├── .gitignore ├── LICENSE ├── README.md ├── data ├── en.test.txt ├── en.train.txt ├── en.valid.txt ├── fr.test.txt ├── fr.train.txt └── fr.valid.txt ├── data_util.py ├── dataset ├── newstest2013.en ├── newstest2013.fr ├── newstest2013.ids40000.en ├── newstest2013.ids40000.fr ├── vocab40000.en └── vocab40000.fr ├── main.py ├── model.py ├── models ├── __init__.py ├── model.py ├── rnn.py ├── seq2seq.py ├── seq2seq_attention.py ├── test_model.py └── utils.py └── utils.py /.gitignore: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files 2 | __pycache__/ 3 | *.py[cod] 4 | *$py.class 5 | 6 | # C extensions 7 | *.so 8 | 9 | # Distribution / packaging 10 | .Python 11 | env/ 12 | build/ 13 | develop-eggs/ 14 | dist/ 15 | downloads/ 16 | eggs/ 17 | .eggs/ 18 | lib/ 19 | lib64/ 20 | parts/ 21 | sdist/ 22 | var/ 23 | *.egg-info/ 24 | .installed.cfg 25 | *.egg 26 | 27 | # PyInstaller 28 | # Usually these files are written by a python script from a template 29 | # before PyInstaller builds the exe, so as to inject date/other infos into it. 30 | *.manifest 31 | *.spec 32 | 33 | # Installer logs 34 | pip-log.txt 35 | pip-delete-this-directory.txt 36 | 37 | # Unit test / coverage reports 38 | htmlcov/ 39 | .tox/ 40 | .coverage 41 | .coverage.* 42 | .cache 43 | nosetests.xml 44 | coverage.xml 45 | *,cover 46 | .hypothesis/ 47 | 48 | # Translations 49 | *.mo 50 | *.pot 51 | 52 | # Django stuff: 53 | *.log 54 | local_settings.py 55 | 56 | # Flask stuff: 57 | instance/ 58 | .webassets-cache 59 | 60 | # Scrapy stuff: 61 | .scrapy 62 | 63 | # Sphinx documentation 64 | docs/_build/ 65 | 66 | # PyBuilder 67 | target/ 68 | 69 | # IPython Notebook 70 | .ipynb_checkpoints 71 | 72 | # pyenv 73 | .python-version 74 | 75 | # celery beat schedule file 76 | celerybeat-schedule 77 | 78 | # dotenv 79 | .env 80 | 81 | # virtualenv 82 | venv/ 83 | ENV/ 84 | 85 | # Spyder project settings 86 | .spyderproject 87 | 88 | # Rope project settings 89 | .ropeproject 90 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /LICENSE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | MIT License 2 | 3 | Copyright (c) 2016 Keon Kim 4 | 5 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy 6 | of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal 7 | in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights 8 | to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell 9 | copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is 10 | furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: 11 | 12 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all 13 | copies or substantial portions of the Software. 14 | 15 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR 16 | IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 17 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 18 | AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER 19 | LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, 20 | OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE 21 | SOFTWARE. 22 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Seq2Seq-Tensorflow 2 | Tensorflow implementation of Sequence to Sequence Learning with Neural Networks 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /data/en.test.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Norway's rakfisk: Is this the world's smelliest fish? 2 | Norway's five million people enjoy one of the highest standards of living, not just in Europe, but in the world. 3 | Could the secret of the country's success be connected to the local appetite for some exceedingly smelly fish? 4 | Take a selection of over-ripe cheeses. 5 | Place them in the midst of a pile of dirty, wet soccer kit. 6 | Leave for a week. 7 | Now you have the nose-numbing smell of rakfisk, one of the great Norwegian delicacies. 8 | I am in the small town of Fagernes, about three hours from Oslo. 9 | There is snow, spectacular scenery - and that odour, ever present, hangs in the air. 10 | Rakfisk is trout sprinkled with salt and fermented in water for - depending on how smelly you like your fish - up to a year. 11 | As the dark sets in and the weather turns cold, Norwegians flock to a festival here in Fagernes devoted to this most, well, captivating of foods. 12 | "You eat it raw, and then swallow a glass of aquavit," says Havard Halvarsen, full-time local firefighter but also the so-called "Rakfisk General," in charge of running the festival. 13 | All around us people are eating little cubes of the fish and knocking back quantities of drink. 14 | "Some people like the aquavit more than the rakfisk," says Havard. 15 | The drink can kill the smell. 16 | I try a few pieces. 17 | If you can avoid passing it under your nose, it is not bad - not unlike a slice of sushi that has been on rather a long bus journey. 18 | Rakfisk is a product of very different, poverty-stricken times in Norway when, pre-refrigeration, fish was soaked in airtight barrels of water and salt in autumn. 19 | Then in the depths of winter, well and truly fermented, it is taken out and - no doubt with the senses knocked out by alcohol - eaten. 20 | Only a generation ago, thousands of Norwegians were forced to leave their country in search of work, emigrating mainly to the US. 21 | Now the population is expanding fast - more than 13% are immigrants, attracted by plentiful jobs, high wages and a comprehensive care system. 22 | People from Sweden, the old rival and not so long ago far richer than Norway, stream in to work. 23 | Rakfisk is seen as signifying something important, a vital if rather smelly part of Norway's past. 24 | It is among the more expensive dishes you can buy. 25 | But then everything is expensive - a small glass of beer or a sandwich knock you back £9 ($14) each. 26 | Norway does not often make it on to the global news agenda - and most seem to like it that way. 27 | People here are still loath to mention by name Anders Breivik, the right-wing, racist extremist who gunned down and killed 77 men, women and children last year. 28 | Instead, the shootings are referred to as "the July the 22nd incident." 29 | Norwegians find it very difficult to believe that in their peace-loving country one of their own was capable of such brutality and murder. 30 | The growth since the early 1970s of one of the world's biggest oil and gas industries lies behind much of Norway's present-day wealth. 31 | "But oil is not the only reason we are doing so well," says Anna our waitress, handing round trays of maturing rakfisk and, with her long blond hair and startlingly blue eyes, the image of Nordic well-being. 32 | We are a - how you say - prudent people. 33 | Her English, like that of most people here, is flawless. 34 | We are not very showy, we do not like ostentation. 35 | Norway has handled its oil wealth very carefully - all but a small percentage of money from the industry is invested in a special fund for the benefit of future generations. 36 | When everyone else was throwing around money they did not have, in the years leading up to the global financial crash, Norway kept its purse strings tightly bound. 37 | "As long as we can ski in winter and go hiking in summer we are happy," says Anna. 38 | "And eat rakfisk," she adds with a carefree laugh. 39 | I stand in the snow and queue for something to eat - I have had enough rakfisk. 40 | Now an elk burger is certainly something different and rather succulent to the taste. 41 | But in the evening, it is more of that smelly fish. 42 | The hotel I am staying in is one of a number of venues hosting a rakfisk dinner where guests vote on the best - or perhaps the most nasally challenging - fish. 43 | There is a live TV link up to a compere in a bow tie surrounded by plates of rakfisk. 44 | It is like the Eurovision song contest. 45 | "What score do you have for the best fish up there in the mountains Thor-Juergen?" 46 | "Here are our points, Havard." 47 | There is clapping, laughter. 48 | A man falls off his chair, perhaps overcome with aquavit. 49 | Or maybe it is the fumes from all that fish. 50 | Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto faces tough start 51 | As Mexico's incoming President Enrique Pena Nieto prepares to take office, the BBC's Will Grant looks at the challenges facing him and the mixed expectations of his population. 52 | Traffic in Mexico City is particularly bad at present. 53 | A congested city at the best of times, a ring of steel has been erected since Monday cutting off several key routes into the capital and causing chaos on the roads. 54 | The aim, however, wasn't to stop commuters getting to work but prevent protesters from reaching parliament. 55 | On Saturday, Mexico's new president Enrique Pena Nieto will receive the presidential sash and take over the running of the nation. 56 | He faces a complicated task. 57 | Mexico has been performing well economically under the outgoing administration of Felipe Calderon, but the country is in the grip of a drug war, which has already claimed an estimated 60,000 lives in six years. 58 | "My government has a great commitment to the Mexican people to reduce the violence," Mr Pena Nieto told US President Barack Obama in the Oval Office earlier this week. 59 | I will be proposing a new security strategy which will allow us to achieve that aim. 60 | Before rubbing shoulders with the US president, Mr Pena Nieto's previous political experience was as governor of his home state, the State of Mexico. 61 | A populous, sprawling state surrounding the capital, opinions about the new leader are divided in his old stomping ground. 62 | A straightforward man 63 | In the bucolic town of Valle del Bravo, for example, he is remembered fondly. 64 | Residents credit him with boosting tourism in the resort and building infrastructure. 65 | To reach the town you can drive along one of Mr Pena Nieto's new motorways, a vast improvement on the cracked and bumpy roads it replaced. 66 | Plaques bearing his name also hang outside a modern sports centre and an impressive interactive museum about climate change. 67 | "We are looking to him to bring about real and lasting change," says friend and political ally Gabriel Olvera Hernandez, a state congressman for Mr Pena Nieto's party, the PRI. 68 | Particularly in terms of security and the economy, we're hoping for an interesting and true change which our country so badly needs. 69 | After an unbroken 81 years in power, the PRI was ousted in 2000 by Vicente Fox. 70 | Congressman Olvera admits that after 12 years outside the presidential palace of Los Pinos, there is much expectation within the party about Enrique Pena Nieto. 71 | And he rejects the opposition's characterisation of the new president as lacking substance. 72 | He's a very straightforward man, very committed with an excellent vision of the country. 73 | He's an excellent statesman and, above all, he's someone who knows how to listen. 74 | But on the other side of the state, that is not the impression many people have of their former governor. 75 | In Nezahualcoyotl, also known as Ciudad Neza, the contrast with the cobbled streets of Valle del Bravo couldn't be sharper. 76 | Tucked away under motorway flyovers, it is in many ways a suburb of Mexico City itself. 77 | And the problems in the municipality are also gritty and urban. 78 | Earlier this year, the military was called in to help tackle the drug gangs operating in the neighbourhoods, and violence against women is particularly acute. 79 | On a patch of wasteland by a vast landfill site, the bodies of dozens of murdered women have been dumped over the past two years alone. 80 | More than 1,000 women were killed in Mexico State while Mr Pena Nieto was governor, a rate much higher than in the notoriously violent city of Ciudad Juarez - a place synonymous with the murder of innocent women. 81 | Mr Pena Nieto's critics say, at best, he failed to adequately address the problem of femicide while he was in office. 82 | At worst, they accuse his administration of turning a blind eye. 83 | In a concrete home typical of the rundown neighbourhood, Irinea Buendia struggles to fight back the tears as she shows me photos of her late daughter, Mariana Luna. 84 | According to the official version of events, Mariana committed suicide in 2010. 85 | However her family believes she was murdered by her partner. 86 | "When I arrived at her house it seemed her body had been washed," Senora Buendia recalls. 87 | There were signs she'd been beaten, and rigor mortis had already set in. 88 | As her mother recounts the story, a picture of Mariana looks down from the walls, next to a cross bearing a single word: Justice. 89 | However, that is exactly what the family say they have been denied. 90 | The state authorities have treated me like I'm an old gossip, a trouble-maker, a whiner. 91 | What they want is that one simply accepts what they say and shuts up. 92 | "But that can't be right when there were so many irregularities and omissions," she says. 93 | As President Pena Nieto receives the sash on Saturday, it comes with a heavy responsibility. 94 | Tens of thousands of families have been affected by violent crime in Mexico over the past six years and the new president has promised to make them a priority during his time in office. 95 | "I hope he's the same kind of president as he was a governor," says PRI Congressman Olvera in Valle del Bravo. 96 | That, however, is exactly what victims' families in Ciudad Neza most fear. 97 | Bradley Manning didn't complain about mistreatment, prosecutors contend 98 | Prosecutors try to counter Bradley Manning's claims of abuse in confinement 99 | The hearing focuses on Manning's time in the military brig at Quantico, Virginia 100 | Defense wants case dismissed on grounds that Manning's confinement was harsh 101 | The Army private is accused of stealing thousands of classified documents 102 | Prosecutors tried to establish Friday that Army private Bradley Manning -- charged in the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history -- missed multiple opportunities to complain about the mistreatment he's alleging he suffered in military custody. 103 | While cross-examining Manning at a pre-trial hearing at Ft. Meade, Maryland, prosecutor Maj. Ashden Fein asserted that records of weekly visits Manning had with unit officers during nine months of detention at Quantico, Virginia, show no complaints about his treatment. 104 | The cross-examination -- during a hearing on a defense motion to have Manning's case dismissed on grounds that his confinement has been harsh and has amounted to enough punishment -- came a day after Manning testified that he had considered suicide while in custody. 105 | The Army intelligence analyst, arrested in June 2010, is accused of stealing thousands of classified documents while serving in Iraq. 106 | The material was then published online by WikiLeaks. 107 | WikiLeaks has never confirmed that Manning was the source of its information. 108 | In Friday's hearing, Fein reviewed with Manning the forms that officers filled out after meeting with Manning during his detention at Quantico's brig, where he was held under a heightened confinement status from July 2010 to April 2011. 109 | Officers would ask Manning questions and write down his responses. 110 | When Fein asked about the forms Friday, Manning acknowledged that he rated treatment by his guards as "excellent" and treatment by the facility overall as "very professional." 111 | The forms show no complaints of mistreatment, even though the officers asked Manning directly about his treatment, Fein contended. 112 | Manning responded that he would verbally express concern about issues and that the visiting officers would talk through the concerns and indicate that they would be addressed, but they didn't record the issues. 113 | "They would write down 'no issues' (after discussing the concerns), and it didn't necessarily mean I didn't bring something up," Manning said. 114 | The judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, also asked Manning why he didn't complain about his treatment during a January 2011 meeting with a board examining the suicidal thoughts he expressed in a form months earlier. 115 | Manning replied that his intention during that meeting was to get his "prevention of injury" status downgraded. 116 | The military said they put him on this restrictive status -- a step below suicide watch -- for his protection and the safety of others. 117 | "I wanted staff to know I was fine, and (I wanted to) get off the POI status ... to enjoy an increased quality of life from my viewpoint," Manning said. 118 | Manning testified Thursday about his arrest in Iraq and his transfer to Kuwait, where he was held for nearly two months before being transferred to the brig at Marine Base Quantico in Virginia in July 2010. 119 | He said he contemplated suicide in Kuwait and once passed out there due to the heat. 120 | He said not being allowed to know what was happening to him or in the outside world was distressing. 121 | "My world just shrink to Camp Arafjon, to that cage," Manning said Thursday. 122 | I thought I was going to die in that cage. 123 | Once at Quantico, Manning said, he spend most days in a small cell -- at least 21 hours and often more than 23 hours -- with no company. 124 | Manning said he was allowed only a mattress, blanket, flip-flops, some clothes and his glasses. 125 | He said he tried to keep moving, because sleeping during the day or even lying down was against the rules. 126 | Manning said he always slept with light from outside his cell in his eyes. 127 | If guards could not see his face when he rolled over at night, he said they would wake him to roll back over. 128 | Manning's lawyer filed a formal objection to Manning's treatment in January 2011. 129 | Manning was moved to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in April 2011. 130 | Also Friday, the judge asked Manning about an allegation that he made in Thursday's testimony -- that after being forced to sleep naked one night in his Quantico cell, he was forced to stand naked in front of guards and other inmates during a morning head count. 131 | Manning had testified that he was never given a chance to cover himself with his blanket during the head count. 132 | Under questioning from the judge Friday, Manning said that he inferred from his guard's order that he should drop a blanket that could have covered him, but he acknowledged that no one had ordered him to drop it. 133 | Manning testified Thursday that he was forced to sleep naked the previous night because of his attempt to show an officer that he wasn't a danger to himself. 134 | Manning said that he told the officer that he could have used the waistband of his underwear or his flip-flops to hurt himself but hadn't done so. 135 | That night, Manning testified, his underwear, flip-flops and glasses were removed from his cell. 136 | His lawyers hope the judge will at least take his experiences during confinement into account and sharply reduce his sentence should he be convicted at his court-martial, which is expected to begin early next year. 137 | The defense has said it plans to have Manning plead guilty to lesser offenses and fight other charges as being too extreme. 138 | The hearing is scheduled to resume this weekend, with prosecutors expected to argue that the detention conditions were warranted. 139 | The Pentagon has maintained that Manning was held in accordance with rules governing all maximum-custody detainees at Quantico. 140 | Counts against Manning include aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet, transmitting national defense information and theft of public property or records. 141 | If he's convicted on all counts, he could face a life sentence. 142 | My Mexican-American identity crisis 143 | He says many were forced to leave Mexico because of the lack of opportunities there 144 | Mexicans tend to fault those who left; they remind Mexicans of hard times, he says 145 | Navarrette says Mexican-Americans are caught between two worlds 146 | On a recent trip to Mexico City, I had barely made my way down the concourse and arrived at the immigration processing area when I got stumped. 147 | Signs pointed the way to two lines: one for "Mexicanos" ("Mexicans"), another for "Extranjeros" ("Foreigners.") 148 | I stood there for a few seconds, unsure of where to go. 149 | Growing up in Central California, I had been called a "Mexican" my entire life. 150 | It's ethnic shorthand in the same way that my friends in Boston refer to themselves as "Irish" or my friends in New York describe themselves as "Italian." 151 | Later, I settled on "Mexican-American." 152 | But, this was Mexico. 153 | And, in the homeland of my grandfather, there was no need for shorthand or hyphens. 154 | I was simply an American. 155 | I speak Spanish, good enough to handle either end of an interview in that language. 156 | But I don't have the vocabulary of a native, and I can't shake my American accent. 157 | So I took my U.S. passport and got in the line for Extranjeros. 158 | I thought about that moment this week when Mexican president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto visited the White House to meet with President Obama. 159 | On the agenda, as usual, when the leaders of these two countries meet: immigration, drugs and trade. 160 | Pena Nieto was also eager to talk about the growth of the Mexican economy, which is one reason that Mexicans are now just as likely to stay in Mexico as venture to the United States. 161 | He wants to partner with the United States and Canada, and create a European Union-style trading bloc in North America. 162 | And Pena Nieto vowed to continue Mexico's war against the drug cartels, even though he offered no specifics. 163 | For Mexico, the relationship with the United States is complicated and filled with hard feelings. 164 | Most Americans probably never give a thought to the fact that, in 1848, the United States invaded Mexico and forced its leaders to sign over half their territory at the point of rifle. 165 | But for Mexicans, who think in terms of centuries, not minutes, the reminders are everywhere. 166 | So the minute that a U.S. official says anything the least bit critical of Mexico, you start hearing -- in the Mexican press, and among the elites -- complaints about how the Americans are encroaching upon their neighbor's sovereignty. 167 | And the children of Montezuma go on the warpath. 168 | And yet, for Mexico, the really challenging relationship is with the more than 35 million Mexican-Americans living in the United States. 169 | You want to talk about hard feelings? 170 | There is plenty. 171 | Mexico has winners and losers, people for whom the country provides opportunities and others for whom it doesn't. 172 | The only reason you have so many people of Mexican ancestry living in cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver or San Antonio is because, at some point in our family tree, there was a person, maybe a parent or grandparent, who was shut out from opportunity in Mexico and had to go north. 173 | And more often than not, that person fit a profile -- dark skin, little education, from a poor village, etc. 174 | We're their offspring, and we're loyal to them. 175 | Not Mexico. 176 | And even though we may now be living the American Dream, having gone to good schools and taken good jobs, we can never lose sight of the fact that it's the American Dream we're living, and not the Mexican one. 177 | Our identity might sometimes be fuzzy, but our loyalty is clear. 178 | It's to the United States. 179 | Besides, we're aware that many of the elite Mexicans in the ruling class don't like us. 180 | The feeling is mutual. 181 | They see us as a reminder of a humiliating defeat and look down on us as inferior stock that isn't sufficiently Mexican. 182 | Our Spanish will never be good enough, our ties to Mexico never strong enough. 183 | Our existence is, as they see it, all about failure. 184 | If our families hadn't failed in Mexico, they wouldn't have left. 185 | And we wouldn't now find ourselves trapped behind the silk curtain, living well in the United States but lost souls nonetheless. 186 | My wife, who was born in Guadalajara and came to the United States legally as a child, reminds me that there is friction between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans because Mexicans have a firmer grasp of who they are and Mexican-Americans resent that. 187 | While she's a U.S. citizen, she sees herself as a part of two countries. 188 | Meanwhile, many Mexican-Americans I know don't feel like they're a part of either. 189 | We love listening to the Mexican band, Los Tigres del Norte, but also to Bruce Springsteen. 190 | You get the best of both worlds, but you're rooted in neither. 191 | In Mexico, we're seen as Americans. 192 | And in the United States, we're considered Mexican. 193 | Now, to complicate the relationship even further, as I learned during my trip, some Mexican leaders and parts of the intelligentsia want to reconnect with the Diaspora. 194 | They want to put Mexican-Americans to work as makeshift "ambassadors" for Mexico, representing its interest in the United States. 195 | We would tell our fellow Americans what a great country this is to visit and pressure political leaders to strengthen ties with Mexico. 196 | Yeah. 197 | That's not going to happen. 198 | Too many hard feelings. 199 | And, with income inequality and rampant corruption and drug violence, many of us are not so sure that it is a great country. 200 | I'm afraid you're on your own, amigos. 201 | That's fair. 202 | If at least some Mexicans aren't yet ready to forgive the United States for how it treated Mexico a century and a half ago, then they have to accept the fact that some Mexican-Americans still hold a grudge for how their family members were treated much more recently than that. 203 | Hmmm. 204 | Maybe we're more "Mexican" than I thought. 205 | Old battles, new Middle East 206 | The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could yet be an unlikely foundation for peace 207 | Can there ever be a lasting peace between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East? 208 | Another round of bloodshed suggests that any such hope is vain. 209 | Amid the usual futile arguments over who started it, scores of buildings have been reduced to rubble; more than 140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and six Israelis have been killed; and, for the first time, missiles from Gaza have landed near Tel Aviv, Israel's metropolis, and the holy city of Jerusalem. 