9th
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2009
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The new president said on his first day in office that France needed to bring in more reforms quickly.
There is a demand for change. Never have the risks of inertia been so great for France as they are now in this world in flux where everyone across the world is trying to change quicker than the others, where any delay can be fatal,” he said.
Shortly afterwards, the pair put on their jogging kits and went for a brisk run around the Bois de Boulogne.
The BBC’s Caroline Wyatt, in Paris, says all this is a new and very different style for France, whose heads of state here have traditionally been patrician, somewhat remote figures.
It is clear that Mr Sarkozy and Mr Fillon are serious about getting this nation moving again, she says, beginning by setting their own personal example.
Mr Fillon’s renowned conciliatory skills will be much needed as prime minister if he is to succeed in a post often described as a poisoned chalice, says the BBC’s Alasdair Sandford in Paris.
Mr Fillon will lead the UMP party into parliamentary elections in June.
Opinion polls suggest the party will gain a majority, giving Mr Sarkozy and Mr Fillon the scope to push ahead with reforms
9th
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2009
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There are still some close contests to come, with the Democrats intent on moving into staunch Republican territory.
Votes are still being counted in Alaska – one of the Democrat’s most surprising target states, whose Senate delegation has been solidly Republican since 1981.
Incumbent Republican Senator Ted Stevens has been a dominant figure in Alaskan politics since 1968, when he first won his seat.
But he was convicted in October of lying about gifts he had received, and was already facing a tough re-election battle against the Democratic Mayor of Anchorage, Mark Begich.
A recount is expected in Minnesota, and Georgia is preparing for a run-off after neither candidate received the necessary number of votes to be declared overall winner.
There was some positive news for the Republicans, with voters in Kentucky and Mississippi returning their candidates despite determined efforts by Democrat rivals.
Meanwhile, voters in 11 states also elected governors, and in 36 states there were 153 proposals to be decided upon.
Voters in Colorado and South Dakota rejected initiatives that could have led to abortion bans. Washington became the second US state to allow people with terminal illnesses the option of doctor-assisted suicide, while Nebraska outlawed affirmative action.
Most controversially, voters in California approved a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to heterosexual couples. Thousands of gay couples have wed in the state since a court ruled in May that gay marriages could go ahead.
7th
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2009
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As long as Americans are buying, Mexican drug cartels will continue to sell.
Up the road, at the El Paso field office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), they have been burning marijuana in a special incinerator.
Nearby, two undercover agents are packing up more than 30kg of cocaine, seized in a raid just two days earlier. It’s being sent off for analysis.
In the warehouse next door, Special Agent Joseph M Arabit shows off several tons of seized drugs.
Plenty of narcotics though are still getting through.
The FBI estimates that between 40% and 60% of the drugs smuggled into the US come in via the Juarez-El Paso corridor. Other agencies dispute this figure, but it’s a clear indication of the scale of the problem.
“I think the long-term solution is going to have to be the elimination of the cartels themselves,” says FBI Special Agent David Cuthbertson.
“The Mexican government and our government, in co-operation, really need to remove the cartels at their roots, because they are multi-billion dollar criminal enterprises, who are very powerful. They are very violent and they are also very flexible.”
So far the US approach has been two-fold. Try and stop drugs getting in, and spend money on equipping and training the Mexican army to destroy the cartels.
The trafficking issue, however, is not a one-way street.
The Mexican government says the US authorities are failing to stop weapons and drug money from heading south across this border. Most of the weapons used by the drug cartels are easily bought in the US thanks to relaxed US gun laws.
“The Mexicans are justifiably worried and angry that weapons, very sophisticated weapons are being smuggled into Mexico from the United States and are being used by the drug cartels,” says Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security.
“It’s been a fact of life that except for occasional random inspections, the American border authorities do not make exit inspections of people and vehicles when leaving the country. That’s gotta stop.”
Still, others feel it’s not so simple.
“I think at the very least we need to have a national debate about the wisdom of the United States policy of prohibition,” says El Paso council member Beto O’Rourke.
“The US for decades has focused on the supply side of the problem, of getting into the business of how drugs are produced in Colombia, and Peru, and now Mexico.”
“It really has done nothing to limit the supply and the availability and desirability of drugs in the United States, and that’s what fuelling the violence that we see in Juarez. The US drug consumer’s money is what buys guns, buys the corruption of public officials, recruits new members to the cartels.”
4th
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2009
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1828 – Brazil, Argentina renounce claims to territories which become the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.
1830 – Constitution approved.
1838-65 – Civil war between Blancos, or Whites – the future conservative party – and Colorados, or Reds – the future liberals.
1865-70 – Uruguay joins Argentina and Brazil in war against Paraguay, which is defeated.
1903-15 – Reformist Jose Batlle y Ordonez (Colorado Party) gives women the franchise and establishes a welfare state, disestablishes the church and abolishes the death penalty during two successive terms as president.
1933 – Opposition groups excluded from politics following military coup.
