Dale Farm eviction in limbo

Some local residents living close to the Dale Farm travellers' encampment believe the eviction may be constantly interrupted by court orders and legal attempts, and that the site clearance may not even take place this year.

The pessimism amongst the Cray's Hill residents, some of whom back onto the illegal site, comes after a last minute appeal to the High Court in London resulted in a judge halting the operation to clear the site at the eleventh hour.

On Monday 19th September this week it looked as though bailiffs would finally move in. In the days leading up to the proposed eviction, a huge compound had been built with fences erected, cranes moved in and portaloos set up. As the sun rose over the site hundreds of press descended on the entrance to the site, outnumbering travellers, protesters and bailiffs.

But it soon became clear that any move against the illegal site would not be swift and that many contingency plans had not been finalised. Basildon council's plans for the media were confused. They had told the press to park at a nearby golf club but the security at the site claimed they were unaware of any arrangements. It resulted in hundreds of vehicles being parked along the narrow roads leading up to the site. Even if the site clearance had begun, it would have been difficult to remove caravans due to the lanes blocked with cars, vans and satellite trucks parked up.

The first excitement was when veteran broadcaster Gloria Hunniford arrived at the site. Reporting for ITV's This Morning there was a flurry of excitement as photographers surrounded her as she walked towards the main barricade along with two burly security guards.

She joined dozens of other reporters at the front line where a representative of the travellers announced that a woman had attached herself to the barricade with a bicycle lock and that there was a danger of death should force be used to remove the obstruction to the illegal part of the site.

There then followed a long period of calm. Photographers wandered around with little to do other than to take pictures of the Essex police helicopter which circled above periodically. Some of the travellers engaged the reporters. There was little hostility, though two travellers were walking around and asking if anyone was from the Echo, a local newspaper. "Are you from the Echo?" they asked, explaining that Echo reporters were not welcome because of "all the lies they've printed". "We'll beat the s*** out of them if they come down here," one traveller said.

The long wait went on. Bored reporters played Angry Birds on their mobile phones. Some began to cook breakfast on portable stoves. Meanwhile broadcasters were doing live reports, though there was in fact very little to report. At midday a press conference was held within the compound set up by the bailiffs. Councillor Tony Ball, standing alongside local MP John Baron, insisted the site clearance would begin on Monday, but did not give a time scale.

Then came the first bit of action of the day as a group of bailiffs wearing blue tabards and yellow hardhats made their way towards the barricade at around 15:00.

Stopping just short of the entrance the bailiff used a megaphone to convey a message to the travellers. Surrounded by a throng of reporters and photographers, and heckled by protesters, many will not have heard his ultimatum.

"I have some major health and safety concerns that I wish to discuss with you," he thundered through the megaphone. "That you have deliberately blocked and are, by your actions, obstructing the emergent access road."

"In addition to that, I am concerned that the structure you have erected has the potential to put people's lives in danger, I am concerned for your well-being and the well-being of BBC's (the Basildon Borough Council not the broadcaster) agents who have been tasked to restore this land. In the interests of health and safety is there anything that I can say or do that will persuade you to remove yourselves in an orderly manner?" And with that, they turned and made their way back to the bailiff compound.

This was certainly not the ''surrender or die'' ultimatum that some might have expected. And with such a weak call to disperse, it seemed unlikely that any of those holed up behind the barricade were going to heed his call and disperse.

In Shakespeare's Henry V, he called on the French to surrender or "defy us to our worst." In the dramatic scene from scene III the king says, "How yet resolves the governor of the town? This is the latest parle we will admit; Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves; or like to men proud of destruction defy us to our worst: for, as I am a soldier, a name that in my thoughts becomes me best, If I begin the battery once again, I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur, 'till in her ashes she lie buried. The gates of mercy shall be all shut up, and the flesh'd soldier, rough and hard of heart, in liberty of bloody hand shall range with conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass, your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants. What is it then to me, if impious war, array'd in flames like to the prince of fiends, do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats enlink'd to waste and desolation? What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, if your pure maidens fall into the hand of hot and forcing violation? What rein can hold licentious wickedness when down the hill he holds his fierce career? We may as bootless spend our vain command upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil as send precepts to the leviathan to come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur, take pity of your town and of your people, whiles yet my soldiers are in my command; Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace o'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds of heady murder, spoil and villany. If not, why, in a moment look to see the blind and bloody soldier with foul hand defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters; Your fathers taken by the silver beards, and their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls, your naked infants spitted upon pikes, while the mad mothers with their howls confused do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry at Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen. What say you? Will you yield, and this avoid, Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy'd?"

While such an ultimatum might have been a little strong to convey to the travellers at Dale Farm, one cannot imagine Henry V calling on the French in Harfleur to leave because of health and safety issues.

But this is 2011, and not the 15th century. Today issues of health and safety have to be recognised. And all legal options have to be exhausted. And then came the word that there would be no breach on the gates of Dale Farm after a last minute reprieve cam through from the High Court.

The news was greeted with triumphant jubilation on the travellers' side, but it was a humiliating setback for Basildon Council who have fought legal battles over 10 years to get to this point.

Councillor Tony Ball said he was  "extremely disappointed and frustrated" at the decision, but said that the council would appeal the decision. The earliest date would be Friday, and any likely decision might not be issued until the early afternoon.

Justice Edwards-Stuart had granted the injunction at London's High Court on the basis there was a realistic apprehension that the measures to be taken, while genuinely believed in by the council, "may go further" than the terms of the enforcement notices [BBC].

One stipulation made to Basildon Council was that detailed eviction notices relating to each of the 51 illegally occupied plots should be handed out to the travellers [BBC]. That has now been complied with and Basildon Council say that if it succeeds in overturning the injunction on Friday, action could recommence within hours. "I am absolutely sure when they hear our side the judge will rule in our favour," Tony Ball said on Monday.

It remains to be seen whether the court will overturn its decision and if any further legal bids may stop the clearance of Dale Farm. Meanwhile those that have already called it a day and left the site have set up camp around 100 km away in Stockwood Park in Luton [Daily Mail / Telegraph / The Sun]  

For Basildon Council, and now Luton Council, it is no so much "once more unto the breach", but once more to the court.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Temperatures rise at Dale Farm

Temperatures are rising as D-Day, or Dale Farm day as it has been dubbed, approaches. Basildon Council have already set up a control base and a media centre for the hundreds of press expected to attend on Monday when the eviction of the travellers is due to take place [BBC].

Bailiffs are set to clear some 80 illegal plots on the Dale Farm site in Essex, England. The eviction comes after 10 years of legal fights and protests. But the eviction seems likely to go ahead despite last minute appeals. Yesterday Professor Yves Cabannes, a former advisor to the united Nations on forced evictions arrived at the site and condemned the impending expulsion of men, women and children from the site [BBC]. 

He was billed as a representative from the UN, however the organisation distanced themselves from the professor. Sky's Tim Marshall clarified their position by calling them and tweeted "they say the Advisory Group opposing the eviction of travellers from Dale Farm in UK do NOT represent the UN." The UN's human settlements programme, UN-Habitat, later issued a statement saying, "The press conference held at Dale Farm is an initiative of individuals of the Advisory Group on Forced Evictions. UN-Habitat is not involved in that event." [PA]

Several travellers say they are prepared to die rather than leave the site, but others decided enough was enough. Late yesterday afternoon a large mobile home left the site, towed by a Land Rover Defender. 

So far there has been little violence seen, only loud voices of protest. However some children were throwing stones at the bailiffs who were setting up in a nearby field. There was also a sense of nervousness when one child began throwing red paint. Some cars belonging to members of the press were splashed, though it turned out to be only water based poster paint. Nonetheless it has raised concerns amongst some who believe the site could become a war zone on Monday.

