Two a penny

.The violent eruption of a Patagonian volcano last year has shown the high speed with which magma can burst through the earth’s crust, according to a European study.
The finding has prompted warnings for closer monitoring of potentially active volcanoes around the world.
The unexpected explosive eruption of the Chaiteìn volcano in Chile on 1 May 2008, occurred less than 24 hours after residents in the nearby town of Chaiteìn first began feeling earth tremors.
An examination of the forces behind the eruption published in the journal Nature , shows that the magma travelled at up to one-metre per second.
The force of the eruption resulted in ash being deposited across Chile and large parts of southern Argentina. This compares with the months to years of seismic unrest that precedes most eruptions.
It shot from a depth of more than five kilometres to the surface in about four hours. .
Depending on the nature of the eruption it can form pumice or obsidian on the surface.
Rhyolite is a volcanic material high in silica, which tends to make it very viscous or sticky and prone to explosive eruptions caused by trapped gasses.
Australian geologist, Dr Wally Johnson from Australian National University in Canberra is currently studying a rhyolitic eruption that occurred thousands of years ago at the Rabaul volcano in Papua New Guinea.
– Rare events –
The violent and unexpected nature of the blasts, together with their rarity, means the Chaiteìn eruption is the first rhyolite event to have been scientifically assessed in this way.
Dr Johnson says the last explosive rhyolitic eruption occurred in 1912 when the Novarupta volcano spewed 30 cubic kilometres of magma in 60 hours.
He says the analysis of the Chaiteìn eruption is strong.
“But when they do take place, they’re highly explosive and for anyone living nearby they’re certainly dangerous.
“But when they do take place, they’re highly explosive and for anyone living nearby they’re certainly dangerous.
“They put up a very, very good case for rhyolitic magma ascending very quickly through the crust,” Dr Johnsonsaid.
By documenting the speed with which the magma reached the surface, the researchers have now provided a measure for comparing the activity of other rhyolite volcanoes.”
Dr Johnson says that while rhyolite volcanoes are rare, there should be increased monitoring of potentially active volcanoes, in particular in developing countries, regardless of the magma involved.
“Basically once it starts, it’s on its way and there’s not much chance of getting a reasonably early warning.

.
AFP – Somali pirates attempted to storm the flagship commanding French military forces in a night attack in the Indian Ocean after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the military said here Wednesday.

French sailors saw off the attack and captured five pirates in the incident while no-one was injured, military spokesperson Admiral Christophe Prazuck said.

The pirates had tried to storm the 160-metre (525-foot) 18,000-tonne La Somme, a fuel supply ship used as the command centre for all French forces — ground, sea and air — in the Indian Ocean region.

The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs, he said.

On it they found five men but no weapons, the spokesperson said, adding that the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat’s contents overboard.

The pirates tried to escape when they realised their mistake but were pursued by La Somme, which after an hour-long chase managed to catch one of the skiffs, Prazuck said. .

The world’s naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates threatening one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes

.

&raquo Special Report on France&#039s trial of the decade
&raquo Who&#039s who in the trial
&raquo How a finance trial turned into a major political scandal
&raquo A glossary of terms in the Clearstream saga
&raquo From Ben Barka to Elf, justice turns a blind eye to political elites
Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin appeared in court on Wednesday to testify on his role in the Clearstream scandal. He told judges that he had never heard of the Clearstream affair until a meeting on January 9, 2004, at the Foreign Ministry, of which he was head at the time. He added that Nicolas Sarkozy name never came up in the context of that discussion. .
He told the judge, I have been steadfast in difficult moments.

General Philippe Rondot, who was working at the ministry of defence at the time, was also present at this meeting, which de Villepin described to the court as a non work-oriented meeting.

January 9, 2004

According to de Villepin testimony, the January 9 meeting was when former EADS president Jean-Louis Gergorin informed Villepin of the existence of the lists. De Villepin said he did not see the files at the meeting.

But, he said firmly, Chirac never gave specific presidential instructions.

De Villepin said he later instructed Rondot to investigate the Clearstream client list, saying that he was acting on the general instructions of the President of the Republic (Jacques Chirac, at the time) to raise the moral standards of international business. At no time was Nicolas Sarkozy mentioned in connection with these lists, he said, adding that Sarkozy was only mentioned in passing, as someone who should not be informed about the list.

