Friends

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/143886/right-wing_pundits_now_lecturing_the_military%3A_bases_need_more_guns

http://www.alternet.org/environment/143888/iea_whistleblowers_say_world_oil_stats_deliberately_inflated_to_avoid_financial_panic%2C_appease_the_us

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/11/mandelson-tipped-as-information-minister

Exclusive: Business secretary could hold weekly televised news conferences to explain government business

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.

Mandelson is widely acknowledged to be one of the best media communicators in the government. He first came to prominence as a Labour spin doctor, although if he were to hold press conferences every Monday there is some danger that he could overshadow the prime minister or attract too much attention to himself.

Another option being considered is for the daily briefings by the prime minister's official spokesman to be televised.

The government started holding briefings for lobby journalists, the political reporters based in parliament, before the second world war and originally the system was highly secretive, with reporters honour-bound not to reveal that they were getting their information from a No 10 spokesman.

In the 1980s and 1990s the system was gradually opened up and, when Alastair Campbell moved to Downing Street as Tony Blair's press secretary, he put his lobby briefings on the record. An account of the daily briefings is now published on the Downing Street website.

In the past, ministers have rejected the idea of holding televised briefings in the way that the White House does in Washington, because they did not want to turn the prime minister's spokesman into a media personality.

But Gordon Brown has recently hired a new press secretary, Simon Lewis, who is jointly chairing the working group that is reviewing the lobby system, and he is open to change.

The other joint chair is Jean Eaglesham, a Financial Times journalist who chairs the lobby reporters' group. The working party also includes other journalists and officials and aims to produce recommendations that could be implemented early in the new year.

Lewis said today: "This is an important and timely initiative and I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues in government and the lobby to propose changes which will enhance the role of lobby whilst reflecting the realities of the modern political and media world."

Eaglesham said: "We have a shared interest in ensuring that the lobby continues to operate as a cornerstone of political reporting whilst reflecting the changes in the media operating environment.

"That's why I am delighted that this review is taking place and that it will be an entirely collaborative effort."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/eu-vote-presidency-foreign-minister

• No consensus on foreign minister and president
• Decision may be made at emergency summit

The decision on who should be Europe's first council president and foreign minister may have to go to a vote next week, Sweden said todayas agreement among EU leaders proved elusive.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister and EU president, said an emergency summit would take place in Brussels next Thursday to settle the two plum posts created by the Lisbon treaty, the reform blueprint finally ratified last week. Reinfeldt appeared frustrated as he disclosed that after taking soundings from the other 26 heads of government this week, there was no sign of a consensus.

He dismissed Polish proposals for a more open contest by declared candidates as unrealistic, confirming that the first big decisions under the Lisbon treaty, which is claimed to make the EU more democratic, transparent, and accountable, would be taken in secret and without any contenders formally declaring they were after the jobs.

Reinfeldt said he intended to table only one name for each post at next week's summit, but admitted he might not have the names ready until the summit began and that he could not be sure of the outcome.

Unknown dark horses could also emerge at the last minute, he added.

Massimo D'Alema, Italy's former leftist prime minister, has emerged as frontrunner for the post of foreign minister or high representative for foreign and security policy after David Miliband killed off speculation that he would be interested. The foreign secretary repeated his rejection of the post today. "I came into politics to serve the British people in Britain," he said. The job is supposed to go to a social democrat and European social democrat leaders in Brussels tonight reached a near consensus on D'Alema. But that does not guarantee him the job.

Tonight in Paris, the French and German leaders, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, were also understood to have discussed the posts. Sarkozy said they would present a joint candidate for the president's job, although that was not confirmed by the Germans.

Whatever Paris and Berlin decide, the wrangling is getting messier and a backlash is building in eastern Europe and Scandinavia against a Franco-German stitch-up. Diplomats confirmed there was a gap between the various national positions. "You get more names than there are jobs to offer," Reinfeldt said. He was aiming for "total agreement" over the posts but the decisions would be taken by qualified majority vote "if needed", meaning there could be no national vetoes. It would be highly unusual to take the first big decisions on the Lisbon treaty with some countries opposed, not least because the person who gets the job of presidentfor up to five years, would know that they did not have the support of certain prime ministers.

Reinfeldt said he had "many names" for both positions. Diplomats said that as many as 10 people had been proposed for each job. While they said that things could crystallise quickly over the next few days around a few names, they also warned that the wrangling could intensify.

Andrew Duff, the Lib Dem MEP, said Reinfeldt had launched his attempt to produce a consensus "far too late. That's why we're in this mess."

While canvassing the various leaders' views, Reinfeldt said he did not ask Herman Van Rompuy or Jan-Peter Balkenende, the Belgian and Dutch prime ministers seen as frontrunners for the president post, whether they were candidates.

Officially, Gordon Brown is still pushing for Tony Blair to be given the job. The uncertainty over the posts is such that Blair's chances could yet be resurrected. While Brown has named his preferences to Reinfeldt, British officials declined to reveal who he proposed for foreign minister.

Despite the social democratic backing for D'Alema, it is not clear if Brown, one of Europe's few social democratic prime ministers, will vote for him. Conservatives in eastern Europe are also opposed to D'Alema because of his communist past. The Italian could run into problems because of being perceived as anti-Israeli in the Middle East and mildly anti-American.

The Israeli embassy in Brussels is understood to have voiced objections to a possible D'Alema appointment as foreign policy chief.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/cancer-new-york-rescuers

A spate of cancer-related illnesses among New York's rescue services who worked at Ground Zero sparks fear of an epidemic

A spate of recent deaths of New York police and fire officers who took part in the emergency operation at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks has heightened fears that it could be the start of a delayed epidemic of cancer-related illness.

Five firefighters and police officers, all of whom were involved in the rescue and clear-up at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers, have died of cancer in the past three months, the oldest being 44. Three died last month within a four-day period.

Those three were Robert Grossman, a Harlem-based police officer who spent several weeks at the emergency site and died of a brain tumour aged 41; fellow police officer Cory Diaz, 37; and firefighter Richard Mannetta, 44.

In addition, John McNamara, a 44-year-old firefighter, died in September; and Renee Dunbar, a police officer in her late 30s, died in August.