210 | But though the Israelis and Palestinians seem stuck in their ancient conflict, all around them the Middle East is changing. 211 | The Arab spring has thrown the pieces up in the air, and, like it or not, the Palestinians and Israelis are caught up in the regional turmoil. 212 | Maybe this will make their struggle bloodier than before. 213 | However, there are reasons for thinking it could just break their lethal stalemate. 214 | A war that is neither lost or won 215 | At first sight, optimism looks very hard to justify now. 216 | Even if the ceasefire agreed on November 21st holds, this week's fighting has strengthened the hawks on both sides. 217 | The leaders of Hamas, the Islamist movement that has ruled Gaza since 2007, will claim to have forced the Israelis to back off, even though Gaza has taken a drubbing. 218 | Despite killing some of its leaders and bottling up Gaza's 1.7m people in one of the most wretched and crowded corners of the planet, Israel has failed to destroy Hamas. 219 | Indeed Hamas is gaining on the West Bank, the other bit of Palestine currently run by its bitter rivals in Fatah, the more moderate Palestinian faction. 220 | Moreover, Hamas's leaders may well conclude that time is on their side. 221 | As Islamists across the Arab world have gained clout, so Hamas has made powerful and rich friends. 222 | Turkey, a resurgent regional power that was once Israel's closest Muslim ally, has taken up Hamas's cause; so has Qatar, one of the richest and most dynamic of the Gulf states. 223 | Jubilant Hamas people say an Islamist crescent is curving around Israel, from Lebanon in the north, where the Hizbullah party-cum-militia holds sway, through Syria, where rebels of an increasingly Islamist bent may topple Bashar Assad, and on down through Jordan, where Hamas's allies are menacing the king. 224 | Above all, on Israel's southern flank, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood under President Muhammad Morsi in Egypt, by far the most populous and pivotal of Arab countries, has changed the region's balance. 225 | Hosni Mubarak, the secular despot who ran Egypt for 30 years until his downfall in 2011, had little time for Hamas. 226 | By contrast, the Brotherhood is a cousin of Hamas, and its leaders are more subject to popular opinion. 227 | In future diplomacy Hamas may emerge as an actor that cannot be shut out even by Israel and America. 228 | Meanwhile, Israel's hardliners will draw the opposite conclusions. 229 | In military terms, Hamas has been put back in its box. 230 | Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system has proved its worth and many of Hamas's missiles have been destroyed. 231 | Israelis will sleep more soundly - for a while. 232 | In diplomatic terms, America is as steadfast as ever; many European countries also blamed Hamas for starting the latest round of violence. 233 | Above all, Israel has prospered, especially under Binyamin Netanyahu, a prime minister who has largely ignored the peace process. 234 | Although rockets from Gaza have killed around 30 Israelis since 2004, Israel has been fairly free of suicide-bombers, thanks in part to the barrier that bites into the West Bank, the main chunk of a would-be Palestinian state, and protects the Jewish settlements that continue to expand despite their illegality in international law. 235 | Mr Netanyahu, whose Likud party has merged with an even more hawkish lot under Avigdor Lieberman in the run-up to an election on January 22nd, is sitting pretty. 236 | Why coddle those twisty Palestinians by giving them a state of their own? 237 | If they really ran the West Bank, would they not fire rockets, just as their compatriots have done in Gaza? 238 | Better to keep them behind that wall and smite them if they raise their heads. 239 | Maybe the hardliners will win out; yet the Arab spring may change their calculations. 240 | Even if the Islamists taking power in Egypt and elsewhere have little love for Israel, their priority will be tackling difficulties at home. 241 | Israel's defence budget is bigger than that of its four Arab neighbours combined. 242 | Starting a war with the local superpower will hardly help the new Arab governments mend their economies. 243 | That the pragmatic Mr Morsi worked with Barack Obama to obtain a ceasefire augurs well - and might just mark the start of something. 244 | Israelis too should look to the longer term. 245 | With the rest of the Arab world becoming more democratic, depriving Palestinians of their right to self-determination is creating a powder keg that is bound one day to explode in the territories occupied by Israel - much as a bus exploded in Tel Aviv this week. 246 | Repression is already undermining democracy in the Jewish state, and demography exacerbates this as the Arab population swells. 247 | Bloody missions against Gaza every few years to knock back Hamas will exact a growing diplomatic toll. 248 | Both sides need prodding by outsiders 249 | The answer remains the one trumpeted by sensible people on both sides, most of the outside world and this newspaper: two states, with Israel ceding territory for security. 250 | The hope - a small one in the short term - is that the ceasefire will give a little more leverage to outsiders pushing that cause. 251 | Egypt, which must now set about stopping the flow of arms into Gaza, along with Turkey and Qatar, is better placed than ever to persuade Hamas to accept the idea of a Jewish state based on the 1967 boundaries with land swaps and a shared Jerusalem. 252 | Arab outsiders should also press Hamas and Fatah to come together. 253 | That would do more to create a Palestinian state than the imminent bid for virtual statehood at the UN. 254 | Mr Obama also has a part in getting Israel to the table. 255 | During his first term, he neglected to present his own plan for peace. 256 | Back in the White House, he is looking just as reluctant to be drawn in. 257 | This is woefully short-sighted. 258 | America has a vital interest in a stable Middle East. 259 | That means a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. 260 | Cigarette plain packaging laws come into force in Australia 261 | Smoking warnings and diseased body parts emblazoned on dull green boxes that are the same for all tobacco brands 262 | Australia's world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging have come into force, replacing brand logos and colours with generic drab olive green coverings, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts and depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents' smoking. 263 | Apart from the varying health warnings and images the only difference between the packs, mandatory from Saturday, are the brand names, and these are all printed in identical small font. 264 | It is the world's most strict regime for the packaging of tobacco. 265 | Australia's federal government says the aim is to deter young people from smoking by stripping the habit of glamour. 266 | It is relying on studies showing that if people have not started smoking by age 26 there is a 99% chance they will never take it up. 267 | "Even from a very early age you can see that kids understand the message that the tobacco company is trying to sell through their branding," said the federal health minister, Tanya Plibersek, citing studies that showed, for example, children linking a crown in a logo with the idea of being a princess. 268 | While Australia has one of the world's lowest smoking rates and the changes will have little impact on multinationals' profits, other countries are considering similar steps. 269 | The tobacco industry lobbied hard against the laws. 270 | Tobacco firms said they would boost black market trade, leading to cheaper, more accessible cigarettes. 271 | "There will be serious unintended consequences from the legislation," said Scott McIntyre of British American Tobacco Australia. 272 | Counterfeiters from China and Indonesia will bring lots more of these products down to sell on the streets of Australia. 273 | Others say the laws have boosted their business. 274 | Sandra Ha of Zico Import Pty Ltd, a small family business, said demand for cigarette cases, silicon covers to mask the unpalatable packages, had shot up from almost nothing two months ago since British American Tobacco, Britain's Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco lost a challenge to the laws in Australia's high court. 275 | Ha said Zico had sold up to 6,000 to wholesale outlets and was awaiting new stock. 276 | This is good business for us. 277 | The potential hitch, experts say, is the popularity of social media with the very demographic the plan is targeting. 278 | After a series of Australian laws banning TV advertising and sports sponsorship and requiring most sellers to hide cigarettes from view, tobacco marketing has moved online. 279 | Australia has banned web advertising by local companies and sites but cannot restrict overseas sites. 280 | "If you are a tobacco marketer and you've only got this small window left to promote your products, online is the compelling place for you to be in," said Becky Freeman, a public health researcher at Sydney University. 281 | Freeman noted an increase in "average Joe" reviews of brands on social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. 282 | We have to ask, is that just a private citizen who really loves Marlboro cigarettes and they've gone to the trouble of making a video, or is there a marketing company involved? 283 | British American Tobacco Australia said the industry was focused on dealing with the new rules rather than marketing. 284 | The industry has gone as far as paying for Ukraine, Honduras and the Dominican Republic to challenge the new rules - the countries are claiming at the World Trade Organisation that trade is being unfairly restricted, despite none of the countries having significant trade with Australia. 285 | A WTO ruling is likely in mid-2013. 286 | Plibersek said the government had held discussions with other countries considering similar laws on packaging. 287 | Canada was the first country to make photograph warnings mandatory in 2001. 288 | They now extend to more than 40 countries including Brazil, Turkey and Ukraine. 289 | Tougher laws are being considered in Britain, New Zealand, South Africa and India. 290 | Many smokers in Australia remain defiant. 291 | The pictures don't affect me. 292 | I just ignore them. 293 | "You just grab a smoke and put it away," said Victor El Hage as he purchased a pack with a photograph of a mouth tumour. 294 | Honestly, there's only one reason I'd stop, and that's my little girl. 295 | James Yu, who runs the King of the Pack tobacconist in central Sydney, said the uniform packaging made it harder to stack his shelves 296 | "It used to take me an hour to unload a delivery, now it takes me four hours," Yu said. 297 | "The government should have just banned them altogether and then we'd go OK, fine, we're done, we'll shut up shop," he said, throwing his hands up in the air. 298 | In a Constantly Plugged-In World, It's Not All Bad to Be Bored 299 | I spent five unexpected hours in an airport this Thanksgiving holiday when our plane had mechanical difficulties and we had to wait for another plane to arrive. 300 | So I had plenty of time to think about the subject of boredom. 301 | I won't lie to you. 302 | Half a day in an airport waiting for a flight is pretty tedious, even with the distractions of books, magazines and iPhones (not to mention duty-free shopping). 303 | But increasingly, some academics and child development experts are coming out in praise of boredom. 304 | It's all right for us - and our children - to be bored on occasion, they say. 305 | It forces the brain to go on interesting tangents, perhaps fostering creativity. 306 | And because most of us are almost consistently plugged into one screen or another these days, we don't experience the benefits of boredom. 307 | So should we embrace boredom? 308 | Yes. 309 | And no. 310 | But I'll get back to that. 311 | First of all, like many people, I assumed that boredom was a relatively recent phenomenon, with the advent of more leisure time. 312 | Not so, says Peter Toohey, a professor of Greek and Roman history at the University of Calgary in Canada and the author of "Boredom: A Lively History" (Yale University Press, 2011). 313 | "Boredom actually has a very long history," he said. 314 | There's Latin graffiti about boredom on the walls of Pompeii dating from the first century. 315 | Then there's the question of how we define boredom. 316 | The trouble is that it has been defined, and discussed, in many different ways, said John D. Eastwood, an associate professor of psychology at York University in Ontario, Canada. 317 | After looking over the research literature and putting the idea in front of a focus group of about 100 people, Professor Eastwood and his colleagues defined boredom as an experience of "wanting to, but being unable to engage in satisfying activity." 318 | What separates boredom from apathy, he said, is that the person is not engaged but wants to be. 319 | With apathy, he said, there is no urge to do something. 320 | The core experience of boredom, he said, is "disruption of the attention process, associated with a low mood and a sense that time is passing slowly." 321 | Boredom can sound an awful lot like depression. 322 | But Professor Eastwood said that while they can be related, people who are bored tend to see the problem as the environment or the world, while people who are depressed see the problem as themselves. 323 | Sometimes we think we're bored when we just have difficulty concentrating. 324 | In their study, "The Unengaged Mind: Defining Boredom in Terms of Attention," which appeared in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science in September, Professor Eastwood and his colleagues pointed to an earlier experiment in which participants listened to a tape of a person reading a magazine article. 325 | Some groups heard a loud and unrelated television program in the next room, others heard it at a low level so it was barely noticeable, while the third group didn't hear the soundtrack at all. 326 | The ones who heard the low-level TV reported more boredom than the other two groups - they had difficulty concentrating but were not sure why, and attributed that difficulty to boredom. 327 | When you're trying to focus on a difficult or engaging task, disruption of attention can lead to boredom, said Mark J. Fenske, an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Guelph in Ontario and one of the authors of the study. 328 | On the other hand, when you're doing something dull, "such as looking for bad widgets on a factory line, distracting music can help you not be bored." 329 | In fact, he said, we now know that squirming and doodling, often seen as a sign of boredom, can actually help combat it by keeping people more physically alert. 330 | "Research shows that kids who are allowed to fidget learn more and retain more information than those who are forced to sit still," Professor Fenske said. 331 | We all experience boredom at some points - my flight delay, a droning speaker, a particularly tedious movie. 332 | But some individuals are more likely to be bored than others. 333 | To help measure this, researchers developed a "Boredom Proneness Scale" in the 1980s. 334 | The scale includes questions like, "Many things I have to do are repetitive and monotonous," and "I have so many interests, I don't have time to do everything." 335 | Using such scales, researchers have discovered that boys tend to be bored more often than girls, said Stephen Vodanovich, a professor of psychology at the University of West Florida, especially when it comes needing more, and a variety of, external stimulation. 336 | But in general, teenagers are a pretty jaded lot. 337 | In 1991, Reed Larson, a professor of human and community development at the University of Illinois, conducted an experiment in which he contacted almost 400 teenagers and their parents seven to eight times a day by beeper. 338 | He found that 32 percent of adolescents said they were bored in school and doing homework, while 23 percent said they were bored when they weren't in school. 339 | On the other hand, 3 percent of parents said they were bored. 340 | Professor Larson said he did not know whether the boredom percentages now, 21 years later, would be higher or lower. 341 | But he said he did know that "adolescence is a peak period for boredom," largely because children and teenagers are not given a lot of control over what they want to do. 342 | So back to my original question: Is boredom good for you? 343 | Sometimes no, because in its extreme it can lead people to take absurd physical risks, gamble or indulge in substance abuse as a way to ease it, research shows. 344 | On the other hand, many philosophers and writers discuss the connection between boredom and creativity, said Professor Vodanovich, who has been studying the issue for more than two decades. 345 | "Boredom is the brain's way to tell you you should be doing something else," said Gary Marcus, a professor of psychology at N.Y.U. 346 | But the brain doesn't always know the most appropriate thing to do. 347 | If you're bored and use that energy to play guitar and cook, it will make you happy. 348 | But if you watch TV, it may make you happy in the short term, but not in the long term. 349 | So if your child is bored and you give him an iPad, he may not be bored anymore, but he hasn't learned how to entertain himself, or self regulate, Professor Fenske said. 350 | And "that self-regulation transfers from one situation to other," he said. 351 | Your kid doesn't just learn to entertain himself, but gets more self-control in other areas. 352 | I don't think we really want to celebrate boredom. 353 | Nor should we be too critical of it. 354 | Rather, our goal should be to feel comfortable away from the constant chatter of activity and technology. 355 | Professor Eastwood agreed. 356 | "We frame it as we need to be bored more, but boredom is an agonizing, restless desire to be connected with something meaningful," he said. 357 | What people are really searching for, he said, is a way to unplug and enjoy down time. 358 | "In an environment where we are constantly overstimulated," he said, "it's hard to find ways to engage when the noise shuts down." 359 | In Colorado, No Playbook for New Marijuana Law 360 | Anthony Orozco, 19, a community college student and soccer player in southeastern Colorado, is facing criminal charges for something that will soon be legal across this state: the possession of a few nuggets of marijuana and a pipe he used to smoke it. 361 | Mr. Orozco said that one day in September he and a few friends were driving in Lamar, on the plains near the Kansas border, when they were pulled over. 362 | After the police officer found marijuana in the car, Mr. Orozco was issued a summons for possession and drug paraphernalia - petty offenses that each carry a $100 fine - and given a court date. 363 | "We get treated like criminals," Mr. Orozco said. 364 | But is he one? 365 | In the uncertain weeks after Colorado's vote to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, the answer in hundreds of minor drug cases depends less on the law than on location. 366 | Hundreds of misdemeanor marijuana cases are already being dropped here and in Washington State, which approved a similar measure. 367 | Police departments have stopped charging adults 21 years and older for small-scale possession that will be legally sanctioned once the laws take effect in the coming weeks. 368 | But prosecutors in more conservative precincts in Colorado have vowed to press ahead with existing marijuana cases and are still citing people for possession. 369 | At the same time, several towns from the Denver suburbs to the Western mountains are voting to block new, state-licensed retail marijuana shops from opening in their communities. 370 | "This thing is evolving so quickly that I don't know what's going to happen next," said Daniel J. Oates, the police chief in Aurora, just east of Denver. 371 | Regulators in Washington State are also scratching their heads. 372 | And they are looking for guidance on how to set up a system of licenses for production, manufacturing, distribution and sales - all by a deadline of Dec. 1, 2013. 373 | They say that Colorado, for better or worse, is ahead of most states in regulating marijuana, first for medical use and now recreationally. 374 | "Colorado has a more regulated market, so they will be a good guide," said Brian E. Smith, a spokesman for the Washington State Liquor Control Board. 375 | But no place or system, Mr. Smith conceded, can do more than suggest what might work. 376 | "There's no real precedent for us to follow," he said. 377 | Washington's law, called I-502, takes effect on Dec. 6, which also leaves a year of limbo during which the state licensing system will not yet exist, but legalized possession will. 378 | And there are thorny mechanical questions that must be resolved during that time, like how to balance the state's mandate of "adequate access" to licensed marijuana with its prohibitions on cannabis businesses within 1,000 feet of a school, park, playground or child care center. 379 | "Nowhere will it be more difficult to site a licensed cannabis business than in urban areas, particularly in the Seattle metropolitan area," said Ben Livingston, a spokesman for the Center for Legal Cannabis, a recently formed research group. 380 | On Nov. 21, Chief Oates in Aurora sent his officers an e-mail announcing that the city attorney would no longer be prosecuting small marijuana violations for anyone 21 years or older, and that the police would stop charging people for those crimes "effective immediately." 381 | Chief Oates said that the police would enforce city codes regulating medical marijuana growers, and that they would still pursue drug traffickers and dealers. 382 | In northern Colorado's Weld County, the district attorney, Ken Buck, represents a stricter view. 383 | After the vote, he said his office would continue pursuing marijuana possession cases, mostly as a way to press users into getting treatment. 384 | Right now, 119 people face charges of possessing two ounces or less of marijuana, though many are facing other charges. 385 | "Our office has an obligation to prosecute offenses that were crimes at the time they occurred," Mr. Buck said in a statement. 386 | The response has been complicated even in places like rural Mesa County, where voters rejected the marijuana initiative. 387 | The police in Grand Junction, the county's largest city, are no longer citing adults for possession of small amounts. 388 | The county's district attorney, Pete Hautzinger, supported that decision, but also decided not to dismiss all of the pending possession cases. 389 | "I do not think I'm wasting my time continuing to enforce the law until it changes," he said. 390 | Although 55 percent of Colorado voters supported the measure, bringing recreational marijuana into the folds of government and the legal system was never going to be simple. 391 | And the contradictory reactions across the state lay bare a deep ambivalence among local officials about the state's big green experiment. 392 | "It's a cultural barrier" with district attorneys, said Sean McAllister, a Denver lawyer who represents marijuana defendants and is a local spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. 393 | "They spent so much of their lives prosecuting people that they still don't really accept that this is legal," he said. 394 | As the first states to treat small amounts of marijuana like alcohol, Colorado and Washington are poised to become national test cases for drug legalization. 395 | As advocates and state officials plan for a new frontier of legalized sales, they are also anxiously awaiting direction from the federal government, which still plans to treat the sale and cultivation of marijuana as federal crimes. 396 | Advocates for legalized marijuana are hoping the Justice Department yields. 397 | Despite some high-profile arrests of medical marijuana patients and sellers, the federal government has mostly allowed medical marijuana businesses to operate in Colorado, Washington and 16 other states. 398 | While drug agents will probably not beat down doors to seize a small bag of the drug, they are likely to balk at allowing the state-regulated recreational marijuana shops allowed under the new laws, said Kevin A. Sabet, a former drug policy adviser in the Obama administration. 399 | Several cities in Colorado are not waiting for federal authorities to act. 400 | Even before Election Day, some local governments approved moratoriums on any new marijuana shops, even though it will be about a year before any can open. 401 | Last week, the western city of Montrose took up a six-month ban, and is likely to pass it next week. 402 | "We don't want to be put in a position where we license somebody and then have a big federal issue," said Bob Nicholson, a City Council member. 403 | Our community voted against this amendment. 404 | We're looking at what the community voted for versus what the state voted for. 405 | There's an awful lot of questions. 406 | Petronella Wyatt: I was bullied out of Oxford for being a Tory 407 | It is not just today's university students who are attacked for their views 408 | I can't remember a time when I didn't dream of winning a place at Oxford University. 409 | Both my father and my elder brother had been at what I imagined was the world's greatest seat of learning, a modern-day wine-blushed Greek symposium encouraging the dual pillars of civilisation, free thinking and tolerance. 410 | Yet, within two weeks of taking up my place at Worcester College in the late Eighties to read history, I'd packed my bags, precipitating the first scandal of my life. 411 | My father broke down and cried. 