Charlie Lindlar2013-05-24T15:13:38-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=charlie-lindlarCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Charlie LindlarGood old fashioned elbow grease.Asteroid 'Nine Times Size of QE2' To Pass By Earth (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-18T06:42:44-04:002013-05-18T07:06:04-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Have no fear though, for the giant space rock shouldn't come any closer than 3.6million miles, or 15 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
The asteroid, named Asteroid 1998 QE2, will give astronomers the chance to get a close look at the size, shape and features of the asteroid and maybe find out more about its origin.
In a statement, Nasa astronomer Lance Benner said: "Asteroid 1998 QE2 will be an outstanding radar imaging target at Goldstone and Arecibo [observatories] and we expect to obtain a series of high-resolution images that could reveal a wealth of surface features,"
"We will also use new radar measurements of the asteroid's distance and velocity to improve our calculation of its orbit and compute its motion farther into the future than we could otherwise."
The asteroid was discovered in 1998 by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, despite the comparisons, was not named for the QE2 cruise ship. It's size has instead been more accurately compared to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
In the mean time, check out some other amazing space photos below]]>Gay Marriage Bill Signed Into Law By France's President Francois Hollande (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-05-18T04:49:52-04:002013-05-18T12:34:07-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Hollande's signing of the bill means the first same-sex marriages could be celebrated in the next fortnight, little more than a year after Hollande pledged marriage equality in his pre-election manifesto.
Protests, both pro and anti-gay marriage, have gripped France in the past 12 months, some ending with clashes between police and activists.
The much-argued law was approved by the French senate and national assembly last month and, despite a late challenge from the country's right-wing parties, was upheld by the Constitutional Council.
Hollande's signing of the bill enshrined gay marriage into law
The signing of the bill makes France the 14th country in the world to legalise gay marriage, and the ninth in Europe behind Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
On the issue of equal rights for same-sex adopters, the courts were clear that the new bill would not automatically grant the "right to a child".
The law comes at a time when Francois Hollande is suffering with increasingly low approval ratings, the lowest of any recent French president.
A stagnant economy and rising unemployment, now over 10%, ave severely hit Hollande's ratings.
Some 60% of the French public support the bill, but opponents to equal marriage have said they will continue their campaign, with a major rally planned for 26 May in Paris.]]>Are Scotland Too 'Poor, Stupid And Incapable' To Self-Govern? (AUDIO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-27T06:10:39-04:002013-04-27T06:51:46-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Angus Robertson, the MP for Moray and campaign director for the SNP for the independence referendum, criticised the 'No' campaign as simply "running around trying to scare people into voting No."
The 'Better Together' campaign, led by by Gordon Brown's former chancellor Alistair Darling, was centered on the argument "that people in Scotland are uniquely poor, stupid and incapable of governing themselves," Robertson said on the political podcast Hear Hear, hosted by lobby journalist Sean Dilley.
Robertson added that the campaign's message showed they had no ideas, while the pro-independence campaign based their message on offering hope to the country.
A 'Better Together' spokesperson, however, rejected Robertson's claim, telling The Scotsman: "The only people who peddle this line are the Nationalists. No-one from Better Together thinks that Scotland couldn’t go it alone – we think that it is better for our economy, our jobs and our future if we stay together with the rest of the UK."
Speaking on Tuesday morning, Osborne told the BBC's Today Programme: "It's unlikely we can make it work."
The Scottish Government has already set out plans to retain the pound if the country becomes independent, creating a "sterling zone" with the rest of the UK.
You can listen to the podcast in full below, with Robertson's comments on the 'No' campaign starting close to 9:30 minutes in:
]]>Ed Miliband: Companies Paying Living Wage To Be Given Tax Breaks Under Labourtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-27T04:25:20-04:002013-04-27T05:26:06-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
The Labour leader told the Guardian that companies could be offered lower business rates or tax relief on training programmes in return for boosting their staff's pay packets.
Miliband also supported the idea of living wage zones, which would see certain industries or geographical areas institute the living wage where a significant proportion of companies supported the idea.
"Living wage zones would work for everyone – the people who get decent pay, the employers who get a more committed workforce and the government that saves money on credits," Miliband said.
"Twelve councils are now living wage employers and there are a 17 further in the pipeline. These councils are not only paying their staff the living wage, but also requiring the same of their contractors. We want to extend this progress."
