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A massive delivery of US munitions was made to Israel one week before they began their attacks on Gaza, according to a statement released by Amnesty International today.

Brian Wood, Amnesty International’s arms control campaign manager, said

“Legally and morally, this US arms shipment should have been halted by the Obama administration, given the extent of the evidence showing how military equipment and munitions of this kind were recently used by the Israeli forces for war crimes.

“Arms supplies in these circumstances are contrary to provisions in US law.”

According to new information received by the organisation on 22^nd March a German cargo ship, controlled by US Military Sealift Command, docked and unloaded its cargo of over 300 containers at the Israeli port of Ashdod.

A US official claimed that although discussion is underway to limit the supply of some types of weapons to Israel no decision has yet been reached.

This throws into question whether or not President Obama intends to fuel further Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza. And despite the misuse of weaponry and munitions in Gaza and Lebanon by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) the US government is also due to provide $30 billion in military aid to the country. According to one US official, President Obama has no plans to cut the billions of dollars in military aid promised to Israel under a new 10-year contract agreed by the Bush administration in 2007.

Amnesty International raised concerns that any new munitions may be used by the Israeli military to commit further violations of international law. Wood said

“We are urging all governments to impose an immediate and comprehensive suspension of arms to Israel and to all Palestinian armed groups, until there is no longer a substantial risk of serious human rights violations.”

It may be April fools day but MSP Ian McKee was not joking when he quite literally tore up £5 prescription charges.

Standing outside the Royal Mile Pharmacy in Edinburgh this morning McKee, a member of The Scottish National Party (SNP), ripped a giant £5 prescription in half before waving a £4 prescription in its place. He said

“This is for real– prescription charges are down again and it won’t be long until they’re out the window”

A parliamentary motion lodged by McKee will ensure that today prescription charges fall from £5 to £4 and £38 for a 12 month pre-payment certificate.

Despite opposition from the Conservative Party SNP insist that by lowering prescription charges they are making the lives of Scottish People easier.

And removing the anxiety brought about by ill-health is the founding principle of The National Health Service. By eliminating what is essentially seen as a tax on being unwell McKee believes that a burden has been lifted for those in ill health in Scotland. He said

“This is exactly what they expect from their Government – decisions that will help them during difficult times.”

 Brakes are a band playing for all the right reasons. They say it’s time to believe in live music again and their music certainly captures what that feeling is all about.

Hi Eamon what are you doing today?

Eamon:  I’m hoping to go and fly this little remote control aeroplane in the park later. It was a present. There are these new ones out and they’re tiny. I think they’re in-door planes but there’s no wind so I’m going to take it outside. I think it’s a passion of mine now.  I’ve just been flying planes and listening to records this week.

You’re having a rest then?

E: (laughs) I’ve been practising as well…of course!

Are you looking forward to the tour (April 8th-16th May)

E: We can’t wait for the gigs to start. I always thought the best way to hear music was to see someone playing live. We’re really pleased with the album so it’s going to be good times playing the songs out live. It’s a more focused album and more hopeful. Our last two albums were just scatter shot angry. Eight years of the Bush administration!

 A little hostility to Bush there, is that what you’re trying to put across in your song ‘Cheney’?

 E: Haha yeah. I wanted to write a protest song.

 But It’s only 10 seconds long. 

 E: I didn’t want to write an 8 minute masters of war rip off you know? You make a point and then leave it.

 So, how did you get yourself ready for the tour and album release (Brakes’ album Touchdown will be released on 20th April)

E: I did a few solo gigs to see if the songs worked or not and to write some lyrics. A lot of the time I would have the chords and I challenged myself to write the lyrics on stage. It worked sometimes and didn’t other times. I got a few but I’d finish the song and then just forget all the lyrics that I’d sung. I should’ve recorded them really! (laughs a lot!). I’ve done a few gigs on my own but I much prefer playing with the band, it’s more fun.

 Sounds like you love playing live, how did you get into music?

 E: Actually when I was about 12 I decided to make a band. As you do when you’re a 12 year old boy. We called ourselves Jock Rash. We’d hire out the village hall and charge 50p to come to our gigs. We were quite big except there was another band that our friends were in called Gristle, they were our rivals! You had to make your own fun.

Jock Rash?

E: Yeah I know (laughs again). What’s wrong with that?

 Was there any particular gig you’ve been to that inspired you?

