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

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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.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT U.S. STATES AT STATEMASTER

Statistics about US States

If I were looking for a place to open a business in the U.S., or a neighborhood to move my family to, I'd visit Statemaster. This site has facts and stats for U.S. States in just about every category you can think of. Want to know which State has the highest percentage of new houses? You'll find it here. How about the one with the most roller coasters per capita? Or the most Walmart stores? Or the most exports to Argentina? Or (and I have no idea how they found this out) the most residents who've lost their teeth? It's all here, and much more. This is a fun site that's easy to use, and whether you're looking for hard research or just interesting trivia, you can spend hours here. Besides statistical information, the site also has useful maps, and a detailed profile of each State.

EquMath: Math Lessons

MATH MADE EASY AT EQUMATH.NET
Math Lessons from Algebra to Differential Equations

http://equmath.net

Mathematics was never one of my strong suits in school. Where other students saw elegantly logical solutions to problems, I saw a morass of numbers that caused me to break out in a sweat. If I was in school today, I'd seek out EquMath.net ( http://equmath.net ). This site, created by mathematicians, has simple, easy-to-understand explanations of common math problems and concepts. There are no fancy graphics at this site, but you will find solid explanations to help you with algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and other areas of mathematics. This is a comprehensive site -- there are more than 3,700 pages of math explanations. If you click on "Useful Links" you'll find lots of other educational mathematics sites, too.
http://equmath.net/

Find free wifi hotspots and free wireless news at anchorfree.com

http://forbes.anchorfree.com/

Israel critic denied post at university

By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Published: 12 June 2007

A top American university has denied tenure to a prominent academic amid allegations of anti-Semitism and his defence of the Palestinian cause. continue...

Paris Hilton thanks God for her prison sentence

By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Published: 12 June 2007

After an inglorious public career in which she has had her sex life paraded on the internet, appeared in a TV reality show, tried and failed to launch herself as a singer and gone to many, many paparazzi-filled Hollywood parties, Paris Hilton announced yesterday that she had found God and was now "a different person". continue...

Brown promises to avoid the mistakes that led to war in Iraq

By Andrew Grice and Ben Russell
Published: 12 June 2007

Gordon Brown has promised to prevent the "party political" use of intelligence material so that he would never repeat Tony Blair's mistake in taking Britain to war on a flawed prospectus. continue...

India's air crews asked to 'battle the bulge'

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi
Published: 12 June 2007

As every air traveler has been heard countless times, the stewards on board the flight are primarily there for everyone’s safety. And what flyer would dare risk breaching political correctness to admit they like their in-flight crew to look attractive? continue...

Introduce a sugar line and a fat line on food packaging

Introduce a sugar line and a fat line on food packaging, similar to the Plimsoll Line on ships. This would provide a visual guide as to just how much sugar and fat there is in the product.  Jenny Torr  Comment on this idea 

Diplomas Count, Full Access

Dear Educator:
The 2^nd Annual Diplomas Count is here. Produced with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this eye-opening report is now available online at edweek.org.  During our edweek.org Open House, you can access the whole report for FREE! The report examines college and career readiness and provides the most accurate and far-reaching analysis of high school graduation policies and trends. While you’re at it, be sure to check out some of our past reports and our most recent edition of Technology Counts.
Some things you shouldn’t miss in this year’s Diplomas Count:

• A national snapshot of graduating high school students in the Executive Summary.
• Feature stories, commentaries, and analyses such as:
• 
  
• What it takes to graduate for the class of 2007 - By Sterling C. Lloyd

• ‘Soft Skills’ in Big Demand: Interest in teaching students interpersonal skills needed for success in life is on the rise. - By Catherine Gewertz

• Learning and Earning: An analysis that shows the relationship between education and pay. - By Christopher B. Swanson

• Access to Opportunity: Skilled workers for the jobs of the future are in short supply, risking further expansion of the American family-income divide. - By Anthony P. Carnevale

• Our totally new edweek maps tool allows you to map graduation rates by school district. You can see how your district compares to other districts in your area and nationwide. This great tool gives you access to incredible amounts of information right at your fingertips!

Remember, our doors will be wide open through June 25.  That means you’ll have access to everything our premium subscribers see daily for a full two weeks!
 
If you like what you see on edweek.org, get even more by adding a 4-week trial subscription to Education Week. This trial offer of 4 weeks of print and online access is available for only a short time at: www.edweek.org/go/4weektrial.

Tell your colleagues about the complete, FREE access to Diplomas Count and our Open House!
See you there,

Virginia B. Edwards
Editor and Publisher

Why Teachers Quit

Published: May 1, 2007

By Kimberly Palmer

It wasn’t her teenage students who drove Meghan Sharp out of teaching—it was the crippling inflexibility of her administrators.

