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Thursday, 29 March 2012

Blasts as Baghdad opens Arab summit on Syria peace plan

Smoke billows above Baghdad after a blast near the secure Green Zone, 29 March

Smoke billowed above Baghdad after a blast near the secure Green Zone

Syria Crisis

Arab leaders have begun talks on a UN-backed peace plan for Syria at the first major international summit to be hosted by Iraq in decades.

The UN-Arab League plan would see a UN-monitored end to fighting, troops pulled out of opposition areas and access for humanitarian services.
Syria agreed to the initiative on Tuesday but violence has continued.
A number of explosions were heard in central Baghdad as the summit was starting.
Two of the blasts occurred near the Iranian embassy, eyewitnesses said. There are unconfirmed reports that an explosion near the city's secure Green Zone was an IED (improvised explosive device).
There was no immediate official confirmation or explanation of the explosions.
Fewer than half the Arab League's 22 leaders have turned up for the summit, with other states sending envoys.
It is being held in such tight security at the city's former Republican Palace that the venue was not initially disclosed to journalists.
While expectations are not high for the talks, the fact that they are being held in the Iraqi capital at all can be seen as a sign of progress for Iraq, the BBC's Wyre Davies says.
The arrival of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, marked the first visit by a leader of that country since Saddam Hussein's invasion in 1990.
Scepticism The head of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, urged Syria "to put commitments into immediate effect".
"The world is waiting for commitments to be translated into action. The key here is implementation: there is no time to waste," Mr Ban told the summit in Baghdad.

Leaders attending the summit

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Comoros President Ikililou Dhoinine
Libyan National Transitional Council Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman
The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah

Mr Ban is due to meet key leaders at the summit to discuss how the UN can work with the Arab League to put the plan, brokered by UN envoy Kofi Annan, into action.

Washington has urged countries to maintain pressure on the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The US state department said it had "not seen the promises that Assad made implemented".
"It's incumbent on all of us to keep the pressure on Assad to meet the commitment that he's made, and that's our intention over the next few days," a spokesperson said.
Syria has said it will not address any initiative from the Arab League, from which it was suspended last year.

Arab League leaders and envoys gather for a group photo in Baghdad, 29 March

Arab League leaders and envoys posed for a group photo in Baghdad

The opposition in Syria is sceptical about the terms of Mr Annan's plan, with some saying Mr Assad is merely stalling for time in order to continue his crackdown.
"We are not sure if it's political manoeuvring or a sincere act," said Louay Safi, a member of the opposition Syrian National Council.
"We have no trust in the current regime. ... We have to see that they have stopped killing civilians."

Annan's six-point peace plan

1. Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people
2. UN-supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians
3. All parties to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting, and implement a daily two-hour humanitarian pause
4. Authorities to intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons
5. Authorities to ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists
6. Authorities to respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully

The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed during the year-long Syrian revolt.

Opposition activists say at least 40 people have been killed since government troops overran the opposition-held town of Saraqeb in the north-west at the weekend.
Corpses littered the streets as homes were burned to the ground and shops pillaged and looted, they said in reports which could not be verified independently.
Security is extremely tight for the Baghdad summit and much of the city has been brought to a standstill for the summit, which is costing an estimated $500m (£314m) to stage.
The Iraqi government is hoping to re-establish itself in the Arab fold after years of violence and sectarian conflict, Wyre Davies reports from Baghdad.
Little progress is expected either on the Syrian front or on wider tensions between Shia and Sunni factions in the region, he notes.

But if the summit, which is expected to last for barely a few hours, passes off without incident and if there are no insurgent attacks elsewhere in the country, it will be seen as a resounding success, our correspondent adds.
In another development, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he was asking fellow emerging economic powers to provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.
Speaking in the Indian capital Delhi, he said he had suggested the idea to fellow Brics states Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
In a closing statement, the five states said "lasting solutions" for both Syria and Iran could "only be found through dialogue".

