One of the UK's leading waste and recycling companies has been linked to the growing underground trade in e-waste after campaigners uncovered evidence that broken television sets deposited at the firm's facilities were exported to Africa in contravention of regulations designed to stem the flow of electronic waste to developing countries, the Ecologist can reveal.
Merseyside-based Environment Waste Controls (EWC), whose clients are reported to include ASDA, Tesco, Barclays, the NHS and Network Rail, has admitted that electronic equipment from its amenity sites in South London ended up in West Africa after being exported by a third party company and says it has taken steps to prevent this happening in the future.
Campaigners from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) pinpoint the company in a report outlining Britain's role in the global e-waste trade, due to be published next week. The report details the findings of an 18 month investigation into how UK e-waste, much of it toxic, is ending up abroad where it is frequently processed in primitive conditions, posing a threat to the environment and human health.
A BBC Panorama programme to be broadcast on Monday night also investigates the trade and uncovers further evidence of UK electronics waste making its way to West Africa.
As part of the probe, EIA staff visited civic amenity sites in Merton and Croydon where e-waste collection is run by EWC and were told that some of the electrical waste arriving at the facilities was routinely collected by a separate company who exported it to Nigeria and Ghana.
Investigators were told at the Merton amenity site that at least seven tonnes of TVs were being sold to the third party company each week, at a cost of between £1.50 and £2.00 per set.
Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) Resources Regulations 2006, as long as the e-waste arriving at the sites was tested and found to be properly working its export would be permissible.
However, the EIA hid tracking devices inside television sets which had been disabled beyond repair and left them at the Merton and Croydon sites. Several weeks later, according to the group, GPS signals indicated that one TV had been shipped to Nigeria, ending up near a well known e-waste recycling centre, and one was found to have arrived in Ghana.
The EIA says this evidence demonstrates that proper checks were not always being carried out and that the broken TV sets should, under WEEE regulations, have been be sent for recycling in the UK or another developed country, not shipped to West Africa. The campaigners believe this is not an isolated example and say that intelligence suggests that British e-waste is regularly diverted from local authority sites into the black market.
'When disposing of used electrical goods at civic amenity sites, the public has a right to expect that the equipment will be disposed of in accordance with the law,' the group states.
In a statement to the Ecologist, EWC said that it welcomed the EIA report and acknowledged that e-waste from its facilities had ended up in Africa in contravention of WEEE regulations: 'This is unacceptable and EWC has put in place measures to prevent a reoccurrence of this practice and to undertake a full investigation in cooperation with the regulator and relevant authorities. We have instructed all our sub contractors that no electronic equipment deposited at designated collection facilities operated by EWC should leave the UK until further notice.'
EWC, which runs 49 local authority waste sites as well as handling waste and recycling on behalf of the public and private sector, also told the Ecologist that it has not worked with the third party company involved in exporting the faulty TVs to Africa since October 2010.
E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, with more than one-million tonnes being generated annually according to some estimates. The UN has stated that global production of e-waste now totals at 50 million tonnes, of which only ten per cent is recycled.
E-waste can be hazardous to the environment and people - computer processors contain a mixture of chemicals and cathode ray tubes fitted in many older style TVs can contain lead. These substances are released when e-waste is stripped down in destination countries, often on vast unofficial waste dumps where workers lack protective clothing and health and safety regulations are poor or non-existant.
In recent years the UK authorities have stepped up efforts to combat the illegal trade in e-waste following growing concern about the scale of the activity.
The Environment Agency has a National Intelligence Team and an Environmental Crime Unit working to tackle the issue and has recently brought prosecutions against a number of individuals involved in e-waste trafficking. There are concerns however that funding for the Agency's e-waste work will be slashed as part of current cost-cutting measures.
Earlier this year the Environment Agency's head Paul Leinster said the body had found evidence of e-waste from government departments forming part of illegal exports.
As the Ecologist revealed in December 2010, the e-waste trade has attracted the interest of highly organised criminal gangs who see it as a lucrative and relatively risk-free activity. The EIA says its investigations have established how a complex network of brokers and middlemen are increasingly facilitating the movement of e-waste, making detection even harder for legitimate companies and the authorities.
'E-waste isn't a new problem and it isn't going away. It's time for the government and enforcement agencies to give this issue the resources and attention it warrants,' EIA's Fin Walravens said.
• Track My Trash - Panorama - is broadcast Monday May 16th 8.30pm BBC One
17 May 2011
NATO airstrikes pound Tripoli targets
A security services building and the headquarters of Libya's anti-corruption agency in Tripoli have been set ablaze after being hit by apparent NATO air strikes.