The cluster of cancer deaths comes as Congress is under pressure to pass legislation that would provide federal help to emergency workers who have contracted illnesses since 9/11. Campaigners hope that a bill will be put to the House of Representatives by the end of the year that would set up a $10bn (£6bn) national fund for hundreds of people who now have cancer, respiratory illnesses and other diseases that may be linked to their work at the World Trade Centre site.

Up to 70,000 people took part in the massive operation at Ground Zero, including police, firefighters and construction workers who came to New York voluntarily from all over the US. Many worked for months amid a toxic soup of dust and chemicals.

Amid the pollutants within the giant pile of 1.8m tons of debris and the surrounding air were 90,000 litres of jet fuel from the two stricken planes, about 1,000 tons of asbestos that was used in the construction of the Twin Towers, pulverised lead from computers, mercury and highly carcinogenic by-products from the burning of plastics and chlorinated chemicals.

No official tally is available for the number of those who have died as a result of the 9/11 clear-up. The New York state health department has recorded 817 deaths of emergency workers but it cannot confirm categorically how many of those were directly linked to the site.

Federal funds for ill emergency workers ran out in 2003 and, since then, the onus has fallen on cash-strapped New York city, which is facing up to 10,000 claims for compensation through the courts. Families of those who have died say that the burden should be shouldered by the nation as a whole.

Robert Grossman's father, Stephen, drew a parallel with the $3bn the federal government spent this year on buying up old cars under the "cash-for-clunkers" scheme. "They spent that, but they don't have a dime for people who volunteered after 9/11 and ended up giving their lives for their country."

The 911 Police Aid Foundation, a group run by and for sick police officers, says it is helping more than 100 officers who worked at Ground Zero and who now have cancer. The group is receiving new cases at a rate of about one a week, many of which are extremely rare at such young ages.

Michael Valentin, who volunteers for the group, spent about four months working around the pile of debris from the towers. He now has lymphatic tumours in his chest, as well as asbestos poisoning.

"We all have terminal illnesses, we are all going to die. We just want to help others by showing them that they are not alone," he said.

The bill currently before Congress, which is named after James Zadroga, a police officer who died in 2006, would provide for the health monitoring and treatment of an additional 15,000 emergency workers. Paradoxically, it would not cover cancer, which was not perceived as a priority at the time the legislation was drafted though numbers have escalated since then.

Claire Calladine, a campaigner who runs the organisation 9/11 Health Now, said the fear was that the recent rise in cancer cases was just the start.

"We have only seen the tip of the iceberg. How bad will it get – that is the big question."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/11/bank-of-england-economic-forecast

• Mervyn King says economy will start to grow next year
• But he predicts path back to recovery will be 'long and hard'
• Inflation likely to stay below 2% target for next two years

The Bank of England warned today that Britain's economic recovery would be long and difficult, with inflation likely to stay below its target for most of the next two years.

Although the central bank predicted that the UK economy would start growing again at the start of 2010, and then pick up more quickly than previously thought, governor Mervyn King tried to dampen hopes of a swift recovery.

"Despite a recovery in economic growth, output is unlikely, at least for a considerable period, to return to a level consistent with a continuation of its pre-crisis trend," said King, speaking after the central bank released its latest quarterly inflation expectations. "It's going to be a long, hard path back to where we wanted to be," he added.

The inflation report estimated that UK economic growth would be close to 4% by the end of 2011. This is higher than the Bank predicted three months ago, despite data last month which showed the UK was still in recession.

King indicated that this data, which showed a 0.4% contraction in the third quarter of 2009, could be revised upwards. But he also argued that it would be a big mistake to take a single quarter of economic growth as an excuse to "hang out the bunting".

The Bank expects to inflation rise above its 2% target in the next few months, but to then fall back below that level throughout the rest of 2010 and 2011.

Economists said today's report (pdf) indicated the Bank expected to leave interest rates unchanged for another year.

"The bottom line is that further quantitative easing cannot be ruled out, but is unlikely unless the economy suffers a major relapse in 2010. Any policy tightening remains a long way off and interest rates are likely to stay down at 0.5% until at least late 2010, and very possibly beyond," said Howard Archer of Global Insight.

Colin Ellis of Daiwa Securities questioned the bank's predictions for economic recovery. "The monetary policy committee's GDP forecast looks pretty bullish to say the least – even with rate rises, growth gets up to 4% during 2011. In contrast, we are much more downbeat, and expect growth to be closer to 2% in 2011 – thereby implying weaker inflation further ahead," Ellis said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/11/robert-enke-suicide-widow-teresa

• Germany goalkeeper took his own life on Tuesday night
• Kept depression secret for fear of losing adopted daughter

Robert Enke, the Germany goalkeeper who took his own life yesterday, had been hiding his battle against depression, his widow has revealed. The 32-year-old Hannover player was hit by a train at a crossing in Neustadt am Rubenberge and died at the scene.

Germany have since called off their friendly with Chile in Cologne on Saturday.

Enke's widow Teresa and his psychologist Dr Valentin Markser appeared at a press conference at Hannover's AWD-Arena today to explain the background to his death.

• Police confirm goalkeeper left farewell note </p>

• In video: German fans pay respect to Enke
• Gallery: Messages and tributes pour in
• More news and comment on our European football site

His widow said Enke, who was first treated for depression in 2003 during his time at Barcelona, feared that their adopted baby daughter Leila would be taken away if his illness became public knowledge.

They lost their biological daughter Lara in 2006 when she died of a rare heart condition at the age of two. Enke apologised in a suicide note for hiding the condition of his mental state, which, said Markser, was "necessary in order to carry out the suicide plan".

Teresa Enke, dressed in black and struggling to hold back tears, said: "It is crazy because now it is coming out anyway. We thought we could do everything and we could do it with love but you can't always do it."

She added: "It is the fear of what people will think when you have a child and the father suffers from depression. I always said to him that that is not a problem.

"Robert cared for Leila with love - until the end. After Lara's death everything drew us closer together ... I tried to tell him that there is always a solution. I drove to training with him. I wanted to help him to get through it. But he didn't want to accept help any more."

German football federation president Theo Zwanziger, confirming that the Chile game would not take place, said at a separate news conference in Bonn: "German football will use all its capabilities to find an answer to the question of how a young athlete celebrated by so many as an idol could land in such a situation.

