Six In The Morning

10 dead as Hurricane Irene churns up Atlantic

 Winds begin to blast Northeast; storm downs trees, leaves millions without power

NBC, msnbc.com and news services  

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene shut down New York and menaced other cities more accustomed to snowstorms than tropical storms as it steamed up the East Coast, unloading a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia and knocking out power to 2 million homes and businesses. At least 10 people were dead early Sunday.

By early Sunday, the storm had sustained winds of 80 mph, down from 100 mph on Friday. That made it a Category 1, the least threatening on a 1-to-5 scale, and barely stronger than a tropical storm.

Nevertheless, it was still considered highly dangerous, capable of causing ruinous flooding across much of the East Coast with a combination of storm surge, high tides and six inches to a foot of rain.

Goldman Sachs targeted as ‘Jaws’ joins battle over banking crash

Adrift in a sea of lawsuits as shareholders sue for millions, the bank is a soft target for mocking critics

Paul Harris in New York

The Observer, Sunday 28 August 2011

He is known as“Jaws”, the perfect nickname for a lawyer entangled in a lawsuit filed against a massive investment bank that has been dubbed a “vampire squid” by its critics. But Jacob Zamansky, a renowned Wall Street defender of the little guy, with a record of extracting large settlements from giant firms, does not fear the tough reputation of Goldman Sachs.

Indeed, he is happy to be helping on a class-action lawsuit against the bank taken out on behalf of a group of shareholders seeking millions of dollars in damages for alleged illegal behaviour. “Goldman misled these investors. So they came to me,” Zamansky said.

Tripoli runs out of food and fuel



HADEEL AL-SHALCHI TRIPOLI, LIBYA – Aug 28 2011

In a call to the Associated Press, the regime’s spokesperson said Gaddafi was still in Libya.

The rebels, who now control most of Libya, said they are preparing for an assault on Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, his last major bastion, if negotiations with tribal leaders there fail. Rebels deployed in Bin Jawad, a town about 160km east of Sirte, said they are waiting for Nato to bomb Scud missile launchers and possible weapons warehouses there.

Earlier this month, two Scuds were fired from near Sirte, a first in Libya’s six-month-old civil war.

“What we fear most is chemical weapons and the long-range missiles,” said Fadl-Allah Haroun, a rebel commander. Once Nato has cleared the path, rebels will advance toward Sirte, he said.

Anna Hazare: India campaigner ends hunger strike

Indian anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare has ended a high-profile hunger strike in Delhi after 12 days.

The BBC   28 August 2011

He accepted a glass of fruit juice from a five-year-old girl.

His move came a day after MPs expressed support for proposed changes to anti-corruption legislation.

After nearly nine hours of debate, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament the “sense of the House” was behind Anna Hazare’s key demands.

However, an expected vote on the proposals did not take place.

Mr Hazare, 74, had vowed not to stop until a tougher bill was passed, but doctors have warned that his health is deteriorating rapidly.

He has so far lost 7kg (15lbs) in weight and has refused medical advice to be put on an intravenous drip to help him rehydrate.

Secret river discovered under the Amazon

 

Alok Jha

August 28, 2011

THE Amazon basin covers more than 7 million square kilometres in South America and is one of the biggest and most impressive river systems in the world. But it turns out that – until now – we have only known half the story.

Brazilian scientists have found a new river in the basin – around four kilometres underneath the Amazon River. The Rio Hamza, named after the head of the team of researchers who found the groundwater flow, appears to be as long as the Amazon but up to hundreds of times wider.

From Zeros to heroes… the rise and rise of a superband

If you have seen Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, you will know they are the next big thing. As they tour the festivals of Europe, Sarah Morrison meets them in Paris

Sunday, 28 August 2011  

Alexander Ebert’s preoccupation from a young age with founding a community, a “posse”, or a group of his own, has found a harmonious home. The singer has stopped worrying. The 33-year-old Los Angeles musician now finds himself at the helm of the 10-piece musical collective known as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, a 1960s-inspired folk-pop band that is rapidly achieving cult status.

Likened to Arcade Fire and The Polyphonic Spree, Ebert’s ensemble of musical minstrels first made it mainstream in 2009, appearing on David Letterman’s chat show in the US with their aptly titled first album, Up from Below. The free-spirited gang has since headlined festivals across the country, being handpicked earlier this year by the actor Kevin Spacey to perform five shows in London’s Old Vic Tunnels, all of which sold out. On Tuesday they are set to play a sold-out gig at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire. And all this without having yet achieved major conventional chart success.