412 | Friends were baffled. 413 | The Evening Standard diary claimed I'd quit because I objected to fellow undergraduates having sex in the room next to mine. 414 | The writer A N Wilson announced waggishly that I'd departed because I was forced to drink out of chipped mugs. 415 | The truth was less droll. 416 | I ran away. 417 | Yes, ran, because I had been subject to systematic bullying and intimidation. 418 | Not on account of my rather outré name, or the fact that I came from a private school. 419 | I was persecuted for one reason only, and in this cradle of supposed enlightenment it was both bigoted and barbaric: my father, the late Woodrow Wyatt, was a high-profile adviser to Margaret Thatcher and I was a Conservative supporter. 420 | Why bring this up now, you might ask. 421 | Well, recent reports suggest that a new generation of Right-of-centre students are suffering a similar persecution. 422 | Such is the institutionalised and increasing hatred of Tory students at Oxford that last week a group of them demanded the same equal-rights protection as gays, disabled people and ethnic minorities. 423 | Conservative members of Corpus Christi College's junior common room (JCR) claim they are "often actively isolated, personally attacked and made to feel unwelcome" because of their political views. 424 | They want to create a post on the college's equal opportunities committee to ensure that their opinions can be aired freely. 425 | Their situation wasn't helped by a recent BBC Two documentary, Wonderland: Young, Bright and on the Right, about student politics, which portrayed Tories as oddballs and neo-Nazis. 426 | It featured graduate Joe Cooke, former president of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA), travelling in a Rolls-Royce, sporting a silver suit and silver-topped cane. 427 | At other universities, Conservative students say they are being treated as "scapegoats" for the introduction of higher tuition fees." 428 | Luke Black, 20, vice-president of Nottingham University Conservative Association, told a Sunday newspaper that "there is a growing Left-wing bias at universities. 429 | People assume we are like the Bullingdon Club without meeting us." 430 | Samuel Roberts, 21, a history student at Corpus Christi, who proposed the motion for greater protection, says such a climate is "uncomfortable," while Stephanie Cherill, 19, president elect of OUCA, says there has been a deterioration in the attitude of JCR members towards people who are Right of centre. 431 | "This poses a threat to the atmosphere of intellectual discussion, as well as to the welfare of members," she says. 432 | I was in a minority of one during my first few weeks at Oxford. 433 | I had gone up in September 1986, a cripplingly shy 18-year-old. 434 | Hatred of the Conservative Party was at its most febrile. 435 | The year before, the university had voted to refuse Margaret Thatcher - a former student - an honorary degree, because of cuts in higher education funding. 436 | The atmosphere would have made a Stalinist shudder with apprehension. 437 | During the first few days of freshers" week, when new students socialise with each other and the dons, I had a taste of the wormwood that was to come. 438 | I was to find that the dons not only connived in the taunting of Tory undergraduates but took part with relish. 439 | The politics of the miners" strike, privatisation and the government's opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa were brought into the wood-panelled rooms of the tutorial. 440 | My first one involved translating 18th-century French texts into English, and I was unprepared for what followed. 441 | "Miss Wyatt," said the don, Harry Pitt (now deceased), "please translate the first paragraph." 442 | I stumbled over it. 443 | A small man with a face like cake batter, Pitt was big on bile. 444 | "Do Thatcherites refuse to learn French or are they just stupid?" he demanded. 445 | The other undergraduates giggled. 446 | Tears pricked the back of my eyes. 447 | "I suggest you take some basic French lessons in your spare time - that is, if you're not too busy socialising," Pitt snarled. 448 | I walked back to my rooms a disconsolate figure. 449 | At dinner in college that evening I sat by myself; then I felt a light tap on my shoulder. 450 | It was a second-year English student named James who introduced himself as a member of the OUCA. 451 | "I know who you are," he said kindly. 452 | I'm afraid it's like that. 453 | Anyone suspected of being a Tory is picked on. 454 | It's bad enough for me, but they know your father is close to Margaret Thatcher, so it will be worse for you. 455 | Most Tory freshers pretend they're Labour. 456 | Later, at a local pub, I cravenly attempted to dissimulate. 457 | I insisted that I didn't agree with everything Mrs Thatcher said. 458 | This ploy proved unsuccessful. 459 | A first year PPE student, who, ironically, had been to Eton, said: "You're the daughter of a fascist pig." 460 | You're contaminated. 461 | Other students took up the refrain. 462 | I was perverted, dirty. 463 | "How do Tories have sex?" one asked. 464 | They beat each other, don't they? 465 | I felt the way homosexuals must have felt before the liberal legislation of the Sixties. 466 | Would I ever be able to lead a normal life at Oxford? 467 | Would I be forced to meet like-minded people only after dark? 468 | Would I have to turn to Labour and suppress my natural inclinations? 469 | The three years before me stretched out as a purgatory of ostracism and isolation. 470 | The only openly Tory don was Norman Stone, Professor of Modern History, who was based at my college. 471 | He was hated for being not only a Conservative but a foreign policy adviser to Thatcher and one of her speech writers. 472 | He was hardly ever there. 473 | He loathed the place as provincial and petty, and for its adherence to the Marxist-determinist view of history. 474 | In 1997 he took up a professorship at the University of Bilkent, in Ankara, Turkey. 475 | "You won't be happy here," he told me. 476 | I began commuting from Oxford to my parents" house in London, finding refuge with my more open-minded metropolitan friends and family. 477 | I told my father I hated Oxford and why. 478 | He was incredulous. 479 | During his time there in the Forties, all political views had been accepted. 480 | "But it's the best place in the world," he said pathetically. 481 | They wouldn't do that, not among my dreaming spires. 482 | Even my Communist friends always had impeccable manners. 483 | His rheumy eyes began to cloud. 484 | Give it a chance. 485 | I'm sure it's all just a tease. 486 | It would break my heart if you left. 487 | Exhausted by my frequent trips to London, my emotional resistance was deteriorating. 488 | A male friend of mine, also a Tory supporter, had succumbed to pressure and renounced his creed. 489 | During a tutorial the following week, when another history don had suggested, in complete seriousness, that I was an "enemy of the people," I decided to do the same. 490 | Inwardly blushing with shame, I admitted to being "brainwashed by my parents" and called them "old fools." 491 | The respite was short. 492 | It was my father who drove the nail into the coffin of my Oxford career. 493 | At the time, he wrote two columns in the Murdoch press each week. 494 | My door was locked. 495 | I cowered inside, and after five minutes, my pursuers gave up. 496 | When they left, I packed a suitcase and caught the first train to London. 497 | I never went back. 498 | You may call me a snivelling wimp. 499 | But no 18-year-old should be subject to such intimidation and vitriol in an educational institution. 500 | Even more tragic is that it was Oxford, which not only produced 14 Tory prime ministers, but, to this day, hides behind an ill-deserved reputation for equality and freedom of thought. 501 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /data/en.valid.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | "Valentino prefers elegance to notoriety" 2 | On the occasion of the "Valentino: Master of Couture," an exhibition that opened this week in London, ABC speaks with Naty Abascal, Fiona Thyssen-Bornemisza and other of the Italian designer's famous clients. 3 | Somerset House, former home of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the only place in the British capital worthy of hosting a Valentino Garavani exhibition. 4 | During the inauguration of "Valentino: Master of Couture," the designer acknowledged a retrospective apotheosis that brings together over 130 couture gowns created by his fashion house over the past 50 years. 5 | "I love this palace" he says, in his unmistakable Italian accent. 6 | This exhibition is the culmination of a story whose only protagonist is "signore" Garavani, although it could not have been written without his distinguished clients. 7 | Valentino has always been fascinated by the rarefied and distant world of the nobility. 8 | In the first room of the exhibition, open until March 3, there are a number of private letters and photos signed by the cream of aristocracy, from Princess Salimah Aga Khan, Lord Snowdon, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece to Margaret of England. 9 | Valentino exhibits these personal memories as if they were trophies of his social ascent from humble couturier in Voghera, northern Italy, to idol of the international jet-set. 10 | There is nothing wrong with loving royalty. 11 | "At least they don't drop cigarette ends on your magnificent carpet, like some beautiful pop music celebrities do," says Baroness Fiona Thyssen-Bornemisza. 12 | In the '60s and '70s, we both lived in the Alps and were good friends. 13 | Valentino is a spectacular host whose entertains with generosity and elegance. 14 | "We all loved being invited to his chalet in Gstaad" says "Heini" Thyssen's ex-wife, a close friend of forgotten beauties such as Marella Agnelli and Eugenie Niarchos. 15 | Valentino has always preferred elegance to notoriety. 16 | And yet, he is a star. 17 | Valeria Mazza, wearing a Valentino. 18 | The Argentine model Valeria Mazza also recalls the couturier's charisma. 19 | Many years ago, after a fashion show in Piazza di Spagna in Rome, we went for dinner at his flat. 20 | There were twenty of us, including Sharon Stone and John Kennedy Jr. 21 | You could see and feel his "spirit" in every detail of the flat and its decor, the food and the music. 22 | "All the guests were made to feel important and loved" recalls the top model, who started working with him during Haute Couture Week Paris, in 1995. 23 | "His designs are works of art and so never go out of fashion" she concludes. 24 | Nobility parade 25 | Garavani's life is not a story of obsession, but of well reciprocated love. 26 | He loves well-educated people who come from good backgrounds, and they love him. 27 | One of the Somerset House galleries has been transformed into a glamorous, sixty-foot long catwalk which offers a role reversal: visitors take the place of the models and have to parade down the catwalk while looking at a dream "audience" wearing Valentino masterpieces, for example, the dress Jackie Kennedy chose for her wedding with Aristotle Onassis, the costume Monica Vitti wore in "La Notte" and the wool and leather coat that belonged to Empress Farah Diba. 28 | In this crowd of mannequins, names stand out such as Sibilla of Luxembourg, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Mette-Marit of Norway, Rosario of Bulgaria and Sofia of Habsburg. 29 | Naty Abascal and the designer, in 2006 30 | Many of these clients say your first Valentino is like your first love, "impossible to forget." 31 | I remember it perfectly. 32 | It was a pair of trousers, a shirt, a "gilet" waistcoat and jacket from the 1971-1972 autumn-winter collection. 33 | "It was a gift he gave me" says Naty Abascal, one of the designer's muses. 34 | "I prefer him to other designers because of his femininity, his great love of women, and because he enhances our beauty" added the former Duchess of Feria. 35 | I love the colours he uses, they really stand out and "lend themselves" to your face. 36 | Their proportions are perfect. 37 | The princess and fashion advisor Patricia della Giovampaola d'Arenberg also remembers the first time she wore a Valentino. 38 | As a teenager living in Italy, I dreamed of reaching the age when I'd have the chance to wear one of his evening gowns... 39 | My time finally came in the late '90s. 40 | I bought my first Valentino dress to wear at a party in the castle belonging to my cousin, Prince Edouard de Ligne. 41 | It was a red dress, with a frilly skirt, draped "corsage" and a strapless neckline. 42 | "It was a dream come true" says Princess D'Arenberg, the widow of Rodrigo d'Arenberg. 43 | "Valentino is indifferent to fashion, his obsession is timeless" says this Italian aristocrat who lives between Paris, New York and Buenos Aires. 44 | Princess D'Arenberg looks after her couturier gowns with "the utmost care ... because a dress not just a dress, it's also the many memories that go with it." 45 | The "king" of fashion 46 | The "grand finale" of the Somerset House exhibition is Marie-Chantal Miller's wedding dress from her marriage to Paul of Greece in 1995. 47 | It took four months' work and 25 "girls" (as the designer calls his seamstresses) to create the pearl-encrusted, ivory-coloured silk gown with twelve different types of lace and a train four and a half metres long. 48 | According to journalist Suzy Menkes, the leading authority of the specialist press, that dress represents a high fashion milestone of the late 20th century, "the return of high society clients." 49 | Dazzled for years with the "savoir-être" of the elite, Valentino is now its finest exponent. 50 | Cavaliere di Gran Croce (the highest-ranking distinction in Italy), Cavaliere del Lavoro, Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and awarded the Legion of Honour, Garavani accumulates as many honours as any of his clients' husbands. 51 | "I've always been struck by his refined and calm manner, and his neat and perfect appearance" acknowledges D'Arenberg. 52 | The last time I saw him was a month ago at a gala dinner at the Orsay Museum. 53 | He was on the table of Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, a great friend of mine. 54 | "He was immaculate, time stands still for him." 55 | If a princess says that... 56 | The hardest job in the world: the human mules of Kawah Ijen 57 | For four euros, the Indonesian volcano porters risk life and limb carrying 70 kilos of sulphur along steep stone paths. 58 | There are people for whom work is hell, and others who - literally - work in hell. 59 | This is the case of Anto Wijaya, one of the 400 miners who make their living taking sulphur from the Kawah Ijen volcano, east of the Indonesian island of Java. 60 | To do so, he has to descend every day to the bottom of the crater, where the sulphurous gas emanating from the bowels of the earth solidifies on contact with air. 61 | After breaking off large sulphur rocks, which in total can weigh up to 70 kilos, he carries them in two bamboo baskets on his shoulders along the steep stone paths. 62 | It is only 250 metres to the top of the volcano, which rises to 2,386 metres above sea level, but the exhausted porters take over 40 minutes to get there, at snail's pace, keeping their balance and measuring their steps carefully to avoid slipping and falling over the precipice. 63 | They know that one slip could cost them their lives, as happened to a French tourist who plunged to her death a few years ago on the hazardous Kawah Ijen cliffs. 64 | The Kawah Ijen miners are paid 5 euro cents for each kilo of sulphur removed. 65 | Once at the top, they make their way past the tourists who photograph them like circus monkeys and then, lugging their heavy baskets, they walk three kilometres to the scales installed by a mining company a little further down, 1,850 metres above sea level. 66 | This is PT Ngrimbi Candi, a company which, since 1960, has been exploiting the volcano, and quite literally its workers, whom it pays 662 rupees (5 euro cents) per kilo of sulphur. 67 | It then sells the sulphur for 10,000 rupees (83 cents) to the petrochemical industry, as the mineral is widely used in everyday life and is used in the manufacture of matches, fireworks, cosmetics, dynamite and even for whitening sugar. 68 | "We generally carry 70 kilos, so we get about 46,000 rupees (3.8 euros) a trip" explains Anto, who usually make three trips a day. 69 | Each one takes three hours and you end up exhausted, but it means he gets 138,000 rupees (11.5 euros) at the end of the day. 70 | Although it seems a pittance for such an inhuman effort, it is three times what he would earn in the field. 71 | "Miners' wages are very high here, whereas coffee harvesting is paid 15,000 rupees (1.2 euros) a day and the average monthly wage is two million rupees (167 euros) " explains the porter, who previously worked as a mason in the island resort of Bali. 72 | There, his wage was 75,000 rupees (6.2 euros) a day and the work was not as hard, but Anto has returned with his family to Banyuwangi, a village near the volcano, for a compelling reason which, in Indonesia, is as overriding as the sulphur: "I married a girl from Bali, where they are Hindu, and I've brought her to Java to convert to Islam." 73 | Anto has asthma, he has difficulty breathing, coughs constantly and his eyes are irritated by the toxic gases. 74 | At 27 years old, Anto has been risking his life for three years in the Kawah Ijen volcano, and the sulphur has already begun to take its toll on him, even though he covers his face with special mask and goggles. 75 | He has asthma, he has difficulty breathing, coughs constantly and his eyes are irritated by the toxic gases from the volcano. 76 | This is the price you have to pay to realise your dreams. 77 | "I'll go on working two more years because I want to open a shop or study Spanish or French" he vows in more than acceptable English. 78 | Punished for life, this pleasant, intelligent young man could be a tour guide, waiter or hotel receptionist, but instead he does the work of a mule. 79 | Sharing a filthy wooden hut with other porters, he gets up every day at two in the morning because the sulphur doesn't stop flowing at night, when its characteristic yellow colour turns blue and it glows in the dark. 80 | Defying the shadows, Anto descends the crater and lights the path with a small torch attached to the helmet he bought with his money. 81 | Some 400 porters carry sulphur baskets on their shoulders from the crater. 82 | Despite their huge profits, the mining company has not mechanised the sulphur extraction process to save costs, nor has it provided any equipment for the porters, who work for themselves and by the kilo. 83 | In fact, they do not even see any of the 30,000 rupee (2.5 euro) per camera surcharge that, on top of the 15,000 rupee (1.2 euro) entrance fee, the guards of this natural reserve charge to tourists who come to photograph the volcano and their human mules. 84 | "This work is for animals, not people" protests Madrusin, a burly 42-year porter who has been working at Kawah Ijen for three decades, since leaving school. 85 | He can lift up to 110 kilos, ensuring that he will go on working "all he can" because he needs the money to educate his three children, aged between 18 [months?] and 10 years old. 86 | I won't retire, I'll die here because the volcano has been my whole life. 87 | Although the sulphur burns your throat and stings your eyes when the wind suddenly changes and traps the miners in the thick columns of smoke coming out of the volcano, they are so hardy that no-one complains of serious illnesses... apart, of course, from their common respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, knee pain and sores on the shoulders, which have been misshapen by the weight of the baskets. 88 | Balancing the basket on his back, Unainik can only carry 50 kilos now he is 53 years old. 89 | Every day, he and his fellow workers break off 15 tonnes of sulphur from the volcano, which three lorries move to the warehouse in Tamansari, 18 kilometres away along a goat path that passes through scrubland. 90 | "I won't retire, I'll die here because the volcano has been my whole life" says Unainik, opening a mouth full of gaps where teeth use to be. 91 | The oldest of his five children, 30 years old, also works carrying sulphur. 92 | Time passes, but poverty perpetuates from generation to generation in one of the hardest jobs in the world: the one done by human mules in the Kawah Ijen volcano. 93 | Singapore seeks babies to save its economy 94 | Singaporeans blame their careers, stress and the cost of property and education for not having children. 95 | "Singapore's population needs to grow." 96 | I'm a patriotic husband, you're my patriotic wife, let's do our civic duty and create life! 97 | It may seem unlikely that these verses are part of an advert for mint sweets, but in spite of this - or perhaps because of it - the video went viral on YouTube in Singapore earlier this year. 98 | The phrases are part of a rap and make use of local references such as "Let's put a bao (bun) in the oven" to make fun of the birth rate in Singapore. 99 | The advertising company that made the video, BBH, is hopeful that the advertisement will manage to focus attention to the problem in a fun way. 100 | Its creative director, Douglas Hamilton, says he wanted to use the power of music to make people perform their "national duty." 101 | It's purely an Internet thing, so we had to make it fun and amusing. 102 | It's the biggest problem facing this country. 103 | We are the world's worst at reproducing our own progeny, so we felt it was an issue we had to address. 104 | We knew the Government had tried many things, like launching perfumes with pheromones or organising speed dating evenings. 105 | Many of these ideas may have been creative, but they didn't necessarily work. 106 | So we thought: why not be as creative as possible to solve the problem, by composing a rap? 107 | 1.2 children 108 | But the Singapore Government is not taking it so lightly. 109 | It spends USD 1,300 per year on policies to encourage people to have more children. 110 | A government package for marriages and parents grants up to USD 15,000 per child, extends maternity leave and distributes tax benefits. 111 | But this has all had little effect. 112 | Singapore is a rich, high technology city State in Southeast Asia, also known for the conservatism of its leaders and its strict social controls. 113 | The birth rate in Singapore, according to its national population division, currently stands at 1.2 children per woman. 114 | The last time it was over 2, known as the replacement rate, was in 1976. 115 | So why are Singaporeans not having children? 116 | Tan Wei Ming, Director of Marriage and Family Policy of the National Population Division, said that it is a result of "better education" and "a wider range of career opportunities." 117 | "This has given people a wider range of options in terms of life goals and priorities, beyond getting married and starting a family" he explains. 118 | These changes in social norms have contributed to increasing numbers of people who are single, and delaying marriage and births, which has resulted in a decrease in the birth rate in Singapore. 119 | Meanwhile, an EU immigration policy aimed at dramatically increasing immigration to cope with the population decline has created resentment among the local population. 120 | In Singapore, there are websites where xenophobia against many new immigrants is widespread and thinly disguised, especially the Chinese who are criticised for keeping wages low and not integrating. 121 | Increased immigration is also seen as one of the reasons why, last year, the Singapore ruling party experienced its worst election result since independence. 122 | Since the election there has been an attempt to correct the problem, with the highest taxes and levies for foreign workers. 123 | Unexpected consequences 124 | While a fall in the birth rate has known effects on a nation's economic growth, tax revenues, healthcare costs and immigration policies, in Singapore's case there are also some unexpected consequences. 125 | The Government is trying not to build so many small houses. 126 | For example, it has started to influence the real estate sector. 127 | Its urban development authority has started to control the number of small apartments, known as "shoe boxes," which can be built in certain areas of the city. 128 | These apartments have a surface of 46 square metres and have been very successful in terms of sales. 129 | However, there is concern that they may promote a single-living lifestyle and discourage developers who want to build large family houses. 130 | But, Lim Yew Soon, managing director of the real estate company EL Developers, says his "shoe boxes" sell much faster than larger units. 131 | They are more popular, in the sense that the units sell days, even weeks, faster than larger units. 132 | This means they are much better for our cash flow. 133 | However, he admits that the new regulations give clearer guidance to developers, who previously had obstacles put in their way if they provided for too many small units in a project. 134 | Too stressed 135 | Singapore is a city State. 136 | Although these new rules may be a step towards increasing the national birth rate, when talking to Singaporeans working in the central financial district, it seems they will not have much impact. 137 | "People are very stressed, houses are expensive and so is education, so a lot of people are putting off having a family" says a young executive. 138 | Other people can have children. 139 | "But, for me, it is important to have my own money and time" says another young man of around 20 years old. 140 | Men and women alike mention their careers, stress and the cost of property and education as the reasons preventing them from having children. 