questioning the legality of the integrity and accountability committee which
drew up the blacklist
meanwhile the president of the autonomous kurdish north massud barzani left on
friday for washington for talks with obama and top us officials on the elections
and other issues senior aide fuad hussein said
mel gibson eyeing viking epic
los angeles jan afp
after tackling the bible ancient mayans and medieval scotland oscar winner mel
gibson says he is looking forward to another historical epic about the reign of
vikings
the year old actor director who returns to cinemas this month for his first
major role in eight years with the action thriller edge of darkness said
making movie about the norse warriors had been childhood dream
the very first idea that ever had about making film my first thought ever
about being filmmaker was when was years old and wanted to make
viking movie gibson told journalists at press event
gibson who shot the the passion of the christ in aramaic latin and
hebrew before using mayan dialect for apocalypto said his untitled
viking project would probably be made in english and old norse
think it going to be in english an english that would ve been spoken back
then and old norse gibson said going to give it to you real man
want viking to scare you don want viking to say in heavy brooklyn
accent going to die with this sword in my hand don want to hear
that it just pulls the rug out from under you
want to see somebody who ve never seen before speaking low guttural german
who scares the living shit out of you coming up to my house what is that like
what would that have been like
gibson epic braveheart about william wallace rebellion against
english rule won five oscars including best picture and best director
according to reports gibson viking film will star leonardo dicaprio and is
being put together by oscar winning producer graham king
sundance film puts human face on climate change
park city utah jan afp
the devastating impact of global warming on communities worldwide is the subject
of powerful sundance documentary aiming to put human face on climate change
michael nash film climate refugees is compelling look at the
millions of humans displaced by disasters arising from incremental and rapid
ecological changes to the environment and more frequent extreme weather events
such as hurricanses cyclones fires and tornadoes
conference to discuss the subject is to be held on sunday at the sidelines of
the sundance film festival the annual celebration of independent films in utah
which runs until january
three years ago people concerned about global warming were thinking about how
long polar bears would survive said nash whose film is being screened out of
competition at sundance
and the fact is that what happening today is affecting tens of millions of
people all over the world nash told afp
nash film includes interviews with experts political leaders and officials
from international and humanitarian organizations while traveling to all corners
of the globe to explore the phenomenon
countries and regions visited include cyclone prone bangladesh china africa
and the idyllic south pacific island nation of tuvalu which is threatened by
rising sea levels
the film also studies the fate of climate refugees closer to the united
states those left destitute following hurricane katrina
people in america are concerned about the hurricanes or mudslides and fires in
california or tornados but that nothing compared to or million
climate refugees crossing the borders looking for food and water nash
explained
nash participated in last month turbulent international conference on climate
change in copenhagen an experience he described as frustrating after the
failure to agree on treaty that would roll back the threat posed by greenhouse
gases and provide funds for poor vulnerable nations
was at some panels in copenhagen talking about this problem of migrations and
it was frustrating nash said it was almost like trying to solve rubik
cube blindfolded because everybody had his own agenda
nash said the focus of his concern was people already suffering from the effects
of climate change rather than the causes of the problem
it really doesn make any difference what type of shark attacked the woman
that bleeding on the beach he said we need to take care of the bleeding
woman
nash said the millions affected by climate change suffered because there was no
international law that gave protection to environmental or climate refugees
we need to create another organization through the united nations or
completely separate organization that is going to take care of the humanitarian
aspects of our changing climate he said
the united nations is not prepared for this and don believe there is an
organization right now that can handle what coming
when an environmental disaster takes place there should be funds moved
immediately to where those people are taken care of within hours
nash cited the earthquake disaster in haiti as case in point
the earthquake caused the destruction in ha ti but you know those people
have been living the last three years with no food he said
the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in ha ti right now should really
be an embarrassment for humankind
afptv updated advisory
paris jan afp
we will plan to file the following videos
as part of our news coverage on quake hit haiti we are providing the following
videos
france new homeland for haitian orphans
port au prince
group of haitian children who have been adopted by french families are
expected to arrive in paris on friday evening they left the school where they
had sought shelter and are on their way to france aged between one and six
years old they will be met at the airport by their new families
news
images to be transmitted by gmt
raw vid
web mmv
final farewell to haiti fallen already transmitted
port au prince
ten days after haiti was devastated by quake survivors bury their dead while
many bodies still remain under debris communities and families celebrate the
fallen with prayers music and procession