The two buildings on Al-Jumhuriya Avenue are close to the residence of leader Muammar Gaddafi, in an area where two explosions were heard at around 1.30am on Tuesday (1130 GMT).
By 3am firefighters were battling to control flames that were tearing through the two facing buildings, according to an AFP correspondent brought to the area by Libyan authorities.
The head of Libya's Ministry for Inspection and Popular Control, the anti-corruption agency, was at the scene and said that some ministry employees had been injured, but provided no further details.
Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim later said that the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), based in eastern city of Benghazi, had directed NATO to attack the agency in a bid to destroy files related to former regime officials who have joined the rebellion.
"We believe that NATO has been misled to destroy files on their corruption cases," he told reporters.
Three explosions had also been heard earlier in the same area.
Parts of Tripoli have been targeted almost daily by NATO-led strikes carried out since a March 19 UN resolution called for the protection of civilians from Gaddafi's regime.
"NATO seems to be going with the rebel lead, in that no ceasefire agreement will made with Gaddafi, which therefore means continued military action," he said.
The assertion that Gaddafi is authorising the killing of civilians in a crackdown on anti-government rebels has prompted the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek arrest warrants on Monday for the Libyan leader, his son and the country's intelligence chief.
The two buildings on Al-Jumhuriya Avenue are close to the residence of leader Muammar Gaddafi, in an area where two explosions were heard at around 1.30am on Tuesday (1130 GMT).
By 3am firefighters were battling to control flames that were tearing through the two facing buildings, according to an AFP correspondent brought to the area by Libyan authorities.
The head of Libya's Ministry for Inspection and Popular Control, the anti-corruption agency, was at the scene and said that some ministry employees had been injured, but provided no further details.
Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim later said that the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), based in eastern city of Benghazi, had directed NATO to attack the agency in a bid to destroy files related to former regime officials who have joined the rebellion.
"We believe that NATO has been misled to destroy files on their corruption cases," he told reporters.
Three explosions had also been heard earlier in the same area.
Parts of Tripoli have been targeted almost daily by NATO-led strikes carried out since a March 19 UN resolution called for the protection of civilians from Gaddafi's regime.
"NATO seems to be going with the rebel lead, in that no ceasefire agreement will made with Gaddafi, which therefore means continued military action," he said.
The assertion that Gaddafi is authorising the killing of civilians in a crackdown on anti-government rebels has prompted the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek arrest warrants on Monday for the Libyan leader, his son and the country's intelligence chief.
27 March 2011
Congo 0-3 Ghana
0-1 Prince Tagoe
0-2 Dominic Adiyiah
0-3 Sulley Ali Muntari
Starting XI : Richard Kingson, John Paintsil, David Addy/Lee Addy/J. Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah, Anthony Annan, Andre Ayew/Muntari, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Prince Tagoe/Inkoom, Dominic Adiyiah, Kwadwo Asamoah,
Reserves not used:
Ernest Sowah, Lee Addy, Bernard Kumordzi, Derek Boateng
Banana Peel fixture......
Group I is proving to be a three-horse race involving Sudan, Ghana and Congo with the Ghana Black Stars set for a banana peel fixture in Congo this weekend.
Ghana, 2010 World Cup quarterfinalists, lead the group on four points, same as Sudan with Congo a point behind.
Second-placed Sudan are expected to beat visiting Swaziland in Omdurman and could shoot to the top of the table should Congo and Ghana cancel themselves out in the other game in this group.
Congo fought back from a 2-0 reverse in Sudan to beat Swaziland 3-1, while Ghana were held to a scoreless draw in Kumasi by plucky Sudan after they demolished Swaziland 3-0 away from home.
Germany-based striker Francky Sembolo grabbed a brace for Congo in their home win over the Swazis.
Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah has warned that the relatively unknown Congolese will not be pushovers especially at their backyard.
“They should play team work and not individual play. They should not be selfish because they need to get the three points which is the most important thing. The result will be positive if they do all these,” cautioned Appiah.
Ghana trained in Nairobi, Kenya, for this match, but their build-up has been anything but plain sailing.
Chelsea star Michael Essien still won’t pitch with the Black Stars after asking for a break away from international football.
Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari is a major doubt for Sunday’s game as a result of injury, while the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have opened an investigation over claims by AC Milan ace Kevin Prince-Boateng that he is injured.
Star striker Asamoah Gyan has been suspended for this encounter and so a lot of responsibility in front of goal will now fall on on-form striker Prince Tagoe.