141 | So, much as the Government is trying to encourage its citizens to have children, when it comes to babies, the Singaporeans have the last word. 142 | What is private offline is private online 143 | Privacy. 144 | According to the Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary, it means the quality of private life or "the level of privacy which a person is entitled to protect from any interference." 145 | What is privacy for an under 16? 146 | How do you apply this definition to their daily life and social networks? 147 | Do they understand the dangers they are exposed to by airing information over the Internet which they probably would not share offline? 148 | ElPeriódico interviewed five children aged between ten and 15 years old who are frequent Internet users. 149 | In four cases, they associated the term with "something very much mine" on a personal level, and "in the user name and password" when applied to social networks. 150 | "I wouldn't upload my deepest secrets in a post" says Jorge, aged ten, when trying to explain the meaning of privacy on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, with which he has had accounts for two years. 151 | "They are very secret secrets, I'll tell my mother, but not everybody" he says. 152 | On FB I upload nice pictures or games. 153 | And I have fun with people I know. 154 | "I wouldn't share a photo that isn't mine, or that belongs to somebody who's doing something stupid" he says. 155 | The child recognises that it is bad to post obscene pictures of naked people, crimes, or write humiliating or aggressive comments. 156 | Jorge says he knows the 35 friends he has on FB and his nine followers on Twitter. 157 | Most are relatives. 158 | His mother is included, and she has the password to one of the accounts. 159 | I opened Twitter to express myself and post interesting tweets. 160 | "I don't know if they answer me, I only upload them" he adds. 161 | "Social networking is fun, I can talk quickly to relatives far away or my friends" he says. 162 | He does not hesitate to reply that he would never accept a request from an unknown person. 163 | Nor would he take any notice of someone who recommends a stranger to him. 164 | The case of Joseph, aged 14, is different. 165 | This teenager has accounts with Hotmail, Facebook, My Space and Ask, and in the last case he admits not knowing 20 of the people added to his friends list. 166 | "It doesn't bother me, because we have something in common, like music" he says. 167 | The boy says that no-one has suggested anything to him or asked him for his home address or phone number. 168 | "If they pressured me or asked me for it, I'd just delete them from my account" he states. 169 | Joseph became a follower on Ask, after reading a recommendation on Twitter. 170 | This teenager is not alien to experiences of what is now known as cyberbullying. 171 | An acquaintance of a friend of mine was being pestered on a social network. 172 | They were threatening him and demanding money from him. 173 | "I never found out who it was" he says. 174 | The victim, according to José, did not close his account. 175 | "He just made it private." 176 | He then explains a series of steps to configure the account safely. 177 | Unlike Jorge, this boy would upload photos of acquaintances in uncomfortable or embarrassing situations. 178 | I would do it if I didn't like somebody, or they made me want to do it. 179 | "However, I know that's cyberbullying" he admits. 180 | Key questions 181 | Marielos Porras, an English teacher with a degree in Education and Learning, believes that to guide children and teenagers, they should understand that the purpose of social media is to inform. 182 | "The Internet emerged as a means of searching for information, but with the appearance of these websites, the rules of the game changed" he says. 183 | Porras says the scholar Marc Prensky, with a Master's degree in Education from Yale University and author of the work Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, coined these terms to explain the phenomenon. 184 | Digital natives are those children and young people born with technology. 185 | "We are the digital immigrants who have to teach them, when we are still in fact learning" he says. 186 | He says that the issue is complex, "because we are asking them to have a clear policy on what is appropriate or not to disclose, publish or divulge, at an age at which maturity is not conducive to this." 187 | "They also have to be selective when what matters most is to be popular and have thousands of friends, without thinking of the consequences" he adds. 188 | According to the specialist, the most effective way to teach children and teenagers what privacy is, is through questions that make them think. 189 | "Telling them not to do it is no good" he adds. 190 | Porras then lists some options: There are things you wouldn't tell a stranger, so why do it online? 191 | Or, would you like a friend to publish a photo of you like the one you posted of a friend? 192 | Do you know what others publish about you? 193 | When tagging party photos, did you ask the other people's permission to tag them? 194 | And one more question: does everyone need to know what you're doing all the time? 195 | Another point is to make them see that they must behave online as they do offline. 196 | The rules are the same. 197 | "Outside the Internet, people act with respect, morality and other principles, so they should act the same way on social networks" he says. 198 | Monitoring 199 | Stuart Guard, a university professor, primary school teacher and educational consultant, says it is essential for parents to read social networks' policies thoroughly. 200 | By understanding all the clauses, they have solid grounds to talk to their children about the implications of opening an online account. 201 | "For example, the age at which you are allowed to share or publish" he says. 202 | According to Guardia, it is important to remind children the "don't talk to strangers" lesson. 203 | Unasur Summit closes without making public the Lima Declaration 204 | The Sixth Presidential Summit of the South American Union of Nations (Unasur) concluded today in Peru without making public the Lima Declaration, previously announced and theoretically signed by the seven attendee leaders. 205 | Efe repeatedly tried to gain access to the document signed at the Sixth UNASUR Meeting of Heads of State and Government, but Presidential and Chancellery sources initially said they would deliver it after the summit closed, but later they claimed that it will be published at some point on the Peruvian Government website. 206 | When asked about the text, they pointed out that the content had been disclosed by Peruvian President, Ollanta Humala, during a brief statement to the press. 207 | Journalists' access to information from the Summit was restricted at all times. 208 | During the summit, in the press room, only video was aired, with no sound, showing the presidential meeting with the message "closed session, audio restricted." 209 | The little information that circulated among reporters was given by the press spokesmen of some of the UNASUR governments attending the meeting, but not the Peruvian Government. 210 | The only document released during the summit was the list of attending presidents, which angered hundreds of journalists from various national and international media, who asked for more details. 211 | The Peruvian President then sent an email to the media with the "final statement" of the summit, but this was Humala's statement, and not the official document that closed the summit. 212 | Last October, Peru hosted the Third Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA), and this time, despite repeated requests from the press, the previously announced Lima Declaration was again not made public. 213 | The ASPA official website confirms that the document was published last Tuesday. 214 | At both international events, the Peruvian authorities were at pains to ensure that there were broadcasting systems assured for all the journalists, but limited the obtaining of information to a maximum. 215 | The summit also concluded with the joint commitment of Chile and Peru to accept a ruling by the Hague Court to adjudicate a border dispute between the two countries. 216 | The Presidents of Peru, Ollanta Humala, and Chile, Sebastián Piñera, met during the regional event and confirmed that they will respect the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which on Monday, at The Hague, will start to hear the arguments of both parties, in the lawsuit Lima has filed against Santiago. 217 | "We will obey and execute the order that currently defines the differences we are bringing before this international court" said Humala, together with his Chilean counterpart. 218 | "Chile has been, is and will remain a country that respects international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes, treaties and international courts" added Piñera, greeting Humala with a handshake, alongside the flags of the two countries. 219 | Confirmation of both presidents that they would submit to the ICJ came after Colombia this week denounced the Bogotá Pact, whereby it accepted to submit to the judgement of this international court, following a decision on its maritime boundary with Nicaragua which it regarded as seriously flawed. 220 | The summit was held with the absence of the Presidents of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff; Venezuela, Hugo Chavez; Bolivia, Evo Morales; and Argentina, Cristina Kirchner. 221 | Paraguay, which was suspended by UNASUR in 2011 after the dismissal of former President Fernando Lugo, was not involved in the meeting. 222 | Host President Ollanta Humala was responsible for opening the session in the morning and closing the summit, just after noon in Lima. 223 | The President read the final document which reported that 16 agreements were adopted and the action plans laid down for 31 projects between the South American countries, for a total of 17 billion dollars of investments. 224 | Among the resolutions adopted, it was mentioned that UNASUR countries will take "important steps toward the goal of a South American citizenship, for which residence agreements are being extended." 225 | He reported that actions are being implemented to improve "cooperation in the fight against insecurity and transnational organised crime, actions to make medication more accessible, low-cost Internet access in all areas of South America, and to deal jointly and efficiently with risks of natural disasters." 226 | With Europe in crisis, "economic consolidation (in Latin America) should not have a triumphalist attitude but should serve to expand its productive matrix and glimpse a better future for its people" Humala added. 227 | "We decided to focus on a group of 31 flagship projects that will improve connection among areas of South America, especially in rural and border areas... uniting our countries and creating new economic networks" said the Peruvian President in a message read out. 228 | Among these projects, he mentioned that five are in Peru and are located in the transverse axes of its territory, between the coast and Brazil, and two focus on increased connection with Ecuador, although he gave no further details. 229 | Also, the final document mentioned the political situation in Paraguay. 230 | "We hope the electoral process in that country serves to reincorporate it in the Union of South American Nations," from which it is currently excluded. 231 | The need for Latin America to remain a prosperous, peaceful and integrated nation, with good neighbourly relations, was another issue highlighted by the summit. 232 | In this sense, the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, said before attending the start of the regional event that he expected to meet with his counterpart from Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, on Saturday in Mexico, to respectfully discuss the maritime dispute after the failure of the ICJ, questioned by Bogota. 233 | "The day after tomorrow (Saturday) I might have a meeting with President Daniel Ortega" Santos said. 234 | "We will review all these paths, [which] are not exclusive, and the treaty with Nicaragua will require a conversation with Nicaragua" he emphasised. 235 | "With President Ortega, I hope I can say that we handle this in the most civilised and respectful manner possible" said Santos. 236 | Santos and Ortega are due to meet on Saturday in Mexico, where they expect to attend the inauguration of the country's new President, Enrique Peña Nieto. 237 | Also, as part of the summit, the bloc's foreign defence ministers met in advance to approve the 2013 Action Plan, which seeks to strengthen dialogue and consensus on defence in the region. 238 | Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile, Guyana, Surinam and Paraguay make up UNASUR, although the latter is currently suspended. 239 | Peru has the pro tempore presidency of the regional bloc. 240 | "South America should learn from Europe to integrate citizenship" says Rafael Correa 241 | The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, said today that the creation of a common citizenship is a goal that "South America, in this case, must learn from Europe." 242 | Correa, who took part in the Eleventh Presidential Summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) held in Lima, told Peru's state television that Europeans "killed one another in the Second World War" and other conflicts, "but are now practically one country." 243 | To this end, he defended the project to establish South American citizenship encouraged by member countries of UNASUR. 244 | "We have to achieve the free movement of citizens and workers for any South American country, as is already the situation with members of the Andean Community. However, there are still reactionary sectors that want us to return to the past" he said. 245 | The Ecuadorian President was also in favour of the restructuring of the Organisation of American States (OAS) under the premise of reducing the influence of the Anglo-Saxon states and taking into account those who have signed the Pact of San José on human rights. 246 | Those who speak with authority never commit to anything, whereas we South Americans sign everything. 247 | "It is incomprehensible that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is in Washington under US funding" he said referring to Ecuador giving political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. 248 | Correa said he does not regret that decision because with it he has not betrayed his principles, but has respected his "deep democratic and human rights values." 249 | He added that, at the time, "he had reasonable suspicion that Assange would be extradited to another country and that his case would not be respected." 250 | Additionally, he criticised the Swedish courts for demanding that he be subject to questioning for an alleged sexual offence in his country, when "Swedish legislation itself dictates that he can be questioned via videoconference, which could be done from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London." 251 | Correa said that there is a risk of deterioration of Assange's physical and mental health. 252 | "I have not spoken to him since he was at our embassy, but the ambassador informed me that he had a minor lung problem, nothing serious" said the Ecuadorian President. 253 | What there is, is the danger that his physical and mental health may deteriorate due to being locked in a small space without any outdoor exercise. 254 | "That would complicate the health of any person" he added. 255 | Correa said that the solution to the asylum granted to Assange in June by the Ecuadorian Embassy, in London, through the issue of a safe-conduct pass that permits travel to Ecuador, is in the hands of Great Britain, Sweden and the European legal authorities, and stressed that there have been talks with London to seek a solution to the imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder. 256 | We do not negotiate with human rights, we do not use that word in this case, but there have been ongoing discussions. 257 | "The solution to this problem is in the hands of Great Britain, Sweden and the European legal authorities, because Assange's lawyer, Baltazar Garzon, is handling a series of cases in different European courts" he said. 258 | And he felt that "if Britain says no to the safe-conduct pass, it's over." 259 | And if Sweden, as its legislation perfectly well allows it to do, and as it has done in other cases, questions Mr Assange at the Embassy of Ecuador in London, or interrogates him via Skype tomorrow, this problem is over. 260 | Correa took the opportunity to reassert himself as a defender of freedom of the press and stated that what he does not tolerate is "the mediocrity, dishonesty and lies that undermine the freedom of expression." 261 | "The greatest enemies of the press freedom are not evil and wicked politicians, but bad journalists depending on profit, blackmail and extortion" he said. 262 | In that regard, he welcomed the fact that it was no longer these journalists, "or the bankers or bourgeois and hegemonic countries that dominate Ecuador" and said that, if re-elected, he will "step up the revolution to continue on the same path and in the right direction." 263 | Correa also supported the decision to maintain the veto on Paraguay in UNASUR, at least until their next elections, arguing that the body "must be firm and not tolerate opportunism and a coup masked with legality" because this will in fact "destroy the legitimacy of Paraguayan democracy." 264 | The Ecuadorian President also considered the "perfectly pertinent" desire of his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, to now negotiate with Nicaragua the maritime boundary between the two countries, after the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in favour Nicaraguan maritime sovereignty. 265 | For now that ruling is not being followed. 266 | It is a problem between a South American country and a Central American one. 267 | Conflict is inevitable, but must be overcome by the desire to walk together. 268 | They need to be processed in a comprehensive manner to overcome them and move forward. 269 | Additionally, he trusted in a sound conclusion to the maritime boundary dispute opposing Peru and Chile in the same court and said that "it is right for Latin America to refer to international courts if both countries agree to accept losing, however hard it may be." 270 | With reference to the possibility of his standing as a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in Ecuador seeking a third consecutive term, he said he sees that possibility "with much optimism and joy, although at times it is pretty hard." 271 | Correa said that if he loses the elections in February 2013, he will retire from public life. 272 | Personally, I've never been interested in power, but in situations as unjust as those in Ecuador, socio-economic poverty can only be corrected by political power. 273 | "My political movement believed that it was me who ensured that probable victory, so we have to accept that responsibility" he said. 274 | If I won, it would be my last period in office and then I would leave public life. 275 | If I lose, likewise. 276 | "It's a decision" he confirmed. 277 | Correa also referred to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's new health treatment in Cuba. 278 | I just spoke with Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro and he tells me that Chavez went for treatment that was already planned, routine treatment, and it was expected he would win the campaign and return to Cuba. 279 | "This does not mean a health relapse for President Chavez" he said. 280 | In Lima today, the Ecuadorian Head of State attended the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), which concluded with calls for greater regional integration to sustain progress, equality and security. 281 | Deaths caused by AIDS are nowadays due to late detection 282 | Fabrizio was 21 years old when they confirmed his test result: HIV positive. 283 | "It was like a bomb dropped on me" he says, recalling the time of the announcement, which the doctor was trying to make "softer," apparently unsuccessfully. 284 | The boy hid it from his family. 285 | He decided to care for his illness alone and began to learn about it; thanks to his efforts he has just celebrated his 43rd birthday. 286 | He is undoubtedly one of the oldest patients in the HIV Unit of the Guadalajara Civil Hospital (CHG), where he arrived in 1994 after several battles with his health. 287 | Fabrizio has lived with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for 22 years, hard to imagine in the early '90s, when there were many questions, few treatment options and a great deal of stigma. 288 | Then, even the director of an IMSS [Mexican Social Security Institute] clinic refused to discharge him "because he had a cut." 289 | At that time, having Aids was synonymous with death. 290 | Now it is possible to survive the syndrome and do so with quality of life. 291 | However, many people are still unaware of their illness, and only seek help when the virus has already caused havoc, "exhausted" their immune systems and they are suffering from opportunistic infections. 292 | 31 years after of the onset of AIDS around the world, at least since the first reported cases, "the great achievement at this time is that the life expectancy of patients starting treatment in good time and the life expectancy of the general population is exactly equal" stated the head of the CHG HIV Unit, Jaime Andrade Villanueva, saying that this information was endorsed in April this year in a prestigious scientific journal. 293 | Infectious disease specialist and expert in HIV/AIDS, Andrade Villanueva said that since 2008 scientists had concluded that AIDS was not a death sentence, but that life expectancy and quality of life depend on the degree of damage to the immune system that patients present when they are diagnosed, with a higher life expectancy for non-drug users: up to 30 years for patients with a 200 CD4 count and 50 years for those reporting a 500 CD4 count. 294 | In simple terms, this means that anyone diagnosed HIV positive at 25 years old, under these terms and "as long as they keep it under control, can live with no problems to 75" said the interviewee. 295 | To gauge this progress, it should be remembered that the average life expectancy of Mexicans today is 76 years. 296 | Although mortality has dropped significantly in recent years and, in the case of Mexico, the number of people dying of AIDS has fallen from 6,678 in 2007 to 4,862 in 2011 (UNAIDS annual report), it is also true that since the advent of AIDS, 60 per cent of patients in the national database have died. 297 | In Jalisco alone, only 255 people died in 2011, and there have been 187 deaths up to May of this year; however, we are assured that there has been universal access to antiretroviral drugs since 2005. 298 | - Why are do still deaths occur? 299 | - I think the problem is not to do with access to treatment. 300 | That's how I view it, and that's how it's been at our hospital. 301 | For at least the last 12 years we've had no shortage of medicine, the problem is that patients arrive in an advanced state of illness because they are unaware of their HIV status, that is to say, the later stages of the disease. 302 | He gave a compelling statistic: "Nine out of ten patients arrive when they already have an opportunistic infection, so what needs to be done to have a greater impact on overall mortality is to make earlier diagnoses and, therefore, offer mass detection tests for everyone who needs them. " 303 | Specialists and officials of the State Council of AIDS Prevention in Jalisco (COESIDA) agree on this proposal, as do the patients themselves, such as Fabrizio, who came to be tested at a private laboratory, motivated only because a friend had done so and, despite his young age, he was around in the AIDS era and had even suffered Kaposi sarcoma, a cancerous tumour that is one of the common complications. 304 | Everything changes when you know you have AIDS. 305 | Some people think they're going to die and don't want to know anything. 306 | "If I'm going to die, I'd rather have a blow-out three times a week" they say, but not in my case. 307 | The change was for the better; I eat well, I exercise, I take my drugs. 308 | To date, his parents are only aware he had cancer. 309 | I live as normal a life as anyone else. 310 | "I work, I take part in a lot of activities, I travel, I have an active but responsible sex life, I take care of myself and the other person" said Fabrizio, who agreed to share his intimate secrets with MILENIO JALISCO, to motivate those people with his story who today, in the context of World AIDS Day, are afraid. 311 | They should get tested if they are at risk. because the sooner they know if they are HIV positive, the better, and if they have already been diagnosed, they must learn to live like any other person, while being responsible. 312 | This is his message, which summarises the theme of the fight against AIDS in 2012. 313 | Condoms behind the counter. 314 | The gaps between health programmes and ordinary citizens are huge, said Ricardo Salazar, a journalist from Guadalajara who has taken up the HIV cause. 315 | And the greatest cure is prevention. 316 | In places dedicated to this task "the distribution of condoms has actually increased; previously, they used to give us one or two, now they give us packets of a hundred, and that's fine, but it turns out there are still people out there who have no access condoms" he said. 317 | Among the most vulnerable to new infections are teenagers. 318 | "Why do you want them?" is a common question, asked with sarcasm and judged according to the values of social workers, counsellors, pharmacy workers and healthcare staff who do not want to expose teenagers to sex, said the speaker. 319 | It was decided to change such inefficient allocation, and that condoms should not only be placed behind counters, but that packets of one hundred should be found in public toilet dispensers in places frequented by young people. 