Miliband reiterated his support for the living wage to the Guardian this weekend
Miliband, who was speaking on the campaign trail ahead of Thursday's local elections, added: "We are not going to be able to tackle the problem of in-work poverty through the tax credit system alone. It is a about changing the way the labour market works, using the power of government, making work pay and doing it in a way that gives the private sector real incentives."
Labour's policy team will now try to decide which incentives will best encourage employers to introdcue the living wage, which currently sits at £7.45 across the UK and £8.55 for London.
Labour are hoping to gain a significant number of seats in the upcoming election, capitalising on coalition unpopularity across the UK. However, Miliband will be hoping George Galloway is the only man who believes him to be a "unprincipled coward with the backbone of an amoeba".
]]>China Earthquake: Dozens Killed, Hundreds Hurt In Rural Earthquake (PICTURES, VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-20T05:33:07-04:002013-04-20T06:06:24-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
According to state officials the death toll from the quake, which registered a 6.6 rating on the Richter scale, could be set to rise as relief efforts and rescue operations continue in the region.
Sichuan province, in the south-west of the country, was decimated by a similar earth in 2008, which killed thousands of citizens and left millions homeless.
It has been reported that power, water and telephone lines are down across the region, specifically Lushan county.
Aaron Ozment said that he "threw on a some clothes quickly and made my way into the courtyard of my complex," and that "making calls was almost impossible; everybody was trying to contact everybody they knew."
Sky News have reported that a truck carrying 17 soldiers plummeted off a cliff in the region, with one dying and other seriously injured, while a pregnant woman gave birth in a bike shelter just hours after the initial quake.
It has also been reported that some 2,000 Chinese soldiers have been dispatched to Sichuan province, while the country's premier, Li Keqiang, is en route to the province to supervise the rescue efforts.]]>Bali Air Crash: All Passengers Safe After Jet Overshoots Runway, Plunges Into Sea (PHOTOS)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-04-13T06:41:16-04:002013-04-13T15:44:36-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
The plane, owned by the Indonesian airline Lion Air, was attempting to land at the Denpasar airport on Saturday afternoon when it missed the runway. Photographs posted on Twitter show a rescue effort of dinghies rapidly attending to the ditched jet.
The plane can be seen to have split almost in half but remains intact.
This photo, posted by user @fzair on Twitter, shows the jet ditched in the ocean
Sky News have reported that police chief Arif Wahyunadi told local television that all passengers were safely evacuated.
According to the AFP news agency, less than a dozen passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, but it is believed there are no casualties from the crash.
According to the Daily Mail, one airport official said: "We believe all the passengers and crew are safe. They are currently being attended to by medical staff, police and airline officials.
Denpasar airport in Bali
"We will know what happened later but it appears the aircraft overshot the runway. Fortunately it has come down in shallow water."
The exact timeline of events leading up to the crash is still unclear. Bali is one of the world's most popular holiday locations.]]>Justin Bieber's Pet Monkey Detained In Germany After Star 'Sneaks' Animal Through Customstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-03-30T08:00:30-04:002013-03-30T08:36:36-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Far from being a joke Bieber, 19, could face prosecution in Munich for his efforts, according to The Sun.
The capuchin monkey, believed to be a birthday gift for the singer, has been detained in quarantine, which could cost Bieber a fine in the region of £10,000.
One picture of Bieber and his monkey, posted on his Instagram
A source told the newspaper that: “Justin has been acting like a right diva. He is out of control and lives in an alternative reality to the rest of us.
“He didn’t think about the potential risks of flying a monkey from one continent to another.
“He and Mally go everywhere together. He will be heartbroken it has been put in quarantine."
The unidentified source even went on to compare Bieber's relationship with Mally to that between Michael Jackson and his famous chimp companion, Bubbles.
]]>Protests In Cairo After Court Passes 21 Death Sentences To Rioterstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-03-09T08:51:23-05:002013-03-09T09:40:20-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Rival fans have united in protest against the sentences, which were announced live on television on Saturday. 28 defendants were acquitted in involvement in the riots which followed a match between rivals Cairo's Al-Ahly and Port Said's Al-Masry, the home side, while 19 others were given jail sentences.
The BBC report that the Port Said stadium security chief Essam Eddin Samak and nine other defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison for their involvement, six received 10-year sentences, two defendants earned five year sentences, while one received just a 12-month sentence.
A pitch invasion from the home fans instigated clashes between the two groups of fans and police, which caused the death of more than 70 people.