Tagoe has netted six goals in as many matches for Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade on loan from German club Hoffenheim.
“We know how crucial this game is for all of us. What is important is we beat Congo to enhance our chances and it doesn’t matter who scores the goals for that to happen,” said Tagoe.
New Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic, who will be making his competitive debut in Brazzaville, has been most impressed with Tagoe, who was played as a midfielder at last year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Goal scoring has remained the bane of the “African Brazilians”.
Ghana, 2010 World Cup quarterfinalists, lead the group on four points, same as Sudan with Congo a point behind.
Second-placed Sudan are expected to beat visiting Swaziland in Omdurman and could shoot to the top of the table should Congo and Ghana cancel themselves out in the other game in this group.
Congo fought back from a 2-0 reverse in Sudan to beat Swaziland 3-1, while Ghana were held to a scoreless draw in Kumasi by plucky Sudan after they demolished Swaziland 3-0 away from home.
Germany-based striker Francky Sembolo grabbed a brace for Congo in their home win over the Swazis.
Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah has warned that the relatively unknown Congolese will not be pushovers especially at their backyard.
“They should play team work and not individual play. They should not be selfish because they need to get the three points which is the most important thing. The result will be positive if they do all these,” cautioned Appiah.
Ghana trained in Nairobi, Kenya, for this match, but their build-up has been anything but plain sailing.
Chelsea star Michael Essien still won’t pitch with the Black Stars after asking for a break away from international football.
Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari is a major doubt for Sunday’s game as a result of injury, while the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have opened an investigation over claims by AC Milan ace Kevin Prince-Boateng that he is injured.
Star striker Asamoah Gyan has been suspended for this encounter and so a lot of responsibility in front of goal will now fall on on-form striker Prince Tagoe.
Tagoe has netted six goals in as many matches for Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade on loan from German club Hoffenheim.
“We know how crucial this game is for all of us. What is important is we beat Congo to enhance our chances and it doesn’t matter who scores the goals for that to happen,” said Tagoe.
New Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic, who will be making his competitive debut in Brazzaville, has been most impressed with Tagoe, who was played as a midfielder at last year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Goal scoring has remained the bane of the “African Brazilians”.
26 March 2011
Black Stars Camp@Kenya
News from the Nairobi camp in preparation for Sunday’s crucial 2012 Nations Cup qualifier at Congo
March 25
* Coach Goran Stevanovic believes his team has peaked for Sunday’s game in Congo
“We are enjoying every bit of our stay in Kenya and our preparations are very sound. We need a good result in Congo and that is our target,” Stevanovic told cafonline.com.
* (BBC) Massive boost for Ghana as Sulley Muntari trains with the Black Stars ahead of Sunday's Group I clash with Congo. Muntari was an injury doubt for the game in Brazzaville
* Black Stars will leave their camping base on Saturday morning. A proposal to play the Harambee Stars was rejected by Kenya coach Zedekiah Otieno.
“We have three more training sessions before we say we are ready for Congo but definitely it is going to be a very tough match,” Ghana FA vice president Fred Pappoe said.
March 24
* Opoku Agyemang cannot make it to camp after ”mysteriously” losing his passport. The Al Ahli player was scheduled to leave Qatar on Thursday morning to join his team mates but was left shocked on how he could have misplaced his travelling document.
March 23
# Only Blackpool custodian Richard Kingston is yet to report to camp. Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari held a light training session but admitted that he was still feeling some pain in his right leg. “I can still feel the pain. I want to see what happens in the next two days. Hopefully I will be involved in Brazzaville.”
* Former Ghana President, H.E. J.J. Rawlings today visited the Black Stars in Nairobi to inspire them. The former Ghanaian leader took time off his schedule in Nairobi to speak to the team as he also wished them good luck against Congo.
* Germany-based pair Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim) and Anthony Annan (Schalke 04) joined the squad and checked in at the Windsor Country and Club Hotel.
* Qatar-based Opoku Agyemang has confirmed he will join the training camp on Thursday. His side, Al Ahli, resisted to release the winger but rescinded their decision after talks with the Ghana FA which threatened to report the club to Fifa. The 21-year-old has been told he can leave for international duty after tonight’s league match against Al Wakra at home.
* Sulley Muntari is still struggling with the calf injury as he did not train with the Black Stars in their full training training session on Wednesday.
“I am feeling some pain. I have to see the team doctor to certify whether I would be able to play or not,” Muntari said. “Even if I don’t play in Congo, it is important to be with the team at this time.” The revelation shows that Muntari has turned a new commitment page with his country after being accused of being unruly.
