This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-13897361
vineri, 24 iunie 2011
VIDEO: On the front line of Peru's drugs war
Peru is battling increasingly productive cocaine producers based in its isolated jungles.
duminică, 12 iunie 2011
Morpurgo crowned kids' favourite
Michael Morpurgo is a triple winner of the Red House book award Michael Morpurgo's novel Shadow has won this year's Red House children's book award, which is voted for by young readers.
It is a third win for Morpurgo, who becomes the only author to do so in the award's 31-year history.
Shadow tells the story of boy who is befriended by an army sniffer dog in Afghanistan.
"Shadow was a difficult book to write because I was writing about a contemporary conflict," Murpurgo said.
He was presented with the award at a ceremony in Birmingham on Saturday.
His book, which is partly set at a detention centre for asylum seekers in the UK, was published last September.
'Raw and real'
"I was conscious of the fact that there are families of soldiers who are fighting now in the war and dying in it," said the 67-year-old author, who is based in Devon.
"So there is a sensitivity that is raw and real. I wrote Shadow, as I do with all my books, because I felt so passionately about the subject - the detention centres and the suffering of war.
"I felt compelled to write it but wasn't sure how it would be received. Winning this award, voted for by so many readers, means such a lot."
Shadow was published in September 2010 Shadow won both the category for younger readers and the overall prize in the awards, which is co-ordinated by the Federation of Children's Book Groups.
Morpurgo's previous wins were for Kensuke's Kingdom and Private Peaceful.
His novel War Horse, published in 1982, has been made into a successful theatre production in the West End and on Broadway.
A film version, directed by Steven Spielberg, is out early next year.
Other winners at the 2011 book awards were Angela McAllister and Alison Edgson's Yuck! That's not a Monster in the category for younger children, and Alex Scarrow's TimeRiders in the older readers' category.
Previous winners of the award include JK Rowling, Robert Swindells, Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman and Sophie McKenzie.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/entertainment-arts-13725639
sâmbătă, 11 iunie 2011
Nato teaser
Weapons are rapidly becoming Serbia's most valuable export It is sealed off with rusty old gates, some of the buildings still in ruins after Nato air strikes twelve years ago.
But inside the Krusik arms factory in Valjevo, western Serbia, the ammunition produced is of the highest quality - used in theatres of war around the world.
From mortars to anti-tank rockets, these are weapons made to destroy, but they are slowly rebuilding Serbia's economy.
Under President Tito, Yugoslavia was a major arms exporter to its allies in the Middle East and North Africa.
As the country broke apart in the wars of the 1990s, sanctions halted sales. Many of the weapons factories, such as Krusik, were heavily bombed by Nato during the Kosovan war in 1999.
The irony is that today, the arms produced here are used in Nato missions in places like Afghanistan.
The arms industry in what is now Serbia has slowly recovered. It is rapidly becoming the country's main money earner.
Serbia is already the biggest exporter in the region. Sales last year amounted to almost $250m (£150m) to countries like Iraq.
"Serbia partly inherited the traditional customers from Tito's Yugoslavia", says military analyst Daniel Sunter.
The damage inflicted by Nato on Serbia is still painfully raw. "Many personnel of those armies were educated in Belgrade in the 1970s and 1980s", he adds, "and they have their personal ties towards Serbia, so that helps the country find a market in this part of the world."
But producers believe that if Serbia were to join Nato, they would benefit from easier exporting and the modernisation of ageing equipment.
The alliance is actively courting Serbia. A military conference organised by - among others - Nato, is being held in Belgrade next week in a clear gesture.
The country is already a member of Nato's Partnership for Peace programme and has opened a mission to Nato.
For the alliance, bringing Serbia in would be a way of maintaining security and pacifying a part of Europe still recovering from the instability of the 1990s.
Serbia's Defence Minister, Dragan Sutanovac, says his country has not yet made up its mind on Nato membership, although he does see the advantage - not least for Serbia's global image and the export potential of its arms industry.
Dragan Djokic Victim of Nato bombing“For me, for my family, also for my nation, it is full of very painful memories and Nato is responsible. We never had an apology. ”
"If someone is buying military goods from a Nato country, you do not question whether it's good quality or not", he says.
"If, for example, the Belgian military is buying munitions from Serbia, all other Nato countries are willing to buy from Serbia. So you are in a very good company to promote yourself and your products."
Nato membership would be "a political decision", the minister says, taken in time. "For now the most important is that we reach Nato standards - the best standards worldwide."