Protests and riots have broken out after the sentences were ratified on Saturday
The tough sentences, announced in January but not passed until Saturday, caused further rioting, including an attempted storming of the prison holding the accused. Eight people were killed that day, including three policemen.
In anticipation of rioting, police have been mobilised in Port Said but according to the BBC, police in 10 of the 29 Egyptian provinces are striking over being used to fight off protestors and rioters by Mohammed Morsi's government.
Protestors have set fires in the city, including at locations such as a police officers club and the Egyptian Soccer Federation.]]>Falkland Islanders Set To Vote To Remain With Britain, But Polls Show Argentina Won't Give Up Claimtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-03-09T05:37:19-05:002013-03-09T08:12:58-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/a ComRes poll for ITV News found six in 10 adults believed the UK should keep all options - including the possibility of military action - open when deciding how to respond to a threat of invasion while just 16% disagreed and 24% did not know.
Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for Sky News has shown that only 15% of Argentinians believe the residents of the Falklands should decide their own fate, compared with 88% of Britons.
David Cameron has refused to engage with Argentina over the sovereignty of the Islands
The Falklanders are expected to overwhelming ballot in favour of remaining part of the UK but tension over which country holds the more valid claim to the Islands will not be ended by the vote, with the YouGov poll showing that one quarter of Argentinians still believe their country will one day own the islands.
A member of the Falklands' Legislative Assembly, Jan Cheek, told Sky News: "Sadly that says a lot about Argentina and their view of democracy. It's a populist theme. We saw it used by the military junta in '82 and it's being used in the same way by Christina Fernandez de Kirchner today."
President Kirchner has campaigned for the Argentinians to reassert their long-held claim to the 'Malvinas' Islands, however moves towards diplomacy are unlikely with Argentina refusing to recognise the views of the Falklanders; last month foreign minister Hector Timerman claimed Falklands Islanders “do not exist”.
Cristina Kirchner's government believe they hold a strong claim to the islands
Timmermann added: "What exists is British citizens who live in the Islas Malvinas. The United Nations does not recognise a third party in the conflict. It says there are just two parts - the UK and Argentina."
Timerman's comments resulted in the Falklands Islands parliament writing to him, claiming "no amount of harassment and intimidation" would change their minds that they do not want to be ruled from Buenos Aires.
Authorities in Port Stanley hope the upcoming vote will send a very clear message to Argentina that residents wish to remain British.
]]>Hugo Chavez Not 'Fighting For His Life', Claims Vice Presidenttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-03-02T05:11:33-05:002013-03-02T06:06:02-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
The country's vice president, Nicolas Maduro, appeared on television on Thursday to discuss the president's condition, before attending a mass at the Caracas Military Hospital, where Chavez is currently receiving treatment.
The president was flown home from Cuba last month, where he had been receiving specialist treatment for his unknown form of cancer.
Leaving the service on Friday, which was also attended by one of Chavez's daughters, Maduro said: "The treatments Commander Chavez is receiving are tough, but he is stronger than them."
Chavez and his vice president, Nicolas Maduro
However, the Venezuelan government have received criticism for the handling of Chavez's health, which resulted in protests on Friday from angered citizens demanding honest discussion of the state of the 58-year-old.
Chavez was reelected in October despite his condition but has yet to be officially inaugurated due to his illness.
The BBC have reported that more than half of the Venezuelan public believe the president will recover from his condition and reclaim office.]]>Libor Fines Must Be Paid By Banks, Not The Taxpayer, George Osborne Tells Bankstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-02-02T07:06:34-05:002013-02-02T08:47:04-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
It is expected that the bank will be fined a much larger amount than Barclays were last year, when they were forced to cough up £300million pounds for their role in the rate-fixing scandal, which cost the jobs of senior staff including Bob Diamond and Marcus Agius.
Sky News also reports that the bank's remuneration committee plan a 'flat tax' on bonus pay packets to cover the fine.
RBS' fine is set to be revealed in the US
As RBS is still majority-owned by the Government after its near collapse at the height of the recession, Osborne has firmly stated that the taxpayer should not in any way fund the fine.
According to the BBC, senior Treasury sources have said that the Chancellor "had made it clear that the financial penalty imposed by American regulators must be covered by deductions from the bonuses of bankers at RBS".
Osborne's plan would see current and future bonuses revoked for staff at RBS in order to pay back any fine levied.