1951 – President replaced with nine-member council in accordance with new constitution.
Dictatorship, guerrilla warfare, return to democracy
1962 – Campaign by Tupamaros guerrillas begins and lasts until 1973.
British ambassador to Uruguay Geoffrey Jackson kidnapped by Tupamaros guerrillas and held for eight months. He is freed shortly after a mass jail break-out by Tupamaros convicts which officials deny was arranged in exchange for Jackson’s release.
1972 – Sixteen survivors of a Uruguayan plane which crashes in the Andes stay alive by eating the flesh of passengers who died. The survivors, mainly members of a Uruguayan rugby team, are trapped for 10 weeks.
1973 – Armed forces seize power and promise to encourage foreign investment, but usher in a period of extreme repression during which Uruguay becomes known as “the torture chamber of Latin America” and accumulates the largest number of political prisoners per capita in the world.
1984 – Violent protests against repression and deteriorating economic conditions.
1985 – Army and political leaders agree on return to constitutional government and the release of political prisoners; law grants amnesty to members of the armed forces accused of human rights violations during years of dictatorship; Julio Maria Sanguinetti becomes president.
1989 – Referendum endorses amnesty for human rights abusers; Lacalle Herrera elected president.
1994 – Julio Maria Sanguinetti elected president.
1999 – Jorge Batlle elected president.
2000 – Commission begins investigating the fate of 160 people who disappeared during the years of military dictatorship.
2002 April – Uruguay breaks diplomatic ties with Cuba, after Cuba accuses it of being a US lackey for sponsoring a UN resolution which calls on Havana to implement human rights reforms.
Financial crisis
2002 May – Emergency measures, including tax increases, are announced by President Batlle in an effort to prevent Argentina’s financial crisis from spilling over the border.
4th
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2009
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One of Madoff’’s victims, Burt Ross, a former mayor of New Jersey town Fort Lee, told the BBC he did not expect to recover a single cent of the $5m he invested.
“Bernard Madoff is a genius,” said Mr Ross. “You’re dealing with the greatest con artist probably in the history of the world.
“He created a mystique and associated with extraordinarily well respected and revered people, and so he was given the benefit of the doubt by financial regulators who blew it badly.”
Investigators say they are continuing efforts to recover all the money Madoff has stolen, but most commentators – and most of his investors – say it is highly unlikely that any more than a very small amount will be found.
“It’s going to be hard to recover the money,” said Lisa Osofsky, former deputy general counsel for the FBI, now a consultant with Control Risks.
“In a Ponzi scheme, you’re constantly passing the money out rather than keeping it, so who knows how much money he actually made.”
Mark Raymond, a lawyer representing some of Madoff’s victims, said it would be wrong to think of them all being multimillionaires.
Despite widespread press coverage of famous names and a wealthy elite, Mr Raymond, of law firm Broad and Cassel, said many were normal working people, including a retired couple from Atlanta.
“He’s 82, she’s 78, and they are both looking for work because they have lost everything,” he said.
Mr Raymond said another victim was a plumber who earned no more than $60,000 a year.
3rd
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2009
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Some scientists say strong magnetic fields in homes near high-voltage cables may increase the risk of cancer.
They believe electromagnetic fields from power lines or household appliances may impair the body’s ability to fight disease.
But the theory has been dismissed by researchers at the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in Oxfordshire.
They say they have failed to find evidence to support it in laboratory experiments.
“Some studies in the past have thrown up evidence of a weak link between unusually strong magnetic fields experienced in some homes, and leukaemia in children,” said lead researcher Dr David Lloyd.
“We tried to produce this effect in cells in the lab, but couldn’t find it even using magnetic fields stronger than people would experience in everyday life.”
Large-scale studies looking at disease trends have found that there is no link between magnetic fields given off by overhead power lines or electrical appliances and most cases of childhood leukaemia.
“Studies show very clearly that the vast majority of children in the UK are not exposed to levels of electromagnetic radiation that would constitute any risk at all,” said Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK.
However, the NRPB, the UK Government’s radiation watchdog, has admitted in the past that there is a “weak association” between electromagnetic fields and increased risk of childhood leukaemia.
In homes with prolonged exposure to unusually strong magnetic fields – 0.5% of those in the UK – there may be a slight increased risk of the disease. Researchers have been unable to explain why this might be the case.
“Studies like ours have failed to uncover a pathway by which magnetic fields could cause childhood leukaemia – and it’s looking probable that none exists,” said Dr Lloyd.
3rd
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2009
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Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said the existing power line from north to central Scotland must be replaced.
It has expressed hope that the plans would eventually be approved by ministers.
The power company said the £320m development was needed for the reliable transmission of electricity from renewable sources from the north of Scotland, which would be enough to power one million homes.
However, the proposals, which would see pylons erected in some of Scotland’s most picturesque locations, including the Cairngorms National Park and the Southern Highlands, have attracted fierce opposition since being announced in 2005.