"We need time to come to terms with everything and not superficially," Zwanziger said.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said the team could not simply go back to business as usual.

"We lost a friend, we deeply mourn Robert Enke," Loew said. "I feel completely empty. He was a great guy. He had incredible respect for others. We will miss him, as a top-class sportsman and an extraordinary man."

Hundreds of Hannover fans paid tribute to Enke at the stadium on Wednesday. Hannover set up a condolence book outside the AWD Arena, and some supporters lit candles and left scarves and shirts in tribute to the goalkeeper.

A service was scheduled in the evening, to be followed by a silent march to the stadium. Zwanziger, Loew and Ballack planned to attend the service, among others.

Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a "very personal" note to Enke's widow to convey her "consternation and compassion," government spokesman Christoph Steegmans said.

Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic committee, called Enke's death "really tragic."

"When you see how many blows of destiny he had to overcome in the past years, how he always carried on and stood up, that shows his human qualities. That's why it's that much more tragic that he saw no way out any longer," Bach said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/nov/11/coen-brothers-a-serious-man

I loved the Coen brothers' masterpiece of suburban comedy, and this exclusive clip gives a wonderful hint of its distinctive pleasures

Here's an exclusive clip from the new Coen brothers film, A Serious Man – which luckily contains the moment when the lead character Larry Gopnik (played by Broadway veteran Michael Stuhlbarg) announces himself as such. Or at least he stutters out: "I've tried to be a serious man, you know? Tried to do right."

A Serious Man is essentially about things not always being what they seem. Gopnik is a man in search of answers: his life is falling apart, his wife wants to leave him, one of his students is trying to bribe his way through his exams, his neighbour is building too close to the boundary line.

He therefore attempts to gain the wisdom of the ancients by going to see the rabbi and finds it an increasingly baffling and frustrating experience. First he gets fobbed off with the junior, Scott, who advises him to contemplate the car park. Then he manages an appointment with Rabbi Nachtner, who tells him a mystifying story about a dentist who discovers one of his patient's teeth has letters engraved on the back.

Finally he tries to barnstorm his way into the eminence that is Marshak. Marshak, as we see, is so important he never does anything except greet the barmitzvah boys. His secretary defends him against all comers. Gopnik can clearly see he's doing nothing after she tells him he's busy. How does she get out of that? "He's thinking," she says.

It's good to see the Coens stepping back a little from the star-stuffed casts of their last few films. What's so great about this clip is the way it sums up Gopnik's confusion and frustration: he wants to understand what's happening to him, but is stymied at every turn. Stuhlbarg's jitteriness leaps off the screen at us, instantly marking him out as a performer of hitherto undiscovered genius. He's the Coens' own discovery (though apparently well-known on Broadway), and his undeniably winning performance anchors the film.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/11/canoe-man-john-darwin-panama

John Darwin, who faked death at sea, and wife Anne to meet bill after vigorous pursuit by Crown Prosecution Service

The "phantom canoeist", John Darwin, and his wife, Anne, who are serving six-year jail terms for what a judge called calculated and callous fraud, are to repay nearly £600,000 – although Mrs Darwin will pay almost all of that sum, while Mr Darwin will repay just £1.

The bill for compensation and returning the proceeds of crime was accepted today by lawyers for Mrs Darwin, 57, who claimed insurance and pension payments after her husband faked his death at sea seven years ago.

The offer came at Leeds crown court, where Mrs Darwin appeared while her husband, who has no assets, remained in jail. It followed a determined pursuit by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The repayment will force the sale of an estate in Panama, where the couple's plan to start a new life running an ecotourism business was foiled when a photograph of John Darwin was seen on a local estate agent's website.

There will be little left for any bequest to the couple's two sons, who were never let into the plot. Darwin managed to live in hiding and disguised at the couple's home near Hartlepool until the scam unravelled shortly before Christmas 2007.

Lawyers for Mrs Darwin, a former doctor's receptionist, offered repayments of £591,838 at today's Proceeds of Crime Act hearing. The money is made up of £228,138.24 in repayments to insurance and pension companies and £363,700.01 in compensation to firms and others who suffered financial loss or legal bills.

John Darwin, a former teacher and prison officer with pensions in both jobs, acknowledged his part in the scam by offering a nominal payment of £1.

The couple have not met since their conviction in July last year, when Anne Darwin was jailed for six and a half years and her husband, who is 58, was sentenced to six years and three months. Both were convicted of fraud, with nine additional money-laundering charges proved against Mrs Darwin and one of faking a passport against her husband.

He took a canoe out in the Tees estuary and staged his own drowning, later stealing the identity of a baby called John Jones, who died in Sunderland in 1950.

The fraud was copied in part from the plot of Frederick Forsyth's bestselling thriller The Day of the Jackal, but the Darwins added many complications of their own. At one stage, while officially "dead", John Darwin signed an objection to a neighbour's planning application under his false name, and also started an internet liaison with a woman in Kansas.

The couple's downfall came when John Darwin decided to reappear, claiming memory loss, and walked into a London police station in December 2007. His wife pretended rapturous surprise, but police were suspicious and their fate was sealed days later when they were recognised in a Panama estate agency's online brochure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/rupert-murdoch-barack-obama

News Corporation on defensive after Rupert Murdoch backs Fox News presenter over 'very racist' comment by Obama

Rupert Murdoch has been forced to deny he believes Barack Obama is a racist, after appearing to back the controversial Fox News presenter Glenn Beck's comments about the US president.

The chairman and chief executive of News Corporation said in an interview earlier this week that Obama had made "a very racist comment" and that Beck's views were "right".

"He does not at all, for a minute, think the president is a racist," a News Corp spokesman told the US website Politico.

In the interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch was asked about the views expressed by contributors to Fox News, including Beck's view that Obama was a racist.

"He [Obama] did make a very racist comment about blacks and whites and so on, which he said in his campaign he would be completely above," Murdoch said.

"That was something which perhaps should not have been said about the president but if you actually look at what he [Beck] was talking about, he was right."

Beck caused uproar in July when he described Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture".

His remarks were made during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr, an African-American Harvard academic.