As well as Barclays' £300million fine, multinational bank UBS was fined a gargantuan £940million for its part in fixing the Libor.
]]>Twitter Confirms Hack, Says 250,000 Users May Have Been Compromisedtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-02-02T04:49:08-05:002013-02-02T05:13:48-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
The passwords and personal information such as email addresses of the users could have been found by the hackers, the company wrote in a blog post on its website on Friday.
"This week, we detected unusual access patterns that led to us identifying unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data. We discovered one live attack and were able to shut it down in process moments later," the post read.
"However, our investigation has thus far indicated that the attackers may have had access to limited user information – usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords – for approximately 250,000 users."
The website, which has more than 200 million users worldwide, said it had automatically reset the passwords and contacted the users who had been affected.
Twitter also wrote that they did not believe the attack to be an isolated incident, nor was the hack the work of keen amateurs:
"The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organizations have also been recently similarly attacked. For that reason we felt that it was important to publicize this attack while we still gather information, and we are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the Internet safer for all users," Twitter said.]]>Everything You Need to Know About Super Bowl XLVII but Didn't Care Enough to Asktag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25895482013-02-01T19:00:00-05:002013-04-03T05:12:01-04:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Well, for one thing, the Super Bowl is the single biggest sporting event in the world. A total of 166.8million Americans watched last year, somewhere around 53% of the nation, and the game's such a spectacle that there is a popular movement for Super Bowl Sunday to be a national holiday. Last year's FA Cup final drew 11.1million viewers in the UK last year, a comparatively tiny 17.7% of the country.
The game's international following is picking up too. You'll probably know about the games at Wembley but, such is the game's potential, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he is contemplating planning a London-based NFL team (I think it's a terrible idea, but that's for another day).
Secondly, it's hilariously over-the-top. No country hams things up or believes in its own inherent greatness quite like America. There's far too much pageantry - you get roughly four thousand metric tonnes of fireworks, ludicrous, lavish half-time shows from international superstars (Beyonce this year, hopefully live) and warbly show-offs singing the national anthem. Also the winning team earns the title of World Champions - which hardly makes sense when no other countries can compete.
Thirdly, American football is a deep, complex and tactical game that you can really obsess over while also being relatively simple to follow if you just watch the ball, listen to the commentary and try to gloss over the jargon.
And fourthly, this year's game should be a hell of a lot of fun. There are a number of great stories heading into this game:
The coaches
Angry, shouty John Harbaugh, Baltimore's coach, and angrier, shoutier 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh are brothers - making Super Bowl XLVII quite the family affair. They're the first pair of brothers to be head coaches in the NFL at the same time, let alone the only pair to face each other in the biggest game of them all. You can guarantee there'll be at least a dozen cutaways to their proud dad Jack in the stands, ready to be proud of one son and immensely disappointed in the other.
It's advised that you can refer to this game as either the Harbaugh Bowl or, simply, the HarBowl.
Ray Lewis' last stand
Sunday's will be the last game in the incredible career of Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis. Still going at 37, Lewis has spent 17 years in the NFL, already winning one Super Bowl, and hopes to end his career with another. He's undoubtedly one of the best to ever play his position and one of the all-time great characters in the league, even if he has some shadier aspects to his character.
Lewis announced he planned to retire just before the playoffs, having just come back from a torn triceps that cost him most of this season, and Baltimore have been on a tear ever since, beating Indianapolis, Denver and Super Bowl favourites New England on their way to the Super Bowl.
You either love or you hate him. He has a brilliant/embarrassing introductory dance routine and can hype up his squad like no one else but he comes across to many as preachy, insincere or just plain odd. Also, his now infamous connection to a double homicide in 2000 caused many to lose their respect for him, at least off the field.
Baltimore: A team in transition
This Baltimore team are also a team in transition. The Ravens used to be about their defence, which led them to a Super Bowl in 2000, but many of their great players from that era are either gone or going, including Lewis and legendary safety Ed Reed, who could leave at the end of the season. Both players would leave voids almost impossible to fill, even if their production has dropped off slightly with age.
San Francisco, on the other hand, have had an incredible turnaround in only two seasons under Jim Harbaugh. They won only six of 16 games in 2010 but 24 of 32 over the next two years with Harbaugh in charge. A huge amount of the turnaround has had to do with Harbaugh's staff rather than new players - 15 of the team's 22 starting players were on the team when Harbaugh showed up.