Coverage in British newspapers has been extensive and national broadcasters such as Sky and the BBC have also aired reports. Monday will likely see more widespread coverage with news broadcasters expected from around the world. Channel Four in Britain is also scheduling a special programme to be air on Monday evening [Dispatches].

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Memories fade ten years after 9/11

For the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York the victims and relatives finally had a place to mourn and grieve following the completion of the memorial at Ground Zero. There is a waterfall where one of the twin towers stood and there are some bronze plaques each naming one of those who died.

It is not only New York who has waited so long for a permanent memorial. Relatives and friends of Britain's 67 fatalities have also waited some ten years before finally being given a memorial. One week before the tenth anniversary a sculpture dedicated to those killed during the 9/11 attacks was unveiled in Battersea Park, south London.

The 8.5 metre tall memorial has been created from three sections of the World Trade Center buildings, which were destroyed when two airliners ploughed into them on 11th September 2001. American artist Miya Ando's scupture is only temporary however since authorities are still looking for a "more suitable" location [BBC / The Sun / Daily Mail].

Miya Ando said she wanted to "give light back into the community" with her work. "'I thought it was a poetic way to express transformation," she said. "Not only are we having the piece stand upright in a gesture of resilience, but to create something serene and light."

Other memorial are less inspiring however. In Grosvenor Square in London which fronts the US Embassy a permanent memorial was unveiled in time for the 3.rd anniversary. It consists of a wooden temple-like structure which stand before a stone plaque embedded into the ground. Although it was one of the first memorials to be built it has been somewhat likened to a garden shed [Telegraph].

The plaque under which a piece of the World Trade Center is buried is more fitting. It is inscribed with part of Henry Van Dyke's poem which was read during a memorial service at Westminster Abbey in 2001. The inscription reads: "Time is too slow for those who wait. Too swift for those who fear. Too long long for those who grieve. Too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love time is not."

In towns and cities across Britain and America there are also plaques and memorials placed in honour of those who died on September 11th, 2001. A plaque in front of Romford town hall in east London remembers some 176 members of Aon, a Chicago based firm, who lost their lives. While most of the Aon staff were Americans a few were British. Amongst them was Michael Egan, 51, the Hull-born vice president of multinational insurance company AON, who is believed to have died as he helped colleagues escape from the south tower. He and his many colleagues are remembered with the words, "Forever In Our Hearts".

This and many plaques like it were unveiled within a year of the attacks. However some friends and relatives of victims of 9/11 are still waiting. Bureaucracy and red-tape has been a major stumbling block despite support from local government officials and residents. In Billericay in Essex friends and family of Michele Beale, 37, a director with London-based Risk Waters, was attending a conference at the World Trade Centre in New York on the day of the attacks. Ten years on her husband Stuart and their two children Joe and Lizzie are still waiting for permission to have a plaque placed in the town.

While only a single bunch of lilies were placed at the war memorial in Billericay town centre on Sunday in central London and at the sites of the terror attacks in the United States, hundreds gathered to pay tribute to those who died.

Television news stations carried hours of special programming throughout the day. Sky, BBC, CNN, France 24, Euronews and CCTV all relayed the memorial events live. Other broadcasters dipped in and out of the commemorations and showed documentaries marking the events of 10 years ago. Amongst the reports shown was one on Russia Today which suggest that some 90% of Afghans had little knowledge of the terror attacks with many even failing to recognise iconic photographs of the blazing twin towers.

Yesterday Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said those responsible were "sick and deluded" and called for young people to be taught the history of the events that took place a decade ago. While the events may be clear in some people's minds there are others with little understanding of the attacks. Conspiracy theories still circulate too, something which Johnson also criticised saying he wanted a "controlled demolition" of wacky alternative explanations for the disaster.

The events of 9/11 have been accused by some as an excuse for implementing draconian laws and implementing a terror state. Broadcaster Alex Jones has been at the forefront of such theories, not only dismissing official explanations concerning the events of that day, but also saying that such atrocities are being used as an ecuse to further exercise control on what he terms a gullible public.

Whatever the truth behind the attacks, the victims and those they left behind should not be forgotten. Those who perpetrated the attacks should be condemned, but so too should those that who have dragged their heels and blocked the way to erecting monuments and plaques in a timely manner. The shame of 9/11 is that too many people have forgotten.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

China burning its bridges with Libya

China appears to be burning more bridges as it plays a very undiplomatic game with the fledgling government that is beginning to form through the National Transitional Council in Libya. On Saturday, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of Libya's NTC, accused China of blocking the unfreezing of assets. It was an apparent U-turn by Beijing who only two days before had agreed to the release of an initial $15 billion. The interim government desperately needs funds to begin the rebuilding of a nation that has seen significant destruction over the last 6 months, but Beijing seems to be standing in the way of allowing more money to flow. NTC spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah, referring to the Chinese, said "I'm sure they are going to use their veto card to make sure that their interests here in Libya are secure." [Reuters]

It was not immediately clear what the precise complaint China has with allowing more of the some $170 billion of frozen assets to be released. China has not joined Western powers in formally recognising the NTC as the legitimate authority in Libya, though it has acknowledged its "important role" in the country following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

China's stance could be a belligerent and spiteful reaction to statements made recently by an official at Libyan oil company AGOCO, allied with the rebels, who told news agencies they "may have some political issues" in future dealings with China and Russia as they prepared for a return to production [tvnewswatch].

The reasoning behind his statement was due to the fact both Russia and China had failed to support the rebellion and abstained in voting for Resolution 1973 which paved the way for NATO airstrikes and a no-fly zone.

While Russia has maintained has attempted to build bridges with the NTC and the interim government, China seems to be stoking the fires. When nations from around the world met last week to discuss Libya's future Russia said it now recognized the fledgling rebel government despite its opposition to the NATO bombing campaign.

It was the first major show of support from Russia who had earlier shown some reticence. Speaking in Moscow before the meeting Russia's president, Dmitri A. Medvedev had said Russia would withhold official recognition until it appeared the rebels could unite Libya under their leadership. But on Thursday the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Our country established and has maintained diplomatic relations with Libya since September 4th, 1955, and has never broken them regardless of what kind of government was in power in Tripoli." [NYT]

China's position was far more vague. Speaking on Thursday last week Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said,"China attaches great importance to the important position and role of the National Transitional Council in resolving the Libya issue." But he stopped short of recognizing the NTC as the legitimate government, only that it would seek to naintain contact and improve relations. "China is ready to maintain close contact with it (the NTC) and steadily advance China-Libya relations," Ma said [Xinhua]. 

By Monday the position had changed little with China insisting it needed to see whether conditions were "ripe" before considering recognition of the National Transitional Council. "When water flows, a channel is formed," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said of China's position as regards the recognition of the NTC. "We place importance on the position and role of the NTC and are ready to maintain close communication with it in order to steadily advance relations between the two sides," she added, insisting that communication between China and the NTC was "smooth and running." [Xinhua] 

But China may have difficulties with any future government in Libya. China has lost friends over its failing to back NATO action, though it is common for China to abstain in such decisions at the UN. Its vetoing the release of funds will not improve matters. Further revelations over China's support for former dictator Muammar Gaddafi will further incense feelings in Libya.

Toronto's Globe and Mail revealed on Saturday that as recently as July Chinese state companies had offered "huge stockpiles" of sophisticated weapons worth at least $200 million to Colonel Gaddafi's representatives.

