Philip Hammond: Germany should put aside legacy of Second World War and help deliver firepower for Nato and the West
- Defence secretary says Europe’s largest economy should do more to assist Nato
- U.S. focusing increasingly on Asia-Pacific region
By Emma Reynolds
|
Germany needs to forget World War Two and help ‘deliver firepower’ for Nato and the West, British defence secretary Philip Hammond has said.
He insisted that Europe’s largest economy had ample scope to increase its military effectiveness and urged the country to ‘pick up the burden’, despite its historic reluctance to deploy and operate overseas.
Mr Hammond said that although Germany had spent only a little less on defence in absolute terms than France and Britain, the amount was much smaller in proportion to its economy.
Scroll down for video
Military men: The defence secretary, left, called on Europe’s largest economy to increase its military effectiveness, following a meeting with his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere, right
Speaking after talks in Berlin with German defence minister Thomas de Maiziere, he said he did not expect the country to spend more on the military during the financial crisis, but insisted improvements could be made.
He said: ‘Due to Germany’s historic reluctance to deploy and operate overseas, I think it is self-evident that there is still huge potential in German defence structures to deliver more usable firepower to the [Nato] alliance,’ he said.
‘[It is about] a willingness to pick up the burdens that go with having a globally important economy… Germany recognising that it can’t continue to be the dominant economy in Europe without also significantly increasing its military capability.’
Europe’s security and defence needs all the help it can get, with the U.S. focusing increasingly on the Asia-Pacific region.
The U.S. has long complained that most European allies, including Germany, fail to spend the two per cent of economic output required by NATO on defence. In Europe, only Britain, France, Greece and Albania meet the target.
But with Germany, Britain and much of Europe focused on reducing public debt, that is unlikely to change any time soon.
Moving forward: Mr Hammond, second from right, attends a wreath laying ceremony to honour German soldiers killed in action as he meets Mr de Maiziere, right, in Berlin today
‘This is not about the budget but about turning the forces it is already paying for into a more deployable, more usable force,’ said Mr Hammond.
He praised the country’s move to a professional army from one based on conscription and its involvement in overseas Nato missions in the Balkans and Afghanistan, where the German contingent is the third largest after U.S. and British forces.
Last year, Germany upset its Nato allies by abstaining from a UN Security Council vote authorising military action in Libya.
The country also remained firmly on the sidelines during an aerial bombing campaign led by France and Britain.
But Mr Hammond called the Libya issue as a ‘minor setback’ on the path to what he saw as a more proactive Germany, which is moving beyond its post-World War Two inhibitions about sending troops overseas.
He said: ‘I detect a determination here that Germany’s role in Nato should continue to normalise… and that it intends to continue to become a more significant player among the nations in protecting our collective security.’
VIDEO: David Cameron met with the NATO Gen Sec this morning to discuss security in Afghanistan
Categories: News Tags: 'Nato, aside, deliver, firepower, Germany, Hammond, Help, LEGACY, Philip, Second, Should, West, World
Deborah and Ariel Levy: Portland couple sues Legacy Heath for ‘wrongful birth’ after daughter is born with Down syndrome
- A prenatal test showed couple’s daughter would be ‘normal and healthy’
- Shocked when blood tests after the birth confirmed the baby had Down’s
- Botched test ‘had taken sample from the mother rather than the foetus’
- Now Ariel and Deborah Levy are suing Legacy Health for $ 3 million
- Say they love their daughter – but have received death threats over the case
By Daily Mail Reporter
|
A couple is suing a health center for ‘wrongful birth’ after a prenatal test intended to pick up whether a foetus has Down syndrome failed – and their daughter was born with the condition.
Ariel and Deborah Levy, from Portland, Oregon, who have two other children, said in a lawsuit they would have aborted their daughter Kalanit – who is now four – if they had known.
They are suing Legacy Health in North Portland, which they claim conducted a botched test, for $ 3 million – the amount they believe they will have to pay over Kalanit’s lifetime for her care.
