More than 140 people are feared dead after a passenger plane swerved off the runway at Madrid's Barajas airport. A spokesman for the Spanish emergency services, Herbigio Corral, said only 28 people survived the crash. The Spanair flight had just taken off for the Canary Islands at about 1420 local time with 172 people on board. It is thought the left engine caught fire. Helicopters were called in to dump water onto the plane. More than 70 ambulances were seen leaving the scene.
More than 140 people are feared dead after a passenger plane swerved off the runway at Madrid's Barajas airport.
A spokesman for the Spanish emergency services, Herbigio Corral, said only 28 people survived the crash.
The Spanair flight had just taken off for the Canary Islands at about 1420 local time with 172 people on board. It is thought the left engine caught fire.
Helicopters were called in to dump water onto the plane. More than 70 ambulances were seen leaving the scene.
But the stories of the couple who missed check-in by three minutes, or the woman whose children completely missed that flight are ways to salvage solace from the horror. keep to the Fen Causeway
The captain aborted a previous takeoff attempt due to "excessive heating of an engine air intake" and the decision was taken to take off after consulting with the maintenance ground staff.
Spanair was finalising a plan to get rid of the older planes in their fleet, including some MD82s, but it is unclear whether the crashed plane (15 years old, 9 with Spanair) was going to be retired.
There are two young children with relatively light injuries, and a third one seriously injured. Of the 20 survivors one died yesterday and four remain in "very serious" condition. A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian. The sophisticated analysis, based on hundreds of case studies by the security service, says there is no single pathway to violent extremism.It concludes that it is not possible to draw up a typical profile of the "British terrorist" as most are "demographically unremarkable" and simply reflect the communities in which they live. The "restricted" MI5 report takes apart many of the common stereotypes about those involved in British terrorism. They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices. Nor, the analysis says, are they "mad and bad". Those over 30 are just as likely to have a wife and children as to be loners with no ties, the research shows.
MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian.
The sophisticated analysis, based on hundreds of case studies by the security service, says there is no single pathway to violent extremism.
It concludes that it is not possible to draw up a typical profile of the "British terrorist" as most are "demographically unremarkable" and simply reflect the communities in which they live.
The "restricted" MI5 report takes apart many of the common stereotypes about those involved in British terrorism.
They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices. Nor, the analysis says, are they "mad and bad". Those over 30 are just as likely to have a wife and children as to be loners with no ties, the research shows.
And more importantly, will it prevent a Daily-Mail-appeasing political class from passing stupid and counter-productive laws or pursuing military foreign policies that only make things worse ?
I don't know but I'm guessing "no" right now. keep to the Fen Causeway
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition has unveiled new far-reaching rules to head off powerful foreign-owned state-controlled funds going on a shopping spree for companies in Europe's biggest economy. Of particular concern to Merkel's conservative Christian Democrat-led coalition is the threat posed to key German industries, such as telecoms, banks and energy sectors, by cash-rich state funds from Russia, the Middle East and China, so-called sovereign wealth funds. The proposals, which were unveiled on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and still need parliamentary approval, will mean moves from non-European Union controlled investment groups or companies to buy a stake of 25 percent or more in strategic parts of German industry can in future be blocked.
Of particular concern to Merkel's conservative Christian Democrat-led coalition is the threat posed to key German industries, such as telecoms, banks and energy sectors, by cash-rich state funds from Russia, the Middle East and China, so-called sovereign wealth funds.
The proposals, which were unveiled on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and still need parliamentary approval, will mean moves from non-European Union controlled investment groups or companies to buy a stake of 25 percent or more in strategic parts of German industry can in future be blocked.