China immediately dismissed the accusations. "We have clarified with the relevant agencies that in July the Gaddafi government sent personnel to China without the knowledge of the Chinese government and they engaged in contact with a handful of people from the companies concerned," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Monday. She also insisted that no sales took place [Chinese - fmprc].

But according to the new Libyan government the sales of arms went through. "I'm almost certain that these guns arrived and were used against our people," said Omar Hariri, head of the NTC's military committee. The transitional council also claims it has "hard evidence" such as the  weapons themselves, retrieved from the field, as well as documents of Beijing's sales, this according to the New York Times.

The documents, in Arabic, including a memo from Libyan security officials detailing a shopping trip to Beijing on July 16th, appear to show that state-controlled Chinese arms companies offered to sell $200 million worth of rocket launchers, antitank missiles, portable surface-to-air missiles designed to bring down aircraft, and other weapons and munitions.

Over the weekend, NTC spokesman Abdulrahman Busin said the council would seek accountability for the sales. And there is a lot to be accountable for since the transactions would violate Security Council Resolution 1970, which China actually voted for in February.

Writing for World Affairs Journal, author Gordon Chang suggests that China might be under the illusion that it can trade its vote on blocked funds to ensure that the new Libyan government protects Chinese interests. "If so, the tactic looks unpromising, but even if Beijing gets what it wants in the short term, any victory will come at high cost," Chang writes. "A half decade ago, Western analysts marveled at China's deft diplomacy. Even if they were right then, Beijing officials have since lost their playbook. China is digging itself in deeper with brutish tactics in Libya, just another symptom of its new brazen and belligerent foreign policy."

In an attempt to limit the damage done by the accusation China says it will tighten arms procedures. Speaking at the Foreign Ministry's daily news briefing, Jiang Yu said the government would "further strengthen management over military exports." [NYT / LA Times]

She repeatedly emphasised that no sales took place. "Chinese companies have not provided military equipment to Libya, directly or indirectly," Jiang said on Monday. But according to documents found, sales may have been conducted through a third party. According to the Globe and Mail one memo says the Chinese companies were eager to sell whatever they had ready and to make new weapons, and even suggested a ruse to circumvent sanctions by having Libya purchase through a third country. "The companies suggest that they make the contracts with either Algeria or South Africa, because those countries previously worked with China," the Globe and Mail reported.

While some members of the transitional leadership have expressed misgivings about starting diplomatic spats so early in the process of setting up a new government. There are suggestions they may continue doing business with Chinese companies in future, no matter how unsavoury Beijing's ties were with the former regime. Other members of the NTC appear less certain, suggesting that China's reluctance to endorse the NATO intervention, and the fresh revelations of secret dealings with the Gaddafi regime, could sour relations between the two countries. Speaking on Al-Jazeera, Ali Tarhouni, the interim finance minister,  said, "If indeed the Chinese government agreed to sell arms to Gadhafi only a month ago, definitely it will affect our relationship with China." [Globe and Mail]

Before the revolt in Libya began in February, China sold arms to the Gaddafi government and was a major customer for Libyan oil, buying about 3% of its annual requirements from Libya. China has not always had a comfortable relationship with the Gaddafi regime however. In recent years, the Libyan regime clashed with the Chinese on everything from the rising power's inroads into Africa to Col. Gaddafi's economic and political ties with Taiwan. However, China's need for oil helped sweeten ties between the two countries since 2008 [WSJ].

Of course, China is not the only country which has had a close relationship with the Gaddafi regime. Some western nations including Britain built stronger ties with the former dictator. This week brought accusations that Britain may have been complicit in torture with one rebel leader Abdel Hakim Belhaj claiming MI6 aided his rendition in 2004, and that he was subsequently tortured [BBC].

No nation has been squeaky clean as regards dealing with Gaddafi in the past few years, but China has much to lose in terms of securing much needed oil resources.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Google closes yet more products

Google has been one of the biggest innovators on the World Wide Web. It was the first company to bring a search engine that actually worked, brought about despite being dismissed by other companies in its early days. But from a search engine Google has constantly reinvented itself and brought new tools for millions of Internet users. While Google's search engine has survived the test of time, other projects have not fared so well. This autumn Google has decided to have a clear out and shut down several underused and antiquated services. Although some will not be missed there will be some cries of dismay as Google streamlines its online offerings.

Google has said it is to drop Aardvark, Google Desktop, Fast Flip, Google Maps API for Flash, Google Pack, Google Web Security, Image Labeler, Google Notebook, Sidewiki, and Subscribed Links which will all be shut down over the next few months.

They are the latest services to be dropped by the search engine giant which has already announced the closing down of other online applications. A year after launch Google Wave, billed at the time as the next step for email, was unceremoniously dropped from Google's portfolio. When Wave began it was available only to developers, then by invite only. But within months of it being available to everyone with a Gmail account Google announced it was to stop any further development. At present it is still accessible, though it is unclear for how much longer.

Google Health is another service being retired, though a date has been already been set for January 2012. Launched as a way for Google account holders to store health records and share them with health professionals, the service was launched in 2008. However Google has decided uptake was not significant enough to keep it going. "We've observed that Google Health is not having the broad impact that we hoped it would," Google said in a blogpost which also gave notice to PowerMeter which had been intended as a way of monitoring energy consumption from anywhere online. There some alternatives available to both PowerMeter and Google Health but it would mean setting up accounts with other enterprises.

With the demise of yet more Google services some users might be concerned over how safe their cloud data is. Google has facilitated the downloading and easy transfer to other services of user data, but it can be time consuming for those who have built up a large amount of information or files. When Google recently shut up shop on Google Video they initially offered only the facility of downloading videos stored on the service. However a backlash resulted in Google offering a simple way of transferring the content to the Google owned YouTube.

The latest selection of services to be resign to the bin will perhaps have less impact, but some will be missed. Google often blames poor user response as one of the reasons why it closes products, but the company itself could be blamed for failing to advertise the services. How many regular Internet users will have heard of Aardvark for example? The  social search service connects users live with friends or friends-of-friends who are able to answer their questions, also known as a knowledge market. Users would submit questions via the Aardvark website, email or instant messenger and Aardvark identifies and facilitates a live chat or email conversation with one or more topic experts in the asker's extended social network. While its usefulness might have been diminished by people's opting for general Google searches and Yahoo Answers the lack of publicity has obviously had an effect in the lack of take-up.

Fast Flip, launched in 2009, allowed users to flick through web content in a manner similar to a magazine. At launch, there were 39 mainly US-based news partners with Google sharing the majority of revenue from contextual adverts with its news partners. During its short life Fast Flip was praised for allowing visual, fast and serendipitous browsing of news stories, but it was also equally criticized as being a novelty, and anachronistic, as it emulated print media, had limited navigation and presented few news sources. The site is already inaccessible.

Google Maps API for Flash, Image Labeler, Google Notebook, Sidewiki, and Subscribed Links may not be missed but Google Pack and Google Desktop may be the subject of derision amongst some. As regards Google Pack many of the products contained within the package can be downloaded separately, however it did offer users a simple way of obtaining some must have applications in one easy download. Although there have been concerns over security and privacy Google Desktop provides an easy way allow text searches of a user's e-mails, computer files, music, photos, chats, Web pages viewed, and other "Google Gadgets". The executable file is still available though not for much longer.

This year also saw the end of Google's property search within its Maps, again citing lack of use. However its closure and that of other applications seems to be more about saving money or increasing profits. Of course Google claims they still want to improve search for the billions of its users and rarely mention profit. In a blogpost the company says they will continue to "devote more resources to high impact products—the ones that improve the lives of billions of people." As it does so it takes some tools away which affect many millions of others [ZDNet].