Happy: Kalanit Levy, pictured with her brothers, was born with Down Syndrome after a botched prenatal test failed to spot the condition. Her parents are now suing for the costs of her extra care
Following a nine-day trial in Portland, jurors are now deliberating over a case that could have far-reaching – and questionable – implications for children born with with conditions such as Down’s.
There are fewer than 10 ‘wrongful birth’ cases in the U.S. every year as prenatal tests are 99.7 per cent accurate – and few parents want to face a legal challenge if they do fail, the Oregonian reported.
Yet experts believe there could be a boom in the lawsuits as women in their late 30s and 40s are increasingly having babies and relying on genetic screenings to signal problems, the paper added.
Civil engineer Ariel and dental hygienist Deborah, who say they love Kalanit and intend to give her the same opportunities they have given their sons, were stunned when hospital staff told them she appeared to have Down’s.
Deborah Levy, 39, told doctors she had taken a test – a chorionic villus sampling, or CVS for short – before the birth and that the results had showed their child would be normal.
‘We were told we had nothing to worry about,’ Ariel Levy told jurors.
Parents: Ariel, left, and Deborah Levy, right, claim they have received death threats for their comments
Sued: The Levys are suing Legacy Health for $ 3 million as they believe staff botched their prenatal test
But days after Kalanit was born, her mother was taking her to the doctor ‘to show her off’ and he delivered the blow – a blood test confirmed the baby had Down’s. ‘It was devastating,’ Mrs Levy said.
The couple’s attorney David K. Miller claimed in the case that Dr. Thomas Jenkins removed tissue in the womb from Mrs Levy, rather than from the baby, when he carried out the procedure at the clinic.
The suit points the blame at the doctor and lab workers who did not realise they were testing maternal tissue, the Oregonian reported.
CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING
Tests carried out before a baby is born to determine whether they have any genetic disorders is called chorionic villus sampling, or CVS for short.
It usually takes place between the 10th and 12th week of a pregnancy,.
The test is not given to every expectant mother, but some factors give rise to it.
It is carried out if a woman has abnormal screen results in the first trimester of her pregnancy, or if there is a family history of genetic disorders or chromosome abnormalities.
Women over the age of 35 are also encouraged to have the test, as there is an increased risk of Down syndrome.
It involves taking tissue from the foetus while in the womb and screening this sample for abnormalities.
It also suggests that two later ultrasounds carried out by Legacy showed traits of the syndrome, yet staff failed to recognise these, and assured Mrs Levy her baby would be born normal and healthy.
Yet the attorneys for the defense claim Jenkins and the staff followed correct procedures. He suggested the problem was that the girl has mosaic Down syndrome.
Whereas most people with the condition have cells containing an extra 21st chromosome, a significant number of Kalanit’s cells did not, Jenkins said. Nearly 31 per cent were normal.
Yet Miller countered that obviously 100 per cent of the cells taken in the CVS test were normal – as they had wrongly been taken from the mother.
He added that tests carried out after Kalanit was born show there is less than one or two per cent normal cells.
Reports have previously quoted the lawsuit as demanding as much as $ 14 million to cover the cost of the young girl’s care.
The couple has already whipped up a frenzy of hate and abuse for their comments over aborting their beloved daughter. Miller said they have received death threats, the Oregonian reported.
The couple met in preschool, attended the same high school and college and married in 2000. Civil engineer Ariel and dental hygienist Deborah, both 39, are orthodox Jewish, according to Facebook.
Their sons are in third grade and kindergarten. The boys, shown hugging their younger sister tightly in photographs, are bright – one has placed in the 99th percentile on standardised tests.
