then they stopped speaking. Now their business is set to sell for £1bn, and Duncan Cameron is looking at a far smaller slice of the cake than Simon Nixon. Andy McSmith investigates

Published: 12 July 2007

Some people think we should be feeling sorry today for Duncan Cameron, a multimillionaire from Chester. A university drop-out, Mr Cameron is at least 10 times richer than the luckiest Lottery winner. He owns two Ferraris, worth more than £300,000, has a cellar full of the finest wine, and as he approaches middle age, he has more disposable cash than most people could ever dream of accumulating.

But although he is a very, very rich man, his chances of moving up into the higher realms of the mega-rich have slipped away. He is a multimillionaire, but not a billionaire. He began the year as the 165th richest man in the UK, but will be lucky to end it in the top 200 - and all because, in the long run, he could not get along with his sister's former boyfriend. continue...

Glyndebourne cleared to build wind turbine

By Andy McSmith
Published: 13 July 2007

Glyndebourne opera house, near Lewes in East Sussex, has won a significant battle in its campaign to establish itself as one of the country's most eco-friendly buildings, by gaining consent to build a giant wind turbine that will cut its carbon footprint by three quarters. continue...

The Big Question: Should secondary schools replace traditional subjects with 'topics'?

By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 13 July 2007

Why are we asking this now?
The Government has just unveiled its new blueprint for the secondary school curriculum. The main difference is that - instead of sticking to the traditional subject-dominated timetable - teachers will be free to introduce more topic-based lessons. continue...

Classroom revolution as curriculum embraces modern life

By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 13 July 2007

The Government has unveiled a new curriculum to bring schools into the 21st century - giving more space for pupils to tackle controversial issues such as global warming and nuclear power.

Teachers will also be given greater freedom to break free from the traditional subject-based national curriculum for pupils aged 11 to 16, facilitating the introduction of topics which help prepare youngsters for adult life, Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum - the Government's exams watchdog, said yesterday.

They will range from lessons on Britain's place in the global economy to individual economic well-being - which could include how to avoid debt and buy a home, respect for other cultures and even cookery - to help instil healthy eating habits into tomorrow's adults. continue...

Bush finds no way out of Iraq as approval ratings plunge

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington
Published: 11 July 2007

On the ground in Iraq, George Bush's war may long ago have sunk into an unwinnable morass. But the second week of July 2007 is set to go down as the moment when he started to lose control of Iraq policy-making at home as well. continue...

'A dead Iraqi is just another dead Iraqi... You know, so what?'

Interviews with US veterans show for the first time the pattern of brutality in Iraq

By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Published: 12 July 2007

It is an axiom of American political life that the actions of the US military are beyond criticism. Democrats and Republicans praise the men and women in uniform at every turn. Apart from the odd bad apple at Abu Ghraib, the US military in Iraq is deemed to be doing a heroic job under trying circumstances. continue...

Campbell reveals depth of Blair's feud with Brown

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
Published: 10 July 2007

Alastair Campbell has lifted the lid on the feuding between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair which has been a running sore for Labour since 1994. continue...

Spanish hotels to cash in on siestas - by the hour

By Elizabeth Nash in Madrid
Published: 10 July 2007

The siesta is making a comeback, recycled for the modern world as "Iberian yoga". Far from the afternoon snooze that consumes valuable working time, Spain's siesta is being rebranded as essential for spiritual wellbeing and a balanced life. continue...

Everything You Will Ever Need To Know To Start Driving A Big Truck Or How I Became A Professional Tourist

Have you ever even just wondered what really goes on in the world of eighteen wheelers? Can you be a trucker? It looks interesting, but it must be complicated. How could anyone even begin to maneuver one of those huge monstrosities? Trust me, you can do this! Not only is it possible for almost anyone to successfully navigate into the world of transportation, but you will be helping out a necessary part of the economy and one that is constantly and even desperately in search of drivers. There is no unemployment for a big rig driver. Let me show you how to do it all! Everything you will ever need to know is right here in these pages including how to find some of the most incredible jobs, and many things that you are not supposed to know about. And there are MANY things you are not supposed to know about. So jump on it and learn what it takes to get paid to do what others are willing to pay for the privilege of doing. With me as your tour guide you will be able to get out & see the sights, be on a permanent vacation, & you will learn just what it takes to become happily involved as a "Professional Tourist." continue...