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Beijing - a tale of two cities

Despite being under close scrutiny from authorities, artist Ai Weiwei, arrested earlier this year for alleged economic crimes, has begun to speak out once again. In his latest comments carried in Newsweek he describes Beijing as a city of violence.

It's not violent in the obvious sense. Street fights and pub brawls are extremely uncommon in Beijing. Although there are incidents of knife attacks and murders they are rare and certainly not on a scale seen in cities such as London or New York.

The violence Ai Weiwei talks about is of an uncaring brutal state which treats its poor as second class citizens. "Every year millions come to Beijing to build its bridges, roads, and houses. Each year they build a Beijing equal to the size of the city in 1949. They are Beijing's slaves. They squat in illegal structures, which Beijing destroys as it keeps expanding."

The migrant workers are everywhere, though few tourists may notice them. Even the poorest Beijingers and of course the beggars have been 'encouraged' to vacate areas frequented by tourists.

Tourists will arrive at a glitzy modern airport and be greeted by a fleet of shiny taxis which whisk them to their modern hotel down a fast and relatively efficient highway for the price of a couple of pints of beer in many London pubs. From the hotel room the casual visitor will see a shiny modern city, but beneath the neon lights and glittering modern architecture is a darker secret.

Ai Weiwei talks of officials who are happy to do business with foreigners while ignoring the rights of their own countrymen. Only the very rich can afford to buy in Beijing. The closer to the centre of town the more expensive it becomes and even on the outskirts the prospect of buying a home is a distant dream for many individuals, Ai says.

The strongest criticism is about human rights. "They deny us basic rights," Ai says. "You will see migrants' schools closed. You will see hospitals where they give patients stitches—and when they find the patients don't have any money, they pull the stitches out."

Such stories are indeed common, but in some respects Beijing is no different from any other city in the world. China has its army of so-called migrant workers which come to build the new modern skyscrapers. Few workers benefit other than to feed and clothe themselves, and it is unlikely any would ever afford to stay in the hotels they construct or go to drink at the bars they refurbish. But although the scale of money may be different, such disparities exist the world over. How many of those who built the 828 metre tall Burj Khalifa building in Dubai will ever visit its lavish restaurants or bars or stay in its first class hotels? How many workers at Rolls Royce ever get the chance to drive or own such a car? In all societies, economics drives a tiered hierarchy whereby workers are ultimately exploited. In the distant past workers might be unpaid and would literally be slaves. In more modern times such people are paid, but only to a level where the bosses can maintain a profit.

Ai's criticism of Beijing medical services are stark, and indeed shocking. But even in some modern democracies the poorer elements of society fair badly when it comes to health care. In the US those without health insurance often fail to receive to obtain much needed medical services. Even in Britain which has a well established free health service there are problems. Those who do not opt for private health care may often have to wait weeks or even months for vital operations. In Beijing's Puren Hospital one will be met with long queues as patients attempt to secure an appointment with a doctor. While a consultation might be free, any prescribed treatment or medicine is not. Those with money can see doctors set aside for foreigners, all of course at a fee. For foreigners such visits are relatively cheap. A consultation and ultrasound scan might cost as little as 300 RMB, about £30, and is easily obtained. But such fees are too expensive for many Chinese.

Like so many things, the criticisms that could be applied to Beijing and other places in China are relative. Beijing has been criticised over the way it has restricted car sales and even when one can drive on the road, dependent upon the licence plate number. However many cities around the world are applying greater restrictions on motorists. In London a new Low Emission Zone comes into force in January which will force owners of older diesel vehicles off the road. A so-called congestion charge, which many see as just a further tax on motorists, has been in place for many years.

Ai Weiwei says he has "no favourite place in Beijing" and "no intention of going anywhere in the city." He describes places as being simple. "You don't want to look at a person walking past because you know exactly what's on his mind. No curiosity. And no one will even argue with you."

Argue! Indeed most Chinese do seem to be passive, and it is difficult to initiate a conversation about politics or contentious issues. However, the very opposite is true in other countries, and a discussion may well lead to argument and even hostile confrontation.

There are a few things the artist does not raise, that of the air pollution and the risk of food products being adulterated with dangerous chemicals. Nor does he raise the issue over extreme censorship which invades all forms of life from TV, radio and newspapers to the Internet and even advertising.

In Beijing as in many cities, taxi drivers often provide a temperature gauge to the mood of a country. A few years back a taxi driver made the astute observation that even the rich officials and politicians could not buy themselves cleaner air.

Recently leaders were lauding the 90th anniversary of the forming of the Chinese Communist Party. Again taxi drivers appeared openly vocal in their criticism of the party. This week the Economist suggested Beijing was one of the most livable cities in the world. "The most livable city for millionaires," said Jin Hong, a Beijing taxi driver told a Financial Times reporter. [FT / CNN / Global Times]

Actually Beijing came in at being the 72nd most livable city in the world. At the top of the list were cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in Australia as well as several cities in Canada. Among other well-known cities, Hong Kong was ranked 31st. San Francisco and Singapore came in joint 51st, while London and New York were ranked 53rd and 56th respectively. Living in any city has its benefits and pitfalls. If you have money Beijing is a great place to be, though the stifling summer heat and pollution is a drawback. Hong Kong is also a vibrant place, though one's bank balance needs to be significant. London too offers much, although it's not as safe as one would like.

Ai Weiwei and the taxi driver are correct in one aspect. If you are poor then Beijing may well be uncomfortable. But the same would be true of any city.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

China, Russia may lose out in new Libya

China and Russia may lose out on oil contracts as a new Libya rises from the destruction of the Gaddafi regime. This week an official at Libyan oil company AGOCO, allied with the rebels, told news agencies they "may have some political issues" in future dealings with China and Russia as they prepare for a return to production.

The reasoning behind his statement was due to the fact both Russia and China had failed to support the rebellion and abstained in voting for Resolution 1973 which paved the way for NATO airstrikes and a no-fly zone.

Gaddafi's fall will reopen the doors to Africa's largest oil reserves and give new players such as Qatar's national oil company and trading house Vitol the chance to compete with established European and US oil majors. But if the rebels side with those that helped them overthrow Colonel Gaddafi several major players are likely to lose out in benefiting from Libya's rich resouces.

Russian commentator Alexander Nekrassov talking to Al-Jazeera conceded Russia and China was likely to lose out on new oil contracts. But he said he did not believe it was a mistake to abstain from giving support to the rebel cause. "You cannot humiliate small countries just because you feel like it," he said, and went on to say that anti-Western sentiment may grow because of Western interference around the world. He also criticised the hypocrisy of the US and West for ignoring other dictatorships such as Saudi Arabia.

Nekrassov pointed out that China and Russia were not the only nations to abstain from supporting the rebels. India, Brazil and Germany also opposed military action and had urged greater diplomacy, he said.

But these nations too may also fail in securing lucrative contracts. "We don't have a problem with Western countries like the Italians, French and UK companies. But we may have some political issues with Russia, China and Brazil," Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager at Libyan rebel oil firm AGOCO, told Reuters on Monday.

Russia has rich oil and gas resources, but China and other countries rely heavily on imports of oil. Before the revolution Libya was China's 11th largest oil supplier, but there is more at stake. China, which has sponsored an increasing number of development loans and projects in Africa in exchange for access to natural resources, also risks losing out on major redevelopment contracts.

"China is now encountering the complications of its non-interference policy," says Patrick Chovanec, associate professor in Beijing's Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management. "China has a presence in a lot of countries that are seen as potentially politically unstable and yet it has this policy of supporting that status quo…When things are uncertain, it puts China in a very uncomfortable position."