Legal team: Robert Keating (L) said Kalanit has mosaic Down’s, so fewer cells contain the chromosome associated with the syndrome. David Miller (R) said the clinic took tissue from the mother, not the fetus
Decisions: Judge Karin Immergut is presiding over the case, which is being deliberated by a jury on Friday
The third pregnancy, when Mrs Levy was 34, was a ‘surprise’, according to the Oregon paper.
Due to her age, the couple was vigilant about testing, undergoing the CVS at 13 weeks. It is believed one in 250 women at that age give birth to a child with Down syndrome.
Studies suggest that more than 89 per cent of women choose to abort a fetus with Down syndrome.
After their daughter was born with the syndrome, the Levys expressed their fears over her future, including medical and social issues, and whether she would get the required educational support.
Experts have told them she will probably not be able to live on her own or support herself, the Oregonian reported. It is estimated she will live until her mid-50s.
She is able to speak in two-word sentences which only her parents and a few others understand, according to the Oregonian.
Yet the Levys say Karen Gaffney, who has Down syndrome and earned a Portland Community College degree, is a role model for their child.
Categories: News Tags: 'wrongful, Ariel, birth, couple, Deborah, Heath, LEGACY, levy, Portland, sues
A legacy of hope: Mail sponsors Stephen Lawrence’s charity’s drive to help disadvantaged youngsters follow top careers
- Mail will pay for two bursaries to help youngsters enter journalism
- Trust has already awarded nearly 100 architecture bursaries since its set up
- Stephen’s parents welcome Mail support in the case
By David Jones, Stephen Wright and David Wilkes
Last updated at 11:36 PM on 8th January 2012
Legacy: A charitable trust set up in the name of Stephen Lawrence has helped disadvantage youngsters achieve careers in architecture. Now the Mail will provide bursaries to aid youngsters enter journalism
From the appalling murder of Stephen Lawrence, a remarkable legacy of hope has been created in his name.
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust already helps disadvantaged students into careers in architecture, the profession he dreamed of entering.
Now the Daily Mail is to sponsor two bursaries to give youngsters from deprived backgrounds the chance to succeed in journalism.
The new awards come as the trust expands its work into law, finance and media with its 18:18 Campaign, so called as it is launched 18 years after A-level student Stephen was murdered by racist thugs at the age of 18.
Yesterday Stephen’s parents Doreen and Neville welcomed the Mail’s support and, with Press practices currently being scrutinised by the Leveson Inquiry, highlighted the positive power of journalism at its best.
Mr Lawrence said: ‘At a time when some aspects of journalism are being criticised, I know from experience that the media can be a very powerful force for good in the world.
‘Without the support of newspapers – and in particular the Mail – it probably would not have been possible for us to get justice for Stephen, as we did finally last week, no matter how hard we tried.
‘By taking up our case and bringing it to the public’s attention, you helped us to expose the flaws in the police investigation and put them and the authorities under so much pressure that they had to right the wrongs they had done.
‘That is campaigning journalism at its best. We couldn’t have done it on our own because our voices would not have been heard. So it is fitting that the Daily Mail’s name will be linked with Stephen’s through these bursaries.
‘Secondly, newspapers have a vital part to play in helping people to understand and appreciate cultures and traditions other than their own. In that way they can break down barriers and bring people together. That is what I have tried to do in the 18 years since Stephen died.’
Long battle: Neville and Doreen Lawrence after the 1999 Macpherson inquiry. They have both welcomed the Mail’s support in their case
Since it was founded in Stephen’s memory in 1998, the trust has been changing lives for the better by helping those who otherwise might not fulfil their potential.
It has awarded nearly 100 architecture bursaries and so far eight students have gone on to qualify as architects while the others have succeeded in associated areas. Mr Lawrence said: ‘Journalism is one of those careers, like Stephen’s chosen career of architecture, which does not always attract young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
‘Many of these people cannot afford expensive college fees, and believe that it will be difficult for them to make progress in the competitive field of journalism, so they lower their aspirations and go into other types of work.