320 | This is not promoting promiscuity. 321 | It is not about paying for their beers or motel fees, as Governor Emilio Gonzalez said, when asked if there would be distribution of condoms during his administration. 322 | "And it's not about sexuality, but it is best to provide condoms to those already practising sexual activity" he said. 323 | Jalisco key points 324 | There are 13,435 cumulative cases (12,158 AIDS and 1,317 HIV). 325 | The state is 4th in the nation in new and cumulative cases of AIDS and 13th in HIV. 326 | 92% of new infections are through sex, 6% via the bloodstream and 2% perinatal. 327 | An estimated 50,000 people may be living with HIV, as for each registered case there are around 4-5 people who do not know they are positive. 328 | Ratified by a United States court of appeal, a judgement which ignores the restructuring of the Vitro Group's debt achieved via a bankruptcy in Mexico, the scenario is an ominous precedent for any national company with offices in the neighbouring country that has solvency problems. 329 | It seems, then, that the proceedings in support of survival of firms permit Mexican law are not valid in the land of stars and stripes, contrary to international conventions. 330 | In practical terms, the endorsement of the judgement delivered on 15 June by Judge Harlin Hale of the Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Texas, leaves Mexican firms defenceless against possible seizure of their property outside of Mexico. 331 | However, the decision opens the door for the leading glass manufacturer in Mexico to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, claiming three inconsistencies. 332 | From the start, while the trial judge notes that creditors should be governed by the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, states that the main action is the insolvency action handled in Mexico. 333 | The first point would involve ignoring international procedural cooperation in cases of insolvency of companies with transnational profiles. 334 | Indeed, the UN Model Law for International Trade Law Uniformity was created for this purpose, with the American Law Institute positioned as arbitrator. 335 | Secondly, the judgement establishes that without the intercompany vote, with the debts the Vitro subsidiaries had with their parent company recognised in the critical mass of the insolvency, the majority needed to approve the restructuring might not be achieved. 336 | However, Mexican law recognises the possibility. 337 | In fact, the Vitro case was not the first one in which the scheme was accepted. 338 | There are half a dozen examples, including Agremex and Commercial Mexicana, whose intercompany debts were endorsed by the Federal Bankruptcy Institute. 339 | What is also certain is that, not including the votes of subsidiaries, the Vitro creditors who fought against it in the US courts, namely "vulture" funds such as Aurelios Capital, Aurelios Convergence, Elliot International and Liverpool Limited, did not achieve a majority. 340 | The vote was apparently 45 percent versus 37. 341 | This data is omitted by the Court of Appeal. 342 | From another perspective, the latter blames Vitro for the difficult situation it has faced since 2008, while trying to avoid the severe economic crisis faced by the United States, turning its back on the country. 343 | For now, the Gonzalez Sada family firm has lodged a motion for reconsideration before the Court of Appeal for the vote to reach the plenary of the court, that is, the five judges, given that only three voted previously. 344 | Should this fail, an appeal for review by a higher court, in this case the US Supreme Court, will be filed. 345 | The real problem is that the court bypassed a document sent by the Government of Mexico in the capacity of amicus curiae ("friend of the Court"), which details the procedure followed by Vitro under the framework of the Commercial Insolvency Law, noting that the latter discharged itself with adherence to the agreements signed by the two countries to link it with Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Act of the United States. 346 | Moreover, it should be noted that the country yielded to the principles of the United Nations Commission on International Trade, that is the rules set for cross-border insolvency cases, ensuring fairness for debtors and creditors. 347 | Double whammy: Vitro hit and country hit. 348 | Balance Sheet 349 | With the complaints put on the table by the unions of Mexicana Airlines against the former owner of the company, Gastón Azcárraga Andrade, who is accused of mismanagement, dormant for several months, the Airline Pilots Union Association already found the bottleneck. 350 | The proceedings headed by Carlos Diaz Chavez Morineau has just filed a criminal complaint against the National Banking and Securities Commission, which is accused of obstructing justice. 351 | The claim is that the supervisory authority has consistently refused to provide reports to the Attorney General's Office on a transaction carried out by the employer to remove 198 million pesos from trust F/589 of Banco IXE, on behalf of Mexicana de Aviación. 352 | The resources were apparently channelled towards the purchase of shares in the company Administradora Profesional de Hoteles. 353 | As you know, Azcarraga Andrade is the main shareholder of the Posadas hotel chain. 354 | Opposing Dragon Mart 355 | A group of local and foreign environmentalists, academics, businessmen and members of the public gathered at the weekend at a forum at the University of the Caribbean to approve the creation of a broad front to oppose the opening of the Chinese Dragon Mart in Cancun. 356 | As you know, we are talking about a huge sales and distribution centre in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, selling Chinese products, with a residential area at the bottom for employees of 150 companies. 357 | Previously, Canacintra had managed to unite the governors of the southeast of Mexico to oppose the monumental building that destroyed part of a protected area and represents the mother of all threats to industry. 358 | The death of ACTA 359 | The Government ignored an order of the Senate to explain under what terms and conditions the Mexican Ambassador in Japan signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, known by its acronym ACTA, according to the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, and the matter has already been archived. 360 | As you know, the action was taken even though the Senate had ruled out the possibility, deeming it an infringement of freedom of expression on social networks. 361 | Homex long term 362 | In effort to repay long-term debt without affecting short-term debt, the housing developer Homex is placing securities exchange certificates on the market for 500 million pesos. 363 | The issue is the first of four identical issues which are offering to repay interest every 28 days. 364 | Birth of Competival 365 | A consortium under the name Competival has just been established, comprising the companies NYCE, e-Quality and Kernet, leaders in information technology, the objective of which will be to market the services of software clusters in Central and South America. 366 | Investments in this area exceed USD 1.5 billion. 367 | Hector "Hetin" Reyes: "Basketball has been my life" 368 | Basketball globetrotter Hector "Hetin" Reyes was involved in the sport for over 60 years and, thanks to it, travelled the world. 369 | Few people in Puerto Rico have a mental recollection of local basketball history as broad as that of Héctor "Hetin" Reyes. 370 | Reyes was immersed in the sport for over 60 years before being confined to a wheelchair in 2008 following a stroke; he was a minor league player, National Superior Basketball player, BSN representative and manager with the Bayamón Vaqueros or President of the Basketball Federation. 371 | "I wore lots of hats in basketball throughout my life, including several at the same time, like when I was president of the BSN, general manager and federative president of the National Team during the '90s," recalled Reyes during Primera Hora's visit to his home in Bayamón, where he lives with Isabel, his loyal wife for over 50 years. 372 | "Basketball has been my life." 373 | Reyes is not exaggerating when he makes that statement. 374 | The walls of his house are almost totally decorated with pictures and memorabilia denoting his long career, which goes to prove it. 375 | Bayamón at heart 376 | Of them all, the ones he treasures with the most emotion are the ones that remind him of his time spent with the Vaqueros, from the mid-50s as a player until 1982, when he completed 15 years serving as co-agent or agent of the franchise. 377 | "Those were my best years, the ones I enjoyed the most because I had the opportunity to be part of the Vaqueros' eight championships, since 1967, either as agent, co-agent or manager. 378 | There were many good years, including the five consecutive championships from 1971 to 1975. 379 | And then I said goodbye with one in 1981, Jerome Mincy's debut year in the BSN. 380 | Then "Cuco" Ortiz took over - he was a great manager" said Reyes. 381 | I remember that Gene Bartow, who had directed here and was at the University of Alabama (Birmingham), said to me 'I've got a very strong player for you, 6'7" tall. 382 | Do you want him?' 383 | And that was the beginning of Mincy, one of the best players Puerto Rico ever had. 384 | Bartow then recommended the sharpshooter Gausse Raymond, who established residency here and was one of our best shooters. 385 | I remember him saying that if Mincy had given Bayamon one championship, Gausse would help get another. 386 | The Vaqueros' championship with Gausse was enjoyed, but from a distance, because in 1988 he was already becoming a federative bigshot. 387 | For that time, he preferred to enjoy his own and Mincy's accomplishments in the national team. 388 | I remember when we beat the United States for the first time during the 1989 Pre-Olympics in Mexico. 389 | Then came the 1990 World Cup, where we came fourth and it should have been bronze, but for the Canadian referee who made us repeat the final play for the second time, said Reyes. 390 | Is the 1990 World National Team the best you've ever seen? 391 | It's one of the best, as good as the one that beat the Dream Team in the 2004 Olympics. 392 | However, my favourite was the one in the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba, when we won gold and gave the US team a beating, which was quite similar to the time we won bronze at the World Cup. 393 | That team not only again included Mincy, Gausse, Ramon Rivas, Fico López and 'Piculín' (Ortiz), but also the young (Javier) 'Toñito' Colón and James Carter, the Leon brothers (Francisco and Edgar) and Mario 'Quijote' Morales, who was kept out of the 90 team by a knee injury. 394 | A team that maybe was not the best in terms of members, but which gave us a gold medal and was a great joy to work with, was the 1995 Pre-Olympic team in Neuquen, Argentina. 395 | With role players such as 'Canito' Nieves, Pablo Alicea and the young Rolando Hourruitiner replacing the players suspended after the shambles of the Mar del Plata Pan-American Games, we won gold against all the odds. 396 | Who was the best Puerto Rican player? 397 | Without any doubt, Piculín Ortiz. 398 | His numbers at international tournament level are awesome. 399 | Nobody in Puerto Rico has dominated at that level like Piculín did. 400 | Not to mention his career in the various leagues he played in. 401 | Who was the best Puerto Rican manager? 402 | That's a difficult one. 403 | We had a very good team, including Julio Toro, Flor Melendez, Carlos Morales, Raymond Dalmau, Armandito Torres. 404 | Of the youngsters, I really like the work of Leo Arill. 405 | What do you consider your greatest achievement in the federation? 406 | Having been part of the National Team's most glorious era between 1988 and 1995 and in the early 90s the BSN had up to 17 teams in a season. 407 | What was there left for you to do? 408 | There were things I'd have liked to implement, such as regionalising the minor leagues. 409 | For example, the boys of Ponce only play in their area and only get to face teams from other parts of the island in the national playoffs. 410 | Right now the kids are riding and playing too much, unnecessarily. 411 | At least I see the fruit of compulsory certifications and a course for leaders, table officials and referees. 412 | That pleases me. 413 | What are you doing now? 414 | The most I do is listen to music, watch music videos from my era on YouTube, enjoy my grandchildren and occasionally go to basketball games. 415 | And of course, enjoy the company of my wife, Elizabeth, who has always been with me. 416 | Actor Larry Hagman dies 417 | Larry Hagman, born on 21 September 1931 in Fort Worth (Texas), became world famous for his role as John Ross Ewing, better known as "JR," in the television series "Dallas," in which he played a ruthless, malicious and manipulative businessman. 418 | Larry Hagman, whose role as oil tycoon predator JR Ewing in the television series "Dallas" became a symbol of greed in the 1980s, has died. 419 | He was 81. 420 | Hagman, who returned this year as JR in a new season of "Dallas," died on Friday afternoon of cancer complications, according to a family statement provided to the Associated Press by the Warner Bros., producer of "Dallas." 421 | "Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, once again representing the iconic role he most liked" the family said. 422 | Larry's family and closest friends were with him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. 423 | Linda Gray, who played his wife in the original series and the sequel, was with Hagman when he died in a hospital in Dallas, said her publicist, Jeffrey Lane. 424 | He brought joy to all who knew him. 425 | He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him dearly. 426 | "He was an original guy and lived life to the full" said Gray in a statement. 427 | Hagman was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 1992 and admitted that he had drunk a lot over the years. 428 | In 1995 a malignant tumour as found in his liver and he underwent a transplant. 429 | Years before "Dallas," Hagman became famous on television as a decent guy in the light comedy "I Dream of Jeannie," aired on NBC from 1965 to 1970. 430 | He played Captain Tony Nelson, an astronaut whose life is changed when he meets an attractive genie, played by Barbara Eden, and takes her home to live with him. 431 | He also starred in two sitcoms that were not aired for long, "The Good Life" (NBC, 1971-72) and "Here We Go Again" (ABC, 1973). 432 | His film work included roles well received by critics in "The Group," "Harry and Tonto" and "Primary Colors." 433 | But it was his masterful interpretation of delightfully detestable JR that led to Hagman reaching his peak of stardom. 434 | The drama series on CBS about the Ewing clan and other characters in their orbit aired from April 1978 to May 1991. 435 | The tagline "Who shot JR?," designed to generate hype around an episode full of emotions in which Hagman's character is nearly killed, generated international speculation and millions of risky dollars wagered in gaming establishments. 436 | It also helped give the series a record audience at the time. 437 | When the answer was revealed in an episode in November 1980, an average of 41 million viewers tuned in and made "Dallas" the second most watched entertainment programme in history, after the final episode of "MASH" in 1983, which had 50 million viewers. 438 | It was JR's sister-in-law Kristin (played by Mary Crosby) who shot him. 439 | JR got her pregnant then threatened to say she was a prostitute unless she left town, but there were others who also had reasons to attack him. 440 | Hagman portrayed Ewing as a corrupt insatiable man with a charismatic smile: a dishonest entrepreneur and cheating husband who tried to have his alcoholic wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), sectioned. 441 | "I know what I want on JR's tombstone" Hagman said in 1988. 442 | It should read: "Here lies the honest citizen JR Ewing." 443 | This is the only deal he lost. 444 | Victoria Principal, co-star of the original series, recalled Hagman on Friday as someone "huge, on and off screen." 445 | He is unforgettable and irreplaceable, for millions of fans around the world, and in the hearts of each one of us who was fortunate enough to know and love him. 446 | Ten episodes of the new edition of "Dallas" were broadcast a few months ago with great success for TNT. 447 | He had already finished recording five episodes for the second series and a sixth was in process, the chain reported. 448 | Immediately after, there was no statement from Warner or TNT about how the series would handle the loss of Hagman. 449 | Hagman, born in Fort Worth, Texas, was the son of actress and singer Mary Martin, who starred in classics such as "South Pacific" and "Peter Pan." 450 | Martin was still a teenager when she had him in 1931 during her marriage to lawyer Ben Hagman. 451 | He tried his luck in the New York theatre scene in the early '50s, and later served in the Air Force from 1952 to 1956, in England. 452 | While there, he met the young Swedish designer Maj Axelsson and married her. 453 | The couple had two sons, Preston and Heidi, and lived for a long time in the Californian city Malibu, home to many celebrities. 454 | In 2001, he called his memoirs "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life." 455 | "I didn't put anything in it that I believed would hurt anyone or affect them in any way" he told Associated Press at the time. 456 | After his liver transplant, he became an organ donation promoter and worked as a volunteer at a hospital, helping fearful patients. 457 | "I advise them, encourage them, meet with them when they come for their surgery, and afterwards" he said in 1996. 458 | I try to offer some comfort, such as "Don't be afraid, it will be a little uncomfortable for a short time, but then you'll be fine." 459 | He was also an anti-smoking activist and took part in several campaigns. 460 | Start of a course that explores the "End of the World" 461 | Each week, students explore apocalyptic themes such as nuclear war, zombies, viruses and germs, and global warming. 462 | This term, when Professor of religion, Stuart Charmé, decided to give a course on the end of the world, he knew he had a compelling hook: The end of the "long countdown" of the Mayan calendar, 21 December, which had convinced many people that the end of the world was coming. 463 | But Charmé had no idea what awaited him over the next couple of months: The cataclysmic hurricane Sandy, a fiscal precipice some called "debt Armageddon" and a growing conflict involving Israel, where end-of-the-world Christians theorists think the Apocalypse will begin. 464 | "I didn't realise this was going to be the most apocalyptic term ever" said Charmé this week to students at Rutgers-Camden University (New Jersey). 465 | If you look at what has been happening in the world today as if we were at 30 days and counting, this has been a really good period. 466 | And remember that bad is good for those with an apocalyptic mentality. 467 | And he is not the only professor who offers courses on the "end of the world" this term, theoretically the last in history. 468 | At Temple, Associate Professor Barry Vacker is giving the course "Media, Culture and the end of the world." 469 | Each week, students explore apocalyptic themes such as nuclear war, zombies, viruses and germs, and global warming. 470 | "We looked at why these ideas proliferate over time" he said, and how they offer hypothetical scenarios that guide human behaviour. 471 | If nuclear material falls into the hands of terrorists, for example, a war could break out. 472 | This month students analysed movies with an apocalyptic theme and explored how they compare with real-life examples. 473 | "I've tried to inform students about what is possible, probable, credible and impossible" said Vacker. 474 | At the main Pennsylvania State University campus, Latin American History Professor Matthew Restall, and his colleague Amara Solari, an Associate Art History and Anthropology Professor, have teamed up to give a course, called simply "The end of the world." 475 | "We don't add '2012' so we always have the option of running the course again, if the world doesn't come to an end" said Restall. 476 | Despite the "impending doom," students have to study, undertake projects and take final exams. 477 | At Penn State, the final exam will be taken on the eve of the Apocalypse, which leaves students no choice but to work "until the very night the world is supposed to end" said Restall. 478 | The courses proved quite popular. 479 | "It was fully booked within two hours" said Restall, on his course for students with high averages, which was filled with 35 students. 480 | We received emails for weeks and weeks before the start of the term, from people asking if there were any places. 481 | Students, meanwhile, say the course is one of the most interesting around. 482 | "I find it fascinating to see what people do to console themselves" said Bridgid Robinson, a 23-year-old post-graduate Religion and Sociology student from Haddonfield, New Jersey, at Rutgers-Camden. 483 | And the apocalyptic, secular or religious mentality is just a matter consolation or a lack of it. 484 | Will Wekesa, a 25-year-old post-graduate Psychology and Nursing student, said he had seen all the apocalyptic movies. 485 | "I'd never heard of a class that could teach it" he said. 486 | I enjoy it. 487 | But none of the students interviewed - much less any professor - said they believed in the end date of December 21st. 488 | "Our first project was about the Mayan prophecy and to a certain extent we discredited it" said Julie Zeglen, a 21-year-old final year student at Temple, from West Chester. 489 | The Mayans never predicted the end of the world: it is just a key point in the calendar, said Restall. 490 | But he said that Western culture suffers from apocalyptic anxiety, which goes back several centuries, in which people react to changes around them by predicting the end of the world. 491 | The Internet has caused a boom in these speculations. 492 | "In other places, people don't think about it" he said. 493 | It's mostly in the English-speaking world. 494 | Joseph Dougherty, a Professor of religion at La Salle University, who is giving courses in the Philippines this year, responded quickly to the question of whether he knew about any courses on the "end of the world" there. 495 | "The Philippines are not taking part in the end of the world" he wrote, suggesting an exception of a higher authority. 496 | We have an indulgence from the Pope. 497 | Restall noted that over the years there has been talk of many days of the last judgement, and said that if nothing happens on December 21st, "people will immediately start thinking of the next date" or philosophising that December 21st is the beginning of a seven-year period after which the world will end. 498 | Students and teachers are taking the date lightly. 499 | Some said they plan to go to "end of the world" parties. 500 | "Maybe I'll call some friends so we can have a laugh together" said Samira Ford, 20-year-old communications student. 501 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /data/fr.test.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Le rakfisk de Norvège: s'agit-il du poisson le plus odorant du monde? 2 | Les cinq millions de personnes qui peuplent la Norvège bénéficient d'un des plus hauts niveaux de vie, pas uniquement en Europe, mais également dans le monde. 3 | Le secret de la réussite du pays pourrait-il être lié à l'appétit des locaux pour un poisson extrêmement odorant? 4 | Prenez des fromages avancés. 5 | Placez-les au milieu d'une pile de vêtements de foot mouillés et sales. 6 | Attendez une semaine. 7 | Et vous obtenez l'odeur dérangeante du rakfisk, l'un des mets les plus prisés de Norvège. 8 | Je suis dans la petite ville de Fagernes, à environ 3 heures d'Oslo. 9 | Il neige, le paysage est spectaculaire - et cette odeur, omniprésente, imprègne l'air. 10 | Le rakfisk se compose de truite saupoudrée de sel et fermentée dans l'eau pendant une durée - selon l'odeur que vous voulez qu'il exhale - qui peut aller jusqu'à un an. 11 | Quand l'obscurité s'installe et qu'il fait froid, les Norvégiens se rassemblent en masse pour assister à un festival qui a lieu ici, à Fagernes, consacré à cette spécialité culinaire incroyable. 12 | "Vous mangez cru, puis vous avalez un verre d'aquavit", explique Havard Halvarsen, pompier local à temps plein que l'on appelle également "Rakfisk General", responsable de la gestion du festival. 13 | Autour de nous, les gens avalent de petits morceaux de poisson et s'enfilent une grande quantité de boisson. 14 | "Certaines personnes préfèrent l'aquavit au rakfisk", ajoute Havard. 15 | La boisson tue l'odeur. 16 | J'essaye quelques morceaux. 17 | Si vous pouvez éviter de le faire passer sous votre nez, ce n'est pas mauvais - cela fait penser à un sushi qui aurait passé de longues heures dans un bus. 18 | Le rakfisk remonte à une époque où la Norvège était pauvre, avant l'invention de la réfrigération, le poisson était immergé dans des barriques d'eau étanches à l'air, puis salé en automne. 19 | Ensuite, au cours de l'hiver, une fois bien fermenté, le poisson est sorti et - sans aucun doute avec les sens amoindris par l'alcool - mangé. 20 | À la génération précédente, des milliers de Norvégiens ont été forcés de quitter leur pays pour trouver du travail, émigrant principalement vers les États-Unis. 21 | À présent, la population se développe rapidement - plus de 13% sont des immigrés, attirés par le plein emploi, les hauts salaires et un système de santé complet. 22 | Les Suédois, leurs vieux rivaux dont le pays était il n'y a pas si longtemps plus riche que la Norvège, traversent la frontière pour venir travailler. 23 | Le rakfisk est considéré comme quelque chose d'important, un élément vital, bien qu'odorant, du passé de la Norvège. 