Will the iPhone Boost All Things Apple?

Good morning,

My recent doubts about the iPhone meeting optimistic sales
forecasts has produced some excellent observations from readers.
I've collected highlights and my thoughts for you here:

http://www.jasonkelly.com/

Have a good day!

Warm regards,
Jason

Jason Kelly & Co.
Plaza Kei 101
Wakamatsu-cho 615-6
Sano, Tochigi 327-0846
Japan

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jOzM7Ay0zKzMLIzsLGw=

Dynastie: L'Aga Khan, milliardaire et prince des pauvres

Dynastie
L'Aga Khan, milliardaire et prince des pauvres

Il est à la fois imam suprême et milliardaire, homme d'affaires et pionnier de l'aide aux plus démunis. Le 11 juillet 2007, Karim Aga Khan IV fêtera son jubilé d'or: cinquante ans à la tête d'un empire qui est aussi l'un des réseaux de développement les plus efficaces de la planète. continue...

Les 10 hommes les plus riches

Le Top 10 des milliardaires, recensés par le magazine américain Forbes, est à forte coloration américaine - Bill Gates en tête - mais le Vieux Monde est aussi représenté, notamment avec le Français Bernard Arnault à la septième place. En images, le palmarès des nantis 2007 Continue...

Ahern apologises for 'suicide' comments

By David McKittrick in Belfast
Published: 06 July 2007

The Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, has apologised for a speech in which he said he did not know why critics of his government's economic performance did not commit suicide. continue...

Why Christopher Columbus is history (and why many would-be teachers know nothing about him)

By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 06 July 2007

Only one out of 20 would-be teachers on a Cambridge University history and education course knew anything about Christopher Columbus, a conference was told yesterday.

The figure was revealed by Kate Pretty, pro-vice chancellor of Homerton College, as evidence of the decline in history in primary and secondary schools. Later this month, a report by Ofsted, the education standards watchdog, will reveal that seven out of ten pupils have ditched the subject by the time they are 14. Only 30 per cent go on to study it to GCSE level. continue...

Cars, crashes and crumpet - the original British boy-racer

Brian Viner Interviews: Fifty years after he became the first home-grown driver to win the British Grand Prix in a British car, the epitome of fast living talks Hamilton, Fangio and three-wheel scooters

Published: 06 July 2007

Moss with a picture of his former team-mate and 'hero' Juan Manuel Fangio whom he admired

Sir Stirling Moss has a big weekend ahead of him. His son is getting married tomorrow, and on Sunday he plans to be at Silverstone to see if Lewis Hamilton can win on home Tarmac. Moss considers Hamilton to be a racing driver just as prodigiously gifted as his hero, Juan Manuel Fangio, which is some endorsement, because he rates Fangio better than Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, or anyone else who has ever taken the chequered flag.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/motor_racing/article2739699.ece

Smokescreen for the war blown away

Published: 06 July 2007

If asparagus and not oil was Iraq's leading export then the determination of the US, Britain and Australia to continue occupying the country would certainly be less than it is. Asked why the US invaded, many Iraqis promptly answer: "To steal our oil." By admitting that securing Iraq's oil supplies was one of the reasons why Australian troops are in Iraq, Brendan Nelson is stating the obvious. The prompt denial by John Howard that Australia has any such mercenary motive shows the sensitivity of the subject. Continue...