All the innovative curriculum ideas and field trips she proposed to engage her 10th grade biology students were promptly shot down, and she left the profession after just two years.

“I still enjoyed teaching, but it was a constant battle with the administration,” says Sharp, who worked in an urban district in northern New Jersey. “I had to do things like submit weekly lesson plans. There was a lot of bureaucracy.” She now goes by her maiden name and asked Teacher Magazine not to identify her old school because she works as an education policy analyst. continue...

Bush U-turn as 'surge' sceptic to oversee war

By David Usborne in New York
Published: 09 June 2007

The White House has sidelined the main proponent of "troop surge" in Iraq in what looks a tacit acceptance that, after several months, the much-vaunted strategy is not working.

Final responsibility for guiding President George Bush on conduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been shifted from his National Security adviser, Stephen Hadley, and handed instead to his new war tsar, Lt-Gen Douglas Lute, who has long voiced doubts about the surge. continue...

The wrath of 2007: America's great drought

By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Published: 11 June 2007

America is facing its worst summer drought since the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression. Or perhaps worse still.

From the mountains and desert of the West, now into an eighth consecutive dry year, to the wheat farms of Alabama, where crops are failing because of rainfall levels 12 inches lower than usual, to the vast soupy expanse of Lake Okeechobee in southern Florida, which has become so dry it actually caught fire a couple of weeks ago, a continent is crying out for water. continue...

101 Really Useful Websites

The net's not just about eBay and MySpace. The ingenious sites here can transform your life in the real world. Want to be first in line for gig tickets, find free parking or get paid to shop? It's all just a click away

Compiled by Rebecca Armstrong, Rhodri Marsden, Abigail Outhwaite and Jimmy Lee Shreeve
Published: 11 June 2007

www.hitflip.co.uk
Swap unwanted DVDs, games, books and CDs on this site that uses credits - " flips" - as currency. Users receive flips when trading items with other Hitflip members. Actually super-simple to use.

continue...

Why the British love nothing more than a current pun

The pun, especially the bad pun, is so embedded in our national psyche that it is folly to deny it. Even if we make an accidental pun, we draw attention to it

Published: 11 June 2007

A BBC radio producer once told me a sad story. He had been asked at short notice, when he was already very busy, to put together half an hour of jollity to fill a gap in the coming Easter radio schedule. Even though under great pressure, he had managed to do so, but had signified his displeasure by giving the programme the worst possible name he could think of, namely "Easter Eggstra".

The executive producer had taken the rough tape of the programme away to listen to, and had rung the producer to say he liked it.

"And loved the title! Brilliant!" continue...

Install kitchen storage units that double as dishwashers

Install kitchen storage units that double as dishwashers. Put dishes in in
the cabinets dirty, press a button and they are washed and dried right
where they belong.

Michael Katz

To comment on this idea

Idea-a-day

Human rights in Iraq: a case to answer

Revealed: How Lord Goldsmith advised Army chiefs to deny detainees 'full' legal protection

By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor
Published: 29 May 2007

The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, is facing accusations that he told the Army its soldiers were not bound by the Human Rights Act when arresting, detaining and interrogating Iraqi prisoners.

Previously confidential emails, seen by The Independent, between London and British military head-quarters in Iraq soon after the start of the war suggest Lord Goldsmith's advice was to adopt a "pragmatic" approach when handling prisoners and it was not necessary to follow the " higher standards" of the protection of the Human Rights Act.

That, according to human rights lawyers, was tantamount to the Attorney General advising the military to ignore the Human Rights Act and to simply observe the Geneva Conventions. It was also contrary to advice given by the Army's senior lawyer in Iraq, who urged higher standards to be met. continue...

\Pakistani same-sex couple jailed for 3 years on perjury charges

By Asif Shahzad, Associated Press Writer
Published: 29 May 2007

A same-sex couple who sought legal protection from harassment were separated and sentenced to three years in jail yesterday for lying to a Pakistani judge that surgery had turned one partner into a man.

The case of Shumail Raj, who was born female but had two operations to remove her breasts and uterus 16 years ago, and Shahzina Tariq has made waves by raising issues of homosexuality and transsexuality that are taboo in the conservative Muslim society. continue...

Astronomers eagerly await potential birth of 'super' sun

  By Simon Baker and Martin Hickman
Published: 29 May 2007

Astronomers have pinpointed two massive stars, orbiting close to each other in space, that could merge to create a "super" sun, 100 times bigger than our own. continue...

Student, 62, sets masters record

By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 29 May 2007

Many people would consider studying for just one master's degree in their retirement quite an achievement. Not Tom Norton. The 62-year-old former civil service librarian, who took early retirement a decade ago, is about to take his eighth. continue...

Help educate the media about what's really going on in Israel

Help tell the world about Hamas rockets from Gaza Your generous donation allows The Israel Project to provide facts to the media and the world about Israel. Help stop these rocket attacks. Please give now.