This week as it became clear Gaddafi's regime was finally crumbling China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared to change its position. In a statement the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said, "We have noticed recent changes in the Libyan situation and we respect the Libyan people's choice." A commerce ministry official meanwhile called for a return to stability. "We hope after a return to stability in Libya, Libya will continue to protect the interests and rights of Chinese investors and we hope to continue investment and economic cooperation with Libya in the future," a conciliatory Wen Zhongliang, deputy head of the commerce ministry's trade department, told a news conference.

Behind the scenes China may well be nervous. Before the uprising there were some 35,000 Chinese workers in the country. Now it seems unlikely they will return.

Until the Arab Spring, China massaged the shoulders of dictators everywhere, and took home boatloads of oil, metals and minerals. This may not be a dependable bet in the future. Libya may just be the beginning of a growing movement for democratisation of African and Middle East states. Successful opposition movements may not be favourable toward apolitical resource-buyers. A policy of non-interference and of ignoring issues of human rights abuses may severely affect China if it loses out to more of Africa's vast resources [Globe & Mail / Foreign Policy / Reuters / CNN].

Perhaps China and Russia should have read The Little Red Hen, an old folk tale, most likely of Russian origin. In the tale, The Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, and asks for help from the other farmyard animals to plant it. However, no animal will volunteer to help her. At each further stage (harvest, threshing, milling the wheat into flour, and baking the flour into bread), the hen again asks for help from the other animals, but again she gets no assistance.

Finally, the hen has completed her task, and asks who will help her eat the bread. This time, all the previous non-participants eagerly volunteer. However, she declines their help, stating that no one aided her in the preparation work, and eats it with her chicks, leaving none for anyone else. The moral of this story is that those who show no willingness to contribute to an end product do not deserve to enjoy the end product. By maintaining a hands off approach with regards Libya, China and Russia as well as several other countries may well be left out of any new deals. 

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Endgame for Gaddafi

Late Sunday night it became clear that the Gaddafi regime was in its final throws as rebel forces converged on the Libyan capital Tripoli. As the news broke that rebels had taken parts of Tripoli Sky News was the first to bring live pictures of jubilant crowds on the streets. The BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera struggled to bring live pictures from the country relying on recently shot video and still pictures of correspondents who relayed reports by telephone.

As the anti-Gaddafi forces made the final push Sky News certainly won the day as far as news coverage was concerned. Sky correspondent Alex Crawford was the only broadcaster on the ground in Tripoli itself surrounded by a jubilant and excited crowd. Al Jazeera meanwhile was only broadcasting pictures from Benghazi as its correspondent struggled to describe what might be happening in the capital. Behind he the town square was filled with thousand of jubilant Libyans. The BBC and CNN could only relay second hand reports and voice overs from some correspondents by phone.

Other broadcasters also struggled with the breaking news story. For political and editorial reasons Xinhua's CNC and China's state broadcaster CCTV News only touched on the developing story. The coverage from Russia Today and Iran's Press TV was also scant and did not match the in depth analysis provided by western media outlets.

While the rebel advance continued towards the centre of the city it became clear that some of Gaddafi's power base remained as Moussa Ibrahim, the Acting Minister of Information, came on air in a live broadcast. He criticised NATO for "attacking the heart of a peaceful city" and spoke of more than some 1,300 killed in the previous 12 hours. The press conference was short and relayed by France 24 and Al Jazeera amongst others. However the BBC ran the broadcast a few minutes later though did not remove the Live strap until some minutes later.

In the morning papers there was only one story [Sky - papers]. Many spoke of Gaddafi's regime being "on the brink" and that it was the "endgame" for his near 42 year dictatorship. By the early hours of Monday Downing Street released a statement saying it was clear the end was near for Col. Gaddafi. However as the sun rose over Tripoli there were still pockets of resistance in many parts of the city.

The whereabouts of Muammar Gaddafi was still not clear on Monday though the Pentagon did not believe he had left the country. There was a strong indication he might be holed up at his Tripoli compound which remained protected by pro-Gaddafi troops and tanks as the day continued.

Wherever he was he was certainly not in control. The TV station had been seized by the rebels by Monday and several of the dictator's sons had been detained.

Around the world leaders aired their joy that the end of Gaddafi's regime seemed close. British Prime Minister David Cameron said the allies should be proud to have helped the Libyan people. "This is not our revolution but we should be proud that we've played a part," he said on the steps of Downing Street. But he urged some caution. "We will not be complacent, there is still lots to do," he added.

Of NATO's actions he said that it was legal and right to have intervened. But the revolution in Libya was not only a turning point for Libyans. "I do think the Arab spring is a great opportunity for North Africa... and indeed the whole world," Cameron continued.

While Western politicians spoke out loud and clear in support of the rebels some nations were far more critical. Hugo Chavez slammed NATO saying that they were "destroying Tripoli with their bombs." In a statement he said, "Today we are seeing images of the democratic governments of Europe, along with the supposedly democratic government of the United States destroying Tripoli with their bombs." [WSJ]

However China, who abstained in the original UN vote for action and have been critical of NATO's role, seemed to made a U-turn. In a statement the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeman Ma Zhaoxu said, "We have noticed recent changes in the Libyan situation and we respect the Libyan people's choice." [Xinhua]

The muted statement was a far cry from the vociferous statements coming from China a few months ago. In March the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, accused the United States and its allies of violating international rules through the use of air strikes. This despite the fact that China had refrained from blocking the United Nations Security Council decision which effectively authorised the air attacks.

The People's Daily likened the assault on Libyan sites to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and suggested it followed a pattern of the West's overreaching into other countries' affairs.

"The blood-soaked tempests that Iraq has undergone for eight years and the unspeakable suffering of its people are a mirror and a warning," said the commentary in the People's Daily. "The military attacks on Libya are, following on the Afghan and Iraq wars, the third time that some countries have launched armed action against sovereign countries." [Reuters]

China's handling of Western pressure on Libya has laid bare the quandaries facing Beijing in the Middle East. The Middle East is an important source of oil for China and Libya had particularly strong ties before the turmoil begun. About half of China's crude imports last year came from the Middle East and North Africa.

Such voices of criticism subsided later in the year when it became clear that the Gaddafi regime might fall. In July a Chinese official met with a Libyan rebel group fighting to oust Gaddafi. The foreign ministry said Beijing's ambassador to Qatar, Zhang Zhiliang, and the head of Libya's Transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, met in Qatar's capital, Doha. The men "exchanged views on the Libyan situation," a ministry statement said though they gave no further details. "The Chinese side's position on the Libya problem is clear," the statement said. "That is, we hope for the crisis to reach a political resolution." It seemed more likely that China was attempting to broker potential deals should the rebels succeed in ousting the Libyan dictator [WSJ].

It is not only China who is after Libya's oil. Western nations will certainly be keeping a keen eye on the country's oil interests. Oil reserves in Libya are the largest in Africa and the ninth largest in the world, however it may take some time to restore the flow of the precious resource. Foreign oil producers in Libya have already said it is too early to consider restoring output at halted fields. Italy's Eni SpA has said it may take as much as a year to get fields back to full capacity. Meanwhile the US, UK, France and Italy are all said to be working with Libya's National Transitional Council to restore oil production [Business Week].

Oil prices have fallen as markets spiked ahead of a possible conclusion to unrest in Libya. However this maybe shortlived, and any fall in oil prices is unlikely to make it to the pumps [Sky / Guardian].

For Libyans there may soon be great cause for celebration, despite the massive loss of life over the last six months. Oil companies around the world may ultimately benefit too. Whether the rest of the world benefits is not so clearcut.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

UK Govt seeks to control social networks

The British government has said it is looking into ways to control social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry's BBM message system following a week of riots and mayhem on Britain's streets which was partly coordinated using social media.