* Ghanasoccernet -- Almost all the players invited for Ghana’s key match against Congo in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday have arrived in camp in Kenya.
The trio of John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan joined camp on Wednesday morning to make the squad strong.
England-based duo of John Pantsil and Richard Kingson are also in camp as well as youngsters Daniel Opare, Samuel Inkoom and David Addy.
Partizan Belgrade duo of Prince Tagoe and Dominic Adiyiah also arrived from their Serbian base on Tuesday night to give coach Goran Stevanovic hope.
Experienced Derek Boateng, Anthony Annan, Bernard Kumordzi as well as Andre Ayew are all at the Black Stars hotel in Nairobi. Central defenders Isaac Vorsah, Jonathan Mensah are also available for the crucial encounter.
The Black Stars trained fully for the first time on Tuesday night and will train again on Wednesday.
The medical team is expected to continue working on Muntari to ensure that he’s fit for the game.
March 22
* 14 players have arrived. The players include locals Sammy Adjei, Nathaniel Asamoah, Ernest Sowah, and Berekum Chelsea’s Emmanuel Clottey who earned a late call-up as replacement for injured Sulley Muntari. Greece-based Bernard Yao Kumordzi, Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu and Samuel Inkoom .
* Emmanuel Clottey has arrived in Nairobi
* Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari is expected to join the training camp on Wednesday, FA vice-president Fred Pappoe has confirmed.
* Kevin Prince Boateng was ruled out of Sunday’s vital Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo because of injury. This also means that he will not be available when the Black Stars play England on Tuesday in a prestige
March 21
* Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu and Samuel Inkoom were the first to arrive in Nairobi They have checked in at the Windsor Country Club and Hotel situated at the outskirts of Nairobi.
* Greece-based Bernard Yao Kumordzi and four locally-based players flew out of Accra on Monday night.
* Sammy Adjei, Kotoko striker Nathaniel Asamoah and Bechem Chelsea duo Ernest Sowah and Emmanuel Clottey will arrive in Kenya on Tuesday morning.
* Coach Goran Stevanovic and his assistants arrived early this morning
The Black Stars are expected to leave Kenya on Friday for neighboring Congo for the match in Brazzaville on Sunday before playing England on Tuesday in an international friendly.
March 25
* Coach Goran Stevanovic believes his team has peaked for Sunday’s game in Congo
“We are enjoying every bit of our stay in Kenya and our preparations are very sound. We need a good result in Congo and that is our target,” Stevanovic told cafonline.com.
* (BBC) Massive boost for Ghana as Sulley Muntari trains with the Black Stars ahead of Sunday's Group I clash with Congo. Muntari was an injury doubt for the game in Brazzaville
* Black Stars will leave their camping base on Saturday morning. A proposal to play the Harambee Stars was rejected by Kenya coach Zedekiah Otieno.
“We have three more training sessions before we say we are ready for Congo but definitely it is going to be a very tough match,” Ghana FA vice president Fred Pappoe said.
March 24
* Opoku Agyemang cannot make it to camp after ”mysteriously” losing his passport. The Al Ahli player was scheduled to leave Qatar on Thursday morning to join his team mates but was left shocked on how he could have misplaced his travelling document.
March 23
# Only Blackpool custodian Richard Kingston is yet to report to camp. Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari held a light training session but admitted that he was still feeling some pain in his right leg. “I can still feel the pain. I want to see what happens in the next two days. Hopefully I will be involved in Brazzaville.”
* Former Ghana President, H.E. J.J. Rawlings today visited the Black Stars in Nairobi to inspire them. The former Ghanaian leader took time off his schedule in Nairobi to speak to the team as he also wished them good luck against Congo.
* Germany-based pair Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim) and Anthony Annan (Schalke 04) joined the squad and checked in at the Windsor Country and Club Hotel.
* Qatar-based Opoku Agyemang has confirmed he will join the training camp on Thursday. His side, Al Ahli, resisted to release the winger but rescinded their decision after talks with the Ghana FA which threatened to report the club to Fifa. The 21-year-old has been told he can leave for international duty after tonight’s league match against Al Wakra at home.
* Sulley Muntari is still struggling with the calf injury as he did not train with the Black Stars in their full training training session on Wednesday.
“I am feeling some pain. I have to see the team doctor to certify whether I would be able to play or not,” Muntari said. “Even if I don’t play in Congo, it is important to be with the team at this time.” The revelation shows that Muntari has turned a new commitment page with his country after being accused of being unruly.