Bythem Top Story aired on 30 September 2009
De Villepin was equally adamant about the matter of Nicolas Sarkozy name. They are widely thought to be damning and include the brief note Political stakes, Sarkozy.

The notes Rondot took at the meeting became material evidence in the case.

Jean-Louis Gergorin, former executive VP of French corporation EADS, gave a different version of events from that of his former associate de Villepin.

Jean-Louis Gergorin, former executive VP of French corporation EADS, gave a different version of events from that of his former associate de Villepin.

Gergorin testified that, contrary to de Villepin claim of innocence, the two in fact had a number of clandestine meetings in 2004. Gergorin has already admitted to leaking the false Clearstream list.

Lahoud also took to the stand, confirming his previous statements that Gergorin told him that he had received orders from de Villepin to throw Sarkozy to a judge.

The court read aloud from May 2004 entries in Rondot notebook, wherein Rondot wrote that Gergorin had informed him of these meetings. During a brief interrogation in the court Tuesday he repeated that he never had any idea of, nor held in [his] hands, any falsified lists.

He may already be finished

The crux of de Villepin innocence or guilt depends on whether he knew about the forgery, and whether he in fact gave the order to commit the forgery.

According to them Catherine Norris-Trent, who is covering the trial, No one believes de Villepin will be sentenced to prison. If found guilty, he faces up to 5 years in prison and a ban from holding political office.

But even if the court did not sentence him at all, says Norris-Trent, the maximum damage has already been done to de Villepin. He will most likely get a ban on holding office, which would be a major blow since he still had political ambitions. People are saying that is what the prosecution is going for, she said. People are saying that is what the prosecution is going for, she said.

Clearstream trial – Nicolas Sarkozy

.Roman Polanski has refused to be extradited from Switzerland to the United States over a 1977 underage sex case, the filmmaker’s lawyer said on Monday.
“He has refused the request from the United States for his extradition,” said a statement issued by the 76-year-old director’s French lawyer Herve Temime, two days after he was detained in Switzerland on a US warrant.
Polanski pleaded guilty before a US court in 1978 of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor as part of a plea bargain. .
But he fled the country before sentencing and has been a fugitive from US justice ever since.
Polanski was detained on Saturday at a film festival in the Swiss city of Zurich, sparking protests from the French and Polish governments and outrage in the film world.
“After that his defence team will demonstrate the illegal nature of the extradition request he is facing,” it said.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he and his Polish counterpart have written to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the arrest.
“Frankly it’s all a bit sinister this story.
Speaking on French radio, Mr Kouchner described the arrest as grim. All this isn’t nice,” he said. A man of such talent, known throughout the world, known in the country that’s arrested him. The judge has since died.
The director’s legal team argues the 1970s US legal case against him should be annulled because the judge who heard the case had improperly colluded with prosecutors.
The woman named as the victim in the 1977 case has joined defence lawyers in calling for a dismissal.
The woman named as the victim in the 1977 case has joined defence lawyers in calling for a dismissal

.

Nearly 60 people have been killed, Manila was blacked out and airline flights were suspended as a powerful typhoon battered the main Philippines island of Luzon.

Television showed houses swept away by swollen rivers, people on rooftops waving for help and throngs stranded along Manila’s submerged main thoroughfares as the storm packing winds of 100 kph (60 mph) dumped 341 mm (13.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appealed for donations of clothes, blankets, food and water as hundreds of families, perched on rooftops or were trapped in submerged areas, waiting for rescue.5 inches) of rain in six hours. At least 47 people were killed, mostly by drowning, in Rizal province, east of Manila, radio reports quoted the local governor as saying. . Authorities shut down operations at international and domestic airports, stranding thousands of passengers. Eleven more people were killed by collapsing walls and rising floodwaters in the capital area, disaster officials said. Disaster officials declared a “state of calamity” for the capital region and 25 other areas on the main island of Luzon, in order to speed up rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. An advisory said operations would not resume until Sunday. The typhoon was moving west-northwest and was expected to head towards the South China Sea by Sunday evening or Monday morning, chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz told a local radio station. Businesses and commercial shops closed early and local hotels were packed by weary commuters. An average of about 20 typhoons strike the Southeast Asian nation every year. He said the typhoon brought the heaviest rainfall in the country since 1967 after its weather station collected 341 mm of rainfall in six hours on Saturday.