news
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
anxious adoptive parents wait for their son still in haiti already transmitted
port au prince
as result of the quake more and more haitian orphans who have been adopted
already leave their devastated homeland for their new families overseas in
france where orphans were about to arrive on friday night christine and her
husband have all their adoption documents ready to welcome their son two and
half year old mickenson but the court decision required by the french
authorities to repatriate the toddler has been lost under the rubble of haiti
interior ministry building all the couple can do now is wait and hope
news
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv corrected number
other coverage
infamous painting put up for auction new offer
new york
la belle ferronni re painting once thought to be by leonardo da vinci will
be put up for auction by sotheby on january
culture amp lifestyle
images and soundbites to be transmitted by gmt
raw vid
web mmv
rio de janeiro
almost people die on the road in brazil the government has launched
campaign which allows drivers to have no alcohol in their system when driving
there are frequent checkpoints with victims of car accidents on prominent
display
environment
voiced report to be transmitted by gmt
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
we have already filed the following videos
israelis defy police to protest east jerusalem settlements new offer
jerusalem
hundreds of people mostly left wing israeli activists demonstrated against
jewish settlements in east jerusalem on friday in defiance of police efforts to
crack down on the weekly protests
news
images
raw vid
web mmv
gallery puts fakes and forgeries on display
london
the british police have department dedicated to cracking the sophisticated and
potentially lucrative art forgery market their methods along with many
seized works of art are now on display at london victoria and albert
museum included in the show are works created by one of the most diverse art
forgers in history shaun greenhalgh who faked both ancient sculptures and
modern paintings from his garden shed
culture amp lifestyle
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
oil oil everywhere but no petrol at nigeria pumps
lagos
for several weeks nigeria has been facing shortage of petrol strange
situation for country which is one of the world top oil suppliers but
nigeria has no processing industry to speak of and has to import nearly all its
petro needs the situation is leaving drivers frustrated
economy
voiced report
nsv vid
broacast ready vid
web mmv
locals bid to derail france italy rail link
suse italy
work has begun in italy on preparing the ground for new high speed rail link
through the alps aimed at slashing travel times from france but activists are
fighting the project tooth and nail and ganged up to block drilling work on the
future route
economy environment amp nature
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
blood and beauty thimister returns to paris couture catwalk
paris
dutch designer josephus thimister returns to the paris haute couture catwalk
after eight years of absence during which he led fashion houses genny and
charles jourdan his provocative collection called bloodshed and
opulence is awaited as perhaps the hottest show of the upcoming haute couture
week
culture amp lifestyle
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
the complete metropolis homecoming of masterpiece
berlin
berlin is warming up for the triumphant return of one of the country best
known films metropolis following the spectacular discovery in argentina in
of half an hour of footage that was thought to have been lost for ever the
silent expressionist epic is being shown at the berlin film festival on february
in its original state for the first time since its inauspicious release
an exhibition also opened in berlin on thursday showing some of the
groundbreaking techniques used by director fritz lang that still inspire film
makers to this day
culture amp lifestyle
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
fast forward to the future of cars in detroit
the detroit auto show wraps up this week end after rocky two years the car
industry hopes for smoother ride the luxury sector is particularly
optimistic introducing some eye catching models voiced report
economy
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
dense fog wreaks havoc across north india
new delhi
dense fog disrupted road rail and air travel across northern india friday with
dozens of flights from the capital cancelled or delayed the main weather office
for northern india in new delhi predicted little respite in the next couple of
days adding that fog this winter season had been the most dense since
images shot in
news environment amp nature
images
raw vid
web vid
lebanese prime minister meets with french president
paris
lebanese prime minister saad hariri meets with french president nicolas sarkozy
on friday for working lunch the lebanese leader is on his first official
visit to western nation since taking office with the mideast peace process
and bilateral ties topping the agenda
news
images and soundbites
raw vid
can mushrooms save thailand jungle from poachers
khao yai thailand
thailand exotic wildlife is under threat from poachers and loggers but new
project that turns the former criminals into mushroom farmers is aiming to help
everyone conservationists in the country northeast say that growing the
common funghi is proving surprisingly lucrative and they hope that as business
grows more animals and trees will be saved
environment amp nature
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmd
asia markets slide on obama push to curb banks
hong kong
us president barack obama vow to crack down on wall street reckless big
banks sends shockwaves through asian stock markets with the region financial
centres suffering heavy losses hong kong shares dropped percent friday
images shot on of screens displaying share prices hong kong stock