Bradford-on-Avon man crushed to death under tractor

A 67-year-old man has died after falling under the wheels of a tractor in Wiltshire.

Alistair Hislop had been unloading a trailer attached to an agricultural tractor on Wednesday at Conkwell Grange Estate at Limpley Stoke.
Wiltshire Police said the tractor went down an incline and he was crushed underneath as he tried to stop it.
Mr Hislop, from Bradford-on-Avon, died from his injuries at the scene. Police are investigating.

Diamond Jubilee: Queen visits three London boroughs

The Queen was greeted by thousands of residents in Redbridge

The Diamond Jubilee

The Queen has received a rapturous welcome from thousands of residents in east London during her Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK.

Schoolchildren, parents and pensioners waved union jacks as the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Valentine Mansion, in Redbridge, east London.
The royal couple are also visiting Waltham Forest and Harrow.
Tory leader of Redbridge Council Keith Prince said the Queen's visit was a "great privilege and honour".
When the royal couple first arrived, they were greeted with a huge cheer and the Queen and duke walked along a path to the mansion stopping briefly to meet some of the well-wishers.
Some of the residents welcomed the Queen by decorating their houses with large flags and bunting, hung from rooftops.
'Good humour' Philip showed that despite his recent health problems he had lost none of his blunt sense of humour when he joked with a disabled man about his mode of transport.

Crowds gather as Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Valentine"s Park Redbridge

Crowds gathered as the Queen arrived

He walked up to David Miller, 60, and gesturing to the four-wheeled mobility scooter he was sitting on, he asked "how many people have you knocked over this morning on that thing?".
Mr Miller, a trustee of a charitable trust that runs the Valentine mansion, has difficulties walking, due to a spinal problem.

Royal highlights

He said later: "That is just typical from the duke. He is renowned for his humour but no offence was taken, it was all in good humour.

"I told him 'no, your Royal Highness' - I had not knocked anyone down."
At the 17th Century house, they viewed paintings by artists including Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and David Hockney.
As the Queen left the building, she came across artist Jason Rose painting a portrait of his teenage son in the lobby.
She asked his son if he had a day off school and when he said he did, she asked: "Why are you wearing your school uniform?"
The 14-year-old made her laugh when he said: "I managed to get the day off because I told them I would wear my uniform."
Catering courses Before leaving, the Queen opened Valentines Diamond Jubilee Dry Garden - laid with plants that need little watering - surrounded by cheering crowds.
The Queen and duke then went to Walthamstow Assembly Hall for a lunch attended by mayors from the 32 boroughs and the City of London.
The silver service lunch was prepared by Indian chef Cyrus Todiwala, assisted by cooks from top London hotels and served by students from catering courses from across the capital.
Business leaders, community workers and religious leaders also dined.
In Harrow, the royal couple were going to the Krishna Avanti School where were viewing dance and musical performances by schoolchildren and local groups.

Exeter wedding arrest for illegal immigrant groom

A groom was arrested moments ahead of his wedding in Devon after his visa was found to have expired.

The 31-year-old from Bangladesh was arrested as 30 guests waited for the ceremony at the Devon Register Office in Exeter.
Border Agency officials said immigration checks found his UK visa had expired.
The man was arrested on 10 March but remains in an immigration centre awaiting deportation.
A Border Agency official said the man was arrested out of sight of the guests, and the situation was explained to the bride, a UK national.

Zack Thompson 'sleepwalking' claim rapist is jailed

Police consulted sleep disorder experts when examining Zack Thompson's story

A Nottinghamshire man who said he may have been sleepwalking when he raped a teenager has been jailed for six years.

Zack Thompson, 20, of Lincoln Street, Newark, attacked the girl, now aged 19, on holiday in Portugal, in 2009.
He pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court, but maintained the sleepwalking defence for more than two years.
Police said it was thought to be the first UK case in which such a defence had been successfully challenged in relation to a sexual offence.
Thompson had never denied committing the offence but said he had no knowledge of it.
In sentencing, Judge John Milmo said the defendant's actions had had a devastating effect on his victim.