Dominic Lawson: From Pentecost island to modern Britain, the futility of trying to measure happiness

We have allowed ourselves to think happiness is ours by right, whereas in fact we can't find it: it finds us

Published: 06 July 2007

It's good to know that the BBC has not forgotten the great cause of cheering us all up. This week it managed to find space in its main nightly news programme for an item which was not about war, pestilence and famine. Instead we were treated to a lengthy report from Pentecost, one of the 83 Pacific islands which make up the nation of Vanuatu. According to the BBC - and this was the ostensible reason for carting a film crew to such an obscure and remote spot - Vanuatu is "the happiest country on earth". continue...

Angry barber reveals Edwards' $1,250 haircut

By David Usborne in New York
Published: 06 July 2007

The hairdressing flap that engulfed the presidential hopeful John Edwards earlier this year has burst back to life with the Beverly Hills stylist at the centre of it all revealing that he once charged the former senator much more than the $400 that was originally reported. A single trim in Atlanta cost $1,250. continue...

Two Asian Returnees' Nostalgic Tale of Love And Passion for Uganda

IT is 35 years since the Asian expulsion from Uganda. One returnee is Dr. Vali I. V. Jamal, former Senior Economist at the UN and now owner of Café Viva on Kampala Road. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi lets us into the world of this academic-turned- restaurateur. continue...

Eco-Solutions

Energy's Solutions

Daniel Yergin

The energy challenge certainly ranks at the top of the world’s agenda. What makes it particularly difficult to deal with is that it is created by two forces.

Though not usually put in these terms, one is globalization--and, in particular--the success of globalization. High growth rates, the emergence of large middle classes in countries like China and India, the continuing integration of the global economy--all this is powered by energy. To keep it going requires energy, lots of it. continue...

For Job Market, Green Means Growth

In 1999, as the dot-com boom reached new heights, environmental journalist Joel Makower launched an online publication covering business and environmental interests: two areas he believed would become more connected.

Smart bet. The tech bubble burst, but Makower's publication, GreenBiz.com, boomed. Providing news and analysis, it's the flagship publication for Greener World Media, a for-profit company he created last year with associate Pete May. "As the greening of business expands, it is filtering into every aspect of business," from procurement to marketing to human resources, says Makower. continue...

BP's Biotech Bet

The energy giant has become the biggest investor in some of the most out-there genetics research.

Oil companies are better known for burning fossil fuels than splicing genes. But BP, the energy giant formerly known as British Petroleum, has made leading-edge technologies like custom engineered bacteria a linchpin of its strategy to face up to global warming.

In the process, germs would be souped up to make ethanol, biobutanol or other fuels from plants like corn. Scientists would embed the genomes of bacteria with genes taken from termites, sheep guts or microbes that live on your lawn. The very plants they consumed would also be bioengineered, and even more re-engineered bacteria might produce gasoline or similar fuels directly. continue...

The World's Most Nuclear Nations

The United States may have the most generating power in the world, but as it deliberates how to make nuclear power a bigger part of the country's energy future, Eastern Europe and Asia are racing ahead.

Of the 30 plants being built worldwide, seven are in Russia, six in India, four in China and two in Ukraine--home to a place called Chernobyl. Bulgaria, Romania, Pakistan and Iran also have new reactors in the works. continue...

Rookie Marathon Training Mistakes - Forbes.com

It's the evening before your first marathon. You've loaded up on spaghetti, drank gallons of water to make sure you're fully hydrated and laid out your new sneakers and running shorts.

Inadvertently, you've also set yourself up for an upset stomach, a long night of frequent visits to the bathroom and potentially race-ending blisters and chafing from your stiff gear. These are just a few of the common mistakes runners make when preparing for the often-unnerving 26.2-mile race.

And it's not just the beginners who stumble, says Brian Collins, founder of 1st Marathon, a training program based in Mesa, Ariz., that coaches about 1,000 first-timers a year. Continue...

iPhone 2.0

Steve Jobs is probably seething. The reviews of Apple's iPhone are in, and they're great. But Apple's chief is known to be almost as thin-skinned as he is secretive. This diva reads his press clips, and you can bet he's already stirring up his minions as he prepares for his next performance: iPhone 2.0.