There is already concern amongst users of social networks who have drawn comparisons with the way sites such as Twitter are tightly controlled in authoritarian regimes [FT]. As well as technical and legal issues, there are also doubts over the effect blocking such services might have.

Organising before social media

Even before social media there have been riots. Before the advent of Twitter and smartphones, SMS texts have been used to connect between individuals and regular phone calls have also been used to coordinate activity. But even before mobile phones were an everyday item people were still able to organise.

There was undoubtedly some coordination between troublemakers before the 1990 Poll Tax march which descended into widespread chaos and rioting across much of the West End of London.

In the 1980s many an animal rights' march would descend into chaos as it arrived at the focus of attention such as an animal testing laboratory. Anarchists and violent agitators often gravitated to such regular events, though coordination would be organised though phone calls over landlines and even regular post. Badly photocopied lists of upcoming marches would often be handed around at protests and at concerts, not only rallying together protesters for the cause but also potential troublemakers.

The infamous Stop the City demonstrations which began in 1983 was organised primarily by a leafleting campaign. London Greenpeace, which was an unconnected offshoot of the main organisation, was partly behind the organising of the initial idea. But other groups spread the word with stickers and leaflets ultimately bringing several thousand onto the streets of the City. There were violent clashes with police and the financial quarter was effectively locked down as crowds of protesters filled the surrounding streets.

Just as the Internet raised the public profile of organisation which would have only been known at a grass roots level, social networks have merely brought the organisation of event to a larger audience and sped up the procedure.

The Stop the City protest of March 1983 was talked about for many weeks prior to its happening and with stickers all over the London Underground authorities would have been well aware that an illegal protest was in the offing. Yet police were caught out by numbers and the level of violence.

Twitter & Blackberrys

The anonymity of Twitter and Blackberry's BBM services has brought extra bravado perhaps not seen so brazenly before. However, there are laws in place which may be helpful if such individuals are identified to be deliberately inciting others to break the law. Twitter users may be more easily identified since British courts can compel the company to supply user information. With such data the identity of the users could potentially be established. While a Twitter user may hide their real name in their Twitter profile they will have had to use an email address in order to sign up for the service. In many cases the signing pup for an email account might require real details including an address. Facebook particularly rejects users with names that are not real.

This week the prime minister David Cameron said he was looking at ways to inhibit the use of such services. "We are working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality," he told MPs on Thursday.

While monitoring of such services can be useful to the police both during and after disturbances few people would be so daft as to blatantly call for a riot, though one individual has been arrested for inciting violence on Facebook [Guardian].

Monitoring

Police intelligence gathering is already fairly advanced as regards to quasi-public communications media such as Twitter and Facebook. Many messages are viewable by anyone, and there are security firms lining up to provide authorities with software tools to make mass, real time monitoring easier. Websites like Twitterfall is often used by journalists to search keywords in realtime, an indicator of the way technology can be used to monitor events [Telegraph].

Rioters are unlikely to talk openly on social networks. Instead any messages sent are probably going to be sent as private messages, a Direct Message in Twitter, or by using the even more secure Blackberry message system [Telegraph].

Police have powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to seize stored messages, but the process involves a mountain of paperwork and would useless in an ongoing crisis. As regards BlackBerry Messenger conversations it is unclear how much data is stored by the company since its message service is supposed to be private and secure. The company says it is "engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can" [ZDNet]. But there have already been threats from some who hacked the company website [Telegraph].

Question of censorship

There is much talk in the media suggesting that blocking Twitter, Facebook and others would be too difficult. In legal terms and in immediate practical terms this might be true [Telegraph]. However, it is entirely possible to do so. In China the Blackberry is not on sale primarily because Research In Motion have yet to appease the Chinese government concerning its message service. As far as other services such as Twitter, Facebook and other social media, these are entirely blocked by the so-called Great Firewall of China. While a VPN can circumvent these blocks China has recently shown it has the technology to affect VPNs with DNS poisoning attacks and other methods. In short it is possible to impede access to such service, though even in China there is social disorder and riots. Blocking may have some effect, but people will always look for other ways to circumvent such restrictions.

tvnewswatch, London, UK

Rioters bring mayhem to London

Parts of London has seen riots and violent disorder over the weekend following the fatal shooting of 29 year old Mark Duggan on 4th August. The violence is seen by some as a reaction to growing discontent and disaffection amongst sections of society, but police and local politicians have condemned the rioters as being nothing less than criminals.

While there is certainly high unemployment in parts of London, the destruction of shops, houses and local government buildings will do nothing to improve the situation for those seeking jobs. Businesses will think twice before locating themselves in areas which might be considered unsafe. And it may be months before some of the stores destroyed on Saturday night are rebuilt. Damage is estimated to be in excess of £100 million but the repercussions could extend much further. As well as scaring business away, the rioting will do nothing for the reputation of London as a city.  

Tottenham saw the worst disorder with rioters attacking police officers, setting fire to police cars, a bus and buildings. Amongst the buildings set on fire were an Aldi supermarket and the Carpetright shop, built in 1930, both of which were gutted. Not only will employees face an uncertain future, so too will the community who will have fewer stores in which to shop. There were other shops also targeted by youths, some as young as seven [The Sun]. Mobile phone stores were looted, banks were smashed and cash machines were stripped bare.

As well as destroyed stores, many people's homes were also gutted. Families had to flee their flats situated above shops as the went up in flames. Some spoke of escaping near death with one family talking of how rioters had even attempted to set fire to their car in which their young baby was sitting [The Sun]. Journalists, TV crews and photographers were also attacked by rioters as they tried to capture the scenes of mayhem. A BBC satellite truck was bombarded with bricks forcing the crew to retreat behind police lines. Even a man who called the fire brigade was attacked by thugs.

A second night of rioting

While the local community and shop owners were still picking up the pieces of their shattered businesses on Monday, in other areas of London copycat rioters continued their weekend of disorder. Disturbances were seen in Enfield, further to the north of Tottenham, Walthamstow to the east, in nearby  Edmonton and in Brixton in south London. Police spent much of Sunday night attempting to stop the looting of shops by gangs of youths though the destruction was much less than seen on Saturday night.

Metropolitan police and reinforcements from Kent turned much of Enfield into a sterile area. Hundreds of riot police some with dogs, charged at groups of teenagers, who melted into side streets. Although damage was much less than that seen in Tottenham, many cars were smashed as well as shop windows.

A closed Tesco Extra store was targeted in a nearby retail park. Workers inside described hearing windows smashing as dozens of youths poured into the store. "They left carrying TVs, alcohol – they were stuffing trolleys," said one supermarket worker.

Met criticised

Although riot police were on the scene in large numbers they were unable to prevent widespread disorder, looting and destruction. And there has been criticism that the police were ill prepared and failed to control the situation [Daily Mail / Guardian].

The Metropolitan Police say they were unprepared for such levels of violence, this despite warnings there could be trouble. Whenever there is a police shooting tensions are raised, and more so in communities which perceive themselves to be victimised by police.

Mark Duggan was shot by police marksmen while he sat in a minicab stopped by police in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, on Thursday evening. During the attempt to arrest Duggan, three shots were fired. A bullet was said to be found lodged in a police radio. A police officer was injured in the incident, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said. According to police two shots were fired by an officer and it is believed that one shot was discharged from an illegal firearm inside the car [BBC / Guardian].