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We are thrilled justice has been done and that he will finally pay for what he did”

Victim's family statement

"She said, 'I did nothing wrong', and she was absolutely right," said the judge.

"I only hope that today will mark an occasion when she can go back to being the happy young girl she used to be."
The court heard Thompson was 18 when he raped the girl, while they were on holiday in Albufeira.
He said he had drunk seven or eight pints before the offence and could not remember anything after that.
The victim reported the attack to police after arriving home to the UK and Thompson handed himself into Newark Police Station.
Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said the victim found the experience "devastating and humiliating".
"For the past two and a half years she's had to cope with what happened to her and waiting for this matter to resolve has been very difficult for her," she said.
Nottinghamshire Police said it had consulted an American sleep disorder expert, Prof Mark Pressman, who concluded Thompson's behaviour during the incident was not consistent with the actions normally displayed by sleepwalkers.
He said his behaviour was likely to have been the result of drinking an excessive amount of alcohol.
'Repeated disappointment' Speaking after the hearing, Det Con Paula Winfield said: "Sleepwalking as a criminal defence had never been successfully challenged in a sexual offence case before.
"But we could not let that discourage us from doing all we could to achieve justice for a young woman who has been through such a traumatising ordeal.
"Thompson has had nearly three years to admit what he did and accept responsibility, but instead he chose to prolong the suffering and uncertainty for his victim."
In a statement, the victim and her family said they had "faced repeated disappointment" during the legal proceedings in the case.
"[There were] countless adjournments at court, which has been extremely frustrating and disheartening," they said.
"We are thrilled that justice has been done and that he will finally have to pay for what he did - but the ordeal does not end here.
"We have not walked away from court today free of this nightmare and, though we are hopeful for the future, we are sure our lives will never be the same again."

Dewani couple's honeymoon kiss caught on CCTV

CCTV shows Dewani couple hours before murder

CCTV footage obtained by the BBC suggests the alleged role of Shrien Dewani in the murder of his wife while on honeymoon in South Africa may not be as clear-cut as investigators say.

The video shows Shrien and Anni Dewani kissing hours before the murder and raises questions about the credibility of a key witness who is also filmed.
South African authorities have named Mr Dewani as a suspect in Anni Dewani's murder and applied for his extradition.
Mr Dewani denies any involvement.
He has appealed against his extradition and the High Court will rule on this on Friday.
His family told BBC Panorama that Mr Dewani, who is currently sectioned in the UK under the Mental Health Act, will return to South Africa to answer questions when he is well enough and his personal safety is guaranteed.
Taxi driver Zola Tongo has already admitted his part in the murder and was given a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying against Mr Dewani.

Panorama: Find out more

Jeremy Vine presents Panorama: The Honeymoon Murder
BBC One, Thursday, 29 March at 21:00

Then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer

Tongo, the main witness against the Bristol businessman, claims he was hired by Mr Dewani to arrange his wife's execution during a fake car-jacking.

But the CCTV footage calls into question Tongo's version of what happened on 13 November 2010 - the night 28-year-old Mrs Dewani was murdered.
After failing to pick up the couple from their Cape Town hotel at 19:30, Tongo claims Mr Dewani became agitated when he called to say he would be delayed.
Tongo's lawyer, William da Grass, said about that mobile phone conversation: "Dewani demanded to know what the hold-up was and insisted that the act be perpetrated and perpetrated that very day."
The CCTV footage shows Mr Dewani speaking to Tongo while sitting next to Mrs Dewani in the hotel bar. He shows no sign of agitation.
The two men who are alleged to have carried out the hijacking of the taxi later that evening and the murder of Mrs Dewani have both retracted their confessions and are awaiting trial.
Post mortem
Police say Mrs Dewani was not sexually assaulted after her husband and Tongo were ejected from the car and that she died from a single gunshot wound to the neck, fuelling suggestions this was a cold-blooded execution.