* Ghanasoccernet -- Almost all the players invited for Ghana’s key match against Congo in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday have arrived in camp in Kenya.
The trio of John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan joined camp on Wednesday morning to make the squad strong.
England-based duo of John Pantsil and Richard Kingson are also in camp as well as youngsters Daniel Opare, Samuel Inkoom and David Addy.
Partizan Belgrade duo of Prince Tagoe and Dominic Adiyiah also arrived from their Serbian base on Tuesday night to give coach Goran Stevanovic hope.
Experienced Derek Boateng, Anthony Annan, Bernard Kumordzi as well as Andre Ayew are all at the Black Stars hotel in Nairobi. Central defenders Isaac Vorsah, Jonathan Mensah are also available for the crucial encounter.
The Black Stars trained fully for the first time on Tuesday night and will train again on Wednesday.
The medical team is expected to continue working on Muntari to ensure that he’s fit for the game.
March 22
* 14 players have arrived. The players include locals Sammy Adjei, Nathaniel Asamoah, Ernest Sowah, and Berekum Chelsea’s Emmanuel Clottey who earned a late call-up as replacement for injured Sulley Muntari. Greece-based Bernard Yao Kumordzi, Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu and Samuel Inkoom .
* Emmanuel Clottey has arrived in Nairobi
* Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari is expected to join the training camp on Wednesday, FA vice-president Fred Pappoe has confirmed.
* Kevin Prince Boateng was ruled out of Sunday’s vital Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo because of injury. This also means that he will not be available when the Black Stars play England on Tuesday in a prestige
March 21
* Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu and Samuel Inkoom were the first to arrive in Nairobi They have checked in at the Windsor Country Club and Hotel situated at the outskirts of Nairobi.
* Greece-based Bernard Yao Kumordzi and four locally-based players flew out of Accra on Monday night.
* Sammy Adjei, Kotoko striker Nathaniel Asamoah and Bechem Chelsea duo Ernest Sowah and Emmanuel Clottey will arrive in Kenya on Tuesday morning.
* Coach Goran Stevanovic and his assistants arrived early this morning
The Black Stars are expected to leave Kenya on Friday for neighboring Congo for the match in Brazzaville on Sunday before playing England on Tuesday in an international friendly.
03 March 2011
Profile: Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi is clinging to power in Libya amid violence and unrest.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is the longest-serving leader in both Africa and the Arab world, having ruled Libya since he toppled King Idris I in a bloodless coup at the age of 27.
Known for his flamboyant dress-sense and gun-toting female body guards, the Libyan leader is also considered a skilled political operator who moved swiftly to bring his country out of diplomatic isolation.
It was in 2003 - after some two decades of pariah status - that Tripoli took responsibility for the bombing of a Pan Am plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, paving the way for the UN to lift sanctions.
Months later, Col Gadaffi's regime abandoned efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, triggering a fuller rapprochement with the West.
That saw him complete a transition from international outcast to an accepted, if unpredictable, leader.
"He's unique in his discourse, in his behaviour, in his practice and in his strategy," says Libya analyst Saad Djebbar.
"But he's a shrewd politician, make no mistake about that. He's a political survivor of the first order."
Bedouin roots
Muammar Gaddafi was born in the desert near Sirte in 1942.
In his youth he was an admirer of Egyptian leader and Arab nationalist Gamal Abdel Nasser, taking part in anti-Israel protests during the Suez crisis in 1956.
Continue reading the main story
He first hatched plans to topple the monarchy at military college, and received further army training in Britain before returning to the Libyan city of Benghazi and launching his coup there on 1 September 1969.
He laid out his political philosophy in the 1970s in his Green Book, which charted a home-grown alternative to both socialism and capitalism, combined with aspects of Islam.
In 1977 he invented a system called the "Jamahiriya" or "state of the masses", in which power is meant to be held by thousands of "peoples' committees".
The Libyan leader's singular approach is not limited to political philosophy.
On foreign trips he sets up camp in a luxury Bedouin tent and is accompanied by armed female bodyguards - said to be considered less easily distracted than their male counterparts.
A tent is also used to receive visitors in Libya, where Col Gaddafi sits through meetings or interviews swishing the air with a horsehair or palm leaf fly-swatter.
Idiosyncratic
Benjamin Barber, an independent political analyst from the US who has met Col Gaddafi several times recently to discuss Libya's future, says the Libyan leader "sees himself very much as an intellectual".