exchange images
economy
images
raw vid
web mmv
afp
afp gmt news advisory
washington jan afp
duty editor michael mathes
tel
haiti hit by new aftershocks
markets slump after obama sets bank limits
obama urges answers from china on google
haiti quake thlead wrap
port au prince
desperate haitian quake survivors brave new aftershocks to get the first major
food hand outs in the capital as rescuers switch from searching for buried
victims to helping the living
words gmt by charles onians graphic picture video
stocks world economy rdlead wrap
washington
global stock markets recoil at us president barack obama pledge to tackle
reckless big banks and on jitters over china economy
words gmt
us china it internet google wrap
aboard air force one
us president barack obama is troubled by cyberattacks on internet giant google
and wants answers from china the white house says
words gmt by stephen collinson
haiti quake
haiti quake transport government scene lead
port au prince
scores of haitians rush to catch free buses to take them out of the earthquake
wrecked capital but some hopes are dashed by the limited choice of routes
words gmt by sophie nicholson
haiti quake homeless scene
port au prince
hundreds of haitians have been camping in the gardens of the prime minister
residence for the past days even though he is not there to receive them
having been forced to move out of the damaged palace
words gmt by jordi zamora
we have also moved haiti quake children trafficking adoption unicef rdlead
filing plans by region
americas
us economy politics bank bernanke newseries wrap
washington
president barack obama voices fresh support for ben bernanke embattled
confirmation to second term as us federal reserve chief as opposition grows in
the senate to the nomination
words gmt
health us politics economy wrap
elyria ohio
president barack obama vows to keep up the fight for health care reform as he
visits the decaying ohio rust belt seeking to show empathy with the heartland
economic woes after shocking republican election
words gmt by stephen collinson
us attacks justice guantanamo year focus
washington
year since president barack obama ordered guantanamo closed the prison
remains intact and some detainees appear set to be locked up indefinitely
but civilian judges still have the final say over their detention analysts say
words gmt by lucile malandain file picture
entertainment us film festival sundance climate
park city utah
the devastating impact of global warming on communities worldwide is the subject
of powerful sundance documentary aiming to put human face on climate change
words gmt by romain raynaldy
middle east
iraq vote thlead wrap
baghdad
us vice president joe biden arrives in iraq on mission aimed at defusing
political crisis after hundreds of candidates allegedly linked to saddam hussein
were barred from march elections
words gmt by arthur macmillan picture
mideast diplomacy us rdlead
ramallah west bank
us envoy george mitchell meets palestinian president mahmud abbas to push middle
east peace efforts despite president barack obama admission that his drive for
deal may have been overambitious
words moved by nasser abu bakr picture
europe
britain iraq military politics inquiry rdlead
london
prime minister gordon brown will appear at britain iraq war inquiry before
this year general election in change of plan its chairman says forcing the
conflict right up the campaign agenda
words gmt by katherine haddon file picture
attacks aviation security us napolitano lead
toledo spain
airports around the world must adopt different security measures or else it will
become easier for terrorists to exploit weaknesses to carry out attacks us
homeland security secretary janet napolitano says
words moved picture
we have also moved india security airline travel ndlead
asia
pakistan us unrest military lead
aboard us military aircraft
us defense secretary robert gates says washington let down pakistan in the past
and vows to restore trust with the vital ally in the fight against al qaeda
words gmt by dan de luce picture
afghanistan unrest ndlead wrap
kabul
afghan president hamid karzai unveils an ambitious western funded plan to offer
money and jobs to tempt taliban fighters to lay down their arms in an effort to
quell crippling insurgency
words moved by waheed massoud
we have also moved afghanistan unrest hekmatyar
belgian opel closure like giving my bread to another man
antwerp belgium jan afp
it disaster was year old auto worker ronny dupon reaction on friday
after general motors announced the closure of its opel plant in antwerp voicing
the feelings of anger and despair sweeping the city
thursday closure announcement sent shockwaves through the factory
workers and their families with the insult compounded by the news that
production would be switched to south korea
that taking my bread and giving it to another man opel worker and trade
unionist erkan taspinar told afp outside the factory in northern belgium where
the gates will shut for good later this year in the biggest auto plant closure
in europe since the start of the economic crisis
it not only the opel workers who are upset at the decision to close the
factory gates years after they first opened
bob maesen year old maintenance worker was repairing cooling machine for
the plant kitchen
it affects us too gm is one client among others but big one he explained
maesen said thursday threw up all the emotions you could name the overall
emotion was we are fucked he said graphically in english
he was one of few workers to be found there on friday due to pre planned
production downtime
with just small huddle of trade unionists turning up the place took on
premature air of the phantom factory it will become before the year is out
can feel the tension growing warned joke dehaere young artist and
bookseller in antwerp city
the decision has shown that everybody is vulnerable even in flanders the
richer northern part of belgium she added
provincial governor cathy berx described the closure as tsunami for antwerp
