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NoW placed hacking lawyers under surveillance

The News of the World hired a former police officer early last year to carry out surveillance on two prominent lawyers representing victims of phone hacking, BBC Newsnight has learned.

Derek Webb, who ran a private investigations firm called Silent Shadow, covertly followed lawyers Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris.

Mr Webb also filmed members of Mr Lewis’ family on a shopping trip.

Both lawyers have been involved in cases against News International.

The surveillance was part of an attempt by the now-closed newspaper The News of the World, which was owned by News International, to demonstrate that Mr Lewis was having a relationship with Ms Harris and was sharing confidential information with her.

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“This has the potential to set the nuclear industry back globally. We need to ensure the anti-nuclear chaps and chapesses do not gain ground on this. We need to occupy the territory and hold it. We really need to show the safety of nuclear.”

Internal emails seen by Guardian show how British government officials launched a PR campaign to ensure the accident at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan did not derail plans for new nuclear power stations in the UK. The emails seen by the Guardian show how the business and energy departments worked closely behind the scenes with the multinational companies EDF Energy, Areva and Westinghouse to try to ensure the accident did not derail their plans for a new generation of nuclear stations in the UK. (read more)

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Syrian funding causes embarrassment at British university A prestigious British university is to review the work of one of its academic research centres because its funding was arranged by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Guardian can reveal. The University of St Andrews, where Prince William and Kate Middleton studied, has received more than £100,000 in funding for its centre for Syrian studies with the assistance of Syria’s ambassador to the UK, Sami Khiyami. Following questions from the Guardian about its relations with figures associated with the regime – and “in view of significant international concerns about recent events in Syria” – a spokesman for St Andrews said the university would be reviewing the centre’s work “to ensure its high academic standards are maintained”. The university’s association with the Assad regime has come under scrutiny in the wake of the violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Syria which is estimated to have claimed 450 lives so far. Read More NF: Haven’t we been here before? Libya…LSE…..

Syrian funding causes embarrassment at British university

A prestigious British university is to review the work of one of its academic research centres because its funding was arranged by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Guardian can reveal.

The University of St Andrews, where Prince William and Kate Middleton studied, has received more than £100,000 in funding for its centre for Syrian studies with the assistance of Syria’s ambassador to the UK, Sami Khiyami.

Following questions from the Guardian about its relations with figures associated with the regime – and “in view of significant international concerns about recent events in Syria” – a spokesman for St Andrews said the university would be reviewing the centre’s work “to ensure its high academic standards are maintained”.

The university’s association with the Assad regime has come under scrutiny in the wake of the violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Syria which is estimated to have claimed 450 lives so far.

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NF: Haven’t we been here before? Libya…LSE…..

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The British prime minister David Cameron, left, with the Egyptian defense minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, following their meeting in Cairo on Monday. (via nytimes) The British prime minister, David Cameron, held talks in Cairo on Monday with military and civilian leaders, becoming the highest-ranking foreign leader to visit Egypt since a popular uprising ousted the long-time president, Hosni Mubarak. (source)

The British prime minister David Cameron, left, with the Egyptian defense minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, following their meeting in Cairo on Monday. (via nytimes)

The British prime minister, David Cameron, held talks in Cairo on Monday with military and civilian leaders, becoming the highest-ranking foreign leader to visit Egypt since a popular uprising ousted the long-time president, Hosni Mubarak. (source)

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“In the last hour I have spoken to the president’s son Gamal Mubarak and said that if it turned out that there was state-sponsored violence that would be catastrophic for Egypt and for those in the government now”

The UK foreign secretary, William Hague, said he has spoken to Gamal Mubarak today, but said the president’s son is in “Egypt…not in London”. There has been speculation as to his whereabouts amid no public appearances or comments from him.

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British media join forces against Murdoch takeover of BSkyB - Guardian

Fleet Street’s highly factionalised newspaper industry today set aside historic differences to join forces in an unprecedented assault against the power of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

The companies behind the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail - both supporters of the Conservatives - united with the owners of the Guardian and the Labour-backing Daily Mirror to petition Vince Cable, the business secretary, to consider blocking News Corporation’s proposed £8bn full takeover of the satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which trades under the name Sky.

Fearful of the combined might of an integrated News Corp-Sky operation, which would include the Sun, the News of the World, the Times and book publisher Harper Collins, the complainants said the “proposed takeover could have serious and far-reaching consequences for media plurality”.

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