24 | Cela fait parti des plats les plus chers. 25 | Mais tout est cher - une petite pinte de bière ou un sandwich vous coûteront 10 € chacun. 26 | La Norvège ne fait pas souvent parler d'elle dans les actualités internationales, ce qui n'est pas pour lui déplaire. 27 | Ici, les gens ne sont pas disposés à parler d'Anders Breivik, le raciste extrémiste de droite qui a abattu 77 personnes, parmi lesquelles des femmes et des enfants. 28 | Lorsqu'ils évoquent cette tuerie, ils parlent de "l'incident du 22 juillet". 29 | Les Norvégiens ont du mal à accepter que dans leur pays pacifique, l'un des leurs ait pu commettre un tel acte de barbarie. 30 | Depuis le début des années 70, la Norvège doit sa richesse à son industrie pétrolière et gazière, l'une des plus importantes au monde. 31 | "Mais le pétrole n'est pas la raison unique qui justifie notre réussite", explique Anna, notre serveuse, à la chevelure blonde et aux yeux d'un bleu transperçant, l'image du bien-être nordique, avec un plateau de rakfisk à la main. 32 | Nous sommes - comment dites-vous - des personnes prudentes. 33 | Son anglais, comme celui de la plupart des gens qui vivent ici, est parfait. 34 | Nous sommes discrets, nous n'aimons pas nous faire remarquer. 35 | La Norvège a géré sa richesse pétrolière avec beaucoup de prudence - tout, à l'exception d'un faible pourcentage d'argent issu de cette industrie, est investi dans un fonds spécial au profit des générations futures. 36 | Quand d'autres pays jetaient l'argent par les fenêtres, au cours des années qui nous ont conduit à la crise financière internationale, la Norvège a su garder les cordons de sa bourse bien serrés. 37 | "Tant que l'on peut skier en hiver et faire de la randonnée en été, nous sommes heureux", précise Anna. 38 | "Sans oublier le rakfisk", ajoute-t-elle dans un rire insouciant. 39 | Je me tiens debout sous la neige et je fais la queue pour m'acheter de quoi manger - j'ai eu ma dose de rakfisk. 40 | Au menu, un hamburger composé d'élan, une vraie découverte, c'est excellent. 41 | Mais ce soir, l'odeur du poisson est partout. 42 | L'hôtel dans lequel je séjourne est l'un des nombreux endroits où l'on sert du rakfisk pour dîner et où l'on peut voter pour le meilleur d'entre eux - ou peut-être pour le plus odorant d'entre eux. 43 | Il y a une émission de TV où le présentateur porte un nœud-papillon, entouré d'assiettes de rakfisk. 44 | On se croirait au concours de l'Eurovision. 45 | "Quel score avez-vous donné au meilleur poisson, dans les montagnes Thor-Juergen?" 46 | "Voici nos points, Havard." 47 | On entend des rires et des applaudissements. 48 | Un homme tombe de sa chaise, peut-être à cause de l'abus d'aquavit. 49 | Ou peut-être c'est à cause des émanations de poisson. 50 | Le mexicain Enrique Pena Nieto connaît un départ difficile. 51 | Alors que le Président entrant Enrique Pena Nieto se prépare à prendre ses fonctions au Mexique, Will Grant, de la BBC, s'intéresse aux difficultés qui l'attendent et aux attentes du peuple, qui sont nombreuses. 52 | La circulation routière à Mexico est particulièrement mauvaise à l'heure actuelle. 53 | Dans une ville où les embouteillages sont légion en temps normal, un barrage de sécurité a été mis en place depuis lundi, bloquant plusieurs accès routiers clés dans la capitale et provoquant un réel chaos sur les routes. 54 | Néanmoins, l'objectif n'était pas d'empêcher les personnes de se rendre à leur travail, mais d'empêcher les manifestants d'atteindre le Parlement. 55 | Samedi prochain, le nouveau président du Mexique, Enrique Pena Nieto, recevra l'écharpe présidentielle pour devenir le nouveau président à la tête de la nation. 56 | Une tâche compliquée l'attend. 57 | L'économie du Mexique se porte bien, des résultats que l'on doit au président sortant Felipe Calderon, mais le pays est en proie à une guerre de la drogue qui a déjà coûté la vie à environ 60,000 personnes en six ans. 58 | "Mon gouvernement a pris l'engagement envers le peuple mexicain de réduire la violence", a déclaré M. Pena Nieto au Président américain Barack Obama dans le Bureau Ovale un peu plus tôt cette semaine. 59 | Je vais proposer une nouvelle stratégie en matière de sécurité qui nous permettra d'atteindre ce but. 60 | Avant de côtoyer le président américain, M. Pena Nieto était gouverneur de l'État du Mexique. 61 | Un état très peuplé et tentaculaire qui enserre la capitale. Sur sa terre de prédilection, les opinions concernant ce nouveau leader sont divisées. 62 | Un homme direct 63 | Dans la commune bucolique de Valle del Bravo, par exemple, il est inscrit dans la mémoire de tous. 64 | Les locaux lui attribuent le développement du tourisme et des infrastructures dans la commune. 65 | Pour rejoindre la ville, vous pouvez prendre l'une des nouvelles autoroutes de M Pena Nieto, une importante amélioration a été apportée à ces routes, autrefois bosselées et pleines de crevasses. 66 | Des plaques arborant son nom sont accrochées à l'extérieur d'un nouveau complexe sportif et d'un musée interactif impressionnant dédié au changement climatique. 67 | "Nous comptons sur lui pour mettre en place des changements durables", a déclaré son ami et allié politique Gabriel Olvera Hernandez, un membre du congrès et du parti de M Pena Nieto, le PRI. 68 | En termes de sécurité et d'économie notamment, nous espérons un véritable changement dont notre pays a tant besoin. 69 | Après 81 années sans faille au pouvoir, le PRI a été évincé en 2000 par Vicente Fox. 70 | Le membre du congrès Olvera admet qu'après 12 années passées en dehors du palais présidentiel de Los Pinos, il y a beaucoup d'attentes au sein du parti concernant Enrique Pena Nieto. 71 | Il rejette les critiques des opposants qui reprochent au nouveau président de manquer de charisme. 72 | C'est un homme entier, très engagé, avec une excellente vision du pays. 73 | C'est un excellent homme d'État et, par-dessus tout, il sait écouter. 74 | Cependant, ce n'est pas toujours l'image qu'ont les gens de leur ancien gouverneur. 75 | À Nezahualcoyotl, également connue sous le nom de Ciudad Neza, le contraste avec les rues pavées de Valle del Bravo ne pouvait pas être plus flagrant. 76 | Cachée sous les autoponts des autoroutes, elle constitue, à bien des égards, une banlieue de la ville de Mexico. 77 | Et les problèmes dans la municipalité sont également concrets et urbains. 78 | Plus tôt dans l'année, les militaires ont été appelés à la rescousse pour lutter contre les gangs de drogue qui sévissent dans les quartiers, et les violences faites aux femmes y sont particulièrement graves. 79 | Dans une zone sinistrée, on a retrouvé, en bordure de décharge, les corps de dizaines de femmes assassinées au cours des deux dernières années. 80 | Plus de 1,000 femmes ont été tuées dans l'état du Mexique alors que M. Pena Nieto était gouverneur, un taux bien plus élevé que dans la très violente ville de Ciudad Juarez - un lieu tristement célèbre pour le nombre de femmes innocentes qui y ont été tuées. 81 | Les détracteurs de M. Pena Nieto, disent qu'au mieux, il n'a pas réussi à endiguer le problème des meurtres perpétrés contre les femmes quand il était en fonction. 82 | Au pire, ils accusent son administration de refuser de voir la réalité en face. 83 | Dans une maison en béton, typique de ce quartier délabré, Irinea Buendia lutte pour retenir ses larmes lorsqu'elle me montre des photos de sa fille défunte, Mariana Luna. 84 | La version officielle fait état d'un suicide commis par Mariana en 2010. 85 | Cependant, sa famille pense qu'elle a été tuée par son partenaire. 86 | "Quand je suis arrivée chez elle, il m'a semblé que son corps avait été lavé", raconte la Señora Buendia. 87 | Des signes indiquaient qu'elle avait été battue, et la rigidité cadavérique était déjà amorcée. 88 | Alors que sa mère raconte l'histoire, une photo de Mariana habille le mur, à côté d'une croix où figure le mot: Justice. 89 | Cependant, c'est exactement ce que la famille s'est vu refuser. 90 | Les autorités m'ont traitée comme si j'étais une vieille commère, une fautrice de trouble, une pleurnicheuse. 91 | Ils veulent qu'on accepte ce qu'ils disent et qu'on se taise. 92 | "Mais ce n'est pas normal qu'il y ait autant d'irrégularités et d'omissions", a-t-elle déclaré. 93 | Lorsque le Président Pena Nieto recevra son écharpe samedi, elle s'accompagnera d'une lourde responsabilité. 94 | Des dizaines de milliers de familles ont été touchées par la criminalité au Mexique au cours des six dernières années et le nouveau président a fait la promesse qu'il en ferait sa priorité pendant son mandat. 95 | "J'espère qu'il sera aussi bon en tant que président que lorsqu'il était gouverneur", a déclaré Olvera, à Valle del Bravo, membre du Congrès. 96 | Cependant, c'est exactement ce que les familles des victimes de Ciudad Neza craignent le plus. 97 | Bradley Manning ne s'est pas plaint de mauvais traitements, déclarent les procureurs. 98 | Les procureurs essayent de contrer les revendications de maltraitance dont Bradley Manning aurait été victime lors de la détention. 99 | Le procès porte sur la détention de Manning dans une prison militaire à Quantico, en Virginie. 100 | La défense veut classer l'affaire au motif que la séquestration de Manning s'est faite dans des conditions extrêmement difficiles. 101 | Le soldat est accusé d'avoir dérobé des milliers de documents confidentiels. 102 | Les procureurs ont tenté de démontrer, vendredi, que le soldat Bradley Manning -- accusé d'être à l'origine de la plus grosse fuite d'informations confidentielles de toute l'histoire de l'armée américaine -- a manqué de nombreuses occasions de se plaindre des mauvais traitements qu'il prétend avoir subis lors de sa détention militaire. 103 | Lors d'un contre-interrogatoire avec Manning, pendant une audience préliminaire à Ft. Meade, Maryland, le Procureur Maj. Ashden Fein a affirmé que des enregistrements de visites hebdomadaires rendues à Manning par des officiers pendant ses neuf mois de détention à Quantico, Virginie, n'ont révélé aucune plainte concernant son traitement. 104 | Le contre-interrogatoire -- au cours d'une audience, la défense a présenté une requête exigeant que l'affaire Manning soit classée au motif que la séquestration s'est faite dans des conditions très difficiles et a constitué une punition suffisamment sévère -- a eu lieu une journée après que Manning a témoigné son envie de se suicider pendant sa détention. 105 | Cet analyste du renseignement militaire, arrêté en juin 2010, est accusé d'avoir dérobé des milliers de documents confidentiels pendant son service en Irak. 106 | Les documents ont ensuite été publiés en ligne par WikiLeaks. 107 | WikiLeaks n'a jamais confirmé que Manning avait été leur source. 108 | Lors de l'audience de vendredi, Fein a examiné avec Manning les formulaires que les officiers avaient rempli après leur rencontre avec Manning, pendant sa détention dans la prison militaire de Quantico, où il a été soumis à un isolement carcéral maximal de juillet 2010 à avril 2011. 109 | Les officiers ont posé des questions à Manning et ont consigné ses réponses. 110 | Quand Fein a évoqué les formulaires, vendredi, Manning a reconnu que le traitement que lui ont réservé ses gardes était "excellent" et que le traitement qu'il avait eu au sein de la prison était globalement "très professionnel." 111 | Les formulaires ne font état d'aucune plainte pour mauvais traitement, bien que les officiers l'aient directement interrogé au sujet de son traitement carcéral, a affirmé Fein. 112 | Manning a répondu qu'il avait oralement exprimé des inquiétudes concernant certains problèmes et que les officiers en visite avaient discuté de ses inquiétudes et indiqué qu'ils s'en occuperaient, mais ils n'ont pas consigné les problèmes évoqués. 113 | "Ils ont écrit "aucun problème" (après avoir abordé les inquiétudes), et pour autant, cela ne signifiait pas que je n'avais pas soulevé de problèmes", a déclaré Manning. 114 | La juge militaire Col. Denise Lind, a également demandé à Manning pourquoi il ne s'était pas plaint de son traitement lors d'un entretien en janvier 2011 avec la commission spéciale qui s'était réunie pour évoquer les pensées suicidaires qu'il avait exprimées par écrit quelques mois auparavant. 115 | Manning a répondu que son intention pendant la réunion était de faire modifier son statut restrictif indiquant un "risque de blessure". 116 | Les militaires ont déclaré qu'ils lui avaient assigné ce statut restrictif -- un niveau en dessous de la surveillance rapprochée pour risque de suicide -- pour sa protection et la sécurité des autres. 117 | "Je voulais que le personnel sache que j'allais bien, et je voulais que l'on me retire ce statut... afin de bénéficier d'une meilleure qualité de vie de mon point de vue", a déclaré Manning. 118 | Manning a témoigné jeudi sur son arrestation en Irak et de son transfert au Koweït, où il a été détenu pendant près de deux mois avant d'être transféré à la prison militaire de la base du Corps des Marines à Quantico, en Virginie, en juillet 2010. 119 | Il a déclaré avoir envisagé de se suicider lorsqu'il était au Koweït et s'être évanoui une fois à cause de la chaleur. 120 | Il a ajouté que le fait de ne pas avoir été tenu au courant de ce qu'il allait lui arriver ou de ce qui se passait dans le reste du monde était très angoissant. 121 | "Mon monde était réduit à Camp Arafjon, à cette cage", a déclaré Manning, jeudi. 122 | Je pensais que j'allais mourir dans cette cage. 123 | Une fois à Quantico, Manning a déclaré qu'il avait passé le plus clair de son temps dans une petite cellule -- au moins 21 heures et parfois plus de 23 heures -- sans compagnie. 124 | Manning a également ajouté que les seuls objets dont il disposait étaient un matelas, une couverture, des tongs, des vêtements et ses lunettes. 125 | Il a essayé de rester en mouvement, car dormir ou rester allongé pendant la journée était contraire au règlement. 126 | Manning a également précisé que lorsqu'il essayait de dormir, il avait une lumière dans les yeux, allumée à l'extérieur de sa cellule. 127 | Si les gardes ne voyaient pas son visage lorsqu'il se retournait la nuit, ils le réveillaient afin de pouvoir voir son visage. 128 | L'avocat de Manning a déposé une plainte formelle pour les traitements subis par Manning en janvier 2011. 129 | Manning a été placé dans une prison militaire à Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, en avril 2011. 130 | Vendredi également, le juge a posé des questions à Manning concernant une allégation rapportée dans son témoignage de jeudi -- qu'après avoir été forcé à dormir nu toute une nuit dans sa cellule à Quantico, on l'a forcé à se tenir nu devant les gardes et d'autres détenus un matin, pendant l'appel. 131 | Manning a témoigné qu'à aucun moment, il ne lui a été permis de se couvrir avec une couverture pendant l'appel. 132 | Pendant les questions du juge, vendredi, Manning a déclaré qu'il avait déduit de l'ordre de son garde qu'il devait lâcher sa couverture qui aurait pu cacher sa nudité, mais il a reconnu que personne ne lui avait ordonné de la lâcher. 133 | Manning a témoigné jeudi qu'il avait été forcé à dormir nu la nuit précédente, car il aurait tenté de prouver à un officier qu'il n'était pas un danger pour lui-même. 134 | Manning aurait déclaré à l'officier qu'il aurait pu utiliser l'élastique de son slip ou ses tongs pour se blesser, mais qu'il ne l'avait pas fait. 135 | Cette nuit-là, Manning a témoigné que ses sous-vêtements, ses tongs, et ses lunettes avaient été retirés de sa cellule. 136 | Ses avocats espèrent qu'au moins le juge tiendra compte des expériences qu'il a vécues pendant sa détention et qu'il réduira considérablement sa sentence s'il devait être reconnu coupable devant une cour martiale, un procès qui devrait se tenir en début d'année prochaine. 137 | La défense a déclaré que Manning envisage de plaider coupable des délits les moins graves et de se battre pour l'abandon d'autres charges jugées trop extrêmes. 138 | L'audience devrait reprendre ce week-end, avec des procureurs qui devraient arguer que les conditions de détention étaient justifiées. 139 | Le Pentagone a confirmé que Manning a été incarcéré conformément au règlement qui régit les conditions de détention de tous les détenus à Quantico. 140 | Les chefs d'accusation portés à l'encontre de Manning incluent le vol de biens ou de documents publics, la collusion avec l'ennemi, donnant lieu à la publication illégale de renseignements sur l'Internet, et la transmission d'informations relatives à la défense nationale. 141 | Si tous les chefs d'accusation sont retenus, il encourt la réclusion criminelle à perpétuité. 142 | Ma crise identitaire mexico-américaine 143 | Il dit que beaucoup ont été forcés à quitter le Mexique à cause du manque d'opportunités 144 | Les Mexicains ont tendance à blâmer ceux qui sont partis; ils rappellent aux Mexicains les périodes difficiles, a-t-il déclaré. 145 | Navarrette dit que les Mexico-américains se retrouvent pris entre deux mondes. 146 | Lors d'un récent voyage à Mexico, en arrivant dans le hall, devant les services de douane et d'immigration, je me suis senti perdu. 147 | Des panneaux indiquaient deux voies: une pour les "Mexicanos" ("Mexicains"), une autre pour les "Extranjeros" ("Étrangers"). 148 | Je suis resté immobile pendant plusieurs secondes, ne sachant pas vers quelle file me diriger. 149 | J'ai grandi dans le centre de la Californie, où l'on m'a appelé le "Mexicain" toute ma vie. 150 | Il s'agit d'un qualificatif ethnique, au même titre que celui que mes amis de Boston utilisent lorsqu'ils se disent "irlandais", ou mes amis de New York lorsqu'ils se disent "italiens". 151 | Ensuite, je suis devenu "Mexico-Américain". 152 | Mais, ici, c'était le Mexique. 153 | Et, sur la terre qui a vu naître mon grand-père, nul besoin de qualificatif spécial ni de trait d'union. 154 | J'étais simplement un Américain. 155 | Je parle espagnol, suffisamment bien pour gérer un entretien dans l'une ou l'autre langue. 156 | Mais je n'ai pas le vocabulaire d'un autochtone, et je ne peux pas perdre mon accent américain. 157 | Alors j'ai pris mon passeport américain et je me suis dirigé vers la file "Étrangers". 158 | J'ai pensé à ce moment-là de la semaine quand le nouveau président mexicain Enrique Pena Nieto a rendu visite au Président Obama, à la Maison-Blanche. 159 | Généralement, lorsque les leaders de ces deux pays se rencontrent, leurs thèmes de prédilection sont l'immigration, la drogue et le commerce. 160 | Pena Nieto avait également envie de parler de la croissance de l'économie mexicaine, qui est l'une des raisons qui poussent les Mexicains à rester au Mexique plutôt que de se risquer aux États-Unis. 161 | Il souhaite s'allier aux États-Unis et au Canada, et créer une Union pour le commerce sur le modèle de l'Union Européenne, mais en Amérique du Nord. 162 | Et Pena Nieto s'engage à poursuivre la guerre contre les cartels de la drogue au Mexique, bien qu'il n'ait pas fourni plus de détails. 163 | Pour le Mexique, la relation avec les États-Unis est compliquée et remplie d'amertume. 164 | La plupart des Américains n'ont probablement jamais réfléchi au fait qu'en 1848, les États-Unis ont envahi le Mexique et forcé ses leaders à céder par écrit la moitié de leur territoire à la pointe du fusil. 165 | Mais pour les Mexicains, qui réfléchissent en termes de siècles, et pas de minutes, les souvenirs sont partout. 166 | Par conséquent, dès qu'un officiel U.S. formule la moindre critique à l'égard du Mexique, vous commencez à entendre -- dans la presse mexicaine, et parmi les élites -- des plaintes sur la façon dont les Américains portent atteinte à la souveraineté de leur voisin. 167 | Et les enfants de Montezuma cherchent la bagarre. 168 | Et pourtant, pour le Mexique, la relation la plus difficile est celle que le pays entretient avec les plus de 35 millions de Mexico-Américains qui vivent aux États-Unis. 169 | Vous voulez qu'on aborde le sujet de l'amertume? 170 | Il y en a beaucoup. 171 | Le Mexique a ses gagnants et ses perdants, des personnes pour qui le pays offre des opportunités et d'autres pour qui le pays n'en offre pas. 172 | La seule raison qui explique le grand nombre d'ancêtres mexicains dans des villes comme Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver ou San Antonio, est qu'à un moment donné, dans notre arbre généalogique, une personne, peut-être un parent ou un grand-parent, n'a trouvé aucune opportunité au Mexique et a dû aller dans le Nord. 173 | Et le plus souvent, cette personne correspondait à un profil type -- une peau foncée, peu instruit, issu d'un village pauvre, etc. 174 | Nous sommes leurs descendants, et nous sommes loyaux envers eux. 175 | Pas le Mexique. 176 | Et même si nous vivons actuellement le rêve américain, que nous sommes allés dans de bonnes écoles et que nous avons des bonnes situations, nous ne devons jamais perdre de vue que c'est le rêve américain que nous vivons, et pas celui des Mexicains. 177 | Notre identité est parfois troublée, mais notre loyauté est évidente. 178 | Nous l'accordons aux États-Unis. 179 | Par ailleurs, nous savons qu'une partie de l'élite mexicaine parmi la classe dirigeante ne nous aime pas. 180 | Le sentiment est réciproque. 181 | Nous leur rappelons une défaite humiliante et ils nous toisent comme si nous étions des individus de souche inférieure et pas suffisamment mexicaine. 182 | Notre espagnol ne sera jamais assez bon, nos liens avec le Mexique ne seront jamais assez forts. 183 | Pour eux, notre existence est synonyme d'échec. 184 | Si nos familles n'avaient pas échoué lorsqu'ils vivaient au Mexique, ils ne seraient jamais partis. 185 | Et nous ne nous retrouverions pas coincés du bon côté de la barrière, vivant confortablement aux États-Unis, mais comme des âmes perdues. 186 | Ma femme qui est née à Guadalajara et qui a émigré légalement aux États-Unis alors qu'elle était enfant, me rappelle qu'il existe des frictions entre les Mexicains et les Mexico-Américains, car les Mexicains revendiquent plus fermement leur identité et les Mexico-Américains en sont contrariés. 187 | Bien qu'elle soit citoyenne américaine, elle a le sentiment de faire partie de deux pays. 188 | Par ailleurs, de nombreux Mexico-Américains que je connais n'ont pas l'impression de faire partie d'un pays ou de l'autre. 189 | Nous adorons la musique du groupe mexicain, Los Tigres del Norte, mais également celle de Bruce Springsteen. 190 | Nous avons le meilleur des deux mondes, mais nous ne sommes enracinés dans aucun des deux. 191 | Au Mexique, on nous considère comme des Américains. 192 | Et aux États-Unis, on nous considère comme des Mexicains. 193 | Et maintenant, pour compliquer un peu plus la relation, comme je l'ai appris pendant mon séjour, certains leaders mexicains et une partie de l'intelligentsia veulent se rapprocher de la Diaspora. 194 | Ils veulent que les Mexico-Américains travaillent en tant qu'ambassadeurs de fortune pour le Mexique, en représentant ses intérêts aux États-Unis. 195 | Nous devrons expliquer à nos compatriotes américains que le Mexique est un pays superbe qu'il faut absolument visiter et mettre la pression aux leaders politiques pour renforcer les liens avec le Mexique. 196 | Oui, bien sûr. 197 | Cela n'arrivera pas. 198 | Il y a trop d'amertume. 199 | Et, si l'on considère les inégalités de salaire, la corruption et la violence liée à la drogue qui sont omniprésentes, beaucoup d'entre nous ne sont pas persuadés qu'il s'agit d'un pays fantastique. 200 | Vous allez devoir vous débrouiller seuls, amigos. 201 | C'est normal. 202 | Si certains Mexicains ne sont pas encore prêts à pardonner les États-Unis de la façon dont ils ont traité le Mexique il y a un siècle et demi, ils doivent par conséquent accepter que certains Mexico-Américains leur en veuillent toujours de la façon dont les membres de leur famille ont été traités il n'y a pas si longtemps. 203 | Hmmm. 204 | Peut-être sommes-nous plus "Mexicains" que je ne le pensais. 205 | Vieilles querelles, nouveau Moyen-Orient 206 | Le cessez-le-feu entre Israël et le Hamas est encore un échec pour la paix. 207 | Ne pourra-t-il jamais y avoir une paix durable entre les Arabes et les Juifs au Moyen-Orient? 208 | Une autre effusion de sang semble indiquer qu'un tel espoir est vain. 209 | Tandis que persistent les mêmes arguments futiles pour savoir qui a commencé, des dizaines de bâtiments ont été réduits en poussière; plus de 140 Palestiniens, la plupart d'entre eux étaient des civils, et six Israéliens ont été tués; et, pour la première fois, des roquettes tirées de Gaza ont atterri près de Tel-Aviv, la métropole d'Israël, et la ville sainte de Jérusalem. 210 | Mais bien que les Israéliens et les Palestiniens semblent bloqués dans leur ancien conflit, tout autour d'eux, le Moyen-Orient est en pleine mutation. 211 | Le printemps arabe a tout fait voler en éclats, et qu'on le veuille ou non, les Palestiniens et les Israéliens sont rattrapés par ce bouleversement régional. 212 | Peut-être que leur lutte s'intensifiera encore un peu plus. 213 | Pourtant, il y a toutes les raisons de penser que cela pourrait les aider à sortir de cette impasse mortelle. 214 | Une guerre qui ne fait aucun perdant ni aucun gagnant 215 | À première vue, il semble difficile de faire preuve d'optimisme. 216 | Même si le cessez-le-feu accordé le 21 novembre se maintient, les combats de cette semaine ont renforcé les partisans de la force, des deux côtés. 217 | Les leaders du Hamas, le mouvement islamiste qui dirige le Gaza depuis 2007, se targueront d'avoir forcé les Israéliens à abandonner, même si Gaza a essuyé une raclée. 218 | Avoir tué certains de ses leaders et refoulé les 1,7 million d'habitants de Gaza dans l'un des coins les plus misérables et surpeuplés de la planète, Israël n'a pas réussi à détruire le Hamas. 219 | En effet, le Hamas gagne du terrain sur la Cisjordanie, l'autre partie de la Palestine actuellement aux mains de leurs rivaux du Fatah, l'autre faction palestinienne plus modérée. 220 | De plus, les leaders du Hamas pourraient se dire que le temps est leur allié. 221 | L'influence des islamistes du monde arabe est de plus en plus forte, et le Hamas s'est fait des amis riches et puissants. 