Murdoch also said in the interview he thought the Obama presidency was going "badly", citing the defection of independent voters in recent elections in Virginia and New Jersey.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/11/robert-nairac-murder-charge

New accusation against Kevin Crilly at Newry magistrates court

A man has been charged with the murder of undercover British army officer Robert Nairac, 32 years after he went missing in South Armagh. Kevin Crilly, 59, from Jonesborough, County Armagh, appeared in a Northern Ireland court today charged with killing the 29-year-old Grenadier Guardsman close to the Irish border in 1977.

Nairac is one of up to a dozen men and women kidnapped, killed and buried in secret by the IRA during the Troubles. Crilly is already facing charges of kidnapping and falsely imprisoning Nairac, who was seized from a pub car park close to Jonesborough. The body of the army officer has never been found.

Prosecutors put the murder charge before Crilly as he appeared at Newry magistrates court for a routine bail hearing on the two lesser counts, with which he was charged last year. Crilly, who had lived in the US since the late 1970s before moving back to Northern Ireland, was later granted bail.

Nairac was kidnapped by the IRA's notorious South Armagh brigade outside the Three Steps Inn at Drumintee, a short distance from the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, on 14 May 1977. The Ampleforth-educated officer was beaten up and then taken by car to a location in the Ravensdale forest just across the border. He was tortured for several hours and later shot dead.

Former members of the Provisional IRA have claimed that the soldier's body was disposed of at a local meat processing plant. It is believed the officer's remains were disposed of to hide the terrible injuries he suffered before he was killed.

Nairac was later hailed as a hero by his military colleagues and was awarded the George Cross. The citation for the posthumous award praised his resistance to his abductors and bravery under "a succession of exceptionally savage assaults" that failed to break him. But Nairac has also been portrayed by others as a brave but reckless soldier, whose romantic view of his undercover role in Ireland cost him his life. "Robert certainly stuck his neck out. He thought he could get away with it, but in a way we all do," his sister, Gabrielle, is quoted as saying. "As a small boy he had read Bulldog Drummond, so you can imagine his approach."

One man, from Dundalk in the Irish Republic, was convicted of murdering Nairac at the special criminal court in Dublin in 1985 and released in December 1997 after serving 12 years. He told gardai he had shot the soldier and that another of the IRA group had pretended to be a priest in an unsuccessful attempt to get information out of Nairac, who was a Catholic.

Five South Armagh men were also charged in Belfast in connection with the murder, the first time anyone had been charged in Northern Ireland with an offence committed in the Irish Republic.

Two were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. One was acquitted of murder, but found guilty of manslaughter and given 10 years.

The other two received five years and two years respectively on lesser charges.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/iran-executes-kurdish-activist

Ehsan Fattahian, charged with being an 'enemy of God', had admitted membership of a banned opposition group

Iran has reportedly executed a Kurdish political activist charged with being an "enemy of God", ignoring pleas from international human rights groups for his death sentence to be revoked.

Ehsan Fattahian, 27, was hanged today in the western city of Sanandaj, according to Ali Akbar Gharoussi, head of the judiciary in Kurdistan province.

Mowjcamp, an opposition website, cited lawyer Mohammad Mostafai as saying there was no evidence that Fattahian had engaged in violence, as charged. Fattahian admitted membership of the banned Kurdish opposition group Komeleh and said he was tortured for three months. His initial 10-year jail sentence was changed to death by a higher court.

Ezzatollah Fattahian, the defendant's father, told Human Rights Watch that prison officials had prevented the family from visiting his son in prison for the past three months.

Iranian opposition activists have warned that the death sentence was part of an effort by the government to crush unrest following last June's disputed elections, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory.

Amnesty International had warned before news of Fattahian's hanging that two other Iranian Kurdish men were also feared to be at imminent risk of execution, while at least 10 other men and one woman were believed to be on death row in connection with membership of and activities in support of proscribed Kurdish organizations.

Sanandaj is the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province and in an area which has seen frequent clashes between Kurdish guerrillas and Iranian security forces.

Like neighbouring Iraq and Turkey, Iran has a large Kurdish minority. Iran rejects western accusations of discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and has often accused the US, Britain and Israel of supporting terrorist attacks by Baluchi and Arab separatists.

Last month, an explosion in the southern province of Sistan-Baluchestan killed at least 41 people, including senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards. The Baluchi group Jundullah took responsibility for the bombing.

"The Iranian regime is trying to intimidate ethnic minorities from joining the Green Wave," Komeleh leader Abdullah Mohtadi told al-Arabiyya TV, referring to the movement led by Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to have beaten Ahmadinejad in the elections. "One of the methods to deter people is stricter sentencing in ethnic provinces such as Kurdistan, Baluchestan and Ahwaz."

Amnesty lists Iran as the world's second most prolific executioner in 2008 after China, and says it put to death at least 346 people last year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/11/prisoner-transfers-managers-censured

Two governors cleared and no sackings over transfers of vulnerable prisoners in attempt to undermine inspections

Three prison middle managers have been given final written warnings and other disciplinary penalties for their role in the transfer of vulnerable prisoners in an attempt to undermine official inspections.

The results of an internal disciplinary inquiry were announced as evidence emerged that prisoners on the escape list – those who have escaped or are believed to pose a high escape risk – may have been moved out of certain London jails before security audits.

The Ministry of Justice said two governors at the two London prisons at the centre of the affair had been cleared of all charges, believed to include gross misconduct.

"Three members of staff have received disciplinary penalties. Charges were dismissed against two members of staff. No member of staff has been dismissed," said a ministry statement. The other disciplinary penalties include a block on future promotion for two years and the issuance of "advice and guidance" – in effect a caution.

It is believed the disciplinary hearings established that Ian Mulholland, who used to run Wandsworth prison, and Nick Leader, the former governor of Pentonville, were unaware of the unofficial swaps at the time they were going on. One is now head of custody for Wales and the other is running Whitemoor high-security prison, in Cambridgeshire.

A wider inquiry looking at the movement records of prisons across England and Wales is believed to have concluded that there is no evidence that the practice is widespread. However, it is understood that senior prison figures believe it is possible that certain jails in London have moved out escape-list inmates in advance of checks.

The extent to which this has gone on is difficult to prove as it is regarded as good practice to regularly move such prisoners between jails. This may mask any deliberate attempt to undermine a security audit.