But joining an alliance that went to war with Serbia would be a delicate move.
Polls show a large majority of Serbs are still vehemently against Nato. Hence the cagey approach of the government.
Protests are planned for next week's conference. The scars of 1999 have not healed and former government buildings remain in their burnt-out state in the centre of the city.
Dragan Djokic's house in southern Serbia was hit by a Nato bomb, leaving his father severely injured.
He shows me photos of where the cluster munitions entered the building - and x-rays of his father's shattered leg.
"For me, for my family, also for my nation, it is full of very painful memories", he says "and Nato is responsible. We never had an apology. I'm against the idea that Serbia could be a member of this organisation because I couldn't see why and I don't want to have the responsibility if Nato decides to bomb civilians in another country".
But there is another factor behind attitudes towards Nato here: the position of Russia.
Many Serbs still see Moscow as their greatest ally. It opposed the bombing twelve years ago and has stood by Belgrade in refusing to recognise the independence of Kosovo - Serbia's southern province, which broke away in 2008.
When Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, visited Belgrade in April, he is thought to have reiterated behind closed doors his opposition to Serbian membership.
Nice little earner: Iraq has bought 20 Serbian-made Lasta training aircraft. "Serbs are very attentive to the Russian position because of the specific relations between our countries", says Aleksandar Konuzin, Russia's ambassador to Serbia.
"So naturally my government, myself - I am very clear about my position regarding the enlargement of Nato. What Putin said is 'what is good for Serbia is good for Russia.'"
"And if Russia says this is good for Serbs, they will believe us. Immediately."
But Serbia's military cooperation with the West is growing fast.
On an airstrip outside Belgrade, a Serbian-made Lasta 95 training aircraft takes to the skies. Twenty such planes have recently been sold to the Iraqi air force, with US authorisation, as part of a deal worth $235m (£140m).
From the air, the agility of the Lasta is clear, as it ducks and dives with ease.
This is a country turning its war-torn past around, into a profitable and trusted defence industry.
Nato membership could be the next step, but for many here that would go too far.
For now, Serbia is focusing on becoming a large and reliable arms exporter.
And as that industry climbs steadily, so does the reputation of Serbia itself.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-13731608
Malawi halts HIV cash over abuse
About 14% of Malawians are HIV-positive Malawi's government has scrapped extra payments to HIV-infected civil servants, accusing some of them of spending it on prostitutes and beer.
The $35 (£21) monthly payment would be replaced with "nutrition food bags", said government official Mary Shaba.
This would stop workers from using the money on prostitutes and "further spreading the virus", she added.
The scheme was intended to help sick workers improve their diet.
Ms Shaba said the scheme, introduced in 2007, had also been abused by civil servants who falsely claimed that they had HIV so that they could cash in on the allowance.
Nearly 40,000 civil servants, out of about 170,000, claimed the allowance.
The average monthly salary in Malawi's civil service is $100.
Around 14% of the country's population is HIV-positive.
The illness has cut life expectancy in the southern African nation to 36.
The move comes as the UN hosts a summit to mark the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosis of Aids.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/13713109
vineri, 10 iunie 2011
Pandemic promotion
This advertisement, obtained by the BBC under Freedom of Information, has never been previously broadcast.
For years the UK's health professionals have been preparing for a pandemic flu outbreak that they fear could lead to huge numbers of deaths and seriously disrupt the functioning of the nation.
Above is one of the government advertisements that we would have seen if it had happened by now. Never previously broadcast, it was obtained by the BBC through a freedom of information request.
The ad uses the metaphor of falling dominoes to convey the impression of a menace moving rapidly and almost inexorably across the globe, accompanied by an ominous voiceover.
The counter-measures it recommends, such as hand-washing, appear to present only an isolated obstacle to the perilous progress of the disease.
If it seems pessimistic, it illustrates the kind of scenario that has been deeply worrying the National Health Service and emergency planners in the past few years. It was produced in 2006.
It can be difficult to assess the impact of a publicity message outside its intended context, but it would certainly seem to fit an atmosphere of fear. It shows the extent of anxiety that has existed at times in the Department of Health - and perhaps still should.
This ad is one of several similar executions commissioned by the department, to be deployed in the event of a sufficiently serious situation.
The swine flu outbreak in 2009 was not considered grave enough for this treatment, prompting instead the less fearful 'Catch it, Bin it, Kill it' campaign.