.
AFP – France’s top banks are demanding billions of dollars (euros) from the administrator of failed Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers, official documents issued on Friday showed.

BNP Paribas is claiming around 1.3 billion dollars, Societe Generale 800 million dollars and Dexia 400 million dollars, according to AFP’s calculations based on documents for the administrator published on the site Epiq Systems. The deadline for claims set by the US bankruptcy court was September 22, more than a year after the shock failure of Lehman Brothers. .

Like other creditors, we are engaged in a procedure to recover our debts, said a spokesman for Dexia who did not however confirm the amount sought.

Lehman’s collapse on September 15, 2008 sowed panic in boardrooms, government offices and households around the world and has come to symbolise the beginning of a steep slump that plunged the global economy into recession.

A spokesman for French insurer Axa, which is seeking 186 million dollars according to the documents issued Friday, said: We suffered a loss.

BNP Paribas – financial crisis – Lehman Brothers – Societe Generale
.

BNP Paribas and Societe Generale decline to comment on their own claims

.Russia has moved closer than ever to the United States’ position that Iran should face harsh sanctions unless it makes concessions about its nuclear program.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated he might be ready to take a tougher stance on Iran after a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
There are increasingly urgent efforts by the United States and other major powers to prod Iran into fully disclosing its nuclear program, so all eyes were on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly today.
“[We aim for the] eradication of arms race and elimination of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons,” he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad says his country is ready to shake all hands that “are honestly extended to us” and he says Iran is committed to building durable peace and security worldwide.
“If Iran does not respond to serious negotiations and resolve this issue in a way that assures the international community that it is meeting its commitments and is not developing nuclear weapons, then we will have to take additional actions,” Mr Obama said.
But momentum seems to be growing towards imposing new sanctions on Iran and the issue dominated today’s talks between Mr Medvedev and Mr Obama.
“Sanctions, serious additional sanctions, remain a possibility. .”
The White House says there is “no daylight” between Russia and the US when it comes to their objectives regarding Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
– Global pressure –
The increased pressure on Iran comes a week before international talks in Geneva about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Sanctions rarely lead to productive results but in some cases sanctions are inevitable,” Mr Medvedev said.
“Iran should come to the talks on October 1 ready to engage in serious and substantive discussions with a sense of urgency and a review of the practical steps that need to be taken on the nuclear issue,” Senator Clinton said.
In preparation for those talks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today met with her counterparts from Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany.
Mr Ahmadinejad has already hinted what he will request at those talks.
Mr Ahmadinejad has already hinted what he will request at those talks.
But French President Nicolas Sarkozy has a message for Iran’s leaders.
He says that will test whether the Obama administration is serious about engagement.
Mr Sarkozy has suggested that a December deadline be set for Iran to show progress in talks with world powers.
“If they rely on a passive response from the international community in order to pursue their military nuclear program, they will be making a tragic mistake,” he said.
“Let there be no ambiguity – Iran and North Korea must now know that the world will be even tougher on proliferation.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made it clear time is running out.
“Britain will insist in future that the onus on non-nuclear states is that in the years ahead it is for them to prove that they are not developing nuclear weapons. We are ready to consider further sanctions,” he said.”

.
French postal unions called on Monday for indefinite strike action at Paris post offices ahead of a nationwide protest against proposed reforms to the country’s state-owned postal service.

The strike action, affecting 185 branches of La Poste in Paris, is a reaction to cost-saving measures that have involved shedding 140 jobs in the last six months.

Why change its status if the aim is not to prepare for a change in its ownership structure? Olivier Besancenot, a postal worker and spokesman of the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA), told France Inter radio.

Bythem Postal reform in France, Face off aired on 22 September 2009
Unions are fearful that a government plan to change La Poste into a public-limited company may eventually lead to the company’s privatisation. There’s no question of a privatisation, the service will remain 100 percent public, no private funds will enter its capital, he told France Info radio.

French Labour Minister Xavier Darcos denied that any such plans were afoot. .

I perfectly understand the concern of La Poste employees, he added.

La Poste says it needs the government cash injection of 2.