The advantage to a governor of moving such prisoners would be that the inspectors would not need to check on the state of procedures for handling them. "It would be one less thing for them to worry about," said an insider.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/guardian-news-and-media

Newspaper group says revenues have fallen by a worse-than-anticipated £33m

More than 100 editorial and commercial jobs are to be cut at Guardian News & Media, staff were told today.

Staff in GNM commercial departments are due to be told about the impact of the latest cost cutting on their jobs by 9 December, while changes at editorial will take longer to complete because cuts are being managed through voluntary redundancies and redeployment. GNM publishes the Guardian, the Observer and the guardian.co.uk website network, which includes MediaGuardian.co.uk, and employs about 1,700 people.

GNM also revealed in the series of staff briefings today that the Guardian's Thursday Technology print section will cease publication at the end of the year.

A series of publishing cuts at the Observer were revealed to the paper's staff yesterday, including the closure of the Music Monthly, Woman and Sport Monthly supplements, the Escape travel section and the separate business and personal finance section.

The redesigned Observer will hit newsstands next year with four weekly sections and supplements – news, sport, the Review and Observer Magazine – along with Observer Food Monthly.

Travel coverage will be incorporated into Observer Magazine and business and personal finance into the main news section, while the Review section will be expanded.

The changes at the Observer will save £2m. A core editorial staff will continue to work solely for the Observer. Other Observer journalists will be integrated into the editorial teams that work across the Sunday paper, the Guardian and guardian.co.uk.

Tim Brooks, the GNM managing director, revealed that revenues have fallen by a worse-than-anticipated £33m and that the organisation has already cut £25m from its editorial and commercial budgets. The round of cost cutting announced today will be in addition to this.

He added: "In editorial departments, we are seeking voluntary redundancies and redeployments, and until the deadline for requesting redundancy has passed we cannot offer clarity about who is leaving and who is redeploying."

Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of GNM's parent company, Guardian Media Group, revealed that Trader Media Group has made £55m profit in the six months since 1 April and that Emap has made £40m in the same period. Both businesses are run as joint ventures between GMG and private equity firm Apax Partners.

"At GMG and GNM we can control our own destiny. If we do the right things now, which I believe we are doing, GNM and its journalism will continue to enjoy both security and stability," McCall said.

"We are confident about the long-term prospects of our portfolio of businesses and investments, and about the cash we have – and will have – to support GNM. But that confidence is conditional on the successful implementation of the changes we are making at GNM – specifically a substantial further reduction in costs."

The Guardian News & Media editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, said that 68 jobs had been cut in editorial over the past year through voluntary redundancy, from a staff of about 850.

This formed part of £10m cuts to GNM's editorial budget that have already been implemented. Commercial operations have also been cut by £10m, with 82 job losses earlier this year.

Rusbridger added that the number of further editorial job losses would depend upon who applied for the reopened voluntary redundancy scheme. He said that he anticipated between 8% and 10% of editorial staff would leave.

He said that the organisation should "not be paralysed by change, but galvanised by change".

However, the National Union of Journalists expressed concern about the proposed cuts. Its head of publishing, Barry Fitzpatrick, said: "We are extremely concerned that these changes are motivated solely by cost-cutting as we have not seen any creative plans for the future."

In September GNM confirmed that the Observer would continue to be published, ending a summer of speculation about the 200-year-old paper's future, but also put all company staff on notice of further integration and possible job cuts.

Like other newspaper groups, GNM is suffering from the effects of the advertising downturn and a long-term decline in print circulation as readers migrate to the internet.

In its annual results GMG revealed that GNM had made an operating loss of £36.8m in the year ending on 29 March.

GMG, which also runs regional newspapers, radio stations and the Trader Media Group and Emap joint ventures, recorded a pre-tax loss of £89.8m.

This loss was attributed largely to GMG's restructuring of its portfolio, particularly the sale of 49.9% of Trader Media Group to Apax, and non-trading losses.

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.

• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/nov/11/modern-warfare-2-sales-record

Modern Warfare 2 sold more than 1m copies on its day of release – more than double the previous record set by GTA IV

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the video game only officially released on Tuesday, has sold 1.23m units in its first day – more than double the previous record set by Grand Theft Auto IV in April 2008, according to figures released by the games software association Elspa.

The game is estimated to have grossed around £47m in the UK alone – not quite double the amount that GTA IV, which sold 631,000 units and grossed £27.2m, managed.

Activision, the company behind the game, expects that up to 3m copies could be sold in the first week in the UK alone, earning up to £150m – and sales in the US will be proportionately larger.

Although it does not yet put the game into the ranks of highest-grossing films – where the top weekend opening, the traditional measure by which the initial success of a film is measured, is $158m for The Dark Knight in July 2008 – it is more evidence that video games have become as integral a part of modern culture as films, music and television.

Michael Rawlinson, director general for Elspa, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association in the UK, called the sales figures "astonishing" and said: "Video games are now mainstream in the UK. Our form of interactive entertainment has completely come of age."

Before the game's release there had been controversy over the depiction in part of its gameplay of a scene where the player, in the guise of an undercover agent amidst a group of terrorists, has to kill civilians in an airport.

Responding to that, Rawlinson said: "Just like some movies and books, this is specifically intended for an adult audience and accordingly has emotional, adult content. So, as an 18-rated video game, it is important that this game is not played by children, and parents should be appropriately vigilant. We ask everyone to make sure they check the packaging of games to ensure they are suitable for their players, especially as we enter the festive season when video games are one of the most popular gifts of the holiday."

The game had sparked its own mini-controversy within Parliament, with the Labour MPs Keith Vaz and Tom Watson debating its merits. Vaz seemed worried about the possibility of children getting hold of the game, but Watson, a former Cabinet Office minister, responded: "UK gamers need their own pressure group. I want to help [them] to start one up."

It remains to be seen whether the success of the game will persuade ministers to accede to requests from the gaming industry for a series of tax breaks to encourage games writing and publishing companies to remain in the UK. Other countries such as Canada have brought in such schemes with some notable successes, but the UK has seen a loss of talent, games companies complain, due to unfavourable tax conditions.

http://thismodernworld.com/4976

http://thismodernworld.com/4975

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http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2009/11/lower_second_lake.php

A contribution to two photographic series in one photograph today. The scene is from British Columbia, and is part of the unplanned native plants of British Columbia series. Also, it's part of a now-annual reflection and remembrance series, beginning with last year's November 11 BPotD of Jasper National Park.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/143885/public_option_back_on_the_chopping_block

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/143881/why_dems_need_tom_tancredo_to_receive_the_gop_nod_in_colorado

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/11/mandelson-tipped-as-information-minister

Exclusive: Business secretary could hold weekly televised news conferences to explain government business

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.