More than 17,000 objections have been received by the Scottish Executive so far, including concerns raised by local authorities through which the power line would pass.
Conservation body Scottish Natural Heritage has also voiced opposition.
Residents in Gravir on the Isle of Lewis have voted against proposals for a sub-sea electric cable to make landfall near their village.
The cable’s location on the mainland is being investigated as part of a public inquiry into plans to upgrade the Beauly to Denny power line.
In a secret ballot, 44 out of 58 respondents opposed the Gravir plan.
The sub-sea cable would allow electricity from wind farms on the isles to reach the mainland.
The public inquiry into plans for the 137-mile (220km) power line through the Scottish countryside has begun.
It follows years of controversy over the proposals for 600 pylons, which would be up to 65m (213ft) tall.
2nd
11 -
2009
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Chandrayaan-1 was also the first and the most detailed search for water on the Moon using radars – to date, water has never been found.
A miniature American radar onboard the Chandrayaan peered into the Moon’s deepest craters searching for “water ice”.
The Moon’s surface is so parched that scientists feel the only location where water could exist would be in the permanently shadowed craters on the lunar poles.
But these are so deep and dark that sunlight never reaches them – hence the only way to peep inside is to send a radar signal down into them.
The global collaborative team of the mission is very excited about the findings.
“Never seen before images of the permanently shadowed craters of the Moon have been captured,” says Paul D Spudis, of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, US, and principal investigator of the payload sent to search for water.
“The new radar images are not only visually arresting, but they will be extremely useful in unravelling the complex geological history of the Moon as a whole,” he says.
Other scientific reports on findings are in the offing. But unless the results are published, questions will continue to be asked about whether the mission fulfilled its exalted scientific objectives.
The termination of the Moon mission will, however, not affect India’s plans in space.
The country is already planning a second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2, with Russian collaboration in 2011-12; a mission to an asteroid; an unmanned mission to Mars in 2013 and a human spaceflight in 2015.
Upbeat Isro scientists are saying “Chandrayaan-1 is dead, long live Chandrayaan”. The jury will be out – until the scientific papers come in.
2nd
11 -
2009
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A searing summer heatwave might not seem the most obvious time to talk about how we keep our homes warm during the winter; but the two things are closely related.
Recent temperatures in the UK and elsewhere give an indication of what life will be like much more frequently unless we get to grips with the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Shrinking ice sheets and images of polar bears might attract the headlines.
But it will be premature deaths through heat stroke and respiratory problems, failed harvests, wildfires, social disorder and mass migration that will make climate change a reality for people across the globe.
People have started to get this message. But it is a pretty depressing one, which is not a great spur to action.
Most of us think there is very little we can do; climate change is a global problem, and starting a revolution in our living room is not going to change the world, right?
Wrong.
In the UK, 27% of carbon dioxide emissions come from the energy we use to heat (and light) our homes.
It is not only carbon that’s going out of the window – and for that matter the roof, walls and floor – it is our hard earned money.
But imagine if we could transform our homes from leaky, draughty places that guzzle energy, into more comfortable, brighter, places – warmer in winter and cooler in summer – with smaller bills.
Imagine if we could do that without it costing consumers a penny, or landing a hefty bill at the government’s door.
And in the process, also create thousands of new jobs in green home refurbishment.
2nd
11 -
2009
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Pregnancy is hard work despite all the images of blooming mothers-to-be.
All your organs are squashed up into your throat, you can hardly walk and you may get double vision.
And then there is the stress of worrying about the future health of your baby.
As part of National Pregnancy Week, beginning on 6 September, childbirth charity Tommy’s Campaign and Boots the Chemists are publishing a guide to how expectant mothers and babies can keep healthy.
The top 10 tips are:
• Eat a balanced diet, including cereals, bread, oily fish and cooked eggs.
• Stay clear of raw eggs, soft, unpasteurised cheese, pate and uncooked meat.
Pregnant women should also avoid eating too many foods high in vitamin A, such as liver and dairy products, in combination with multi-vitamin supplements which include vitamin A.
Excessive doses of vitamin A have been shown to be a risk factor for heart defects and cleft palates in babies, but too little is also harmful to a baby’s health.
• Both men and women trying for a baby should consider stopping smoking as research shows an increased risk of health problems for unborn babies. Smoking is also believed to have an effect on male fertility.
Recent research shows that the babies of women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of developing cancer in later life.
• Women should take folic acid supplements in the weeks leading up to conception and after conception. This can reduce the chance of birth defects, such as Spina Bifida.
The recommended daily dose is 400 microgrammes. Too much folic acid can be harmful. The vitamin is found in beans and green, leafy vegetables.
• Pregnant women should cut down on the amount of alcohol they drink as excessive amounts can be risky for the foetus. One or two units a week is the recommended limit.
• Pregnant women should contact their GP if they are worried about complications, such as bleeding, swelling of the ankles, abdominal pain and headaches.
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