Muammar Gaddafi and Tony Blair - 29 May 2007 Gaddafi hosts fellow heads of state in a Bedouin tent
"As a man he is surprisingly philosophical and reflective in his temperament - for an autocrat,"
"I see him very much as a Berber tribesman, somebody who came out of a culture informed by the desert, by the sand, and in some ways very atypical of modern leadership, and that's given him a certain endurance and persistence."
Col Gaddafi has long tried to exert his influence over the region and beyond.
Early on he sent his army into Chad, where it occupied the Aozou Strip in the north of the country in 1973.
In the 1980s, he hosted training camps for rebel groups from across West Africa, including Tuaregs, who are part of the Berber community.
More recently he has led efforts to mediate with Tuareg rebels in Niger and Mali.
'Mad dog'
The diplomatic community's rejection of Libya centred on Col Gaddafi's backing for a number of militant groups, including the Irish Republican Army and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
US president Ronald Reagan labelled Libya's leader a "mad dog", and the US responded to Libya's alleged involvement in attacks in Europe with airstrikes on Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986.
Col Gaddafi was said to be badly shaken by the bombings, in which his adopted daughter was killed.
Spurned in his efforts to unite the Arab world, from the 1990s Col Gaddafi turned his gaze towards Africa, proposing a "United States" for the continent.
He adopted his dress accordingly, sporting clothes that carried emblems of the African continent or portraits of African leaders.
At the turn of the millennium, with Libya struggling under sanctions, he began to bring his country in from the cold.
In 2003 the turnaround was secured, and five years later Libya reached a final compensation agreement over Lockerbie and other bombings, allowing normal ties with Washington to be restored.
"There will be no more wars, raids, or acts of terrorism," Col Gaddafi said as he celebrated 39 years in power.
Domestic challenges
At home, the Libyan leader presents himself as the spiritual guide of the nation, overseeing what he says is a version of direct democracy.
In practice, critics say, Col Gadaffi has retained absolute, authoritarian control.
Dissent has been ruthlessly crushed and the media remains under strict government control.
Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli - 13 February 2011 Gaddafi's regime is accused of serious human rights abuses
Libya has a law forbidding group activity based on a political ideology opposed to Col Gaddafi's revolution.
The regime has imprisoned hundreds of people for violating the law and sentenced some to death, Human Rights Watch says.
Torture and disappearances have also been reported.
But, aware of his age, Col Gadaffi is now thought to be preparing the ground for a transition.
It is far from clear who might succeed him.
Speculation has focused on one of his sons, Sayf al-Islam Gaddafi, a leading proponent of reform.
Sayf has announced that he is retiring from politics, but opinion is divided about whether this is a tactical move aimed at expanding his popular support.
Meanwhile, Gaddafi senior has promised that most of the country's ministries will be abolished, and their budgets - Libya's considerable oil windfall - will be handed straight to the population.
But though Libya's economy has been opened up to foreign investment, reform is slow.
Many Libyans are confused as to how things are changing and feel they are not benefiting from Libya's wealth, observers say, with public services poor and corruption rife.
"They are very cautious in terms of effecting change in case that would undermine their power," said Saad Djebbar.
"But at the same time they are aware that they should do something. That's why they are very, very slow."
GADDAFI TIMELINE
* 1942: Muammar Gaddafi born near Sirte, Libya
* 1969: Seizes power from King Idris in bloodless coup
* 1973: Declares "cultural revolution", with formation of "people's committees"
* 1977: Declares "people's revolution", creating the Socialist People's Libyan
Arab Jamahiriyah
* 1986: US soldiers targeted in Berlin disco attack, three killed; US bombs Tripoli and Benghazi, killing dozens
* 1988: 270 people killed in bombing of Pan Am jet over Lockerbie
* 1992: UN imposes sanctions to pressure Libya into handing over Lockerbie bombing suspects
* 1999: Lockerbie suspects handed over; UN sanctions suspended
* 2003: Libya takes responsibility for Lockerbie, renounces weapons of mass destruction
* 2008: Libya and US sign compensation deal for bombings by both sides
* 2009: Lockerbie bomber freed
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is the longest-serving leader in both Africa and the Arab world, having ruled Libya since he toppled King Idris I in a bloodless coup at the age of 27.
Known for his flamboyant dress-sense and gun-toting female body guards, the Libyan leader is also considered a skilled political operator who moved swiftly to bring his country out of diplomatic isolation.
It was in 2003 - after some two decades of pariah status - that Tripoli took responsibility for the bombing of a Pan Am plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, paving the way for the UN to lift sanctions.
Months later, Col Gadaffi's regime abandoned efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, triggering a fuller rapprochement with the West.
That saw him complete a transition from international outcast to an accepted, if unpredictable, leader.