E: The Pixies at Gloucester Guild Hall when I was about 13. It’s the first gig I ever went to. It was brilliant they were doing their Doolittle tour. They’ve got a lot of focused energy and it was so excellent it made me go yeah, I’d like to do that. They didn’t play Debaser that night. So I went to see them when they did their tour a few years ago.  And they played it there so I was very pleased.

 So a big fan then?

E:  Definitely. That and Little Richard. And Jesus and Mary Chain.  My friends older sister had a bunch of their albums.

  What was the first record you ever bought?

 E: My brother and I went halves on the Ghostbusters theme tune. I think I was about 7 or 8. Ray Parker Junior! It’s a good song. I heard some controversy though, that it had been ripped off an album by Heuy Lewis and the News. So I looked it up on youtube, as you do. They nicked the riff (sings: doo doo doo doo doo). Controversial!  I think it was big news at the time but you don’t really know these things when you’re 7 do you?

So plastic aeroplanes and charging 50p for gigs. I told you Eamon wasn’t a normal rocker. But that’s part of his charm. The man behind three politically driven albums is actually just having a laugh.

courtesy of babble.com

By Laura McLean

The death of British actress Natasha Richardson while skiing last week has reopened debates over helmet wearing on ski slopes.

A spokesperson for the New York City medical examiner’s office said Richardson died from a blunt impact to the head. Her death was ruled an accident on Thursday after an autopsy was performed.

The actress was reportedly not wearing a helmet when she fell at Mont Tremblant resort in Quebec on Monday. She was transferred to hospital as her condition deteriorated on Monday night and died on Wednesday morning.

And now a jury from the British Association of Snowsports Instructors, BASI, remains divided as to whether or not helmets should be made compulsory on the slopes.

Dr Neil Martin, head of neurosurgery at the UCLA Medical Centre in California told BBC Radio Five Live

“It’s profoundly unusual for a minor head injury, as was described, to result in a life-threatening medical crisis.

“But falling even from a standing position is a six-foot fall as far as your head is concerned, so you can get a tremendous impact if you fall unprotected.

“So it’s possible to get a severe injury, even from what ostensibly looks like a mild fall.”

But Aviemore based sports injury researcher Doctor Mike Langran thinks people are being too quick to panic over a freak accident. He said

” Despite their reputation as dangerous sports, skiing and snowboarding are in fact much safer than most people realise. The risk of dying from an accident on the slopes is approximately 1 in 1.5 million.

“As I understand it, Ms Richardson was not wearing a helmet at the time of her fall. Accidents that lead to death are more typically high speed collisions after a loss of control. Unfortunately in such scenarios, the forces involved are usually simply too great for any helmet to cope with. Helmets have been shown to reduce the risks of minor and moderate impacts to the head.”

Following Richardson’s death snow sport shops in Edinburgh have noted a rise in sales of helmets. Freeze pro shop saw their sales almost double. Manager David Bowles said

” A lot of people bought helmets last week. Sales of protective gear have already increased this year. I think that such a high profile accident has really raised awareness of the safety measures that need to be taken when skiing.”

In Italy it is already compulsory for children to wear a helmet and many ski schools insist on it. But medical evidence about the level of protection they can offer is so far inconclusive.

Richardson’s death has been widely reported on snow sports websites. And judging by the response on these sites whether they are made compulsory or not more people will be wearing helmets this season.

photo courtesy of flickr

By Laura McLean

Charities providing homeless services in Edinburgh have been forced to close as Edinburgh City Council launches a new ‘robust tendering’ process in which they must compete for funding.

Following London Mayor Boris Johnson’s bid to end homelessness in London by 2012 The City of Edinburgh Council has recommended that Charities in the city should go head to head over funding in an attempt to give the best quality service. With an aim to prevent homelessness north of the border Council leaders have imposed restrictions on certain charity funding.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh City Council said

“The finance committee is awarding contracts in five key areas. First in providing advice and information to people threatened with homelessness, emergency services for people at risk of sleeping rough, help to set up a new home, help to find a house with a good private landlord and housing support services to help people keep their home.

“The introduction of these new services will mean a better quality of service for those who come to us for support and advice.”

In order to win a contract each charity must make a plea to the council stating why they can provide the best service in each area. Catriona Beaton who looks after funding at The Bethany Trust Foundation said that any Charity not awarded funding will find it impossible to compete with the services provided by the council.