Mandelson is widely acknowledged to be one of the best media communicators in the government. He first came to prominence as a Labour spin doctor, although if he were to hold press conferences every Monday there is some danger that he could overshadow the prime minister or attract too much attention to himself.

Another option being considered is for the daily briefings by the prime minister's official spokesman to be televised.

The government started holding briefings for lobby journalists, the political reporters based in parliament, before the second world war and originally the system was highly secretive, with reporters honour-bound not to reveal that they were getting their information from a No 10 spokesman.

In the 1980s and 1990s the system was gradually opened up and, when Alastair Campbell moved to Downing Street as Tony Blair's press secretary, he put his lobby briefings on the record. An account of the daily briefings is now published on the Downing Street website.

In the past, ministers have rejected the idea of holding televised briefings in the way that the White House does in Washington, because they did not want to turn the prime minister's spokesman into a media personality.

But Gordon Brown has recently hired a new press secretary, Simon Lewis, who is jointly chairing the working group that is reviewing the lobby system, and he is open to change.

The other joint chair is Jean Eaglesham, a Financial Times journalist who chairs the lobby reporters' group. The working party also includes other journalists and officials and aims to produce recommendations that could be implemented early in the new year.

Lewis said today: "This is an important and timely initiative and I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues in government and the lobby to propose changes which will enhance the role of lobby whilst reflecting the realities of the modern political and media world."

Eaglesham said: "We have a shared interest in ensuring that the lobby continues to operate as a cornerstone of political reporting whilst reflecting the changes in the media operating environment.

"That's why I am delighted that this review is taking place and that it will be an entirely collaborative effort."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/eu-vote-presidency-foreign-minister

• No consensus on foreign minister and president
• Decision may be made at emergency summit

The decision on who should be Europe's first council president and foreign minister may have to go to a vote next week, Sweden said todayas agreement among EU leaders proved elusive.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister and EU president, said an emergency summit would take place in Brussels next Thursday to settle the two plum posts created by the Lisbon treaty, the reform blueprint finally ratified last week. Reinfeldt appeared frustrated as he disclosed that after taking soundings from the other 26 heads of government this week, there was no sign of a consensus.

He dismissed Polish proposals for a more open contest by declared candidates as unrealistic, confirming that the first big decisions under the Lisbon treaty, which is claimed to make the EU more democratic, transparent, and accountable, would be taken in secret and without any contenders formally declaring they were after the jobs.

Reinfeldt said he intended to table only one name for each post at next week's summit, but admitted he might not have the names ready until the summit began and that he could not be sure of the outcome.

Unknown dark horses could also emerge at the last minute, he added.

Massimo D'Alema, Italy's former leftist prime minister, has emerged as frontrunner for the post of foreign minister or high representative for foreign and security policy after David Miliband killed off speculation that he would be interested. The foreign secretary repeated his rejection of the post today. "I came into politics to serve the British people in Britain," he said. The job is supposed to go to a social democrat and European social democrat leaders in Brussels tonight reached a near consensus on D'Alema. But that does not guarantee him the job.

Tonight in Paris, the French and German leaders, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, were also understood to have discussed the posts. Sarkozy said they would present a joint candidate for the president's job, although that was not confirmed by the Germans.

Whatever Paris and Berlin decide, the wrangling is getting messier and a backlash is building in eastern Europe and Scandinavia against a Franco-German stitch-up. Diplomats confirmed there was a gap between the various national positions. "You get more names than there are jobs to offer," Reinfeldt said. He was aiming for "total agreement" over the posts but the decisions would be taken by qualified majority vote "if needed", meaning there could be no national vetoes. It would be highly unusual to take the first big decisions on the Lisbon treaty with some countries opposed, not least because the person who gets the job of presidentfor up to five years, would know that they did not have the support of certain prime ministers.

Reinfeldt said he had "many names" for both positions. Diplomats said that as many as 10 people had been proposed for each job. While they said that things could crystallise quickly over the next few days around a few names, they also warned that the wrangling could intensify.

Andrew Duff, the Lib Dem MEP, said Reinfeldt had launched his attempt to produce a consensus "far too late. That's why we're in this mess."

While canvassing the various leaders' views, Reinfeldt said he did not ask Herman Van Rompuy or Jan-Peter Balkenende, the Belgian and Dutch prime ministers seen as frontrunners for the president post, whether they were candidates.

Officially, Gordon Brown is still pushing for Tony Blair to be given the job. The uncertainty over the posts is such that Blair's chances could yet be resurrected. While Brown has named his preferences to Reinfeldt, British officials declined to reveal who he proposed for foreign minister.

Despite the social democratic backing for D'Alema, it is not clear if Brown, one of Europe's few social democratic prime ministers, will vote for him. Conservatives in eastern Europe are also opposed to D'Alema because of his communist past. The Italian could run into problems because of being perceived as anti-Israeli in the Middle East and mildly anti-American.

The Israeli embassy in Brussels is understood to have voiced objections to a possible D'Alema appointment as foreign policy chief.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/cancer-new-york-rescuers

A spate of cancer-related illnesses among New York's rescue services who worked at Ground Zero sparks fear of an epidemic

A spate of recent deaths of New York police and fire officers who took part in the emergency operation at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks has heightened fears that it could be the start of a delayed epidemic of cancer-related illness.

Five firefighters and police officers, all of whom were involved in the rescue and clear-up at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers, have died of cancer in the past three months, the oldest being 44. Three died last month within a four-day period.

Those three were Robert Grossman, a Harlem-based police officer who spent several weeks at the emergency site and died of a brain tumour aged 41; fellow police officer Cory Diaz, 37; and firefighter Richard Mannetta, 44.

In addition, John McNamara, a 44-year-old firefighter, died in September; and Renee Dunbar, a police officer in her late 30s, died in August.