‘We need to train journalists who come from all walks of life to ensure we have a balanced press that represents every colour and creed in society, and the Daily Mail’s awards will help to ensure that this happens.’ With the recession biting, the trust is receiving fewer grants from public bodies so a major fund-raising drive is under way. Mrs Lawrence said: ‘I am so pleased with the Mail’s decision to sponsor two bursaries in Stephen’s memory.
‘The Daily Mail has consistently supported me and my family in our quest for justice. It is now helping me in continuing with Stephen’s legacy which I hope will be a long and lasting one.
‘With the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust I am determined to combat social injustice and to address the question of under-representation within the professions.
‘The Daily Mail’s support is a ringing endorsement of my hopes and aspirations and I urge others to support the trust.’
Mrs Lawrence refers to the students helped by the trust as ‘Stephens’. She explained the trust’s aims and ethos as ‘watering the seeds of ambition’.
‘We only take on young people who have that drive to make something of their lives,’ she said. ‘Then we work with companies to say, “Look, we will support this person”. We have proved it can be done with architecture.
‘Now it is time to send many more Stephens out into the world.’ She added: ‘To know the lives of others have improved because of my son is so precious. It reassures me that Stephen did not die in vain.
‘Stephen stood for equality, fairness and justice. His name should continue to enrich the lives of young people from all backgrounds with the same qualities.’ The trust – motto ‘Opening doors and opening minds’ – is based at the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, south-east London.
Helping hand: The charitable trust has already given 100 bursaries to people looking to become architects, including Nyamoi Fall Taylor, far left, and Thabiso Molobi, pictured far right
Among those it has helped is Thabiso Molobi, 25, a design engineer, who was brought up by his single mother on a council estate in Hackney, east London, and was given a £1,000 bursary.
He said: ‘My mum is on cloud nine – she always worried there were too many barriers in my way. She’s so very grateful to Doreen for knocking them all down.’
Nyamoi Fall Taylor, 22, who graduated from Kingston University last year and was granted £9,000 between 2008 and 2011, said: ‘The grant allowed me to go on amazing field trips to places like Japan which I could never have afforded alone. But it was the contacts that were even more valuable. I’m in a far better position than I ever would have been without Doreen.’
David Grant, the vocal coach and TV presenter who, with his wife Carrie, is an ambassador for the trust, said: There are other “Stephens” out there, other people who have the dreams, talent and ambition which he was denied by the events of that night 18 years ago. The trust offers them a beacon of opportunity. It tries to ignite a flame which says, “You can” rather “Here are the reasons you cannot”.’
The trust’s managing director Paul Anderson-Walsh said: ‘I’m thrilled that the Daily Mail will sponsor two journalism bursaries for the trust’s beneficiaries. It is great news.
‘The Daily Mail has proved that it doesn’t simply talk the talk, it walks the walk, and this commitment turns the rhetoric of fairness into reality of opportunity for the two young people who will benefit from this initiative.’
Another date will be added to the trust’s calendar this year with the inaugural Stephen Lawrence Criminal Justice Lecture.
Held in association with the Daily Mail, the speakers are Paul Dacre, the Editor of the Daily Mail, Lord Blair of Boughton, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and Baroness Scotland, the former Attorney General.
Soccer star turned pundit Garth Crooks will host the event at the law firm Freshfields’ Northcliffe Auditorium in Fleet Street on February 20, 2012.
The trust already holds its annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture for the Architectural Profession at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Previous keynote speakers have included the Prince of Wales.
Categories: News Tags: careers, charity's, disadvantaged, Drive, follow, Help, hope, Lawrence's, LEGACY, Mail, sponsors, Stephen, youngsters
Blair¿s torture legacy will cost Britain dear
By Daily Mail Comment
Last updated at 12:50 AM on 6th September 2011
The sickeningly cosy relationship between the Tony Blair government and the murderous Gaddafi regime has long been a stain on Britain’s conscience.