Gas leak raises UK energy price worries StatoilHydro, Norway's national oil company, said it had discovered a leak in the pipeline bringing gas onshore from the Kvitebjorn offshore field, and that the pipe would have to remain closed for repairs, possibly until the spring of next year. StatoilHydro said it was "hoping" to repair the pipeline sooner, but spring 2009 was the only target date it could offer. The fields affected were expected to produce about 7.4bn cubic metres of gas this year, which would have been available for sale in Britain and continental Europe. The UK is expected to use about 90bn cubic metres of gas this year. Patrick Heren of ICIS Heren, a consultancy, said: "Relative to peak UK supply, the amount of gas affected is a relatively small proportion. But at the margin, when supply is tight over the winter, if you take a small amount out of the market that is going to have a severe effect on prices." Following the announcement, the futures market price of gas for the coming winter jumped 15 per cent, from 90.75p per therm to 104p, close to the record hit in June. The wholesale price of electricity, which is strongly influenced by the cost of gas because of its use in power generation, also rose sharply, with baseload power for the first quarter of 2009 rising about 9 per cent, according to Spectron, an energy marketplace.
StatoilHydro, Norway's national oil company, said it had discovered a leak in the pipeline bringing gas onshore from the Kvitebjorn offshore field, and that the pipe would have to remain closed for repairs, possibly until the spring of next year.
StatoilHydro said it was "hoping" to repair the pipeline sooner, but spring 2009 was the only target date it could offer.
The fields affected were expected to produce about 7.4bn cubic metres of gas this year, which would have been available for sale in Britain and continental Europe. The UK is expected to use about 90bn cubic metres of gas this year.
Patrick Heren of ICIS Heren, a consultancy, said: "Relative to peak UK supply, the amount of gas affected is a relatively small proportion. But at the margin, when supply is tight over the winter, if you take a small amount out of the market that is going to have a severe effect on prices."
Following the announcement, the futures market price of gas for the coming winter jumped 15 per cent, from 90.75p per therm to 104p, close to the record hit in June.
The wholesale price of electricity, which is strongly influenced by the cost of gas because of its use in power generation, also rose sharply, with baseload power for the first quarter of 2009 rising about 9 per cent, according to Spectron, an energy marketplace.
The Great British public ?? Well, we got screwed, but since when have the elites given a damn about the public ? keep to the Fen Causeway
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW Published by MIT September/October 2008 First Tidal Power Generator This summer, the first commercial electrical generator to draw power from the ocean tide began supplying Northern Ireland with energy. Installed in an inlet near Belfast, the generator works much like a wind turbine, with massive blades turned by the tide's current. The angle at which the blades meet the current can be changed: rotating the blade face 180º lets the turbine catch the tide in both directions, while smaller rotations lessen the force exerted on the turbine, preventing damage. Credit: Marine Current Turbines Product: SeaGen Cost: 30 to 40 cents per kilowatt-hour; a planned installation with seven turbines will lower that cost to about 20 cents per kilowatt-hour Source: www.seageneration.co.uk Company: Marine Current Turbines
Credit: Marine Current Turbines Product: SeaGen
Cost: 30 to 40 cents per kilowatt-hour; a planned installation with seven turbines will lower that cost to about 20 cents per kilowatt-hour
Source: www.seageneration.co.uk
Company: Marine Current Turbines
Picture at link If sanity be culturally normative, then by the norms of this culture I claim insanity.
The death of 10 French soldiers has shocked France. The Socialists are demanding a debate about the Afghanistan mission, but President Sarkozy has defended the Hindu Kush deployment as his party lashed out at the opposition for attempting to politicize a national tragedy. France's President Nicolas Sarkozy speaks with French soldiers at Camp Warehouse in Kabul on Wednesday. With news sinking in on Wednesday that France suffered its biggest military loss of life in 25 years, the political opposition in Paris is demanding a rethink of the country's mission in Afghanistan. French President Nicolas Sarkozy rushed to Afghanistan and visited his country's troops on Wednesday morning in a show of support after 10 of their comrades were killed and 21 injured during an ambush on Monday and in fierce fighting that continued into Tuesday. France has about 2,600 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, and Sarkozy said they must remain there. "France is resolved to pursue the fight against terrorism, for democracy and liberty," Sarkozy said. "I don't have any doubt about that. We have to be here."
The death of 10 French soldiers has shocked France. The Socialists are demanding a debate about the Afghanistan mission, but President Sarkozy has defended the Hindu Kush deployment as his party lashed out at the opposition for attempting to politicize a national tragedy.