May 29, 2007

An Israeli woman was just killed by a Palestinian rocket from Gaza. If you haven’t heard about this tragedy, you’re not alone. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Palestinian terrorists have fired more than 1,300 rockets into Israel — on a recent Tuesday alone, 24 rockets hit Israel, wounding 30 people.

Yet these attacks go largely unreported by the international media.
We know that the media usually decides that “if it bleeds, it leads” and “good news is no news.” The body count in Iraq and Lebanon is high and tragic. Yet how many more Israeli women need to be killed and how many more Israeli children wounded before the press starts to report on these unprovoked attacks?

That’s why I am writing you today.
The Israel Project (TIP) needs your help to educate the media about what is really going on in Israel, Gaza and the Palestinian territories. Please give today at www.theisraelproject.org/sderot .

Last week, as rockets fell onto Sderot, Calev Ben-David, who heads our office in Israel, was there on the ground with a bus full of journalists—who heard and saw the effects first-hand. The stories they reported reflected the terrible reality of the situation.

Meanwhile, Leah Soibel, one of our in-house terrorism experts, worked out of a Sderot bomb shelter — emailing facts to journalists around the world.

At the same time, with me in New York, Jennifer Packer, Michal Slawny, and others from our staff and board hosted Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, at a press luncheon with more than 80 reporters. Ambassador Gillerman gave reporters the facts and context they needed to get the story right.

TIP’s French and German speaking staff went into overdrive to make sure that reporters in Europe——a frontline area of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism — had the facts they needed to accurately cover the Sderot story.

But much more must be done!  Donate now at www.theisraelproject.org/sderot.

During the Second Lebanon War, TIP set up media centers in Northern Israel to provide journalists with sources, press briefings, background research, transportation, information on lodging and anything else they needed. Press coverage of the war was seen worldwide.  And according to public opinion research, Israel was portrayed as defending herself and her citizens. Support for Israel in the United States increased. But with harmful media coverage, that support can once again wane. 

Today we need to do much more in Sderot, the town being bombarded by rockets from Hamas, an Iranian-backed organization openly bent on Israel’s destruction. We need to act now to make sure Israel is again seen as defending her citizens against terror from the sky. International support is critical to Israel’s security.

Almost daily, Sderot suffers under a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza into civilian centers. But the world is mostly unaware because they don’t hear about these attacks on the news. Yet, when Israel does take action to defend herself, it’s on the front page of the paper and “breaking news” on television. If the world doesn’t know about the relentless terror attacks on Israeli civilians, then Israel will be seen as an aggressor and will once again be unfairly judged. Israel has learned this hard lesson too many times. We must not allow that to happen again.

We need to immediately get new media services set up in Sderot and around the world. But we can’t do it without you.

Your gift of $1,000, $500, $360, $100, or whatever you can afford, to The Israel Project will make a difference. Your gift will allow The Israel Project to get this story out and educate the world’s media.  

www.theisraelproject.org/sderot

With your support TIP will:

• Staff Sderot med ia services
• Host press briefings and conferences not only covering the rockets being shot into Sderot, but also on the root causes including the Palestinian culture of hate and the long arm of Iran
• Helicopter top journalists over the attack area so they can see Israel’s intense security challenges
• Train international victims of the rocket attacks to speak to the media, in multiple languages, so that the world can understand their suffering and the need to protect the people of Israel
• Shoot video and photos for journalists to use in their stories
• Take and distribute photos to illustrate newspaper articles
• Provide researched background information hourly to help journalists meet their deadlines

Today there are huge and deadly fights between Hamas and Fatah. The Lebanese army is fighting radicals on its own soil. And Palestinian terrorists want nothing more than to draw Israel into their fight so they can use the media to manipulate world opinion against Israel.

That’s why it is so important that you send in your contribution today. The media are already coming to Sderot and Gaza to cover this story. And your support will make sure they get the facts they need to present the truth.
Please help fund our media services by donating at www.theisraelproject.org/sderot .

Sincerely,

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
Founder and President
The Israel Project

P.S. Make your contribution of $1,000, $500, $360, $100 or whatever you can afford at at www.theisraelproject.org/sderot  today. Your gift will allow TIP to continue to educate the media on this and other stories and will give valuable support to Israeli families under the threat of attack from terrorist rockets.

On the horizon: news from the frontiers of science

Scientists forecast solar outbursts, why ants are selfless road workers, and how farmers can benefit birds.

By Peter N. Spotts

How to forecast a solar outburst
Powerful eruptions from the sun can trigger magnetic storms on Earth that can cause power blackouts and disrupt radio communications. And they can also trigger radiation storms in space that may damage satellites and threaten astronauts.