As this paper has consistently argued, the former Prime Minister was desperate for oil contracts and, in order to secure them, abandoned any remaining claim to be running an ‘ethical foreign policy’.
But, even given all we already know about the Machiavellian antics of this most slippery politician, the documents being unearthed in the ransacked offices of Gaddafi’s former torturer-in-chief, Musa Kusa, are deeply shocking.
Greased palms: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was desperate to secure lucrative oil contracts with the Gaddafi regime
Indeed, they appear to provide evidence that, for all the carefully-worded denials, Britain’s security services, under Mr Blair, were complicit in the rendition of suspects to face certain torture overseas.
What other conclusion can be drawn from documents detailing how Abdel Hakim Belhaj – today, in a bitter irony, a senior rebel commander – was handed to Kusa’s thugs on the basis of intelligence provided by our security services?
MI6’s Sir Mark Allen (who now works for BP, which secured lucrative oil contracts in Libya ) even apparently wrote to Kusa obsequiously saying that rendering Belhaj was ‘the least we could do for you’.
Now, in a development which would be farcical if it were not so appalling, Belhaj may sue the UK for £1million compensation, thus punishing the Cameron government, which helped to topple Gaddafi, for the crimes of its predecessors.
The Prime Minister must also be wondering how warm his relationship with the new rebel government will be, given the UK’s emerging role in the ill-treatment of one of its senior figures.
Ultimately, the task of establishing the full extent of the Blair government’s complicity in torture rests with Sir Peter Gibson’s inquiry, which must not allow ex-ministers – as Jack Straw attempted yesterday – risibly to claim they were unaware of what MI6 was doing.
But, whatever Sir Peter concludes, one thing is certain: Mr Blair’s degrading relationship with Gaddafi will cost this country dear for years to come.
Yesterday, as MPs returned to work, another £49billion was wiped off shares in London amid news that the service sector had suffered its steepest one-month decline in growth for a decade.
The economy is now heading for the longest downturn in modern history.
Yet the Coalition – and the posturing LibDems in particular – have begun the new term at Westminster bogged down in petty point-scoring over NHS reform, free schools and abortion.
The government will stand or fall on its handling of the financial crisis. Ministers, also distracted by peripheral issues such as phone hacking in recent months, forget this at their peril.
Sleeping on the job: Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer
It’s deeply worrying that since 2009 – when the BBC and liberal establishment began a noisy pro-euthanasia campaign – Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer has quietly taken no action over 31 people suspected of helping another to end their life.
In that period, no one has been charged with such an offence and the suspicion is that a regime of legalised killing has been introduced by the back door, despite Parliament twice refusing to change the 1961 Suicide Act.
Every case has individual factors and must be examined on its merits rather than subject to what appears to be a blanket policy of turning a blind eye.
How a person ends their life defines our humanity. The law on it must be decided by Parliament — not a stitch-up between the chattering classes and an amenable DPP.
Legacy LMR15.1 High Resolution TFT Roof Mount Monitor with IR Transmitter and Wireless Remote Control
- 5 Position Electronic Adjustable Panel
- 16 – 9 Wide Screen
- Full Function OSD Touch Screen
- High Resolution and High Definition Picture capability
- DVD/SVCD/VCD/CD/CDR/CDR/RW Player Built-In ESP (Electronic Shock Protection)
Product Description
TFT Wide Screen Monitor Dual Dome Light Universal Roof Mount Console PAL NTSC Multi-System 45˚ Swivel Screen High Resolution 800 x 600 Two Video Inputs One Audio Input & One Audio Output English OSD Menu Full Function Wireless Remote Control Built-In IR Transmitter for Wireless IR Headphones Power Input: DC12V Dimensions: 13.5-Inch x 11.7-Inch x 1.25-Inch… More >>
Categories: Car Electronics Tags: Control, High, LEGACY, LMR15.1, Monitor, Mount, Remote, Resolution, Roof, Transmitter, Wireless