The iPhone may go on sale this Friday, but the gadget maker has no doubt put months, maybe years, of toil into the product that could soon make the iPhone obsolete. And you can count on every flaw picked at in this week's reviews of the iPhone from The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg or The New York Times' David Pogue to become a creeping nightmare for the iPhone team slaving away in a windowless arm of Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

The buzz has already begun. The trade press is reporting that a next-generation iPhone could debut at MacWorld in January. In May, a patent surfaced showing a full-screen touchpad on the reverse side of what looks like an iPod Nano. Others report that the next iPhone could come in a cubic zirconia case. The rumors can't all be true, but using the latest reviews as a tip sheet, here's a roundup of what we can expect: continue...

Mrs. Murdoch Takes The Wheel At MySpace China

Mrs. Murdoch Takes The Wheel At MySpace China
Shu-Ching Jean Chen, 06.28.07, 3:56 AM ET
HONG KONG -

Wendi Deng, the young Chinese wife of Rupert Murdoch, appears to have finally been elevated to an official post within News Corp.: chief of strategy for MySpace’s China operation.

News of the impending appointment was confirmed by unnamed sources separately in media in China and the U.S., as well as in Australia. The new title, plus a seat on the board of MySpace China, would bring her into the glare of the public eye for the first time after an important backstage role setting up the venture.

MySpace China, which aspires to duplicate the success of the pioneering U.S. social-networking Web site, debuted in April as a trial site. It is a locally incorporated company that News Corp. (nyse: NWS - news - people ) has only a minority stake in, alongside U.S. venture capital firm International Data Group and China Broadband Capital Partners, an investment company founded by Edward Tian, the former head of China Netcom.

An official role at MySpace China would provide the 39-year-old Deng with her first chance to prove her mettle in the succession battle with Murdoch's children for control of the sprawling family-run media empire. more...

Small Talk: Biofuel investors lose out as board plays blame game

By Andrew Dewson
Published: 02 July 2007

The demise of Biofuels Corporation might have been widely predicted but it highlights the fact that even if an industry has the potential to start laying golden eggs, you've still got to find a capable midwife. continue...

300 domain names a day cash in on new iPhone craze

By Stephen Foley
Published: 02 July 2007

As hundreds of people queued up around the US to get their hands on Apple's new iPhone, dozens of entrepreneurs were at home on their computers hoping to cash in on the hype - by registering internet sites incorporating the iPhone name.

The number of registrations spiked as high as 300 a day, as names such as iPhoneJewelry.com and TheAppleMaciPhone.com were among the domains snapped up last month. But Apple, too, has belatedly swung into action to ensure it carves out the right amount of cyberspace to sell its new gadget, the first web-enabled phone with combined music player that has truly captured the public imagination. continue...

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Sane, ordinary Muslims must stand up and be counted

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Sane, ordinary Muslims must stand up and be counted
These nihilists undermine our fundamental right to belong in this country

Published: 02 July 2007

As they wake up to news of the foiled car-bomb attack on Glasgow Airport, I know what millions of my compatriots - atheists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and Christians - will be saying, their easy Sunday ruined by yet another alleged Islamicist plot: "What's wrong with these crazed Muslims?" "Why the hell are they here if they hate it so much?" "When will we be rid of the lot of them?" "What do they want?" "Other minorities also have a hard time, they don't blow up nightclubs and airports". continue...

'Love thy neighbour'

For civility to be a unifying, healing – holy – force in our lives, it has to go beyond good manners.

Lately, there's been a swelling chorus of voices among columnists and social commentators over the growing level of intolerance in society. Several incidents over the past few months suggest that people's patience is wearing thin. They want a more civil environment. continue...