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy speaks with French soldiers at Camp Warehouse in Kabul on Wednesday. With news sinking in on Wednesday that France suffered its biggest military loss of life in 25 years, the political opposition in Paris is demanding a rethink of the country's mission in Afghanistan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy rushed to Afghanistan and visited his country's troops on Wednesday morning in a show of support after 10 of their comrades were killed and 21 injured during an ambush on Monday and in fierce fighting that continued into Tuesday. France has about 2,600 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, and Sarkozy said they must remain there.
"France is resolved to pursue the fight against terrorism, for democracy and liberty," Sarkozy said. "I don't have any doubt about that. We have to be here."
Guardian - Seamus Milne - The Afghan fire looks set to spread, but there is a way out
Far from being a noble cause, the occupation of Afghanistan is poisoning the region and will never bring peace or security The original aims of the invasion, it will be recalled, were the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and the destruction of al-Qaida in the aftermath of 9/11. None of those aims has been achieved. Instead, the US and its friends brought back to power an alliance of brutal and corrupt warlords, gave them new identities as democrats with phoney elections, and drove the Taliban and al-Qaida leaderships over the border into Pakistan. Far from reducing the threat of terrorism, this crucible of the war on terror has simply spread it around the region, bringing forth an increasingly potent campaign of resistance and giving a new lease of life to a revamped Taliban as a champion of Pashtun nationalism. And as mission creep has detached the Afghan war from its original declared target of al-Qaida - let alone the claims made about women's rights, which have been going into grim reverse again in much of the country under Nato tutelage - it has morphed into the kind of war of "civilisation" evoked by Sarkozy and Browne, a certain recipe for conflict without end. No wonder British politicians have talked about digging in for decades. [...] Afghanistan was supposed to be a demonstration of Nato's expanded horizons in the post-Soviet new world order. Instead, as with Nato's disastrous engagement with Georgia, it has underscored the dangers of giving the cold war alliance a new imperial brief. The growing conflict must also be added to the litany of US foreign policy failures that have been overseen by George Bush - from Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon to Latin America and now the Caucasus - and the evident necessity of a new direction.
The original aims of the invasion, it will be recalled, were the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and the destruction of al-Qaida in the aftermath of 9/11. None of those aims has been achieved. Instead, the US and its friends brought back to power an alliance of brutal and corrupt warlords, gave them new identities as democrats with phoney elections, and drove the Taliban and al-Qaida leaderships over the border into Pakistan.
Far from reducing the threat of terrorism, this crucible of the war on terror has simply spread it around the region, bringing forth an increasingly potent campaign of resistance and giving a new lease of life to a revamped Taliban as a champion of Pashtun nationalism. And as mission creep has detached the Afghan war from its original declared target of al-Qaida - let alone the claims made about women's rights, which have been going into grim reverse again in much of the country under Nato tutelage - it has morphed into the kind of war of "civilisation" evoked by Sarkozy and Browne, a certain recipe for conflict without end. No wonder British politicians have talked about digging in for decades. [...]
Afghanistan was supposed to be a demonstration of Nato's expanded horizons in the post-Soviet new world order. Instead, as with Nato's disastrous engagement with Georgia, it has underscored the dangers of giving the cold war alliance a new imperial brief. The growing conflict must also be added to the litany of US foreign policy failures that have been overseen by George Bush - from Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon to Latin America and now the Caucasus - and the evident necessity of a new direction.
Earlier this week Simon Jenkins even questioned NATO
Guardian - Simon Jenkins - In Europe, as in Asia, Nato leaves a trail of catastrophe
Nato is useless. It has failed to bring stability to Afghanistan, as it failed to bring it to Serbia. It just breaks crockery. Nato has proved a rotten fighting force, which in Kabul is on the brink of being sidelined by exasperated Americans. Nor is it any better at diplomacy: witness its hamfisted handling of east Europe. As the custodian of the west's postwar resistance to the Soviet Union's nuclear threat it served a purpose. Now it has become a diplomats' Olympics, irrelevant but with bursts of extravagant self-importance.