The cluster of cancer deaths comes as Congress is under pressure to pass legislation that would provide federal help to emergency workers who have contracted illnesses since 9/11. Campaigners hope that a bill will be put to the House of Representatives by the end of the year that would set up a $10bn (£6bn) national fund for hundreds of people who now have cancer, respiratory illnesses and other diseases that may be linked to their work at the World Trade Centre site.

Up to 70,000 people took part in the massive operation at Ground Zero, including police, firefighters and construction workers who came to New York voluntarily from all over the US. Many worked for months amid a toxic soup of dust and chemicals.

Amid the pollutants within the giant pile of 1.8m tons of debris and the surrounding air were 90,000 litres of jet fuel from the two stricken planes, about 1,000 tons of asbestos that was used in the construction of the Twin Towers, pulverised lead from computers, mercury and highly carcinogenic by-products from the burning of plastics and chlorinated chemicals.

No official tally is available for the number of those who have died as a result of the 9/11 clear-up. The New York state health department has recorded 817 deaths of emergency workers but it cannot confirm categorically how many of those were directly linked to the site.

Federal funds for ill emergency workers ran out in 2003 and, since then, the onus has fallen on cash-strapped New York city, which is facing up to 10,000 claims for compensation through the courts. Families of those who have died say that the burden should be shouldered by the nation as a whole.

Robert Grossman's father, Stephen, drew a parallel with the $3bn the federal government spent this year on buying up old cars under the "cash-for-clunkers" scheme. "They spent that, but they don't have a dime for people who volunteered after 9/11 and ended up giving their lives for their country."

The 911 Police Aid Foundation, a group run by and for sick police officers, says it is helping more than 100 officers who worked at Ground Zero and who now have cancer. The group is receiving new cases at a rate of about one a week, many of which are extremely rare at such young ages.

Michael Valentin, who volunteers for the group, spent about four months working around the pile of debris from the towers. He now has lymphatic tumours in his chest, as well as asbestos poisoning.

"We all have terminal illnesses, we are all going to die. We just want to help others by showing them that they are not alone," he said.

The bill currently before Congress, which is named after James Zadroga, a police officer who died in 2006, would provide for the health monitoring and treatment of an additional 15,000 emergency workers. Paradoxically, it would not cover cancer, which was not perceived as a priority at the time the legislation was drafted though numbers have escalated since then.

Claire Calladine, a campaigner who runs the organisation 9/11 Health Now, said the fear was that the recent rise in cancer cases was just the start.

"We have only seen the tip of the iceberg. How bad will it get – that is the big question."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/11/bank-of-england-economic-forecast

• Mervyn King says economy will start to grow next year
• But he predicts path back to recovery will be 'long and hard'
• Inflation likely to stay below 2% target for next two years

The Bank of England warned today that Britain's economic recovery would be long and difficult, with inflation likely to stay below its target for most of the next two years.

Although the central bank predicted that the UK economy would start growing again at the start of 2010, and then pick up more quickly than previously thought, governor Mervyn King tried to dampen hopes of a swift recovery.

"Despite a recovery in economic growth, output is unlikely, at least for a considerable period, to return to a level consistent with a continuation of its pre-crisis trend," said King, speaking after the central bank released its latest quarterly inflation expectations. "It's going to be a long, hard path back to where we wanted to be," he added.

The inflation report estimated that UK economic growth would be close to 4% by the end of 2011. This is higher than the Bank predicted three months ago, despite data last month which showed the UK was still in recession.

King indicated that this data, which showed a 0.4% contraction in the third quarter of 2009, could be revised upwards. But he also argued that it would be a big mistake to take a single quarter of economic growth as an excuse to "hang out the bunting".

The Bank expects to inflation rise above its 2% target in the next few months, but to then fall back below that level throughout the rest of 2010 and 2011.

Economists said today's report (pdf) indicated the Bank expected to leave interest rates unchanged for another year.

"The bottom line is that further quantitative easing cannot be ruled out, but is unlikely unless the economy suffers a major relapse in 2010. Any policy tightening remains a long way off and interest rates are likely to stay down at 0.5% until at least late 2010, and very possibly beyond," said Howard Archer of Global Insight.

Colin Ellis of Daiwa Securities questioned the bank's predictions for economic recovery. "The monetary policy committee's GDP forecast looks pretty bullish to say the least – even with rate rises, growth gets up to 4% during 2011. In contrast, we are much more downbeat, and expect growth to be closer to 2% in 2011 – thereby implying weaker inflation further ahead," Ellis said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/11/robert-enke-suicide-widow-teresa

• Germany goalkeeper took his own life on Tuesday night
• Kept depression secret for fear of losing adopted daughter

Robert Enke, the Germany goalkeeper who took his own life yesterday, had been hiding his battle against depression, his widow has revealed. The 32-year-old Hannover player was hit by a train at a crossing in Neustadt am Rubenberge and died at the scene.

Germany have since called off their friendly with Chile in Cologne on Saturday.

Enke's widow Teresa and his psychologist Dr Valentin Markser appeared at a press conference at Hannover's AWD-Arena today to explain the background to his death.

• Police confirm goalkeeper left farewell note </p>

• In video: German fans pay respect to Enke
• Gallery: Messages and tributes pour in
• More news and comment on our European football site

His widow said Enke, who was first treated for depression in 2003 during his time at Barcelona, feared that their adopted baby daughter Leila would be taken away if his illness became public knowledge.

They lost their biological daughter Lara in 2006 when she died of a rare heart condition at the age of two. Enke apologised in a suicide note for hiding the condition of his mental state, which, said Markser, was "necessary in order to carry out the suicide plan".

Teresa Enke, dressed in black and struggling to hold back tears, said: "It is crazy because now it is coming out anyway. We thought we could do everything and we could do it with love but you can't always do it."

She added: "It is the fear of what people will think when you have a child and the father suffers from depression. I always said to him that that is not a problem.

"Robert cared for Leila with love - until the end. After Lara's death everything drew us closer together ... I tried to tell him that there is always a solution. I drove to training with him. I wanted to help him to get through it. But he didn't want to accept help any more."

German football federation president Theo Zwanziger, confirming that the Chile game would not take place, said at a separate news conference in Bonn: "German football will use all its capabilities to find an answer to the question of how a young athlete celebrated by so many as an idol could land in such a situation.