222 | La Turquie, une puissance régionale en plein essor, autrefois l'allié musulman le plus proche d'Israël, a pris fait et cause pour le Hamas; tout comme le Qatar, l'un des états les plus riches et les plus dynamiques du Golf. 223 | Les membres du Hamas jubilent et disent que le croissant Islamiste se courbe autour d'Israël, depuis le Liban, dans le nord, où la milice du Hezbollah exerce sa domination, en passant par la Syrie, où les rebelles à tendance islamiste peuvent renverser Bashar El Assad, et jusqu'à la Jordanie, où les alliés du Hamas menacent le roi. 224 | Et le plus important, sur le flanc sud d'Israël, la montée des Frères musulmans sous la présidence de Muhammad Morsi en Égypte, de loin le plus peuplé et le plus central des pays arabes, a changé l'équilibre de la région. 225 | Hosni Mubarak, ce despote qui a gouverné l'Égypte pendant 30 ans jusqu'à sa chute en 2011, avait peu de temps à consacrer au Hamas. 226 | En revanche, les Frères musulmans sont des cousins du Hamas, et leurs leaders s'en remettent plus facilement à l'opinion publique. 227 | Dans la diplomatie future, le Hamas peut émerger en tant qu'acteur d'importance qui ne pourra plus être exclu même par Israël et l'Amérique. 228 | Pendant ce temps, les partisans de la ligne dure d'Israël tireront les conclusions inverses. 229 | En termes militaires, le Hamas a été remis en boîte. 230 | Le système d'interception de missiles baptisé Iron Dome a prouvé son efficacité et de nombreux missiles du Hamas ont été détruits. 231 | Les Israéliens vont pouvoir dormir sur leurs deux oreilles - pendant un certain temps. 232 | En termes de diplomatie, l'Amérique renouvelle son soutien indéfectible; et de nombreux pays européens ont reproché au Hamas d'être à l'origine de la dernière vague de violence. 233 | Mais surtout, Israël a prospéré, notamment sous Binyamin Netanyahu, le premier-ministre, qui a totalement ignoré le processus de paix. 234 | Bien que les tirs de roquettes de Gaza aient tué environ 30 Israéliens depuis 2004, Israël a été épargné par les attentats suicides, notamment grâce à la barrière de séparation qui empiète sur la Cisjordanie, le morceau principal de ce qui pourrait être un état palestinien, et qui protège les colonies juives qui continuent de s'étendre malgré leur illégalité en matière de droit international. 235 | M. Netanyahu, dont le parti Likud a fusionné avec un parti encore plus belliciste, celui du dirigeant Avigdor Lieberman à l'approche de l'élection du 22 janvier, a la partie belle. 236 | Pourquoi dorloter ces fichus palestiniens en leur donnant un état? 237 | S'ils dirigeaient la Cisjordanie, ne lanceraient-ils pas des roquettes, comme leurs compatriotes l'ont fait à Gaza? 238 | Il est préférable de les garder derrière ce mur et de les frapper dès qu'ils sortent la tête. 239 | Peut-être que les partisans de la ligne dure l'emporteront; mais il se peut que le printemps arabe change la donne. 240 | Même si les islamistes qui prennent le pouvoir en Égypte et ailleurs apprécient peu Israël, leur priorité sera de s'attaquer aux problèmes dans leurs propres pays. 241 | Le budget de la défense d'Israël est plus important que celui de ses quatre voisins arabes réunis. 242 | Commencer une guerre avec la superpuissance locale n'aidera pas les nouveaux gouvernements arabes à arranger leurs économies. 243 | M. Morsi a travaillé avec Barack Obama pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu ce qui est de bon augure -- et pourrait marquer le début de quelque chose. 244 | Les Israéliens devraient également penser à l'avenir. 245 | Avec le reste du monde arabe qui devient plus démocratique, priver les Palestiniens de leur droit à l'autodétermination pourrait créer une poudrière qui est vouée à exploser un jour dans les territoires occupés par Israël - un peu comme le bus qui a explosé à Tel-Aviv cette semaine. 246 | La répression affaiblit déjà la démocratie dans l'état juif, et la démographie exacerbe ce problème à mesure que la population arabe augmente. 247 | Les missions sanglantes contre Gaza tous les deux ou trois ans pour sonner le Hamas auront un prix sur le plan diplomatique. 248 | Les deux côtés ont besoin d'être poussés par ceux de l'extérieur. 249 | La réponse demeure celle prônée par les personnes raisonnables que l'on trouve de chaque côté, et par la plupart du monde extérieur et par ce journal: deux états, avec une cession de territoire par Israël en échange de la sécurité. 250 | Un espoir, petit et à court terme, est que le cessez-le-feu donnera l'occasion aux personnes extérieures de défendre cette cause. 251 | L'Égypte, qui doit maintenant s'atteler à mettre fin à la circulation d'armes vers Gaza, au même titre que la Turquie et le Qatar, est mieux placée que jamais pour persuader le Hamas d'accepter l'idée d'un état juif conformément aux frontières de 1967 avec des échanges de terrain et un Jérusalem partagé. 252 | Les Arabes des pays extérieurs devraient également faire pression sur le Hamas et le Fatah pour qu'ils s'unissent. 253 | Cela contribuerait bien plus à la création d'un état palestinien que la proposition prochaine d'un pseudo état à l'ONU. 254 | M. Obama a également tout intérêt à ce qu'Israël accepte de négocier. 255 | Au cours de son premier mandat, il n'a pas présenté son propre plan de paix. 256 | De retour à la Maison-Blanche, il semble tout aussi réticent à en établir un. 257 | C'est une vision très étriquée. 258 | La stabilité du Moyen-Orient est un enjeu vital pour l'Amérique. 259 | Cela passe par un accord de paix entre Israël et les Palestiniens. 260 | Les lois pour des paquets de cigarettes neutres sont entrées en vigueur en Australie 261 | Des avertissements et des photos d'organes malades recouvrent les paquets verts sombre qui sont tous identiques, quelle que soit la marque 262 | Cette loi entrée en vigueur en Australie est une première mondiale, les logos et les couleurs ont été remplacés par un vert olive sombre et d'horribles photos d'organes malades et des représentations d'enfants et de bébés dont les maladies ont été causées par le tabagisme de leurs parents. 263 | En dehors des différentes photos et avertissements sanitaires, la seule différence entre les paquets, depuis ce samedi, est le nom de la marque, imprimé en petits caractères sur tous les paquets. 264 | Il s'agit du régime le plus strict au monde en matière d'emballage de tabac. 265 | Le gouvernement fédéral australien a déclaré que l'objectif était de dissuader les jeunes de fumer en supprimant toute représentation glamour. 266 | Des études ont montré que si les personnes n'ont pas commencé à fumer avant l'âge de 26 ans, il y a 99% de chances qu'elles ne commencent jamais. 267 | "Même lorsqu'ils sont très jeunes, les enfants comprennent le message véhiculé par les fabricants de tabac au travers de leur image de marque", a déclaré le ministre fédéral de la santé, Tanya Plibersek, en citant des études qui ont révélé par exemple que les enfants associaient la couronne d'un logo à une princesse." 268 | Même si l'Australie enregistre le plus faible taux de tabagisme au monde et si ces changements n'ont que peu d'impact sur les bénéfices des multinationales, d'autres pays envisagent une démarche analogue. 269 | L'industrie du tabac a fait pression contre cette loi. 270 | Les fabricants de tabac ont déclaré que cela relancerait le commerce du marché noir, qui donnera plus facilement accès à des cigarettes moins chères. 271 | "Des conséquences néfastes découleront de cette législation", a déclaré Scott McIntyre, de la British American Tobacco Australia. 272 | Les faussaires de Chine et d'Indonésie vendront bien plus de cigarettes de contrefaçon dans les rues d'Australie. 273 | D'autres ont déclaré que cette loi avait dynamisé leur activité. 274 | Sandra Ha de Zico Import Pty Ltd, une petite entreprise familiale, a déclaré que la demande d'étuis à cigarettes, notamment en silicone pour masquer les horribles emballages, a fortement augmenté il y a deux mois depuis que British American Tobacco, Britain's Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris et Japan Tobacco ont contesté la loi et perdu devant la haute cour d'Australie. 275 | Ha a déclaré que Zico en a vendu 6,000 à des grossistes et est en attente de renouvellement de stock. 276 | Pour nous, les affaires sont bonnes. 277 | Le seul ennui, disent les experts, est la popularité des médias sociaux et la tranche de population ciblée par le plan. 278 | Après une série de lois australiennes interdisant les publicités à la TV, le sponsoring sportif et l'obligation pour les revendeurs de dissimuler les cigarettes, le marketing du tabac est à présent disponible en ligne. 279 | L'Australie a interdit la publicité sur le Web par les entreprises et les sites locaux, mais elle ne peut empêcher les sites étrangers d'en faire. 280 | "Si vous travaillez dans le marketing du tabac et que vous ne disposez plus que d'une petite vitrine pour promouvoir vos produits, l'Internet est le lieu incontournable par excellence", a déclaré Becky Freeman, une chercheuse en santé publique à l'Université de Sydney. 281 | Freeman a remarqué une augmentation des contributions de certains citoyens lambda en faveur des marques sur des médias sociaux comme YouTube, Twitter et Facebook. 282 | Nous devons nous demander s'il s'agit d'un simple citoyen qui adore les cigarettes Marlboro et qui s'est donné la peine de faire une vidéo, ou s'il s'agit d'une campagne marketing orchestrée par une agence? 283 | British American Tobacco Australia a déclaré que l'industrie se concentre sur le nouveau règlement en vigueur plutôt que sur le marketing. 284 | L'industrie est allée jusqu'à payer l'Ukraine, le Honduras et la République Dominicaine pour contester ces nouvelles décisions de justice - ces pays ont déclaré à l'OMS que le commerce est injustement désavantagé, bien qu'aucun de ces pays n'ait eu d'importants échanges commerciaux avec l'Australie. 285 | Une décision de l'OMC devrait être prise dans le courant de l'année 2013. 286 | Plibersek a déclaré que le gouvernement avait tenu des discussions avec d'autres pays concernant des lois analogues sur les emballages. 287 | Le Canada a été le premier pays à rendre obligatoires les photos d'avertissement sur les emballages en 2001. 288 | À présent, ces avertissements sont présents dans 40 pays, dont le Brésil, la Turquie et l'Ukraine. 289 | Des lois plus sévères sont actuellement à l'étude en Angleterre, Nouvelle-Zélande, Afrique du Sud et Inde. 290 | De nombreux fumeurs en Australie demeurent insensibles à ces photos. 291 | Les photos ne me dérangent pas. 292 | Je les ignore. 293 | "Tu prends une cigarette et tu ranges le paquet", a déclaré Victor El Hage au moment d'acheter un paquet sur lequel figure une photo de tumeur de la bouche. 294 | Pour être franc, la seule raison qui me fera arrêter, c'est ma petite fille. 295 | James Yu, gérant du "King of the Pack tobacconist" dans le centre de Sydney, a déclaré que l'uniformité des emballages rendait difficile le rangement des paquets sur les étalages. 296 | "Avant, il me fallait une heure pour décharger un colis, maintenant, il me faut quatre heures" a déclaré Yu. 297 | "Le gouvernement n'avait qu'à les interdire une bonne fois pour toutes et nous aurions dit OK, c'est bon, on arrête et on met la clé sous la porte", a-t-il ajouté, en levant les bras au ciel. 298 | Dans un monde constamment connecté, il peut être bon de s'ennuyer. 299 | J'ai passé cinq heures dans un aéroport pendant la période de Thanksgiving, car notre avion avait des problèmes mécaniques et nous avons dû attendre l'arrivée d'un autre avion. 300 | Par conséquent, j'ai eu suffisamment de temps pour réfléchir au thème de l'ennui. 301 | Je ne vais pas vous mentir. 302 | Passer une demi-journée dans un aéroport pour attendre un vol est assez ennuyeux, même lorsque vous avez des livres, des magazines et des iPhones pour vous distraire (sans oublier les boutiques de duty-free). 303 | Mais de plus en plus, certains universitaires et experts spécialisés dans le développement de l'enfant font l'éloge de l'ennui. 304 | Il est parfaitement normal pour nous - et nos enfants - de s'ennuyer de temps en temps, disent-ils. 305 | Cela force le cerveau à emprunter des chemins intéressants, voire de nourrir la créativité. 306 | Et comme nous sommes, pour la plupart, constamment devant plusieurs types d'écrans, nous ne connaissons plus les bienfaits de l'ennui. 307 | Alors devrions-nous accueillir l'ennui à bras ouverts? 308 | Oui. 309 | Et non. 310 | Mais j'y reviendrai. 311 | Tout d'abord, à l'instar de beaucoup de personnes, je pensais que l'ennui était un phénomène plutôt récent, notamment depuis que nous avons plus de temps libre. 312 | Mais ce n'est pas le cas, déclare Peter Toohey, professeur d'histoire gréco-romaine à l'Université de Calgary, au Canada, et auteur de "Boredom: A Lively History" (Yale University Press, 2011). 313 | "L'ennui remonte à très loin", dit-il. 314 | Sur les murs de Pompéi figurent des graffitis latins qui évoquent l'ennui, ils remontent au premier siècle. 315 | Ensuite, il y a la définition que nous donnons à l'ennui. 316 | Le problème est qu'il a été défini, et débattu, de différentes façons, a déclaré John D. Eastwood, professeur agrégé de psychologie à la York University dans l'Ontario, Canada. 317 | Après avoir parcouru de nombreuses publications et soumis l'idée à un groupe de discussion d'environ 100 personnes, le Professeur Eastwood et ses collègues ont défini l'ennui comme étant une expérience qui consiste "à vouloir faire quelque chose, mais sans parvenir à se lancer dans une activité satisfaisante." 318 | Ce qui différencie l'ennui de l'apathie, dit-il, c'est que la personne n'est pas en train d'entreprendre une tâche bien qu'elle le souhaiterait. 319 | Avec l'apathie, dit-il, il n'y a pas l'envie de faire quelque chose. 320 | Ce qui est au cœur de l'ennui, a-t-il déclaré, c'est "l'interruption du processus d'attention, associé à une humeur maussade et le sentiment que le temps passe lentement." 321 | L'ennui peut fortement ressembler à une dépression. 322 | Mais le Professeur Eastwood a déclaré que si les deux peuvent être liés, les personnes qui s'ennuient ont tendance à penser que le problème vient de l'environnement ou du monde, tandis que les personnes déprimées pensent que le problème vient d'eux. 323 | Parfois, il nous arrive de penser que nous nous ennuyons alors qu'il s'agit en fait d'un problème de concentration. 324 | Dans le cadre de leur étude, "The Unengaged Mind: Defining Boredom in Terms of Attention", qui a été publiée dans le journal "Perspectives on Psychological Science" en septembre, le Professeur Eastwood et ses collègues ont mis en évidence une expérience plus ancienne dans laquelle les participants écoutaient sur cassette, la voix d'une personne en train de lire un article de magazine. 325 | Certains groupes ont entendu, en provenance de la salle à côté, le son trop élevé d'une émission de TV qui n'avait aucun rapport, d'autres ont tout juste entendu l'émission de TV, et le troisième groupe n'a pas du tout entendu la bande-son. 326 | Ceux qui ont entendu la TV à un faible niveau sonore ont dit qu'ils s'étaient plus ennuyés que les deux autres groupes - ils ont eu du mal à se concentrer, mais ne savaient pas pourquoi, et ont attribué ce problème de concentration à l'ennui. 327 | Lorsque vous essayez de vous concentrer sur une tâche difficile ou prenante, une interruption de l'attention peut conduire à l'ennui, a déclaré Mark J. Fenske, un professeur agrégé de neuroscience à la University of Guelph dans l'Ontario et l'un des auteurs de l'étude. 328 | En revanche, lorsque vous effectuez une tâche ennuyeuse, "comme regarder des objets sur une chaîne de montage, la musique peut vous aider à ne pas vous ennuyer." 329 | En fait, dit-il, à présent, nous savons que lorsqu'on se tortille ou qu'on griffonne, ces gestes, souvent considérés comme des signes d'ennui, sont en fait un bon moyen de rester physiquement plus alerte. 330 | "Des études ont montré que les enfants qui sont autorisés à gigoter apprennent plus et retiennent plus d'informations que ceux qui sont forcés à rester sans bouger", a déclaré le Professeur Fenske. 331 | Nous nous ennuyons tous un jour ou l'autre - le retard de mon vol d'avion, un locuteur avec une voix monocorde, un film particulièrement ennuyeux. 332 | Mais certaines personnes sont plus susceptibles de s'ennuyer que d'autres. 333 | Pour mesurer cela, des chercheurs ont développé une "Échelle de prédisposition à l'ennui" dans les années 80. 334 | L'échelle inclut des affirmations comme, "Parmi les tâches que j'effectue, beaucoup d'entre elles sont répétitives et monotones", et "j'ai tellement de centres d'intérêt que je n'ai pas le temps de tout faire." 335 | En utilisant une telle échelle, les chercheurs ont découvert que les garçons ont tendance à s'ennuyer plus souvent que les filles, a déclaré Stephen Vodanovich, un professeur de psychologie à la University of West Florida, et ont notamment besoin de stimulations nombreuses et variées. 336 | Mais en général, les adolescents sont vite blasés. 337 | En 1991, Reed Larson, un professeur en développement individuel et communautaire à l'University of Illinois, a mené une expérience au cours de laquelle il a contacté près de 400 adolescents et leurs parents sept à huit fois par jour via un beeper. 338 | Il a relevé que 32 pour cent des adolescents déclaraient s'ennuyer à l'école et pendant leurs devoirs à la maison, tandis que 23 pour cent déclaraient s'ennuyer lorsqu'ils n'étaient pas à l'école. 339 | En revanche, 3 pour cent des parents ont déclaré s'ennuyer. 340 | Le professeur Larson a déclaré qu'il ne savait pas si les pourcentages d'ennui d'aujourd'hui, soit 21 ans plus tard, seraient plus élevés ou inférieurs. 341 | Mais il a ajouté qu'il savait que "l'adolescence est une période où l'ennui atteint son plus haut niveau", notamment parce que les enfants et les adolescents n'ont pas beaucoup de contrôle sur ce qu'ils veulent faire. 342 | Si je repose ma question: l'ennui est-il bon pour vous? 343 | Parfois non, car dans sa forme extrême, cela peut entraîner les personnes à prendre des risques physiques absurdes, faire des paris ou abuser de certaines substances pour passer le temps, comme les études le montrent. 344 | En revanche, de nombreux philosophes et écrivains évoquent un lien entre l'ennui et la créativité, a déclaré le Professeur Vodanovich, qui étudie le problème depuis plus de deux décennies. 345 | "L'ennui est le moyen que le cerveau a trouvé pour vous faire savoir que vous devriez faire autre chose", a déclaré Gary Marcus, un professeur de psychologie à la N.Y.U. 346 | Mais le cerveau ne sait pas toujours quelle est la chose la plus appropriée à faire. 347 | Si vous vous ennuyez et que vous utilisez cette énergie pour jouer de la guitare et cuisiner, cela vous rendra heureux. 348 | Mais si vous regardez la TV, cela vous rendra heureux à court terme, mais pas à long terme. 349 | Alors si votre enfant s'ennuie et que vous lui donnez un iPad, il ne s'ennuiera plus, mais il n'aura pas appris à s'occuper tout seul ni à s'autorégler, déclare le professeur Fenske. 350 | Et "cet autorèglement passe d'une situation à une autre", déclare-t-il. 351 | Votre enfant n'apprend pas seulement à se divertir, il obtient plus de maîtrise de lui-même dans d'autres domaines. 352 | Je ne pense pas que nous devrions glorifier l'ennui. 353 | Tout comme je ne pense pas non plus que nous devrions le critiquer. 354 | Se sentir à l'aise en dehors du bouillonnement constant que génèrent les activités et la technologie est l'objectif vers lequel nous devrions tendre. 355 | Le professeur Eastwood est d'accord sur ce point. 356 | "Nous avons besoin de nous ennuyer plus souvent, mais l'ennui éveille un désir aigu et frénétique d'être connecté à quelque chose qui a du sens", a-t-il déclaré. 357 | Selon lui, ce que les gens recherchent, c'est un moyen de se déconnecter et d'apprécier les temps d'arrêt. 358 | "Dans un environnement où nous sommes constamment hyperstimulés", a-t-il ajouté, "il est difficile de trouver des moyens de se lancer dans quelque chose quand le bruit s'arrête." 359 | Dans le Colorado, aucune directive pour la nouvelle loi sur la marijuana 360 | Anthony Orozco, 19 ans, étudiant dans une université et joueur de foot dans le Colorado, est inculpé pour quelque chose qui deviendra bientôt légal dans son état: la possession de boulettes de marijuana et d'une pipe utilisée pour les fumer. 361 | M. Orozco a déclaré qu'un jour, en septembre, lui et quelques amis se trouvaient à bord d'une voiture à Lamar, au milieu des champs, près de la frontière avec le Kansas, quand ils ont été arrêtés. 362 | Après que l'officier de police a trouvé la marijuana dans la voiture, M. Orozco a reçu une citation à comparaître pour possession de drogue et matériel pouvant servir à sa consommation - des délits mineurs, chacun s'accompagnant d'une amende de 100 $ - et une date de comparution. 363 | "Nous sommes traités comme des criminels", a déclaré M. Orozco. 364 | Mais en est-il un? 365 | Pendant les semaines d'incertitude qui ont suivi le vote du Colorado pour légaliser la consommation de petites quantités de marijuana pour son usage personnel, la réponse apportée à des centaines d'affaires impliquant un faible usage de drogues dépend plus du lieu que de la loi. 366 | Ici et dans l'état de Washington, qui a adopté une mesure similaire, des centaines de délits impliquant l'usage de marijuana ont été classés sans suite. 367 | Les services de police ont cessé d'inculper des adultes de 21 ans et plus pour possession mineure de marijuana, car la loi entrera en vigueur dans les semaines à venir. 368 | Mais les procureurs qui se trouvent dans les circonscriptions plus conservatrices du Colorado ont appelé à accélérer les affaires de marijuana existantes et continuent d'inculper les personnes qui en possèdent. 369 | Parallèlement, plusieurs villes des banlieues de Denver jusqu'aux montagnes de l'Ouest votent actuellement pour empêcher l'ouverture de commerces de vente de marijuana agréés par l'État dans leurs quartiers. 370 | "Les choses évoluent si rapidement que je ne sais pas ce que nous réserve l'avenir", a déclaré Daniel J. Oates, le chef de la police d'Aurora, à l'est de Denver. 371 | Les organismes de réglementation de l'État de Washington se posent également pas mal de questions. 372 | Ils sont en quête de directives sur la façon d'installer un système de permis, autorisant à produire, fabriquer, distribuer et vendre - avant la date butoir du 1er décembre 2013. 373 | Ils disent que le Colorado, qu'on le veuille ou non, est en avance sur la plupart des états en matière de réglementation sur la marijuana, tout d'abord concernant l'usage à des fins thérapeutiques et maintenant en ce qui concerne l'usage personnel. 374 | "Le Colorado a un marché plus réglementé, et constitue un bon indicateur", a déclaré Brian E. Smith, porte-parole du Washington State Liquor Control Board. 375 | Mais aucun endroit ni système, reconnaît M. Smith, ne peut faire davantage que suggérer ce qui fonctionne. 376 | "Il n'y a pas de réel précédent sur lequel nous pourrions nous baser, a-t-il dit. 377 | La loi de Washington, qui s'appelle I-502, prend effet le 6 décembre, ce qui laisse un vide juridique d'une année, durant laquelle le système de permis n'existera toujours pas, alors que la possession de marijuana sera légale. 378 | Pendant ce temps, des questions pratiques restent en suspens: comment équilibrer le mandat de l'état qui garantit un accès approprié à la marijuana agréée et interdit l'installation de commerces de vente de cannabis dans un rayon de 30 km autour d'une école, d'un parc, d'un terrain de jeu ou d'une crèche. 379 | "Il n'y aura pas de lieux plus difficiles que les zones urbaines pour installer un commerce agréé de vente de cannabis, notamment dans la zone métropolitaine de Seattle", a déclaré Ben Livingston, un porte-parole du Centre de légalisation du cannabis, un groupe de recherche récemment formé. 380 | Le 21 novembre, le chef de la police, Oates, à Aurora, a envoyé un e-mail à ses officiers annonçant que le "City attorney" (représentant du ministère public) ne poursuivrait plus les personnes de 21 ans et plus qui possèdent de petites quantités de marijuana, et que la police devait cesser d'inculper des personnes pour ce type de délit "à effet immédiat." 381 | Le Chef Oates a déclaré que la police appliquerait les nouvelles décisions de justice qui réglementent l'activité de ceux qui cultivent la marijuana à des fins médicales, et qu'il continuerait de poursuivre les trafiquants de drogue et les dealers. 382 | À Weld County, dans le nord du Colorado, le "district attorney" (Procureur de la République), Ken Buck, incarne une vision plus stricte. 383 | Après le vote, il a déclaré que son bureau continuerait de s'occuper des affaires de possession de marijuana, principalement afin de faire pression sur les utilisateurs pour qu'ils se fassent désintoxiquer. 384 | À l'heure actuelle, 119 personnes sont inculpées de possession de 56 grammes ou moins de marijuana, mais beaucoup d'entre elles font l'objet d'autres inculpations. 385 | "Notre bureau a l'obligation d'intenter des poursuites contre ces personnes qui ont commis un délit qui, à l'époque des faits, était une infraction reconnue", a déclaré M. Buck. 386 | Les réactions ont été compliquées même dans des endroits ruraux comme Mesa County, où les votants ont rejeté l'initiative en faveur de la consommation restreinte de marijuana. 387 | La police à Grand Junction, la plus grande ville du comté, ne fait plus comparaître d'adultes pour possession de quantités restreintes. 388 | Le représentant du ministère public du comté, Pete Hautzinger, a soutenu cette décision, mais a également décidé de ne pas classer sans suite toutes les affaires de détention de marijuana. 389 | "Je n'ai pas l'impression de perdre mon temps à continuer d'appliquer la loi jusqu'à ce qu'elle change", a-t-il déclaré. 390 | Bien que 55 pourcent des votants du Colorado aient soutenu la mesure, offrir un cadre juridique et gouvernemental approprié à la consommation personnelle de marijuana n'est pas chose aisée. 391 | Et les réactions contradictoires qui ont été observées dans différentes villes américaines mettent en évidence la profonde ambivalence parmi les officiels locaux en ce qui concerne la légalisation de la marijuana. 