However, there is anger amongst some in Tottenham over the events that took place. As the IPCC appealed for witnesses, conflicting accounts of the shooting emerged. One man told the London Evening Standard he had seen officers shoot a man on the ground. But others said a shot was fired from the cab before police returned fire.

On Friday the scene of the shooting was visited by David Lammy, the MP for the area, who said, "I am shocked and deeply worried by this news. There is now a mood of anxiety in the local community but everyone must remain calm. It is encouraging that the Independent Police Complaints Commission has immediately taken over the investigation. There is a need to clarify the facts and to move quickly to allay fears."

And while he called for answers he urged that people remain calm. "It is very important that our community remains calm and allows the investigation to take its course," Lammy said.

Some 48 hours later he was speaking to the press again, condemning the rioters who had brought mayhem to Tottenham's streets. "A community that was already grieving has had the heart ripped out of it," Lammy told a throng of media camped outside the police cordon. He went on to tell those who had come from outside the area to stay away and described the rioting as "mindless nonsense."

They may have stayed away from Tottenham on Sunday night, but the rioters did not stay at home. Police were once again trying to maintain order as organised gangs of "copycat rioters" brought chaos to parts of Brixton and Enfield [BBC].

Condemnation

Criticism of the violence came from many quarters. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, said: "I condemn utterly the violence in Tottenham... Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated, and the Metropolitan Police have my full support in restoring order." A Downing Street spokesman added, "The rioting in Tottenham last night was utterly unacceptable. There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property." London's mayor, Boris Johnson, also added his voice to saying, "I'm appalled at the scenes of violence and destruction in Tottenham."

The police and politicians have said the perpetrators will face the full force of the law. Identifying those who took part may prove difficult given the cover of darkness and the sheer numbers of individuals involved. Many may find themselves caught if found to be in possession of stolen property. Many thieves may find their acts of criminality have come to nought. While mobile phones were stolen from shops in several areas, they can be rendered useless by mobile providers. Shops will have records of the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) numbers which are unique to every mobile phone. Such a list can be given to mobile phone companies and the devices blocked. This may not affect sale to foreign countries since there is no international agreement as yet. While the IMEI number can be changed, the possession of such equipment is a serious criminal offence.

The theft of other items may not be so easy to identify. Rioters were seen to be stripping stores of food, clothes, alcohol, cigarettes amongst other things. Some 41 people have already been arrested, though police will doubtless make further arrests in the coming days. They will also be on standby for signs of any more trouble. It is unclear whether the violence will spread which might indicate deep rooted dissaffection amongst Britain's youth, or whether the disturbances seen over the weekend were merely opportunist criminality [Wikipedia: 2011 Tottenham riots].

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China

Gingerbread arrives, but where next for Android?

It's never been clear whether FOTA [Firmware Over The Air] updates would be available to Android users who had let their data contract lapse and who had opted for a WiFi only approach. However it appears that if the Android device is ready for updates then it may, just may, arrive over the air by WiFi.
Many people have smartphones today, and Android has been the choice for a great proportion of those. However for those travelling abroad the option of data roaming is often cost prohibitive, while signing up for a local data contract is troublesome. So there existed uncertainty as to whether that elusive upgrade from Eclair to Froyo, or Froyo to Gingerbread might arrive.

For some Android users, even those with data contracts, there is still a long wait for Android 2.2, otherwise known as Froyo. Google's Nexus One was released in early 2010 with Android 2.1 Eclair built in. After a few months Android 2.2 Froyo was released and the Nexus became the first to receive this update with further additional updates continuing until December. 

Launch of Gingerbread

With the launch of the Nexus S, Google's next flagship phone made by Samsung, and its much lauded Gingerbread OS, there was some excitement amongst Nexus users that they too might be the first to receive this update. But it has taken a lot longer than first anticipated.

There were reports that Gingerbread, or Android 2.3, was arriving on some devices as early as February this year. For many users the wait has been very long indeed. Currently most Android devices are still stuck on Android 2.2 Froyo which leads the way with a 59.4% share. However that figure has fallen in the last few weeks as some phones receive a version of Gingerbread. That is not to say there are not but a few Android users still stuck in the ark. Around 17% of users are still using Android 2.1 Eclair according to AndroidCentral. And although a tiny proportion of all Android users, there exists a small pocket of smartphone users still stuck with 1.5 (Cupcake) and 1.6 (Donut). For the latter group the issue is down to compatibility since the first devices to hit the market are unable to upgrade to later versions. 

FOTA updates via WiFi

Those with more modern devices are however seeing the prompt message asking them to install new firmware. And for some there is the added pleasant surprise as it comes over a WiFi connection. Not having a data plan while in China, it was expected that any FOTA upgrade would not arrive until returning to the UK. However, one morning last week the Nexus One displayed the prompt to install new updates. Seemingly the FOTA system works via WiFi too since the only SIM installed was a local China Mobile SIM without a data contract.

There was, and always is, a feeling of nervousness and excitement at installing such updates. There is the concern that things won't work as well afterwards. For example there was much talk that those who had received Gingerbread some months back had experienced issues with the WiFi connection. Having a Chinese SIM in the device also raised a doubt. Would the update be China-centric? Many apps on the Android Market are not available in China and Google apply regional restrictions and other regional based aspects onto its products. A browser may often display in the local language for instance. 

Gingerbread user base growing

However after a tense couple of minutes the upgrade had installed and one more Android device had joined a growing number of others with Gingerbread. In fact Android 2.3 Gingerbread (Android 2.3, 2.3.2, 2.3.3 and 2.3.4) has doubled to 18.6% in the last month alone.

It is likely that some users will have to upgrade their actual device if the want to stay in front. HTC have admitted that Gingerbread may not install on some of its most recent devices, and even where is does it may wipe some user data from the device [CNET]. One reason for such issues is the limited memory in many devices. Even the Nexus One with the advantage of expandable memory in the form of an SD card has limits. With many heavy apps unable to be transferred to the SD card it does not take long before the phone runs short of the 190 MB of memory set aside for apps. Of particular issue are apps like Adobe Flash Player which is nearly 12 MB, the Facebook app which eats up over 7 MB and Google Maps which takes up a whopping 11.43 MB. Even Google's Music app takes up a massive 7 MB. Even the Nexus S with greater internal storage, of around 16 GB, it does not have SD card support. Where memory is all in the world of smartphones, this is by far the biggest issue for users. App developers, including Google themselves, should take note of this. 

Improvements

So are the updates worth it. For some the simple answer is yes. Froyo was certainly better than its predecessors, giving proper Flash video support and WiFi tethering. Gingerbread's advantages are less clear cut, and for some devices makes little difference. The NFC [Near Field Communication] support is only compatible with the Nexus S at this time and will, if it takes of, facilitate the use of the phone as a virtual wallet. The SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] support is good in itself, but it is unlikely to be used by the vast proportion of users. In fact reviews so far suggest its functionality is relatively limited [OnSip / ProductiveOrganizer]. While SIP is popular in some regions, most people tend to gravitate to VOIP services such as Skype which is supported already on Android devices.

There is also support for a front-facing camera for video calling. However since only the Nexus S has this at present it is another redundant feature in most devices. Many of the features which came with Gingerbread were aesthetic. User interface elements, such as the notification bar, turned from grey to black, in a bid to avoid screen burn-in and increase battery life, if only marginally. The on-screen keyboard gained a number shortcuts across the top, and a cursor to better select and copy text, this was the best and most obvious benefit of the update.