Back to the kitchen for 'Ratatoille'

Remy: Pixar's star rodent hangs with his pal, Linguini.Disney-Pixar/AP

Pixar's latest looks good but it's undercooked.

By Peter Rainer | Film critic of The Christian Science Monitor

"Ratatouille," the eighth feature from Disney-owned Pixar, has an icky premise. It's about a rat named Remy who lives with his rodent brood in the French countryside and fulfills his dream of becoming a great chef in a legendary Parisian restaurant. continue...

Simple ways to raise your credit score

Consumers often are unaware of their credit scores, but giving it some attention could save you thousands on a mortgage.

By G. Jeffrey MacDonald | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

For house hunters aiming to take advantage of today's soft real estate markets, one mysterious number is becoming increasingly fateful – and it's not the seller's asking price.

A credit score, calculated to tell companies whether a consumer is likely to pay bills on time, is taking on more significance in an era of mounting defaults and foreclosures. On a scale of 350 to 850, scores in the 500s were good enough to secure a mortgage just last year. But now, any score below 600 is almost always a deal breaker, according to Jay Brinkmann, vice president of research and economics at the Mortgage Bankers Association, a national trade group for lenders. continue...

Can You Hear Me Now?

Sherry Turkle
05.07.07

Thanks to technology, people have never been more connected--or more alienated

I have traveled 36 hours to a conference on robotic technology in central Japan. The grand ballroom is Wi-Fi enabled, and the speaker is using the Web for his presentation. Laptops are open, fingers are flying. But the audience is not listening. Most seem to be doing their e-mail, downloading files, surfing the Web or looking for a cartoon to illustrate an upcoming presentation. Every once in a while audience members give the speaker some attention, lowering their laptop screens in a kind of digital curtsy. continue...

A look 'Inside Hamas'

A look 'Inside Hamas'
How a group from the slums of Gaza became the power that rocked the Palestinian territories.
Click here to read this article.

www.csmonitor.com | Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved

The Big Question: Why has social mobility declined, and what can be done to reverse the trend?

By Sean O'Grady, Economics Editor
Published: 26 June 2007

Why are we talking about social mobility?  
New research confirms the image of Britain as a relatively rigid society. There is proportionately more chance that, if you're born poor in Britain, you'll stay poor. continue...

150,000 pupils targeted by homophobic bullies

By Tim Ross, PA Education Correspondent
Published: 26 June 2007

More than 150,000 pupils have been targeted by school bullies because they are gay, research suggested today.  continue...

Robert Fisk: After the Spaniards, who will be next to die in Lebanon?

Published: 26 June 2007

Which United Nations contingent in southern Lebanon will be next? It is a ghoulish, terrible question after the car bomb attack that killed six Spanish soldiers of the 13,000-strong international army on Sunday evening, but one which the officers of the UN Interim Force - Unifil - are asking at their intelligence meetings. For the UN army from 30 countries under the command of four Nato generals - the Spanish contributed 1,100 soldiers - is clearly going to be attacked again. The usual expressions of determination of Western leaders who are not going to "cut and run" - so reminiscent of the Iraq war - are not going to change that.  continue...

Spain offers jobs and visas to fight illegal migration

By Elizabeth Nash in Madrid and Claire Soares
Published: 26 June 2007

Spanish businessmen have taken a pioneering step towards stemming the waves of illegal African migrants, by travelling to Senegal to hire workers directly and offering them an alternative to a dangerous journey in a rickety boat. continue...

Is China good for Africa?

In a three-part series, The Christian Science Monitor examines how booming Chinese investment in Africa, and in Sudan in particular, is changing the face of the continent. With bilateral trade now in the billions, the stakes are high.

This series will cover issues such as: Chinese trade and investment in Africa; the business of oil; pressure for China to assist with the crisis in Darfur, and Chinese benevolence in Africa.

This three-part series begins today, Monday June 25. You may read each part in its entirety in print or online at www.csmonitor.com.

Read part one now.