Now, a team of scientists has found that these powerful outbursts, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), emit telltale radio signals. The signals travel at the speed of light – far faster than the billions of tons of hot, electrically charged gas that CMEs hurl through space. As a result, the signals can be used to provide earlier warnings of impending magnetic or radiation storms. The lead time can range from tens of minutes to a few hours, according to Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who led the team.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0531/p17s01-stgn.html

The scar of Hariri's murder will never heal in Lebanon

Published: 01 June 2007

They were handing out white roses where the bomb went off. On 14 February 2005, ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri was killed there and the 20ft bomb crater has remained a scar on the surface of Beirut history ever since.

But yesterday, as the Lebanese learned that there would indeed be a United Nations tribunal to condemn his killers, the crater - from which vital evidence was removed by Syria's friends in the security services - was filled in and the road resurfaced and the flowers handed to motorists by young men in T-shirts bearing Hariri's portrait. continue...

Chicken Sales Nuggets

Companies hire political strategists to market products – including, in this writer's imagination, chicken in the shape of presidential faces.

By Peter Grier

News item: Political veterans are bringing their sophisticated campaign techniques into the corporate world, reports The Wall Street Journal. That's because the best political marketers may now be as good as – or even better than – top business strategists, due to the high pressure and high stakes of elections. continue...

83% say texting while driving should be illegal

  Survey finds young adults most likely to oppose a 'DWT' ban � and 66% of those age 18-24 send text messages while behind the wheel

The vast majority of Americans said they would support a ban on texting while driving, but younger adults � by far the most likely to be sending text messages while behind the wheel � are not LOL, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.

This could be bad news for anyone who sends a quick text message to friends while waiting at a red light or responds to a question from work by typing a few keys on their PDA while in traffic. Communicating while commuting could soon get you into trouble with the law, as some states consider bans on texting while driving � a move supported by 83% who said typing text messages while driving should be illegal. Just 12% are against the state imposing restrictions on texting while driving.

The survey is featured in the June issue of Zogby�s American Consumer newsletter, now available at www.zogby.com. The Zogby Interactive poll of 2,246 adults nationwide was conducted May 9-10, 2007, and carries a margin of error of +/- 2.1 percentage points. continue....

Why restrict immigration at all?

Barrie Maguire

The Constitution and the laws of economics compel us to welcome all immigrants.

By Becky Akers and Donald J. Boudreaux

New York and Fairfax, Va. - Just in time for summer, the Senate is heating things up with immigration reform. The bill it's debating aims to shore up border security and start some 12 million illegal aliens on the path to citizenship. Despite passionate disagreement, voices across the political spectrum concur on two points: They insist the federal government should do something about immigration, and they're sure immigrants threaten American jobs.

People assert these claims as though they're self-evident. But they aren't, as even a basic understanding of the US Constitution and the principles of economics shows. And that means most of the premises about immigration are confused. continue...

Enabling Environment Conference

Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at The Enabling Environment Conference in Kabul, Afghanistan
June 4, 2007

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

Your Excellency President Hamid Karzai
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great pleasure and honour to be with you all today. We extend our warmest thanks to all those whose dedication has made this conference possible, most especially to President Karzai and the Government of Afghanistan for their central role - as well as to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who will attend tomorrow's closing session. continue...

Bloodshed is spreading across Afghanistan, warn aid workers

By Chris Sands in Kabul
Published: 06 June 2007

Bloodshed is spreading to previously stable provinces of Afghanistan, threatening aid efforts as humanitarian workers contend with growing numbers of attacks from insurgents and criminals.

Aid workers involved in redevelopment are not only worried that the rising insecurity is jeopardising projects, but fear it is pushing disgruntled Afghans into the hands of the Taliban and adding fuel to a guerrilla war that now rages across much of the country. continue...

Brown promises Britons first refusal on jobs

By Colin Brown
Published: 06 June 2007

Gordon Brown yesterday promised his union backers for the leadership of the Labour Party that as Prime Minister he will ensure British people get first refusal on jobs in Britain.  continue...

Publish new books one chapter at a time

Idea A Day
Where Ideas Are Free

Welcome to Day 2484

Publish new books one chapter at a time. If the book is good enough, readers will buy the next chapter. If not, they haven't wasted a larger sum of money for something they will never read.

day 2484 by Anya Thorsteinsdottir

comment on this idea

Contact the author directly

Blair announces plan to tighten scrutiny of university courses in Islamic studies

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
Published: 05 June 2007

Tony Blair insisted that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan should not be viewed as anti-Muslim yesterday as he appealed to the "true voice of Islam" to make itself heard.

The Prime Minister announced that more imams would be trained in British universities in an attempt to combat extremism and unveiled a £1m programme to reform Islamic studies after a government-ordered inquiry by the leading scholar Dr Ataullah Siddiqui found that they focused too narrowly on the Middle East and failed to reflect the reality of modern life in multicultural Britain. continue...