Unclear future

While the new Google tablets are being rolled out with Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) with an 'Ice Cream Sandwich' to come, the future of updates for the Android smartphone is not quite clear. The Nexus S has received 2.3.5, which brought improved network performance for the Nexus S 4G, but there are no obvious routes where the little green robot is going next. NFC may prove more useful as more devices incorporate this technology and outlets adopt it. Indeed Google are putting a lot of effort into promoting their Google Wallet, though it is mainly confined to the US for now. Perhaps Android has gone as far as it can until Google and mobile phone developers decide upon the next generation of smartphones.

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China

IE users have lower IQ study says

There has already been some evidence published which supports the idea that GMail users are more intelligent than users of other email services. But new research goes further and suggests the use of browser may also be an indication of intelligence.

Previous studies

According to a number of surveys conducted as recently as 2009 GMail users showed higher IQ ratings than those of Yahoo and Hotmail. Although the difference was marginal in tests carried out by one group, the results were nonetheless significant. According to IntelligentElite the average IQ of GMail users was 109 compared to 104 and 103 for Hotmail and Yahoo respectively.

An article in Mashable also alludes to the possibility that email preference may also reveal one's credit worthiness. According to Credit Karma, an online credit checking service, data from its some 20,000 users and split it up by email address, showed that Yahoo Mail users had the lowest credit scores of all. Bellsouth and Comcast users had the highest credit ratings, while GMail users ranked third. MSN, Hotmail and AOL users took 4th, 5th and 6th position respectively.

IE users have lower IQ

Now there is further evidence which adds weight behind the assertion that users of Google products may be brighter than the average Joe. Reports in several publications today [Tuesday 2nd August] says that Internet Explorer users are far less intelligent than those using Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox. The new study found that those with Internet Explorer 6 installed on their computer typically have an IQ barely higher than 80. By some rankings this would make them almost retarded! 

In comparison the IQ levels for those who used Mozilla's Firefox or Google's Chrome came in at around 110, while users of Opera or Camino were top with an IQ of around 120.

The survey was carried out by psychometric-assessment firm AptiQuant of a sample exceeding 100,000 people and showed a shift between IQ rating in 2006 and 2011. Five years ago the high IQ levels sat with Internet Explorer. However it appears the intellint Internet users have shifted to modern browsers leaving the less bright with older technology. However Even users of IE8 and IE9 do not fair well in the ratings both sets falling below a 100 IQ. In fact the only users of Microsoft browsers showing high intelligence levels were using Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame, whereby Google's Chrome browser is incorporated into IE [AptiQuant study - PDF].

Colourful headlines

Such revelations of course has created a plethora of colourful headlines. Register ran with "It's official: IE users dumber than a bag of hammers", the Daily Mail headlined with "Internet Explorer users are stupid" while CBS went with a slightly safer "Internet Explorer users 'are kind of stupid,' says study". The Daily Telegraph also played safe with its "lower than average" description.

Google Chrome use growing

Other statistics revealed this week was that Google Chrome was fast becoming the browser of choice for most Britons. Seemingly this would indicate the British, or at least its population of Internet users, are becoming brighter. Only three years after launch, Chrome last month secured 22% of UK market, marginally overtaking Mozilla's Firefox browser, this according to the web metrics firm Statcounter [Guardian].

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is losing to Chrome but still remains the most popular browser for British users with 45% of market share. Apple's Safari is UK number four, with a 9% share. Elsewhere in the world the division is far more stark. In China, Chrome takes only 5.4% of the overall market holding level with other browsers such as Firefox and the almost unknown Maxthon, according to Statcounter. Safari barely registers with less than 1% of the Internet population using the Apple Mac based browser. Internet Explorer is the browser of choice for most Chinese, particularly the older IE6. However it would be wrong to draw any conclusion from this. Many computers in China still come with XP preloaded, a preference for many, and as such comes with IE6. In addition many users are forced to stick with IE6 since many online banking services have failed to facilitate compatibility with newer browsers.

Chrome remains the number three browser worldwide and is expected to knock Firefox off its second position. However both browsers still fall behind Internet Explorer's 43% share. Microsoft benefits partly because IE is pre-installed in most computers. However, if the new study is to be believed, and the online population is becoming more intelligent and switching browsers, Microsoft may well be edged out of the game, and that only leaves one clear winner, i.e.: Google. You can take free IQ tests online at HighIQSociety and SpaceAndMotion.

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China

UK: Nuclear veterans long court battle goes on

Veterans involved in Britain's nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s are once again taking their case for compensation to the court.

Amongst them is the widow of an RAF pilot who has fought for answers since her husband killed himself at the age of 44. Squadron Leader Eric Denson had been ordered by the Royal Airforce to fly his Canberra aircraft through a nuclear mushroom cloud 18 years earlier so that measurements might be taken.

Soon after his return he began to feel ill. "Eric started vomiting that night and it lasted 21 days," his wife Shirley says. She had expected a healthy tanned man to return to her but instead "we got a sickly young man," she said.

Eric committed suicide, his third attempt, "because he couldn't bear it anymore," she says. He had taken part in Operation Grapple Y [Video: YouTube], a nuclear test which took place on April 28, 1958, over the ocean off the coast of Christmas Island. But he is only one of hundreds who are fighting for justice.

While some just want the Ministry of Defence to admit that what happened that day over a tiny coral atoll in the Indian Ocean led directly to the suffering and deaths of many veterans, others want financial compensation. Shirley is thinking more of her four children who have been deprived of a father [Scotsman].

While Denson was exposed to very high levels of radiation as he flew unprotected into the nuclear cloud, on the ground hundreds of others were also put at risk.

Amongst them was Sapper Ken McGinley who was sitting on the beach when the bomb was detonated over the ocean. He remembers the noise and a flash of light so bright that when he opened his eyes a fraction he could see the bones of the hands he had jammed into his eyes as clearly as an X-ray.

"The noise was deafening, like a thousand horses thundering towards you," McGinley says. "The man next to me broke down and cried."

Talking to the BBC, McGinley said he and his fellow military personnel had been given no protection. "On Christmas Island I witnessed five bomb tests," he says. "Basically we had no protection and warnings at all. All we were told to do was to stand and look at the bomb [and] cover our eyes up in case we got blinded by the flash."

More than 1,000 ex-servicemen say the exposure to radiation during the tests conducted between 1952 and 1958 left them with ill-health. However many have failed in their bid to get justice.

A lower court has said nine out of ten lead cases were brought too late to be considered. Meanwhile the Ministry of Defence has consistently denied any connection between the test and the health of the veterans, contesting the claims since 2004.

Chronic health problems cited by the veterans include cancers, skin defects, fertility problems and birth defects in their children.

In June 2009, the High Court gave the current group of veterans the right to sue the Ministry of Defence. Veterans who served in the Army, Royal Navy and Air Force, as well as personnel from New Zealand and Fiji, were all exposed to radiation.

Time is running out for the veterans who are said to be dying at a rate of three every month. According to research carried out by Durham University around 30% of servicemen died from bone cancers or leukaemia linked to the atomic and hydrogen bomb tests.

The difficulty for veterans is in proving a causal link between the tests and the illness they have contracted. However British scientist Chris Busby http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Busby says that they may be better able to prove the effects from providing evidence of damage to the chromosomes of the veterans' children. Dr Busby was appointed as Representative to the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association in 2007.

Britain carried out a series of nuclear weapons tests in mainland Australia, the Montebello islands off the west Australian coast and on Christmas Island, in the Pacific in the 1950s.

The tests were conducted against a backdrop of decolonisation and the growing Cold War threat, and with the Britain attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Known as Operation Grapple there were nine tests in all which led to Britain becoming a nuclear power [Video: YouTube].

For the veterans still fighting for compensation it has been an arduous and long battle. But it it is far from over. Even if they receive a pay out it is more than that for some. "We just want to get justice," says veteran Ken McGinley.

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China