She added “Charities have had to partner up in case they don’t win the bidding war. It means that workers are being pulled over to Bethany from other charities but we can’t give everyone a job. Some people have been made redundant.”

Since being commissioned in January this year the scheme has already forced The Edinburgh Furniture Initiative and Shelter Edinburgh’s Families Project to close.

The Edinburgh Families Project closed this week. It is one of Shelter’s oldest and most successful programmes. In the last 10 years it has worked with 415 homeless families, helping 810 children from those families deal with the trauma of homelessness. Although families currently using the project will be transferred over to the new council providers, Manager of the Edinburgh project Paula Robertson fears that the valuable service provided by shelter over the last decade is being brushed off.

She said “I’m devastated the project is closing, not just for those families we are currently helping, but also for those whom we could have helped in the future.

“We know that the Shelter Families Project model works and it’s awful for a service that is proven to work to have to close. I’m also sad for all the staff that have given their all to help families through homelessness and I thank them for all their hard work.”

But Edinburgh City Council maintain that it is the council’s responsibility to help Edinburgh’s homeless and by giving more money to the best service provider they can ensure that the best possible care is given.

Councillor Norman Work Chair of Edinburgh’s Homeless Forum said

“People who are homeless or faced with losing their home are usually going through a very difficult time. We need to know that they are getting the best possible care. The Council has undertaken such a rigorous process to make sure we have the services in place to make sure this happens.”

Contracts have been awarded to around 8 charities since January including The Bethany Christian Trust and Edinburgh Cyrenians Trust. The council intends to transfer all homeless charity work to the new scheme by 1st May 2009.

A group of experts in anger management who followed 824 people over 44 years have found that frustration can actually help us to focus.

Professor George Vaillant, is director of the Study of Adult Development at Harvard.

He said “Negative emotions are often crucial for survival. Careful experiments such as ours have documented that negative emotions narrow and focus attention so we can concentrate on the trees instead of the forest.”

Valliant believes that uncontrolled anger is dangerous but learning to channel anger in a positive way will allow workers to establish themselves in the work place, as well as to enjoy physical and emotional stability in their private life.

Anger is often linked to violence, but a study by Dr Howard Kassinove, co-author of Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practice, showed that more than 55 per cent of the 2000 adults taking part felt that angry episodes had produced a positive outcome.

And getting angry doesn’t have to be about shouting and violence. Labelled the ‘misunderstood emotion’ by philosopher Alain de Botton , it is believed that by repressing anger you will be doing more harm than good.

Allowing yourself to be angry is thought to increase your sense of control. And an ability to remain assertive wins the respect of peers and can put you in a good position for promotions – and scare off the competition.

courtesy of The Telegraph

By Laura McLean

Identity Cards are an ‘unacceptable’ use of government money that could be better spent elsewhere according to the Scottish Governement.

The House of Commons introduced plans for Identity Cards in 2004. The controversial scheme was intended as a way for legal residents of the UK to prove who they are. The cards will contain fingerprints and iris scans.

Community safety minister Fergus Ewing said in a letter to the Home Office,

“Given the financial climate, the UK government should have better uses for the vast sums of money being spent on this scheme.”

The SNP administration has hit out against the scheme which could cost a total of £4.8 billion UK wide. They said that there are more sensible ways to create safer communities.

Leader of The SNP Mr Alex Salmond MP has warned that the New Labour government’s track record of failure on other high IT projects suggest that issuing ID cards is a serious gamble. He said

“Instead of blowing money on an ineffective ID cards scheme, that is unlikely to deter the criminals, we should be investing in our courts and prison service to keep hardened criminals off the streets.”

The first ID cards are set to be issued later this year. But queries over their legality under the European rules on Human Rights have also threatened to derail plans. Former Tory front bencher Bill Cash brandished a copy of George Orwell’s 1984 claiming that the relationship between the state and citizens could be seriously damaged if plans are followed through. At the same time the Scottish Government expressed concerns over a growing ‘Big Brother’ state.

However New Home Secretary Charles Clarke has dismissed any fears saying that the cards will help to prevent terrorism and organised crime. He said that by making it compulsory to carry an ID card they will be making the job of police officers much easier. While they will be using up a large amount of governement money he believes that the cards will be extremely beneficial to national security.