The French government approved the proposals earlier this year, saying the change in status was necessary to prepare for the sector’s liberalisation in 2011 under EU rules. The government plans to inject the funds directly and via state-owned bank Caisse des Depots (CDC).7 billion euros to be in a competitive postion. In the first six months of 2009, profits fell 19% while revenues slipped 2%.

The French postal service is taking steps to streamline its operations and stem the decline in its profits.

France – strike

.

&raquo Hosni is opposed to the barbaric acts perpetrated by Israel, not to the Israeli people who want to live in peace with their neighbours – Ahmed Gamal el-Din Mohammed, communications worker, Cairo
REUTERS – A political storm with accusations of anti-Semitism and censorship stirred up UNESCO election of a new director-general on Thursday, centring on one of the top candidates&rsquo comment that he would burn Israeli books.

Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni bid for the United Nations culture agency top post has drawn fire from French intellectuals and Jewish organisations, who were joined by press freedom activists before the first round of voting on Thursday.

But at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, backers hailed Hosni as a man of peace who would improve ties with Muslim countries. He has never been controversial, he has always been considered a man of peace.

If we don&rsquot bring in the Muslim world, it will be understood as a signal against them, and that will be difficult for us, Sishir Das, a member of the Malaysian delegation, told Reuters in the UNESCO foyer.

Hosni this year apologised for the comment and some prominent activists such as French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld have accepted his regrets and supported him.

But asked last year about Israeli books in Egyptian libraries, Hosni was quoted as telling a member of parliament:
Let burn these books if there are any, I will burn them myself before you.

Other activists have since piled into the row, accusing Hosni of colluding in censorship and violation of press freedom in Egypt, and pressuring UNESCO members not to vote for him. It difficult to see someone like that as head of UNESCO.

Hosni is culture minister in a country that doesn&rsquot respect freedom of speech, Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary-general of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, told Reuters. UNESCO declined to comment on the case.

Egypt delegation at UNESCO said Hosni would not comment until after the vote.N.

The outcry creates a difficult situation for governments who like to use top U. posts in diplomatic horse-trading. posts in diplomatic horse-trading.

The United States is reportedly working behind the scenes to prevent Hosni from winning the vote, which starts on Thursday with a first round. Other European countries such as Germany have refrained from taking sides, but diplomatic sources said the controversy could nudge them towards voting for Austrian candidate Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

A painter who has served as culture minister for two decades, Hosni was long viewed as a front-runner. Further rounds could be held in coming days. .

In May, philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, film director Claude Lanzmann and Nobel Peace Price laureate Elie Wiesel published a column in newspaper Le Monde accusing him of anti-Semitism, citing the book-burning quote and others.

anti-Semitism – Egypt – elections – UNESCO
.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, but it has resisted warmer relations

.
French parliament members have adopted an amended version of a controversial anti-piracy bill by 285 votes to 225, following an acrimonious debate between supporters of intellectual property rights and advocates of free access to information.

The groundbreaking bill, known as Hadopi — after the French abbreviation for the High Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Rights on the Internet — allows French authorities to track illegal Internet downloading and suspend services forrepeated offenders.

An earlier version of Hadopi was approved by the French Senate in May after the lower house of parliament approved the bill with 296 votes. A third infringement could result in Hadopi ordering Internet Service Providers (ISP) to suspend Internet access for up to a year, without a trial.

&lsquoThree strikes&rsquo and Internet service is out

Dubbed the three strikes law, the original version handed a specially created administrative body &ndash or Hadopi &ndash the power to issue two warnings to Internet users who illegally download music, videos or software. .

The law was strongly criticised by online civil rights activists and French opposition politicians as well as some members of the ruling UMP party.

Introducing an updated version

But questions over its implementation sparked an heated debate over whether the law constituted a sensible restitution of intellectual property to its rightful owners or an intrusive invasion of privacy rights and denial of access to information.

The new version, known as Hadopi 2, allows for double offenders to be tried in a French court before their Internet service is suspended.

In June, the country’s highest legal authority, the Constitutional Council, ruled that the law was unconstitutional since it allowed the suspension of Internet access without trial and ran contrary to the presumption of innocence provided under French law.

France – Internet – law – music – music industry – piracy – software – video
.
Hadopi 2 will now move to the upper house, or Senate, for its approval before its gets signed into law