Initially the Department refused to supply the advert to the BBC, on the grounds that they were intended for future publication. But they changed their mind after we appealed, accepting that it is likely to be some time before circumstances arise which could lead to their being broadcast.
In disclosing this material, the department stressed: "The 'Dominoes' creative execution was developed before swine flu, to be broadcast in the event of a severe pandemic. While swine flu was mild, a severe event could still occur at any point, and the department continues to make provision for this in its communications planning.
"We periodically review creative material to ensure continued effectiveness and salience in the same way that we review pandemic preparedness plans as a whole."
So it's possible that we could be seeing a lot more of this symbolism at some point in the future.
From the freedom of information viewpoint, this indicates how the law can provide access to video or audio material held by public authorities as well as the written word.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-13665149
joi, 9 iunie 2011
Call to cut 'chemical cosh' drugs
There are around 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK More than 50 health and social care organisations are calling for fresh action to cut the prescription of "chemical cosh" drugs.
Around 180,000 people with dementia are thought to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs in the UK.
But 80% of those prescriptions are said by critics to be inappropriate.
Long-term use of the drugs can make dementia symptoms worse, reduce the ability to talk and walk and increase the risk of stroke and even death.
The Dementia Action Alliance - which includes the Alzheimer's Society, Age UK and the Department of Health - want all prescriptions for antipsychotics to be reviewed by the end of March 2012.
To help patients and carers, the Alliance has published a booklet giving information and advice about how to make sure antipsychotics are not prescribed inappropriately.
Antipsychotics have a powerful sedative effect and are often used when dementia patients become aggressive, agitated or distressed.
Paul Burstow MP Care Services Minister“It is unacceptable that 1,800 people with dementia die prematurely every year as a result of antipsychotic medication”
They are most commonly given to dementia sufferers in care homes and hospitals.
Guidelines say they should only be used as a last resort and over a short period of time, but the evidence suggests that in some cases they are being prescribed for years.
A study published in January 2009 showed the medication nearly doubled the risk of death for many dementia patients when taken over a prolonged period.
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said it was unacceptable that people with dementia were having their health and quality of life put at risk because of antipsychotics:
"It is essential we bring an end to this chemical cosh and empower people with dementia and carers with the information they need to ensure they are not prescribed these drugs inappropriately. This call to action can do just that.
"It's not just about reducing antipsychotics but also about improving quality care. This means developing alternative treatments and finding better ways to manage pain and other medical conditions."
Following an independent report for the government in November 2009 that found the drugs killed around 1,800 patients a year, ministers announced plans to cut prescribing rates by two-thirds within three years.
But new figures from the NHS Information Centre suggest prescription may have dropped by less than 20% over the past two years.
When in opposition, Paul Burstow, now Care Services Minister, campaigned to cut the use of the 'chemical cosh'.
"It is unacceptable that 1,800 people with dementia die prematurely every year as a result of antipsychotic medication. That is why I'm backing this campaign," he said.
"Reducing the use of antipsychotic medication is one of the Coalition Government's four key priorities for dementia. With the right support, people can live well with dementia and continue to do the things they enjoy for years after diagnosis."
The campaign is also being supported by Dr Clare Gerada, Chair of Royal College of General Practitioners.
"Dealing with very agitated or aggressive patients can be distressing, and it can be difficult knowing what to do for the best of the patient, but antipsychotics should in most cases only be used as a last resort, and for the short term.
"Antipsychotics have potential to do real harm to patients, including an increased risk of stroke. There are viable alternatives - including behavioural therapies - that we should encourage wherever possible to ensure the care our patients receive is appropriate, in their best interests and does not cause them harm."
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK's leading dementia research charity, said:
"Action to reduce the prescription of these drugs and develop alternative treatments has lacked urgency.
"This campaign should renew that urgency and drive home the need to invest in more research so that safer, more effective treatments can be found."
Martin Green of the English Community Care Association, a body that represents care homes, said: "ECCA really welcomes the commitment by the Department of Health to reduce anti-psychotic prescribing and we want to see all sections of the system - primary care, acute hospitals, pharmacists and care homes - working in partnership to reduce inappropriate anti-psychotic prescribing".
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13698487
miercuri, 8 iunie 2011
UUP to reform candidacy selection
Tom Elliott criticised members of the party who want to 'pursue their own agenda' Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott has pledged to change the mechanism for selecting the party's election candidates.
Mr Elliott said the current system of candidates being chosen by constituency associations, needed to be reformed.