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If he is innocent, the court will show that and if he's not then he should pay for what he's done”

Ami Denborg Anni Dewani's sister

But Panorama has gained access to the post-mortem examination report.

It reveals the fatal bullet first passed through Mrs Dewani's left hand before entering her chest, travelling through her body, causing fatal injuries to her neck.
The report said the bullet left what it called "an irregular gunshot exit wound".
When first interviewed by police, one of the accused gunmen said Mrs Dewani's death was an accident, but this has never before been placed into the public domain.
His co-accused told police that the gun fired as Mrs Dewani's handbag was grabbed.
The only independent eyewitnesses to gauge Shrien Dewani's behaviour on the night of the murder were a married couple he met after he said he was forced out of the taxi and left alone in a township back street.

Mrs Dewani was shot dead on her honeymoon

Local government auditor Simbonile Matokazi, who rang the police for Mr Dewani, told the BBC: "When I found out that he was accused, I was a bit surprised because when he told me his story that night, I believed him and I thought that what he was saying was the truth. And it was genuine."
In an interview with the programme, Mrs Dewani's family said if Shrien Dewani is innocent as he claims, he should travel to South Africa and answer investigators' questions.
"If he is innocent, the court will show that and if he's not then he should pay for what he's done," Anni Dewani's sister Ami Denborg said.
Panorama: The Honeymoon Murder, BBC One, Thursday, 29 March at 21:00 BST and then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer

Met Police press chief Dick Fedorcio resigns

Dick Fedorcio: "With hindsight, lots of things would have been done differently"

The Leveson Inquiry

The communications chief at the Metropolitan Police, Dick Fedorcio, has resigned after proceedings for gross misconduct were started against him.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an inquiry last year after it emerged he had given work to a PR firm run by ex-News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis.
Last week it ruled Mr Fedorcio should face a hearing for gross misconduct.
But the IPCC said his resignation meant this could not now take place.
Report to follow The IPCC said it planned to publish the findings of its report into the relationship between Mr Fedorcio and Mr Wallis "in the next few days".
It was revelations about a former senior News of the World journalist having such a role at Scotland Yard which prompted the force's then commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson to resign in July last year.
Mr Fedorcio had been on extended leave since August pending the investigation into his relationship with Mr Wallis, who was arrested on suspicion of phone hacking last year but has not been charged.
Mr Wallis's company, Chamy Media, was paid £24,000 by the Met for PR advice between October 2009 and September 2010.
Mr Fedorcio told the Leveson Inquiry earlier this month Mr Wallis was hired as a consultant because "he wanted someone he knew and trusted".

Dick Fedorcio (far left) with Sir Paul Stephenson, who quit last year

He said he had taken the decision to take on a consultant in 2009 while his deputy was on long-term sick leave.
IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass said: "I have today been notified that Dick Fedorcio, the Metropolitan Police Service director of public affairs, has resigned."
She said that in July 2011 the IPCC decided to investigate "the relationship between Mr Fedorcio and Neil Wallis, a former deputy editor at the News of the World, focusing on the circumstances under which a contract for senior level media advice and support was awarded to Mr Wallis' company, Chamy Media."
That investigation ended late last year and a report was handed to the Met's professional standards unit on 10 January.
Ms Glass said: "Our investigation found that Mr Fedorcio has a case to answer in relation to his procurement of the contract for Chamy Media. Last week the Metropolitan Police Service proposed to initiate proceedings for gross misconduct and I agreed with that proposal."
But Mr Fedorcio's resignation means he cannot now face internal disciplinary proceedings.
Ms Glass said: "In light of Mr Fedorcio's resignation today, those proceedings cannot now take place and I propose to publish our investigation report detailing our findings, in the next few days."
Moving on The BBC's home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said it was not yet clear if Mr Fedorcio had been offered some sort of severance package but he said it was a sign that Scotland Yard wanted to move on from the hacking scandal.
Mr Fedorcio told the Leveson Inquiry he had put the PR contract out to tender, asked two other firms to bid but ended up hiring Mr Wallis' firm.

