Developed and developing nations have agreed that global temperatures should not rise more than 2C above 1900 levels, a G8 summit declaration says.
That is the level above which, the UN says, the Earth’s climate system would become dangerously unstable.
US President Barack Obama said the countries had made important strides in dealing with climate change.
But the G8 failed to persuade developing countries to accept targets of cutting emissions by 50% by 2050. Read the remainder of this entry »
The United States army says it has launched a major offensive against the Taliban in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
The US military says about 4,000 marines as well as 650 Afghan troops are involved, supported by Nato planes.
Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said the operation was different from previous ones because of the “massive size of the force” and its speed.
Officers on the ground said it was the largest marine offensive since Vietnam.
It is the first such operation under President Barack Obama’s presidency.
The operation began when units moved into the Helmand river valley in the early hours of Thursday.
Helicopters and heavy transport vehicles carried out the advance, with Nato planes providing air cover.
Security aim
Southern Afghanistan is considered a Taliban stronghold.
The security forces will build bases to provide security for the local people so that they can carry out every activity with this favourable background, and take their lives forward in peace
Gulab Mangal
Helmand Governor
“Where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces,” said Brig Gen Nicholson in a statement.
At a briefing at the US military’s Camp Leatherneck last week, he told personnel and embedded reporters: “One of the most critical things is to tell people why we’re there, and we are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust.”
The operation would have an initial highly aggressive stage lasting 36 hours, AFP news agency reported.
It aims to improve security ahead of presidential elections on 20 August, allowing voter registration where before there was none, Gen Nicholson said. Read the remainder of this entry »
Make Me White [working title] will look at the increasing pressure among Britain’s Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities to be pale and will ex-amine the booming trade in legal and illegal skin-lightening products.
Rani will also look at the effectiveness and side-effects of the various treatments.
“Anita starts with her own mother’s obsession with light skin,” said the BBC. “She goes undercover to find illegal creams and exposes the use of harmful chemicals in legally available creams.”
The show is being produced in-house in Birmingham and was ordered by BBC1 controller Jay Hunt and Nick Shearman, Knowledge commissioning executive producer in Wales. TX is planned for a 10.35pm slot in the summer.
Jo Ball, who was recently appointed commissioning editor for BBC1 and BBC2 features, will oversee the project.
0