He was speaking at the party's annual general meeting in Belfast.
He promised new mechanisms, which could see candidates selected by the leadership if it is unhappy with the decisions made at a local level.
"We must again look at this process to ensure that rules will allow us to deliver the best winnable candidates," said Mr Elliott.
The leader admitted that he was disappointed at the UUP's election performance last month. It lost two seats in the Assembly and secured just 100 council seats.
He said his nine months at the helm of the party had been "long and difficult".
Mr Elliott also admitted there were divisions with the UUP and stressed it was important that the party put on a united front.
He criticised members who want to "pursue their own agenda" and said those who do not agree with the party's policies should "consider their positions".
Mr Elliott said the divisions in the party needed to be resolved if it was to win more votes in next round of elections.
"Once we have taken a decision - and let's not forget that we reach decisions by a vote of the majority - then every single member of the party has a duty to stand behind that decision," he said.
"How can we criticise the lack of collective responsibility in the Northern Ireland Executive if we don't even have a culture of collective responsibility within our own ranks?
"So let me make something quite clear. I will hold to account any member of this party, be it an elected representative or an ordinary grassroots member, who thinks that they have the right to pursue their own agenda and damage the party."
The party has lost several members in recent months, including East Londonderry MLA David McClarty who went on to secure an Assembly seat as an Independent.
Mr McClarty had strongly criticised the party for having "no central control".
Mr Elliott told the conference it was important to take "criticism on the chin", particularly from the media.
He urged the party to "rebuild and reconnect".
"We have a tough job ahead of us. And that job will only be completed if we tackle it together," he added.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-northern-ireland-13653426
luni, 6 iunie 2011
Major delays to Waterloo journeys
Thousands of passengers are facing disruption to their journeys to and from London Waterloo due to signalling problems. 
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-london-13674059
duminică, 5 iunie 2011
Fire service faces hefty pay cost
The service has warned that it will have to use financial reserves to meet the compensation pay Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service is facing a bill of up to £160,000 to meet compensation payments to its retained staff.
It follows a ruling by an employment tribunal on the terms and conditions of part-time firefighters.
The compensation payments were set on the back of two test cases lodged in England more than a decade ago.
DGFRS has warned it has no budget to meet the costs and will have to dip into its financial reserves.
The Fire Brigades Union argued that part-time staff were receiving less favourable terms and conditions than their full-time colleagues despite doing the same duties.
That stance was eventually upheld by an employment tribunal after a lengthy legal process which at one point reached the House of Lords.
A negotiated settlement between the employers and the union has now been agreed.
It will see compensation payments - backdated to July 2000 - made to all eligible retained staff.
In Dumfries and Galloway, it is estimated it will cost the fire and rescue service about £160,000.
However, a report to councillors said the brigade did not have the resources available to meet the costs.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-13632382
joi, 2 iunie 2011
New president elected in Latvia
Latvia's president elect, Andris Berzins, is a banker turned politician The challenger Andris Berzins has won the presidential election in the Baltic state of Latvia, in a second round of voting.
Mr Berzins defeated incumbent Valdis Zatlers, winning the support of 53 MPs out of 100 in a parliamentary ballot.
The outgoing president had called for radical reforms to curb the corrupting influence of oligarchs.
Mr Berzins, 66, is a former banker turned politician in the Greens and Farmers' Union.
President Zatlers, 56, had been widely expected to win the vote, until he accused lawmakers last Saturday of being soft on corruption and called a referendum on the dissolution of parliament.
His outburst came after parliament stopped the country's anti-corruption bureau from searching the home of a powerful local politician who has been engulfed in scandal.
The confrontation plunged Latvia into political turmoil just as the country was recovering from a near economic collapse.
Latvia is struggling to meet the conditions of a massive loan from the International Monetary Fund and European Union.
President Valdis Zatlers caused a political crisis last weekend, shortly before the election In Latvia, it is parliament that chooses the president.
To win, a candidate must secure an outright majority of the vote.
The election had been scheduled for July, when President Zatlers' term ended.
"Thank you for the honour you have shown me," Mr Berzins told parliament after the vote.
Andris Berzins was active in politics after Latvia regained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.
Later he ran a leading bank until 2004, and then became head of the country's chamber of commerce.
He returned to parliament just last year, in October.
The outgoing president, Mr Zatlers, is an orthopaedic surgeon by training. He became president in July 2007.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-13628945
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