"He's unique in his discourse, in his behaviour, in his practice and in his strategy," says Libya analyst Saad Djebbar.
"But he's a shrewd politician, make no mistake about that. He's a political survivor of the first order."
Bedouin roots
Muammar Gaddafi was born in the desert near Sirte in 1942.
In his youth he was an admirer of Egyptian leader and Arab nationalist Gamal Abdel Nasser, taking part in anti-Israel protests during the Suez crisis in 1956.
Continue reading the main story
He first hatched plans to topple the monarchy at military college, and received further army training in Britain before returning to the Libyan city of Benghazi and launching his coup there on 1 September 1969.
He laid out his political philosophy in the 1970s in his Green Book, which charted a home-grown alternative to both socialism and capitalism, combined with aspects of Islam.
In 1977 he invented a system called the "Jamahiriya" or "state of the masses", in which power is meant to be held by thousands of "peoples' committees".
The Libyan leader's singular approach is not limited to political philosophy.
On foreign trips he sets up camp in a luxury Bedouin tent and is accompanied by armed female bodyguards - said to be considered less easily distracted than their male counterparts.
A tent is also used to receive visitors in Libya, where Col Gaddafi sits through meetings or interviews swishing the air with a horsehair or palm leaf fly-swatter.
Idiosyncratic
Benjamin Barber, an independent political analyst from the US who has met Col Gaddafi several times recently to discuss Libya's future, says the Libyan leader "sees himself very much as an intellectual".
Muammar Gaddafi and Tony Blair - 29 May 2007 Gaddafi hosts fellow heads of state in a Bedouin tent
"As a man he is surprisingly philosophical and reflective in his temperament - for an autocrat,"
"I see him very much as a Berber tribesman, somebody who came out of a culture informed by the desert, by the sand, and in some ways very atypical of modern leadership, and that's given him a certain endurance and persistence."
Col Gaddafi has long tried to exert his influence over the region and beyond.
Early on he sent his army into Chad, where it occupied the Aozou Strip in the north of the country in 1973.
In the 1980s, he hosted training camps for rebel groups from across West Africa, including Tuaregs, who are part of the Berber community.
More recently he has led efforts to mediate with Tuareg rebels in Niger and Mali.
'Mad dog'
The diplomatic community's rejection of Libya centred on Col Gaddafi's backing for a number of militant groups, including the Irish Republican Army and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
US president Ronald Reagan labelled Libya's leader a "mad dog", and the US responded to Libya's alleged involvement in attacks in Europe with airstrikes on Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986.
Col Gaddafi was said to be badly shaken by the bombings, in which his adopted daughter was killed.
Spurned in his efforts to unite the Arab world, from the 1990s Col Gaddafi turned his gaze towards Africa, proposing a "United States" for the continent.
He adopted his dress accordingly, sporting clothes that carried emblems of the African continent or portraits of African leaders.
At the turn of the millennium, with Libya struggling under sanctions, he began to bring his country in from the cold.
In 2003 the turnaround was secured, and five years later Libya reached a final compensation agreement over Lockerbie and other bombings, allowing normal ties with Washington to be restored.
"There will be no more wars, raids, or acts of terrorism," Col Gaddafi said as he celebrated 39 years in power.
Domestic challenges
At home, the Libyan leader presents himself as the spiritual guide of the nation, overseeing what he says is a version of direct democracy.
In practice, critics say, Col Gadaffi has retained absolute, authoritarian control.
Dissent has been ruthlessly crushed and the media remains under strict government control.
Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli - 13 February 2011 Gaddafi's regime is accused of serious human rights abuses
Libya has a law forbidding group activity based on a political ideology opposed to Col Gaddafi's revolution.
The regime has imprisoned hundreds of people for violating the law and sentenced some to death, Human Rights Watch says.
Torture and disappearances have also been reported.
But, aware of his age, Col Gadaffi is now thought to be preparing the ground for a transition.
It is far from clear who might succeed him.
Speculation has focused on one of his sons, Sayf al-Islam Gaddafi, a leading proponent of reform.
Sayf has announced that he is retiring from politics, but opinion is divided about whether this is a tactical move aimed at expanding his popular support.
Meanwhile, Gaddafi senior has promised that most of the country's ministries will be abolished, and their budgets - Libya's considerable oil windfall - will be handed straight to the population.
But though Libya's economy has been opened up to foreign investment, reform is slow.
Many Libyans are confused as to how things are changing and feel they are not benefiting from Libya's wealth, observers say, with public services poor and corruption rife.