"We need time to come to terms with everything and not superficially," Zwanziger said.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said the team could not simply go back to business as usual.

"We lost a friend, we deeply mourn Robert Enke," Loew said. "I feel completely empty. He was a great guy. He had incredible respect for others. We will miss him, as a top-class sportsman and an extraordinary man."

Hundreds of Hannover fans paid tribute to Enke at the stadium on Wednesday. Hannover set up a condolence book outside the AWD Arena, and some supporters lit candles and left scarves and shirts in tribute to the goalkeeper.

A service was scheduled in the evening, to be followed by a silent march to the stadium. Zwanziger, Loew and Ballack planned to attend the service, among others.

Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a "very personal" note to Enke's widow to convey her "consternation and compassion," government spokesman Christoph Steegmans said.

Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic committee, called Enke's death "really tragic."

"When you see how many blows of destiny he had to overcome in the past years, how he always carried on and stood up, that shows his human qualities. That's why it's that much more tragic that he saw no way out any longer," Bach said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/nov/11/coen-brothers-a-serious-man

I loved the Coen brothers' masterpiece of suburban comedy, and this exclusive clip gives a wonderful hint of its distinctive pleasures

Here's an exclusive clip from the new Coen brothers film, A Serious Man – which luckily contains the moment when the lead character Larry Gopnik (played by Broadway veteran Michael Stuhlbarg) announces himself as such. Or at least he stutters out: "I've tried to be a serious man, you know? Tried to do right."

A Serious Man is essentially about things not always being what they seem. Gopnik is a man in search of answers: his life is falling apart, his wife wants to leave him, one of his students is trying to bribe his way through his exams, his neighbour is building too close to the boundary line.

He therefore attempts to gain the wisdom of the ancients by going to see the rabbi and finds it an increasingly baffling and frustrating experience. First he gets fobbed off with the junior, Scott, who advises him to contemplate the car park. Then he manages an appointment with Rabbi Nachtner, who tells him a mystifying story about a dentist who discovers one of his patient's teeth has letters engraved on the back.

Finally he tries to barnstorm his way into the eminence that is Marshak. Marshak, as we see, is so important he never does anything except greet the barmitzvah boys. His secretary defends him against all comers. Gopnik can clearly see he's doing nothing after she tells him he's busy. How does she get out of that? "He's thinking," she says.

It's good to see the Coens stepping back a little from the star-stuffed casts of their last few films. What's so great about this clip is the way it sums up Gopnik's confusion and frustration: he wants to understand what's happening to him, but is stymied at every turn. Stuhlbarg's jitteriness leaps off the screen at us, instantly marking him out as a performer of hitherto undiscovered genius. He's the Coens' own discovery (though apparently well-known on Broadway), and his undeniably winning performance anchors the film.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/11/canoe-man-john-darwin-panama

John Darwin, who faked death at sea, and wife Anne to meet bill after vigorous pursuit by Crown Prosecution Service

The "phantom canoeist", John Darwin, and his wife, Anne, who are serving six-year jail terms for what a judge called calculated and callous fraud, are to repay nearly £600,000 – although Mrs Darwin will pay almost all of that sum, while Mr Darwin will repay just £1.

The bill for compensation and returning the proceeds of crime was accepted today by lawyers for Mrs Darwin, 57, who claimed insurance and pension payments after her husband faked his death at sea seven years ago.

The offer came at Leeds crown court, where Mrs Darwin appeared while her husband, who has no assets, remained in jail. It followed a determined pursuit by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The repayment will force the sale of an estate in Panama, where the couple's plan to start a new life running an ecotourism business was foiled when a photograph of John Darwin was seen on a local estate agent's website.

There will be little left for any bequest to the couple's two sons, who were never let into the plot. Darwin managed to live in hiding and disguised at the couple's home near Hartlepool until the scam unravelled shortly before Christmas 2007.

Lawyers for Mrs Darwin, a former doctor's receptionist, offered repayments of £591,838 at today's Proceeds of Crime Act hearing. The money is made up of £228,138.24 in repayments to insurance and pension companies and £363,700.01 in compensation to firms and others who suffered financial loss or legal bills.

John Darwin, a former teacher and prison officer with pensions in both jobs, acknowledged his part in the scam by offering a nominal payment of £1.

The couple have not met since their conviction in July last year, when Anne Darwin was jailed for six and a half years and her husband, who is 58, was sentenced to six years and three months. Both were convicted of fraud, with nine additional money-laundering charges proved against Mrs Darwin and one of faking a passport against her husband.

He took a canoe out in the Tees estuary and staged his own drowning, later stealing the identity of a baby called John Jones, who died in Sunderland in 1950.

The fraud was copied in part from the plot of Frederick Forsyth's bestselling thriller The Day of the Jackal, but the Darwins added many complications of their own. At one stage, while officially "dead", John Darwin signed an objection to a neighbour's planning application under his false name, and also started an internet liaison with a woman in Kansas.

The couple's downfall came when John Darwin decided to reappear, claiming memory loss, and walked into a London police station in December 2007. His wife pretended rapturous surprise, but police were suspicious and their fate was sealed days later when they were recognised in a Panama estate agency's online brochure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/rupert-murdoch-barack-obama

News Corporation on defensive after Rupert Murdoch backs Fox News presenter over 'very racist' comment by Obama

Rupert Murdoch has been forced to deny he believes Barack Obama is a racist, after appearing to back the controversial Fox News presenter Glenn Beck's comments about the US president.

The chairman and chief executive of News Corporation said in an interview earlier this week that Obama had made "a very racist comment" and that Beck's views were "right".

"He does not at all, for a minute, think the president is a racist," a News Corp spokesman told the US website Politico.

In the interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch was asked about the views expressed by contributors to Fox News, including Beck's view that Obama was a racist.

"He [Obama] did make a very racist comment about blacks and whites and so on, which he said in his campaign he would be completely above," Murdoch said.

"That was something which perhaps should not have been said about the president but if you actually look at what he [Beck] was talking about, he was right."

Beck caused uproar in July when he described Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture".

His remarks were made during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr, an African-American Harvard academic.

Murdoch also said in the interview he thought the Obama presidency was going "badly", citing the defection of independent voters in recent elections in Virginia and New Jersey.

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.

• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".