They're led by a ferocious defence, with great players at every spot, and second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick, first seen as a project player when he was drafted out of Nevada, who stepped in as starter when incumbent Alex Smith got concussed and hasn't looked back.
The Super Bowl experience
"Ok, that's great," I hear you all say in unison, "how can I get in on the fun?" I'd advise one of two ways. You can go to a noisy, expensive sports bar, which is basically impossible to find given the game starts shortly before midnight.
Or, much more excitingly, you can sit at home with some chicken wings, nachos, hot dogs or whatever American snack is your favourite, some beer, some confused friends and just try and take in as much as you can. That's what me and the rest of the committed NFL fans in the UK will be doing. That, and shouting at TV as though we know better.
Above all, try and enjoy it. American football's fun, I promise. You just need to give it a chance.]]>Egyptian Football Trial: 22 Killed In Port Said Riots After Football Fans Handed Death Sentencestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-01-26T09:33:34-05:002013-01-26T10:58:24-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/
Following Saturday's sentences, supporters and families of the accused stormed police stations and the prison holding the 21 men, while the families of those killed amongst February riot celebrated the verdict on the streets and at home.
According to Egyptian security officials, most of those killed were involved in assaults on the governor's office, courthouse and prison in the port following the end of the trial.
Fans of the Cairo club celebrate the verdict on Saturday
Violence erupted after two police officers were shot at the Port Said prison, with rioting on the streets leading to the death of at least a further 20 Egyptians, with 200 more injured. The Egyptian army has been deployed to try to take control of the situation.
In February last year, the match between bitter rivals al-Ahly and al-Masry witnessed crowds invading the pitch as the game descended into a chaos. Thousands headed to the exits, resulting in the death of 74 people in the subsequent stampedes.
A total of 73 people, including nine police officers, have been charged over the day's events. Fifty-two have yet to be sentenced.
Sobhi Abdel-Maguiat, the judge who condemned the 21 men to be hanged, is set to announce the remaining sentences on March 9.
Families of the accused say the sentences are too severe
On Friday, five people were reportedly shot dead in the Egyptian city of Suez on Friday during nationwide protests on the second anniversary of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.
In the capital, police dispersed protestors with tear gas as they attempted to penetrate barbed-wire fences around the presidential palace, while government offices were attacked with petrol bombs near Tahrir Square - the place of iconic protests during the uprising of 2011.
Families of those killed at the football riots last February celebrate in court
Morsi, who was democratically elected president of Egypt in June, has been heavily criticised by the nation for his inability to revive the Egyptian economy - the Egyptian pound is at a record low against the dollar - and his attempt to enforce a new Islam-focussed constitution on the country.
According to Reuters, a further 280 civilians and 55 security officials were injured as Egyptians took to the streets to demonstrate against the Islamic Brotherhood-backed government of Mohamed Morsi.
The deaths capped a day of violence in the country, with multiple reports of clashes between police and protestors in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said.
In the capital, police dispersed protestors with tear gas as they attempted to penetrate barbed-wire fences around the presidential palace, while government offices were attacked with petrol bombs near Tahrir Square - the place of iconic protests during the uprising of 2011.
]]>Egypt Revolution Anniversary: Five Dead In Suez As Protests Erupt Nationwide (PICTURES)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-01-26T04:10:16-05:002013-01-26T06:05:00-05:00Charlie Lindlarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-lindlar/ According to Reuters, a further 280 civilians and 55 security officials were injured as Egyptians took to the streets to demonstrate against the Islamic Brotherhood-backed government of Mohamed Morsi.
The deaths capped a day of violence in the country, with multiple reports of clashes between police and protestors in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said.
Protests raged across Egypt in response to the Morsi government
In the capital, police dispersed protestors with tear gas as they attempted to penetrate barbed-wire fences around the presidential palace, while government offices were attacked with petrol bombs near Tahrir Square - the place of iconic protests during the uprising of 2011.
Morsi, who was democratically elected president of Egypt in June, has been heavily criticised by the nation for his inability to revive the Egyptian economy - the Egyptian pound is at a record low against the dollar - and his attempt to enforce a new Islam-focussed constitution on the country.
In response to the judgement, supporters of the defendants have reportedly stormed the prison holding the accused and clashed with police, resulting in a reported eight deaths. The fates the remaining 52 defendants yet to be charged will be revealed in March, the courts have said.
]]>