"They are very cautious in terms of effecting change in case that would undermine their power," said Saad Djebbar.
"But at the same time they are aware that they should do something. That's why they are very, very slow."
GADDAFI TIMELINE
* 1942: Muammar Gaddafi born near Sirte, Libya
* 1969: Seizes power from King Idris in bloodless coup
* 1973: Declares "cultural revolution", with formation of "people's committees"
* 1977: Declares "people's revolution", creating the Socialist People's Libyan
Arab Jamahiriyah
* 1986: US soldiers targeted in Berlin disco attack, three killed; US bombs Tripoli and Benghazi, killing dozens
* 1988: 270 people killed in bombing of Pan Am jet over Lockerbie
* 1992: UN imposes sanctions to pressure Libya into handing over Lockerbie bombing suspects
* 1999: Lockerbie suspects handed over; UN sanctions suspended
* 2003: Libya takes responsibility for Lockerbie, renounces weapons of mass destruction
* 2008: Libya and US sign compensation deal for bombings by both sides
* 2009: Lockerbie bomber freed
01 March 2011
Chelsea vs Man United: The Biggest Match of The Season?
Many will argue that today’s match between Chelsea and Manchester United is the biggest of the season. It’s certainly will have a lot of implications depending on the result. But is it the biggest match of the season? It depends a lot on what Chelsea does today.
A win for Chelsea will keep the race for the Premier League title open, not so much for Chelsea who would then be 12 points behind Manchester United but with a game in hand, but more so for Arsenal which would remain four points behind United with a game in hand, albeit against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
There’s a chance that Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur could go on a run between now and the end of the season to narrow the 10 point and 13 point gap respectively, but at this stage of the season with Manchester United in the form that they’re currently in, I don’t see it happening.
For the sake of competition, and being a neutral fan following the league on a daily basis, the best thing that could happen today is a win for Chelsea to keep the Premier League title race open. A draw will satisfactory to Manchester United. And a win for United would push them seven points clear at the top essentially cementing their Premier League title.
But clubs don’t play for the neutral fan of the Premier League. So whatever happens today at Stamford Bridge will happen on its own merits with two teams who haven’t been themselves this season battling it out for the 90 minutes.
A win for Chelsea will keep the race for the Premier League title open, not so much for Chelsea who would then be 12 points behind Manchester United but with a game in hand, but more so for Arsenal which would remain four points behind United with a game in hand, albeit against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
There’s a chance that Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur could go on a run between now and the end of the season to narrow the 10 point and 13 point gap respectively, but at this stage of the season with Manchester United in the form that they’re currently in, I don’t see it happening.
For the sake of competition, and being a neutral fan following the league on a daily basis, the best thing that could happen today is a win for Chelsea to keep the Premier League title race open. A draw will satisfactory to Manchester United. And a win for United would push them seven points clear at the top essentially cementing their Premier League title.
But clubs don’t play for the neutral fan of the Premier League. So whatever happens today at Stamford Bridge will happen on its own merits with two teams who haven’t been themselves this season battling it out for the 90 minutes.
26 February 2011
GH MTN FBT ON PC (indian web proxy)
just download the india wb proxy @ plunder.com and after juxt put these settings and rock it
try and confirm
Http Proxy host ip: - 127.0.0.1
ssl proxy host ip: - 127.0.0.1
https server_443 ip: -127.0.0.1
https server_8443 ip: - 127.0.0.1
https server_443 port: - 420
https server_8443 port: -421
http proxy port: - 8080
ssl proxy port: - 443
(php) web server ip : mtnplay.com.gh/primary
(php) web server port: - 8080
(php) file full url: - emo.hostingfarms.com/bishop/physics.phtml
Organization proxy host: - 196.201.34.83
Organization proxy port: - 8080
Organization proxy uname & pwd: blank
unable enable encryption
Now open firefox and set http proxy localhost
port 8080
untick enable encription
try and confirm
Http Proxy host ip: - 127.0.0.1
ssl proxy host ip: - 127.0.0.1
https server_443 ip: -127.0.0.1
https server_8443 ip: - 127.0.0.1
https server_443 port: - 420
https server_8443 port: -421
http proxy port: - 8080
ssl proxy port: - 443
(php) web server ip : mtnplay.com.gh/primary
(php) web server port: - 8080
(php) file full url: - emo.hostingfarms.com/bishop/physics.phtml
Organization proxy host: - 196.201.34.83
Organization proxy port: - 8080
Organization proxy uname & pwd: blank
unable enable encryption
Now open firefox and set http proxy localhost
port 8080
untick enable encription
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