Mr Fedorcio appearing at the Leveson Inquiry earlier this month

He told Lord Leveson the bids from rival PR firms Bell Pottinger and Hanover were 50% more expensive than Chamy Media but he denied he knew that would be the case from the outset.
The Met confirmed Mr Fedorcio would be leaving his post as director of public affairs on 31 March after 14 years in the job.
"During that period he has made a very significant contribution to the work of the MPS," they said.
In July last year, MPs on the home affairs committee criticised Mr Fedorcio for failing to conduct proper checks on Mr Wallis before hiring him.
Mr Fedorcio told the Leveson Inquiry he asked Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who had conducted the initial phone hacking inquiry, what he thought about hiring Mr Wallis.
He told Lord Leveson he wanted to know of any potential risks to the organisation if Mr Wallis was engaged by the MPS in view of the phone hacking case.
Asked by the inquiry whether he would have taken on Mr Wallis if he knew he and Mr Yates were such close friends, he said he might have thought the hiring "inappropriate".
Mr Yates has told the inquiry he was "good friends" with Mr Wallis - they had had dinners together and attended a football match together.

The Economics of March Madness

by Staff Writers

March 22, 2012

Japan executes first three prisoners since 2010

Execution room, Tokyo Detention Centre, 27 August 2010

Japan did not carry out any executions in 2011

Japan has hanged three death row inmates in its first executions since July 2010.

Reports said the unnamed prisoners, hanged in separate prisons, had all been convicted of multiple murders.
Japan is one of the few advanced industrialised nations to retain the death penalty. It is usually reserved for multiple murders.
Though the majority support the death penalty, rights groups say Japan's death row is particularly harsh.
"Today, three executions were carried out," Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa said. "I have carried out my duty as a justice minister as stipulated by law."
There are currently more than 100 people on death row, including Shoko Asahara, the mastermind behind the 1995 sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway. No executions were carried out in 2011.
Official figures in Japan as of 2011 put support for capital punishment at over 80%.
But rights groups like Amnesty International have called for it to be abolished, saying the condemned have few visits, little exercise and are forced to spend almost all of their time sitting down in their cells.
Sometimes held for decades, they are not warned in advance of when they will be put to death, meaning they fear every day is their last, the BBC's Roland Buerk reports.

9 Most Frequently Broken Laws

March 28, 2012
You’ve never left the scene of a crime; you’ve never murdered anyone. You don’t drink and drive. You vote and begrudgingly pay your taxes. You’re just the pinnacle of a law abiding citizen, aren’t you? Answer: you’re not. Believe it or not, we’ve all broken laws, and chances are it’s a few more than you might think. Check out this list of the nine most frequently broken laws in America, and prepare to realize that you’re more of a criminal than you ever thought.