carine cervetti who has worked at texaco gas station near the auto plant for
four years knows she ll be caught by the waves
many clients who deliver at opel come here for fuel and come in to have
sandwich cigarettes and everything she said people are angry some of them
are sad
meanwhile eu commission chief jose manuel barroso met with kris peeters
minister president of the devolved flanders government to discuss the
situation
barroso understands our situation very well peeters said afterwards adding
that the commission chief promised to ensure that any state aid for opel
wouldn break european rules
an hour north in antwerp the concern was about the tools and machinery which
will be silenced
at its height in the the factory employed workers five times
today total
the final straw came with the announcement that new type of small sports
utility vehicle suv which was to have been built in antwerp would instead be
made in south korea
it not the first time flanders has been hard hit by such closure
in french automaker renault shut down major site at vilvoorde suburb
of brussels
after that the prevailing feeling was that the era of car construction in
belgium was reaching the end of the road
according to the fgtb trade union association jobs are at risk in all
sectors as result of the opel closure during period of already high
unemployment
us envoy meets abbas amid pessimism over mideast peace
ramallah west bank jan afp
us envoy george mitchell met palestinian president mahmud abbas on friday to
push middle east peace efforts despite president barack obama admission that
his drive for deal may have been overambitious
chief palestinian negotiator saeb erakat said the two had in depth talks and
that mitchell conveyed obama continuing commitment to resolving the decades
old conflict during the three hour meeting
but expectations of any breakthrough were low as israel and the palestinians
sparred anew blaming each other for the stalemate
erakat blamed israel for the lack of progress and acknowledged there were
differences between the palestinians and the us administration about restarting
peace talks
the american side wants to resume negotiations now without complete halt to
settlements erakat told reporters
we want to resume negotiations on the basis of defining the borders of the
palestinian state on all palestinian lands occupied since including east
jerusalem and complete halt to all settlement activities erakat said
later statement from prime minister benjamin netanyahu office blamed the
palestinians for putting obstacles to the resumption of peace talks
israel is not making any conditions for the resumption of negotiations the
palestinians are undermining this resumption by making conditions which they had
never made before it said
mitchell did not make any statement after the meeting with abbas which came
day after talks with israeli government officials and visits to syria and
lebanon two countries the envoy said should play key role in achieving
comprehensive middle east peace deal
obama has meanwhile acknowledged the scale of the difficulties
this is as intractable problem as you get the us president said in an
interview published in time magazine latest issue
both the israelis and the palestinians have found that the political
environment the nature of their coalitions or the divisions within their
societies were such that it was very hard for them to start engaging in
meaningful conversation obama said
think it is absolutely true that we didn produce the kind of
breakthrough that we wanted he said adding that if his administration had
anticipated the political problems on both sides we might not have raised
expectations as high
washington had pressed hard for israel to freeze settlement construction which
abbas has demanded ahead of any resumption of talks suspended during israel
war on hamas in the gaza strip last winter
the hawkish israeli prime minister announced in november month moratorium
on construction permits for israeli homes in the west bank outside annexed arab
east jerusalem but the palestinians said this fell far short of their demands
netanyahu on wednesday further complicated the task facing mitchell by laying
down new condition for any peace deal
netanyahu insisted that israel would keep permanent presence in the jordan
valley on the eastern border of the palestinians promised state
the palestinians categorically rejected the suggestion
israel haaretz newspaper on friday quoted senior minister it did not name as
saying the chances for resumption of peace talks were slim
on thursday un chief ban ki moon stressed the need for both sides to resume
negotiations if we do not move forward on the political process soon we risk
sliding backwards
ban also noted with concern that despite israel decision to restrain some
construction in the west bank activity and financial support for expansion are
continuing there and in east jerusalem
settlement construction violates international law and contravenes the roadmap
under which israel is obliged to freeze all settlement activity he said
football ferrara dismisses hiddink link
rome jan afp
defiant juventus coach ciro ferrara on friday blasted speculation linking russia
coach guus hiddink with his job ahead of saturday visit of as roma
the under fire boss is in desperate need of victory not just for his own
future but also to maintain his team hopes of finishing this season in
champions league qualification position
and he reacted angrily when asked about reports in the russian press earlier
this week from hiddink agent that the dutchman had turned down an offer from
juve
have more belief in the words of our president jean claude blanc who has
assured me there has been no such contact he said
it not the first time that agents or coaches have said things certainly
wouldn have refused such an offer
in this type of situation there always someone trying to exploit it to
promote someone else
if it discussed every day then ferrara position must be under threat and
whoever might be coming looks after his own interests sometimes in way that
is not correct
