Wikileaks protests in Spain over Julian Assange arrest
Wikileaks protests in Spain over Julian Assange arrest
The crowd outside the British embassy in Madrid wore Guy Fawkes masks as they called for his releaseProtests have taken place across Spain calling for the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing extradition from the UK to Sweden for alleged sexual offences.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the British embassy in Madrid calling for him to be freed.
Wikileaks is publishing insights from hundreds of thousands of sensitive US diplomatic and military documents.
The demonstrators believe Mr Assange’s detention is politically motivated.
The whistle-blowing website has angered and embarrassed governments around the world through its publication in recent weeks of classified US diplomatic cables.
Mr Assange was detained in the UK after Sweden secured an international warrant for his arrest.
Prosecutors in Sweden say they want to question him in connection with the sexual offence allegations.
There have also been calls from some in the US for his arrest and prosecution on charges related directly to Wikileaks’ activity.
Sensitive issueWhile supporters online have mounted cyber-protests against Mr Assange’s detention, Saturday’s protests were some of the first street demonstrations in support of Wikileaks.
Wearing face masks associated with the “Anonymous” group of hackers – which launched cyber attacks after Mr Assange’s arrest in the UK – the crowd in Madrid shouted for his freedom, outside the vast glass tower that houses the British embassy
Many of the demonstrators were angry at some of the revelations in the cables, says the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Madrid.
These include the suggestion Spain came under pressure to stop a criminal investigation into the killing of Jose Couso, a Spanish cameraman who died when American soldiers fired a tank round into his hotel in Baghdad.
The Free Wikileaks website, which organised the demonstrations, said protests were also planned for other Spanish cities, including Barcelona, Valencia and Seville.
It called for the restoration of Wikileaks’ internet domain, which was cut off by Amazon after it began publishing the diplomatic cables two weeks ago.
And it demanded that Visa and MasterCard restore credit card services because, it said, no one had proven Mr Assange’s guilt.
Our correspondent says the issue of freedom of speech is sensitive for Spaniards, who only emerged from four decades of authoritarian rule in the 1970s.
F.B.I., Challenging Use of Seal, Gets Back a Primer on the Law
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken on everyone from Al Capone to John Dillinger to the Unabomber. Its latest adversary:Wikipedia.
The bureau wrote a letter in July to the Wikimedia Foundation, the parent organization of Wikipedia, demanding that it take down an image of the F.B.I. seal accompanying an article on the bureau, and threatened litigation: “Failure to comply may result in further legal action. We appreciate your timely attention to this matter.”
The problem, those at Wikipedia say, is that the law cited in the F.B.I.’s letter is largely about keeping people from flashing fake badges or profiting from the use of the seal, and not about posting images on noncommercial Web sites. Many sites, including the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica, display the seal
Other organizations might simply back down. But Wikipedia sent back a politely feisty response, stating that the bureau’s lawyers had misquoted the law. “While we appreciate your desire to revise the statute to reflect your expansive vision of it, the fact is that we must work with the actual language of the statute, not the aspirational version” that the F.B.I. had provided.
Michael Godwin, the general counsel of the Wikimedia Foundation, wrote, “we are prepared to argue our view in court.” He signed off, “with all appropriate respect.”
An F.B.I. spokesman, William Carter, said that such letters go out “from time to time” from the office of general counsel.
“You can’t use the F.B.I. seal, by law, unless you have the permission of the F.B.I. director,” he said.
Cindy Cohn, the legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the dust-up both “silly” and “troubling”; Wikipedia has a First Amendment right to display the seal, she said.
Cindy Cohn, the legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the dust-up both “silly” and “troubling”; Wikipedia has a First Amendment right to display the seal, she said.
British scientists crack riddle and say chicken came before the egg – reposted by andre di cioccio
BRITISH scientists believe they have cracked the answer to the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Researchers have found that a protein called ovocleidin (OC-17) is crucial in the formulation of eggshells, and it is produced in the pregnant hen’s ovaries, the Daily Express reports.
Therefore, the answer to the conundrum must be that the chicken came first.
