StumbleUpon | runaway-mule's comments & reviews

Three more members of drugs advisory panel resign after sacking of David Nutt - Times Online

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:36:24 -0800

From the page: Three members of the Government's drugs advisory panel resigned last night after Alan Johnson failed to persuade them to stay on after his sacking of David Nutt as the body's chairman.

A source close to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) named the three advisers as Simon Campbell, Dr Ian Ragan and John Marsden.

Two other members of the committee, Les King and Marion Walker, resigned last weekend in protest at the Home Secretary's dismissal of Professor Nutt for questioning government policy on the classification of Ecstasy and cannabis.

The latest resignations come as a blow to the Home Secretary, who had hoped to prevent further departures from the council by meeting its remaining 28 members this afternoon to discuss their concerns.

Lord Mandelson tipped as information minister | Politics | guardian.co.uk

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:33:39 -0800

From the page: "Lord Mandelson is being tipped as a possible "minister for information" under a shake-up of the way Downing Street holds its media briefings announced today.

Officials planning the overhaul believe that one option would be for the business secretary to hold weekly news conferences to explain government policy.

The prime minister's spokesman announced the setting up of a working group to review the way Downing Street conducts media briefings in "an increasingly fast-moving and online media world".

One option being considered would involve Mandelson giving a televised briefing to reporters every Monday about government business, according to a Westminster insider.

If Mandelson were to hold a weekly televised briefing, he would in effect add "minister for information" to his long list of titles. In the past some governments have appointed an official "minister for information", although the title has not officially been used in recent years.

Such a role would not involve Mandelson giving up his post as business secretary."

iTWire - Oceans have higher capacity to absorb carbon dioxide

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:29:27 -0800

From the page: "According to a British study, the amount of carbon dioxide able to be absorbed into Earth's oceans is much larger than previously thought.

In the author's paper �oeIs the airborne fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions increasing?,which is published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the capacity of the oceans on Earth to absorb carbon dioxide is much larger that previously thought by scientists."

Spain&s wind turbines supply half of the national power grid - Times Online

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:25:13 -0800

From the page: "Spain was celebrating its commitment to renewable energy yesterday after wind turbines dotted across the country produced more than half of all its electricity for the first time.

High winds across Spain on Sunday meant that for over five hours, over 53 per cent of the country's power came from wind energy. The towering white wind turbines which loom over Castilla-La Mancha, home to Cervantes's hero Don Quixote and which dominate other parts of Spain, set a new record in wind energy production.

Most of the wind power was used immediately, 6 per cent was stored and 7.7 per cent was exported to France, Portugal and Morocco.

In the past decade Spain has relentlessly invested in wind power, along with other renewable sources, making it the third-biggest supplier after the United States and Germany. Luis Atienza, president of Red Electrica which runs Spain's electricity grid, said:"This makes us proud. There is no other country of our size which has completed and bettered a renewable energy production of over 50 per cent in such a timescale.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain�'s Prime Minister, a strong believer in renewable energy, has hinted his Government may phase out nuclear plants."

Pound tumbles after Fitch issues triple-A rating warning | Business | guardian.co.uk

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:18:55 -0800

From the page: "The pound fell sharply today after ratings agency Fitch warned that Britain was "potentially most at risk" of losing its triple-A sovereign debt rating.

Britain's ballooning budget deficit has caused similar warnings from other ratings agencies and Fitch said it expected the British government to soon articulate stronger plans to reduce the deficit.

But nervy foreign exchange markets did not like the reminder of Britain's deficit, which is heading for a record of 12.5% of national income in the current fiscal year."

BBC NEWS | Business | Recession fuels UK shoplifting

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:16:55 -0800

From the page: Shoplifting has surged to record levels in the UK, fuelled by the recession, according to a study.

The value of retail goods stolen rose 20% to £4.88bn in the year to June, the Centre for Retail Research said.

The UK had the highest amount in value of shoplifted goods in Europe and was third behind the US and Japan globally, data from 1,069 retailers suggests.

Checkpoint Systems, which commissioned the report, said there had been a rise in "middle-class" shoplifters.

It said more people were now stealing goods simply to maintain their standard of living rather than to sell them on.

AFP: Trade deficit expands to &7.2 billion

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:16:20 -0800

From the page: "LONDON -The trade-in-goods deficit expanded to 7.2 billion pounds in September, official data showed on Tuesday.

The figure compared with a revised deficit of 6.1 billion pounds in August, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

August's trade-in-goods deficit had originally been put at 6.2 billion pounds."

China-Africa summit shows importance of friendship with Beijing - Times Online

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:50:13 -0800

From the page: "Last year, despite the world recession, China-Africa trade leapt to $107 billion " a rise of 45 per cent in one year and even beating African trade with the US. Direct Chinese investment in Africa grew from $491 million in 2003 to $7.8 billion in 2008. The results are visible everywhere. Chinese workers are building roads, ports, dams, railways, football stadiums, hotels and office blocks.

China angrily rebuts suggestions that it wants a neocolonial-style expansion but knows that it can count on the votes of African states whenever it faces possible censure over human rights abuses at home or controversial issues such as Tibet. The Vice-Minister of Commerce, Chen Jian, said this week: China's aid to Africa is based on Africa's needs without imposing any political pre-conditions."

Caution for assault &will one day be followed by murder& - Times Online

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:44:31 -0800

From the page: "Concern is increasing among judges and magistrates that thousands of cautions are being handed out by police or prosecutors for violent assaults that should come before courts.

Keir Starmer, QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has told The Times that no offence above the level of common assault should be dealt with �oeout of court”. He has called for data from all prosecuting areas in England and Wales to find out if this was happening. "

Lord Browne returns to public life to chair student fees review - Education News, Education - The Independent

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:39:23 -0800

From the page: "Lord Browne, the ex BP boss once said to be Prime Minister Tony Blair,s favourite captain of industry, returned to the public spotlight today" just two years after dramatically quitting as head of the oil giant after admitting lying to a court.

He accepted the high profile job of chairman of the government inquiry into university tuition fees.

Lord Browne,s appointment was widely welcomed today although there was flak for ministers who were accused of a conspiracy to put higher fees on the back burner until after the election.

Lord Browne of Madingley was appointed by Business Secretary Peter Mandelson two years after admitting lying in court in an attempt to block revelations about his private life. He said at the time it was a matter of great regret that he lied over how he had first met his partner of four years, Jeff Chevalier.

Yesterday he was appointed as head of a seven-man panel to carry out the review.

The team also includes former student leader Rajay Naik, now a board member of the Big Lottery Fund.

The team were immediately put under pressure to agree an increase in fees. A survey of vice-chancellors indicated they would " on average " like to see them doubled from the present level of £3,225 a year to around £7,000. "