Speeding
There are 260 million cars in the United States, and that’s 260 million cars that have, at one time or another, broken a speed limit law. Have you ever been on an American highway? Any motorist driving the paltry speed limit will be honked at and whizzed by, and probably soon banished to the outside lane or frontage road. Even if you’re not a speed demon, everyone’s been in a hurry or had an emergency at one time or another. Additionally, it’s common knowledge that driving a few miles over the posted speed won’t net you a ticket, except in the most stringent of speed limited areas (school zones, for one). And you road warriors commonly break other traffic laws, like running red lights and not using proper turn signals.
Underage Drinking
If your cool uncle ever let you have a beer with him during your high school years, you’ve participated in underage drinking. (And probably gross underage drinking. Your uncle is the last person on the planet who drinks Old Milwaukee, dude.) If you’ve ever gotten sauced enough on Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill to dance on a table at a sorority party in college (oh, so you’re the one … ), you’ve definitely participated in underage drinking. And if you say that you waited until your 21st birthday to try your first sip of booze, you’re lying — or you’ve probably got a fairly free social calendar this weekend, don’t you? Underage drinking is by no means cool, but it’s an extremely common practice among those of high school and college age. According to SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), 26.4% of underage kids use alcohol every month, which puts the population of those imbibing at more than 10 million.
Smoking Weed
If you use marijuana in the United States, you’ve got about 30 million stoner friends. While the substance is classified as a Schedule I narcotic and outlawed on the federal level, many states have decriminalized its use for medical purposes. But those without glaucoma in California still seem to find a way to get blazed: an incredible 52% of all 2010 drug arrests in the United States were marijuana related.
Pirating Music
You’re reading this list on the Internet, are you? Then you’ve probably downloaded something illegally, even if you’re not certain that you have. Pirating music, videos, and software is illegal and, many argue, immoral — as it’s, functionally, the act of stealing. Piracy has taken its toll on its target industries, too; music purchases have decreased worldwide since piracy became a hard-to-enforce illegal norm.
Jaywalking
Maybe you didn’t drink when you were young, and maybe you don’t get stoned now, but every ambulatory American has jaywalked at least once in their lifetime, and probably more than once. Jaywalking is the act of illegally crossing the street at a time or place not then designated for pedestrian crossing, and there’s no one who hasn’t done it. Ever walked across in the middle of the street? Or just gone ahead even though the red hand was lit up because there was absolutely no one coming and you were in a sketchy neighborhood where you were pirating music, smoking weed, and underage drinking? Well then, dear reader, you’re a dirty, rotten lawbreaker.
Littering
Have you ever thrown a cigarette butt or a receipt down on the pavement? That’s littering, and you’ve made an American Indian shed a single tear. How does it feel to make the noble natives of our great land break down and cry, you litterbug? Littering is illegal in the United States, and is often punishable by payment of a fine, which can be extremely hefty in certain areas, such as state parks and preserves. Next time you think about throwing down that gum wrapper, remember that you’re being watched.
Copyright Law
You probably break copyright law every day, and you probably don’t even know when you’re doing it. Copyright laws in the United States are extremely complex and varied, so much so that you can barely be sure whether your mix tape or mashup is legal or not. Additionally, you may be breaking copyright law by using software at work that you didn’t know wasn’t intended for commercial use, or that may have been illegally obtained (unbeknownst to you and your company, no doubt). Luckily for all of those parodies and playlists of the current remix culture, some of these laws aren’t enforced to the letter, and you may be safe to play another day.
Cheating On Your Taxes
Tips? What tips?
Face it: if you work in the service industry, you’re cheating on your taxes. Waitstaff, childcare workers, and the like do a lot of their dealings in cash, which makes it easy to fudge when April 15th rolls around. While most people probably don’t intend to cheat on their taxes, doing so (accidental or otherwise) could net you an audit and possibly jail time. Common methods of cheating on your taxes are: claiming too many dependents (you’re 25 and you have six kids? Really?), false use deductions (do you really have a deductible-friendly, home-based business, or do you call yourself a freelancer as an excuse to play online every evening?), not declaring all income, and not selecting the correct filing status. Lucky for most of us, we don’t mean to break the law — and if we do, and we’re caught, it can usually be cleared up with a small fine.
Gravity
If you’ve got a hoverboard, you 1) live in the future, and 2) are a lawbreaker. And even if you’re not a futuristic hipster (one assumes that hoverboards will be a toy for the cool kids), you probably know that Newton’s law of universal gravitation (F=Gm1m2/d^2) has been superseded (for all intents and purposes, broken) by the more accurate, complex, and beautifully succinct equation, Einstein’s theory of relativity (e=mc^2).

11 Compelling TED Talks on Money

March 29, 2012

Money talks, but what it has to say happens to be grimmer than, “Timmy is trapped in a well.” Sadly, people tend to turn clogged ears toward its intricacies, and as a result wind up compromising their homes, businesses, and even surrounding neighborhoods. Proper financial education, on a macro and a micro level, helps translate some of what dollars and cents can really do, and their potential to make life as amazing as it does hellish. Check out the following TED Talks for a crash course in economics benefiting private and public spenders alike.

Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies
Allowing economic injustices to perpetuate themselves and denying those contending with poorer finances harms far more than it heals. University of Nottingham’s Richard Wilkinson shares his life’s research on the matter here, hopefully offering up inspiration for citizens and governments to fight for higher life expectancies and improved public health.
Laurie Santos: A monkey economy as irrational as our own
Come to find out, humans don’t exactly hold a monopoly on establishing and maintaining economies — our closest ancestors in the monkey scene boast their own complex systems as well. Even more fascinating, the flaws in their systems eerily parallel those made among people, leading viewers to wonder if mistakes are more inherent to nature than nurture.
Schlomo Benartzi: Saving for tomorrow, tomorrow
The unique psychology lurking behind common financial planning decisions (particularly mistakes) comes to light here thanks to a behavioral economist. Here, he illustrates how to rewire the habits that compel people to spend money the minute they have it, because such things ultimately lead to fiscally questionable futures.
Eleni Gabre-Madhin: Ethiopian economics
It’s going to take a bit of time and even more money, but this former World Bank economist shares a strategy to forge a commodities market in Ethiopia, with the ultimate goal of creating a sustainable society. She believes that agricultural investments might prove the most beneficial overall, is it will ultimately reduce the nation’s need for foreign aid.
Loretta Napoleoni: The intricate economics of terrorism
Because of her experiences communicating with the communist terrorism cell Brigate Rosse, Loretta Napoleoni received a thorough education in the economics behind covert sabotage. And these economics prove, in fact, highly complex when it comes to the more organized groups out there; to the point even government strategies hold some parallels.
Pavan Sukhdev: Put a value on nature
Pavan Sukhdev encourages humanity to consider its mining of natural materials — which cost nothing up front — as little more than just another economic transaction. Many may think this a remarkably callous way to approach nature, but this eco-friendly banker’s intent is anything but; he believes such a mindset would actually curb destructive mining, logging, farming, and fishing techniques.
Cameron Herold: Let’s raise kids to be entrepreneurs
Nurturing creativity, innovation, and fiscal responsibility at an early age could be considered a worthwhile investment in the future; after all, creating opportunities for themselves means creating opportunities for others in kind. Both parents and teachers should check out this illuminating TED Talk when wanting to encourage upcoming generations to make wise choices with their money and ideas alike.
Matt Weinstein: What Bernie Madoff couldn’t steal from me
While cruising among Antarctic icebergs, the Playfair founder received a satellite phone call breaking the news that all his investments with Bernie Madoff proved one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. Despite losing everything financially, Matt Weinstein and his wife decided to change their outlook and find value in things other than money and the luxuries it can purchase.
Seth Priebatsch: The game layer on top of the world
Social media, the Internet, and other communication-altering technologies have managed to also create a metaphorical film that sits on top of humanity’s interactions. As one of the minds behind SCVNGR (which dedicates itself to exploring this “game layer”) explains, it stands poised to completely revolutionize how humans conduct their educations and businesses alike.
Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money — and love
Kiva.org’s founder opens up about how her changing views regarding poverty inspired her to launch a nonprofit dedicated to offering microloans to enterprising individuals in economically deprived areas. Learn about the organization’s powerful accomplishments here and find out exactly how far $25 can go in the pocket of a wise entrepreneur.
Geoff Mulgan: Post-crash, investing in a better world
Global financial meltdown obviously shouldn’t be thought of as a wonderful thing, particularly when it comes to how horrible it proved for those on the bottom rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. However, it does offer chances (not to mention motivation) for entrepreneurs and investors to learn from past mistakes and use their resources to prevent serious issues from cropping up again.

Thursday, 29 March 2012

Leaders attending the summit

Annan's six-point peace plan

The Diamond Jubilee

Royal highlights

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Panorama: Find out more

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by Staff Writers

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