392 | "Il s'agit d'une barrière culturelle" avec les représentants du ministère public, a déclaré Sean McAllister, un avocat de Denver qui représente les personnes accusées de consommation de marijuana et qui s'exprime en tant que porte-parole local de la "National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws" (Organisation nationale pour la réforme des lois sur la marijuana). 393 | "Ils ont passé une bonne partie de leur vie à poursuivre en justice des personnes qui consommaient de la marijuana, aussi, ont-ils du mal à accepter que ce soit légal", a-t-il déclaré. 394 | En tant que premiers états à traiter la consommation restreinte de marijuana au même niveau que celle de l'alcool, le Colorado et l'état de Washington sont en passe de devenir un cas de jurisprudence pour la légalisation des drogues. 395 | Alors que les défenseurs et des représentants de l'État prévoient une nouvelle frontière de ventes légalisées, ils attendent avec inquiétude les directives du gouvernement fédéral, qui conçoit toujours la vente et la culture de marijuana comme des crimes fédéraux. 396 | Les défenseurs de la légalisation de la marijuana espèrent que le Ministère de la Justice cèdera. 397 | Malgré certaines arrestations médiatisées de patients sous marijuana thérapeutique et de vendeurs, le gouvernement fédéral a surtout permis aux commerces de vente de marijuana à des fins thérapeutiques d'exercer dans le Colorado, à Washington et dans 16 autres états. 398 | S'il est vrai que la police ne va probablement pas enfoncer les portes pour saisir des petits sachets de drogues, il y a fort à parier qu'elle s'oppose aux commerces agréés de vente de marijuana à usage personnel autorisés par les nouvelles lois, a déclaré Kevin A. Sabet, un ancien conseiller politique de l'administration Obama. 399 | De nombreuses villes du Colorado n'ont pas attendu que les autorités fédérales agissent. 400 | Bien avant les votes, certaines administrations locales ont approuvé des moratoires concernant la création des nouveaux commerces de vente de marijuana, même s'il ne s'agit que d'un report d'un an. 401 | La semaine dernière, la ville de Montrose a obtenu un moratoire de 6 mois, et devrait imposer cette interdiction la semaine prochaine. 402 | "Nous ne voulons pas nous retrouver dans une situation où un permis est accordé à quelqu'un et ensuite nous retrouver confrontés à un problème fédéral", a déclaré Bob Nicholson, un membre du conseil municipal. 403 | Notre communauté a voté contre cet amendement. 404 | Nous nous intéressons au vote de la communauté plutôt qu'au vote de l'État. 405 | Beaucoup de questions se posent. 406 | Petronella Wyatt: J'ai été malmenée et exclue d'Oxford, car j'étais une "Tory" (conservatrice). 407 | Ce ne sont pas uniquement les étudiants d'aujourd'hui qui sont attaqués pour leurs opinions. 408 | Aussi loin que je me souvienne, j'ai toujours rêvé d'entrer à l'Université d'Oxford. 409 | Mon père et mon frère aîné ont étudié dans ce qui était pour moi un éminent lieu de savoir, une sorte d'amphithéâtre grec des temps modernes qui stimule les deux piliers de la civilisation, la libre pensée et la tolérance. 410 | Pourtant, deux semaines après m'être installée à Worcester College à la fin des années 80 pour étudier l'histoire, j'ai décidé de faire mes valises, provoquant le premier scandale de ma vie. 411 | Mon père s'est effondré et s'est mis à pleurer. 412 | Mes amis étaient déconcertés. 413 | Le journal de L'Evening Standard a prétendu que j'avais quitté cette université, car j'avais objecté le fait que des étudiants du premier cycle avaient des relations sexuelles dans la chambre à côté de la mienne. 414 | L'auteur A. N. Wilson a déclaré avec facétie que j'étais partie après avoir été forcée de boire dans des tasses ébréchées. 415 | La vérité était moins drôle. 416 | J'ai fui. 417 | Oui, j'ai fui, car j'avais été victime d'intimidations et fait l'objet de constantes brimades. 418 | Non pas à cause de mon nom plutôt outrancier, ni à cause du fait que je venais d'une école privée. 419 | J'ai été persécutée pour une seule et unique raison, et dans ce berceau du soi-disant savoir, j'ai été victime d'un comportement raciste et barbare: mon regretté père, Woodrow Wyatt, était un conseillé très influent de Margaret Thatcher et j'étais partisane du Parti Conservateur. 420 | Pourquoi évoquer cela aujourd'hui, me direz-vous. 421 | Et bien, des études récentes ont révélé qu'une nouvelle génération d'étudiants de centre-droite subisse le même type de persécution. 422 | La haine croissante et institutionnalisée des étudiants Tory à Oxford est telle que la semaine dernière, certains d'entre eux ont exigé une protection de leurs droits, au même titre que ceux des gays, des personnes handicapées et des minorités ethniques. 423 | Les membres conservateurs de la salle des étudiants (JCR) du Corpus Christi College ont déclaré qu'ils étaient "souvent isolés, attaqués personnellement et se sentaient indésirables" à cause de leurs opinions politiques. 424 | Ils veulent qu'il y ait un représentant au sein du Comité de l'université pour l'égalité des chances afin que leurs opinions puissent être exprimées librement. 425 | Leur situation n'a pas été facilitée par le récent documentaire diffusé sur BBC Two "Wonderland: Young, Bright and on the Right" ("Le pays des merveilles: Jeunes, Intelligents et de Droite"), consacré à la politique chez les étudiants, et qui dépeignait les "Tories" comme des excentriques et des néonazis. 426 | On y découvrait notamment l'étudiant Joe Cooke, ancien président de la "Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) ", qui se déplace en Rolls-Royce, arbore un complet argenté et se déplace avec une canne à tête chromée. 427 | Dans d'autres universités, les étudiants conservateurs disent être traités comme des boucs émissaires de la mise en place de l'augmentation des frais de scolarité." 428 | Luke Black, 20 ans, vice-président de la "Nottingham University Conservative Association", a déclaré à un journal du dimanche "qu'il y a un parti pris de gauche croissant dans les universités. 429 | Les gens pensent que nous sommes comme le Bullingdon Club sans même nous avoir rencontrés." 430 | Samuel Roberts, 21 ans, étudiant en histoire au Corpus Christi, qui a proposé une motion pour plus de protection, dit qu'un tel climat est "inconfortable", et Stephanie Cherill, 19 ans, présidente de l'OUCA, dit qu'il y a eu une détérioration de l'attitude des membres de la JCR à l'égard des personnes qui sont de centre-droite. 431 | "Cela constitue une entrave à la liberté des débats intellectuels, ainsi qu'au bien-être des membres", a-t-elle déclaré. 432 | J'étais la seule à penser de la sorte au cours de mes premières semaines passées à Oxford. 433 | Je suis entrée en septembre 1986, j'étais alors âgée de 18 ans et d'une timidité paralysante. 434 | La haine du parti conservateur était très virulente. 435 | L'année précédente, l'université avait voté le refus d'accorder à Margaret Thatcher - une ancienne étudiante - un titre honorifique, à cause de la réduction du financement des études supérieures. 436 | L'atmosphère était chargée de vibrations staliniennes. 437 | Dès les premiers jours de la semaine d'accueil, quand les nouveaux étudiants ont fait connaissance avec les autres et les professeurs, j'ai eu un avant-goût de ce qui allait se passer par la suite. 438 | J'ai découvert que les professeurs non seulement participaient aux sarcasmes envers les étudiants Tory, mais qu'en plus, ils y prenaient du plaisir. 439 | C'était comme si la politique au sujet des mineurs grévistes, de la privatisation et de l'opposition du gouvernement aux sanctions contre l'apartheid en Afrique du Sud était gravée dans le bois des salles de classe. 440 | Le premier sarcasme dont j'ai été victime concernait une traduction vers l'anglais des textes français du 18ème siècle, et je n'y étais pas préparée. 441 | "Miss Wyatt", a dit le professeur Harry Pitt (maintenant décédé), "veuillez traduire le premier paragraphe" 442 | J'ai perdu pied. 443 | Pitt, un petit homme au visage pustuleux, s'emportait facilement. 444 | "Est-ce que les Thatchéristes refusent d'apprendre le français ou sont-ils juste stupides?" a-t-il demandé. 445 | Les autres étudiants ont ri. 446 | Les larmes me brûlaient les yeux. 447 | "Je vous suggère de prendre des cours de français pendant votre temps libre - enfin, si vous n'êtes pas trop occupée à vous faire des amis", a-t-il lancé d'un ton hargneux. 448 | Je suis retournée dans ma chambre, inconsolable. 449 | Lors du dîner ce soir là, je me suis assise seule  puis j'ai senti une légère tape sur mon épaule. 450 | C'était un étudiant en seconde année d'études d'anglais, nommé James, qui s'est présenté comme membre de l'OUCA. 451 | "Je sais qui tu es", a-t-il dit, gentiment. 452 | J'ai bien peur qu'il en soit ainsi. 453 | Toute personne soupçonnée d'être un Tory (conservateur) est prise pour cible. 454 | C'est déjà assez dur pour moi, mais ils savent que ton père est proche de Margaret Thatcher, ça sera donc encore plus dur pour toi. 455 | La plupart des jeunes Tory prétendent être des Labour (travaillistes). 456 | Plus tard, au pub local, j'ai lâchement essayé de me cacher. 457 | J'ai insisté sur le fait que je n'étais pas d'accord avec tout ce qu'avait dit Mme Thatcher. 458 | Ce stratagème a échoué. 459 | Un étudiant en première année de philosophie, sciences politiques et économiques qui, ironiquement, avait étudié à Eton, a dit: "Tu es la fille d'un porc fasciste." 460 | Tu es contaminée. 461 | D'autres étudiants ont repris le refrain. 462 | J'étais pervertie, sale. 463 | "Comment les Tories font-ils l'amour?" a demandé l'un d'entre eux. 464 | Ils se frappent les uns les autres, n'est-ce pas?" 465 | Je me suis sentie comme les homosexuels avant la législation libérale des années soixante. 466 | Aurais-je seulement pu mener une vie normale à Oxford? 467 | Aurais-je été forcée de rencontrer des personnes partageant les mêmes points de vue uniquement après la tombée de la nuit? 468 | Aurais-je dû devenir Labour et renier mes opinions? 469 | Les trois années à venir allaient ressembler à un purgatoire d'ostracisme et d'isolement. 470 | Le seul professeur ouvertement Tory était Norman Stone, professeur d'histoire moderne, qui enseignait dans mon université. 471 | Il était détesté non seulement parce qu'il était conservateur, mais aussi parce qu'il était conseiller en politique extérieure de Thatcher et l'un des auteurs de ses discours. 472 | Il n'était presque jamais là. 473 | Il détestait cet endroit provincial et insignifiant, ainsi que son adhésion au point de vue marxiste-déterministe de l'histoire. 474 | En 1997, il accepta un poste de professeur à l'université de Bilkent, à Ankara, en Turquie. 475 | "Tu ne seras pas heureuse ici", m'a-t-il dit. 476 | J'ai commencé à faire la navette entre Oxford et la maison de mes parents à Londres, trouvant refuge auprès de ma famille et de mes amis citadins plus ouverts d'esprit. 477 | J'ai dit à mon père que je détestais Oxford et je lui ai expliqué pourquoi. 478 | Il était incrédule. 479 | Pendant ses études à Oxford, dans les années quarante, tous les points de vue politiques étaient acceptés. 480 | "Mais c'est le meilleur endroit au monde", m'a-t-il dit pathétiquement. 481 | Ils ne feraient pas ça, pas dans la ville aux clochers rêveurs. 482 | Même mes amis communistes avaient des manières irréprochables. 483 | Il avait les larmes aux yeux. 484 | Laisse-leur une chance. 485 | Je suis sûr que c'est pour te taquiner. 486 | Cela me briserait le cœur si tu quittais Oxford. 487 | Fatiguée par mes fréquents voyages à Londres, ma résistance émotionnelle s'est progressivement détériorée. 488 | Un ami, également Tory, a succombé à la pression et a renoncé à ses convictions. 489 | Au cours d'une séance de travaux dirigés la semaine suivante, quand un autre professeur d'histoire a suggéré le plus sérieusement du monde, que j'étais "un ennemi du peuple", j'ai décidé d'en faire autant. 490 | Rougissant intérieurement de honte, j'ai admis être victime du lavage de cerveau de mes parents et les traitai de "vieux fous". 491 | Le répit a été de courte durée. 492 | C'est mon père qui a enfoncé le dernier clou de mon cercueil oxfordien. 493 | À cette époque, il écrivait deux colonnes dans la presse de Murdoch chaque semaine. 494 | Ma porte était verrouillée. 495 | Je suis restée tapie dans ma chambre, et après cinq minutes, mes poursuivants ont abandonné. 496 | Quand ils sont partis, j'ai fait ma valise et j'ai pris le premier train pour Londres. 497 | Je n'y suis jamais retournée. 498 | Vous pouvez me traiter de poule mouillée pleurnicharde. 499 | Mais aucun enfant de 18 ans ne devrait être victime d'une telle intimidation dans un établissement scolaire. 500 | Le plus tragique est qu'il s'agissait d'Oxford, qui non seulement a produit 14 premiers ministres Tory, mais bénéficie également d'une inébranlable réputation d'égalité et de liberté de pensée. 501 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /data_util.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | import os 2 | from collections import Counter 3 | 4 | def read_data(fname, count, word2idx): 5 | if os.path.isfile(fname): 6 | with open(fname) as f: 7 | lines = f.readlines() 8 | else: 9 | raise("[!] Data %s not found" % fname) 10 | 11 | words = [] 12 | for line in lines: 13 | words.extend(line.split()) 14 | 15 | if len(count) == 0: 16 | count.append(['', 0]) 17 | 18 | count[0][1] += len(lines) 19 | count.extend(Counter(words).most_common()) 20 | 21 | if len(word2idx) == 0: 22 | word2idx[''] = 0 23 | 24 | for word, _ in count: 25 | if not word2idx.has_key(word): 26 | word2idx[word] = len(word2idx) 27 | 28 | data = list() 29 | for line in lines: 30 | for word in line.split(): 31 | index = word2idx[word] 32 | data.append(index) 33 | data.append(word2idx['']) 34 | 35 | print("Read %s words from %s" % (len(data), fname)) 36 | return data 37 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /main.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | import os 2 | import pprint 3 | import tensorflow as tf 4 | 5 | from data_util import read_data 6 | from models.test_model import TestModel 7 | 8 | pp = pprint.PrettyPrinter() 9 | 10 | flags = tf.app.flags 11 | flags.DEFINE_integer("edim", 150, "internal state dimension [150]") 12 | flags.DEFINE_integer("lindim", 75, "linear part of the state [75]") 13 | flags.DEFINE_integer("batch_size", 128, "batch size to use during training [128]") 14 | flags.DEFINE_integer("num_epoch", 100, "number of epoch to use during training [100]") 15 | flags.DEFINE_float("init_lr", 0.01, "initial learning rate [0.01]") 16 | flags.DEFINE_float("init_hid", 0.1, "initial internal state value [0.1]") 17 | flags.DEFINE_float("init_std", 0.05, "weight initialization std [0.05]") 18 | flags.DEFINE_float("max_grad_norm", 50, "clip gradients to this norm [50]") 19 | flags.DEFINE_string("data_dir", "data", "data directory [data]") 20 | flags.DEFINE_string("checkpoint_dir", "checkpoints", "checkpoint directory [checkpoints]") 21 | flags.DEFINE_string("data_name", "en", "data set name [en]") 22 | flags.DEFINE_string("target_name", "fr", "target data set name [fr]") 23 | flags.DEFINE_boolean("is_test", False, "True for testing, False for Training [False]") 24 | flags.DEFINE_boolean("show", False, "print progress [False]") 25 | FLAGS = flags.FLAGS 26 | 27 | train_data = "train_data" 28 | valid_data = "valid_data" 29 | test_data = "test_data" 30 | 31 | def main(_): 32 | if not os.path.exists(FLAGS.checkpoint_dir): 33 | os.makedirs(FLAGS.checkpoint_dir) 34 | 35 | pp.pprint(flags.FLAGS.__flags) 36 | 37 | with tf.Session() as sess: 38 | model = TestModel(sess, FLAGS) 39 | # model.build_model() 40 | 41 | if FLAGS.is_test: 42 | model.run(valid_data, test_data) 43 | else: 44 | model.run(train_data, valid_data) 45 | 46 | if __name__ == '__main__': 47 | tf.app.run() 48 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /model.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 2 | """Sequence-to-sequence model with an attention mechanism.""" 3 | 4 | from __future__ import absolute_import 5 | from __future__ import division 6 | from __future__ import print_function 7 | 8 | import random 9 | 10 | import numpy as np 11 | from six.moves import xrange # pylint: disable=redefined-builtin 12 | import tensorflow as tf 13 | 14 | class Seq2Seq(object): 15 | def __init__(self, config, sess): 16 | self.nwords = config.nwords 17 | self.init_hid = config.init_hid # initialize internal state value 18 | self.init_std = config.init_std # weight initialization std 19 | self.batch_size = config.batch_size 20 | self.nepoch = config.nepoch # number of epoch to use during training 21 | self.edim = config.edim # internal state dimension 22 | 23 | self.show = config.show 24 | self.is_test = config.is_test 25 | self.checkpoint_dir = config.checkpoint_dir 26 | if not os.path.isdir(self.checkpoint_dir): 27 | raise Exception(" [!] Directory %s not found" % self.checkpoint_dir) 28 | 29 | self.input = tf.placeholder(tf.float32, [None, self.edim]) 30 | self.target = tf.placeholder(tf.float32, [self.batch_size, self.nwords], 31 | name="target") 32 | 33 | self.hid = [] 34 | self.hid.append(self.input) 35 | self.share_list = [] 36 | self.share_list.append([]) 37 | 38 | self.lr = None 39 | self.current_lr = config.init_lr 40 | self.loss = None 41 | self.step = None 42 | self.optim = None 43 | 44 | self.sess = sess 45 | 46 | def build_model(self): 47 | self.build_memory() 48 | 49 | self.W = tf.Variable(tf.random_normal([self.edim, self.nwords], stddev=self.init_std)) 50 | z = tf.matmul(self.hid[-1], self.W) 51 | 52 | self.loss = tf.nn.softmax_cross_entropy_with_logits(z, self.target) 53 | 54 | self.lr = tf.Variable(self.current_lr) 55 | self.opt = tf.train.GradientDescentOptimizer(self.lr) 56 | 57 | params = [self.A, self.B, self.C, self.T_A, self.T_B, self.W] 58 | grads_and_vars = self.opt.compute_gradients(self.loss,params) 59 | clipped_grads_and_vars = [(tf.clip_by_norm(gv[0], self.max_grad_norm), gv[1]) \ 60 | for gv in grads_and_vars] 61 | 62 | inc = self.global_step.assign_add(1) 63 | with tf.control_dependencies([inc]): 64 | self.optim = self.opt.apply_gradients(clipped_grads_and_vars) 65 | 66 | tf.initialize_all_variables().run() 67 | self.saver = tf.train.Saver() 68 | 69 | def train(self, data): 70 | N = int(math.ceil(len(data) / self.batch_size)) 71 | cost = 0 72 | 73 | x = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.edim], dtype=np.float32) 74 | time = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.mem_size], dtype=np.int32) 75 | target = np.zeros([self.batch_size, self.nwords]) # one-hot-encoded 76 | context = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.mem_size]) 77 | 78 | x.fill(self.init_hid) 79 | for t in xrange(self.mem_size): 80 | time[:,t].fill(t) 81 | 82 | if self.show: 83 | from utils import ProgressBar 84 | bar = ProgressBar('Train', max=N) 85 | 86 | for idx in xrange(N): 87 | if self.show: bar.next() 88 | target.fill(0) 89 | for b in xrange(self.batch_size): 90 | m = random.randrange(self.mem_size, len(data)) 91 | target[b][data[m]] = 1 92 | context[b] = data[m - self.mem_size:m] 93 | 94 | _, loss, self.step = self.sess.run([self.optim, 95 | self.loss, 96 | self.global_step], 97 | feed_dict={ 98 | self.input: x, 99 | self.time: time, 100 | self.target: target, 101 | self.context: context}) 102 | cost += np.sum(loss) 103 | 104 | if self.show: bar.finish() 105 | return cost/N/self.batch_size 106 | 107 | def test(self, data, label="test"): 108 | N = int(math.ceil(len(data) / self.batch_size)) 109 | cost = 0 110 | 111 | x = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.edim], dtype=np.float32) 112 | time = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.mem_size], dtype=np.int32) 113 | target = np.zeros([self.batch_size, self.nwords]) # one-hot-encoded 114 | context = np.ndarray([self.batch_size, self.mem_size]) 115 | 116 | x.fill(self.init_hid) 117 | for t in xrange(self.mem_size): 118 | time[:,t].fill(t) 119 | 120 | if self.show: 121 | from utils import ProgressBar 122 | bar = ProgressBar(label, max=N) 123 | 124 | m = self.mem_size 125 | for idx in xrange(N): 126 | if self.show: bar.next() 127 | target.fill(0) 128 | for b in xrange(self.batch_size): 129 | target[b][data[m]] = 1 130 | context[b] = data[m - self.mem_size:m] 131 | m += 1 132 | 133 | if m >= len(data): 134 | m = self.mem_size 135 | 136 | loss = self.sess.run([self.loss], feed_dict={self.input: x, 137 | self.time: time, 138 | self.target: target, 139 | self.context: context}) 140 | cost += np.sum(loss) 141 | 142 | if self.show: bar.finish() 143 | return cost/N/self.batch_size 144 | 145 | def run(self, train_data, test_data): 146 | # Training 147 | if not self.is_test: 148 | for idx in xrange(self.nepoch): 149 | train_loss = np.sum(self.train(train_data)) 150 | test_loss = np.sum(self.test(test_data), label="validation") 151 | 152 | state = { 153 | "perplexity": math.exp(train_loss), 154 | "epoch":idx, 155 | "learning_rate": self.current_lr, 156 | "valid_perplexity":math.exp(test_loss) 157 | } 158 | print(state) 159 | 160 | if idx % 10 == 0: 161 | self.saver.save(self.sess, 162 | os.path.join(self.checkpoint_dir, 163 | "Seq2Seq3.model"), 164 | global_step = self.step.astype(int)) 165 | # Testing 166 | else: 167 | self.load() 168 | valid_loss = np.sum(self.test(train_data), label="validation") 169 | test_loss = np.sum(self.test(test_data), label="test") 170 | 171 | state = { 172 | 'valid_perplexity': math.exp(valid_loss), 173 | 'test_perplexity': math.exp(test_loss) 174 | } 175 | print(state) 176 | 177 | def load(self): 178 | print(" [*] Reading Checkpoints...") 179 | ckpt = tf.train.get_checkpoint_state(self.checkpoint_dir) 180 | if ckpt and ckpt.model_checkpoint_path: 181 | self.saver.restore(self.sess, ckpt.model_checkpoint_path) 182 | else: 183 | raise Exception(" [!] Test mode but no checkpoint found") 184 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/__init__.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keon/Seq2Seq-Tensorflow/dcf5097aa91201b6b5cbc839484ddbaf0f671c0d/models/__init__.py -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/model.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | from __future__ import division 2 | import functools 3 | from inspect import signature, Parameter 4 | import os 5 | import time 6 | from glob import glob 7 | import tensorflow as tf 8 | import numpy as np 9 | from six.moves import xrange 10 | 11 | # from ops import * 12 | # from utils import * 13 | 14 | def auto_assign(func): 15 | # Signature: 16 | sig = signature(func) 17 | for name, param in sig.parameters.items(): 18 | if param.kind in (Parameter.VAR_POSITIONAL, Parameter.VAR_KEYWORD): 19 | raise RuntimeError('Unable to auto assign if *args or **kwargs in signature.') 20 | # Wrapper: 21 | @functools.wraps(func) 22 | def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs): 23 | for i, (name, param) in enumerate(sig.parameters.items()): 24 | # Skip 'self' param: 25 | if i == 0: continue 26 | # Search value in args, kwargs or defaults: 27 | if i - 1 < len(args): 28 | val = args[i - 1] 29 | elif name in kwargs: 30 | val = kwargs[name] 31 | else: 32 | val = param.default 33 | setattr(self, name, val) 34 | func(self, *args, **kwargs) 35 | return wrapper 36 | 37 | class Model(object): 38 | @auto_assign 39 | def __init__(self, sess, config): 40 | """ 41 | initialize 42 | """ 43 | print("model initialize") 44 | 45 | def train(self, data): 46 | print("train", data) 47 | 48 | def test(self, data): 49 | print("test", data) 50 | 51 | def run(self, train_data, test_data): 52 | print("run") 53 | self.train(train_data) 54 | self.test(test_data) 55 | 56 | def save(self): 57 | print("save") 58 | # model_name = "DCGAN.model" 59 | # model_dir = "%s_%s_%s" % (self.dataset_name, self.batch_size, self.output_size) 60 | # checkpoint_dir = os.path.join(checkpoint_dir, model_dir) 61 | 62 | # if not os.path.exists(checkpoint_dir): 63 | # os.makedirs(checkpoint_dir) 64 | 65 | # self.saver.save(self.sess, 66 | # os.path.join(checkpoint_dir, model_name), 67 | # global_step=step) 68 | 69 | def load(self): 70 | print(" [*] Reading checkpoints...") 71 | 72 | # model_dir = "%s_%s_%s" % (self.dataset_name, self.batch_size, self.output_size) 73 | # checkpoint_dir = os.path.join(checkpoint_dir, model_dir) 74 | 75 | # ckpt = tf.train.get_checkpoint_state(checkpoint_dir) 76 | # if ckpt and ckpt.model_checkpoint_path: 77 | # ckpt_name = os.path.basename(ckpt.model_checkpoint_path) 78 | # self.saver.restore(self.sess, os.path.join(checkpoint_dir, ckpt_name)) 79 | # return True 80 | # else: 81 | # return False 82 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/rnn.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keon/Seq2Seq-Tensorflow/dcf5097aa91201b6b5cbc839484ddbaf0f671c0d/models/rnn.py -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/seq2seq.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 2 | class Seq2Seq(object): 3 | def __init__(self) 4 | """ 5 | initialize 6 | """ 7 | self.build_model() 8 | 9 | def build_model(self): 10 | print("[Seq2Seq] build model") 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/seq2seq_attention.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keon/Seq2Seq-Tensorflow/dcf5097aa91201b6b5cbc839484ddbaf0f671c0d/models/seq2seq_attention.py -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/test_model.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | from .model import Model 2 | 3 | class TestModel(Model): 4 | 5 | def __init__(self, sess, config): 6 | super(TestModel, self).__init__(sess, config) 7 | print("test_model initialize") 8 | self.build_model() 9 | 10 | def build_model(self): 11 | print("batch size is", self.config.batch_size) 12 | print("[test] build model") 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /models/utils.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keon/Seq2Seq-Tensorflow/dcf5097aa91201b6b5cbc839484ddbaf0f671c0d/models/utils.py -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /utils.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | from progress.bar import Bar 2 | 3 | class ProgressBar(Bar): 4 | message = 'Loading' 5 | fill = '#' 6 | suffix = '%(percent).1f%% | ETA: %(eta)ds' 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------