Using a high-tech computer to look at the molecular structure of a shell, the team of scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick found that OC-17 acts as a catalyst, kick-starting the conversion of calcium carbonate in the chicken’s body into calcite crystals.
They make up the hard shell that houses the yolk and its protective fluids while the chick develops.
“It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first,” said Dr Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University.
“The protein had been identified before and it was linked to egg formation but by examining it closely we have been able to see how it controls the process.”
But the researchers have not yet managed to answer how the protein-producing chicken existed in the first place.
First look: Megan Fox’s wedding photos!
You can bag out Megan Fox all you like – but there’s no denying she makes a beautiful bride.
The one-time Transformers star and tabloid blabbermouth wed long-time beau Brian Austin Green in a secret ceremony recently, and US show Entertainment Tonight exclusively aired their wedding photos just hours ago.
Police find gun in dead mother’s car
Police have found a gun in the wreckage of a vehicle driven by a Queensland mother suspected of killing her baby son and wounding her former husband.
The woman, 22, died in hospital after the utility truck crashed into a tree, soon after her eight-month-old baby and a man were shot at a house at Gracemere, near Rockhampton, on Tuesday night.
The woman died of massive head injuries.
Rockhampton police inspector John Wacker said a small handgun had been found in the ute the woman was driving.
“A firearm was located at the crash scene,” Insp Wacker told reporters on Wednesday.
Police have spoken to the injured man, 36, in hospital.
A family friend has told AAP the man is the father of the dead child.
He was in a stable condition after undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said.
Cash rate break a good decision during lull – reposted by andre di cioccio
With consumer and business spending, building approvals, housing finance and retail sales showing lacklustre results, Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice, believes the Reserve Bank has made an accurate decision in keeping the cash rate at 4.5%.
Existing and potential property owners will be elated to hear the cash rate is on hold for a second month, as they reassess their budget for the new financial year. It means lenders will be much less likely to move mortgage interest rates up as winter takes hold.
Mortgage Choice said, “A ‘wait and see’ approach from the RBA is what borrowers need at the moment. Interest rates stood at an emergency setting over much of 2009, but they rose very quickly from then on and caught many people unaware.”
“We have not yet seen the full effect of the six official rate rises from October to May, or the effect of further mortgage rate increases by a number of lenders.
“Although employment is solid, our resource sector is strong and many property markets are moving at a healthy pace, consumer spending is subdued and sentiment has dropped, just as housing finance demand has over several consecutive months now. We’re also seeing a slowing of housing prices and global economic uncertainty continuing.
“Slowed housing finance demand and prices is a good thing, however, for those looking to enter the market. Less competition means some local areas may become a buyers’ market. Anyone with a healthy deposit or equity, a steady income, few debts, a good credit record and solid employment, may find they are well placed to build upon their financial portfolio now by buying property.
“Greater credit should also be given to Australian mortgage holders, the majority of whom are coping well with ten-year average standard variable interest rates.
“Clever borrowers used the relief of decades-low rates over late 2008 and most of 2009 to get ahead with their repayments and prepare for changes to rates and their financial situation. Many continue to do so. Our 2010 Recent First Homeowners Survey found 64% of respondents were making extra repayments, with the majority contributing as much as possible. This not only helps a borrower create a financial buffer, it shaves time off their loan term and off the overall interest owed.
“Still, we hope the RBA keeps the cash rate on hold for at least another quarter or until we see an upturn in consumer and business sentiment, spending and confidence. Another tap on the brakes may have a heavier effect than expected.”
No cuts on the RBA’s radar – reposted by Andre Di Cioccio
The RBA statement was a breath of fresh air. Ultimately and relative to current market pricing (57% priced for a cut) the RBA statement is hawkish. There is no denying that. In reality though, they don’t seem to have changed their view much. I love them for that. I was actually concerned they may capitulate in the face of extreme bearish pressure – but no. “The global economy has continued to expand over recent months, consistent with a trend pace of growth. The expansion remains uneven with the major advanced economies recording only modest growth overall, but growth in Asia and Latin America, to date, very strong.”
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