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Government poised to increase stake in Lloyds:BBC

Government poised to increase stake in Lloyds:BBC
The government is poised to increase its stake in Lloyds Banking Group as part of a deal that would also see the group agree to the government insuring its risky assets, the BBC reported.

It said the two sides were on the verge of a deal that would see the government increase its stake in LBG -- created earlier this year from the merger of rivals HBOS and Lloyds TSB -- from 43 percent to up to 60 percent.
This would be achieved by converting the expensive shares already held by the taxpayer to ordinary shares that carry voting rights.
At the same time, LBG are set to agree to ringfence risky assets worth up to 250 billion pounds in the government's asset protection scheme, the BBC reported.
Lloyds insisted there was "no certainty" that it would join the scheme, under which banks pay a fee to have their bad loans underwritten by the government, leaving them with more freedom to lend to customers and businesses.
The group's head of communications, Shane O'Riordain, said talks with the government's Treasury department "are continuing", adding: "This is a complex subject and there is a good deal of detail to be worked through.
"Our conversations have not yet concluded and there can be no certainty that we will participate in this scheme."
A Treasury spokesman said: "Discussions are ongoing. A deal will be announced at the conclusion of those discussions."
Royal Bank of Scotland has already signed up to insure assets worth 325 billion pounds, in return for paying 6.5 billion pounds and promising to lend 25 billion to consumers and businesses this year.
The International Finance Manager of the INL News Group, John Carew-Reid, however had a meeting with a senior Royal Bank of Scotland Development Loan Manager today and Mr Carew-Reid said it seemed clear that  the RBS, even though already 60% owned by the UK Government who have signed up to insure assets worth 325 billion pounds, in return for paying 6.5 billion pounds and promising to lend 25 billion to consumers and businesses this year, have made their lending conditions to businesses a lot more stricter than they were before the banking crisis, and in fac the advertising material sent out in the mail to current banking cisters saying that the bank has billions to lend outside normal strict banking lending rules, is simply not true. The clear impression given to Mr Carew-Reid by the RBS Development Manager, was that bank while publicly making out they were going to make credit fairly easily available to businesses with a sensible business plan outside normal banking guidelines, because 75% of the loan is guaranteed by the UK Government and in fact it was the UK Government and UK taxpayers money that the RBS was in effect lending, the reality is that the RBS have made lending to businesses a lot more stricter and thus 95% of business loans applied for will be refused. This is the same with NatWest is owned by the RBS and thus also effectively controlled by the UK Government. It seems that in reality what is happening, is that the billions handed to the RBS, NatWest, HBOS and Lloyds in cash and guarantees will not be used to lend to business people on reasonably liberal lenders terms to get the UK economy moving, however all these billions will be moved to overseas currencies such as US dollars to gamble on currency trading profits, rather than using these funds as promised to lend to small and medium UK businesses, which was the original condition of the UK Government providing what appears all up to be about 1,000 billion pounds in cash injections, purchasing toxic assets and Government guarantees from UK Taxpayers money stop  up the complete collapse of the UK banking system.
It appears that the directors of the UK Banks such as the RBS, NatWest, HBOS and Lloyds who are receiving around 1,000 billion pounds bail out funding from the UK taxpayer are taking this money on false pretences and are effectively guilty of a conspiracy to defrauding the UK Taxpayer.
What the UK Government should have done is place these funds into banks accounts in these banks owned by the government, and then had the banks lend this money as a finance broker for the UK Government, with instructions to lend these funds out liberal lending conditions to UK
businesses with sensible businesses plans. Mr John Carew Reid, who is a qualified and experienced economist, management accountant and investment advisor for the INL News Group states, that
"because of the taxation collection ability of the UK Government, that in effect gets back about 40% in direct and indirect taxes each time money is spent and circulated in the economy, even if some of these business loans are not repaid in the end, due to the business venture not working in time before the working capital of the business runs out, the UK Government will have recouped more than their original outlay on the loan to the business from direct and indirect taxation from the money circulated into the economy. What in effect happens when a small business person is provided £25,000 in working capital for his business, whether it be a new or existing business venture, these funds are immediately spent on rent, interest, wages, pant and equipment, refurbishment of their business etc. Those that receive these funds for their goods and services, pay about 0% indirect and direct taxation. Then they spend the other 60% on goods and services and those that receive these funds also pay about 40% in direct and indirect taxation, and the cycle continues. After a few times that this £25,000 has been circulated form the original loan given to the business person, the UK Government has had all their money back. So in effect the UK Government do not lose any money on any of the loans that are not paid paid because the business and the individual has gone bankrupt through the failed business venture. At the same time, the UK Government who have financed all these small businesses in the UK with £5,000 to £25,000 have in effect become venture capital providers, just at the business people on the well known BBC TV program Dragons Den are, and in return the UK Government can take a percentage share in the small to medium business in return for the capital injection of working capital. This is what the UK Government have done with the UK Banks who have a proven track record of losing billions. The UK Government have become venture capitalists by providing working capital to the banks in return for a shareholdinng in their businesses.
Mr John Carew Reid asks the question?
"Why can't the UK Government also invest directly into small and medium businesses with business people that have a track record of some successes, and to people who want to start up a new business who are keen and energetic with a sensible business plan, with amounts of up to £25,000 unsecured and up to £1 million secured on commercial real estate, rather than than handing 1,000 billion pounds to just three for four companies all in the same industry, who are all competing against each each for the banking busines, who all have the same products to sell, have a proven track record of having no business sense or ability have lost about 1,000 billion pounds over the last few years of other people's money?"
Any comments can be emailed to:
                                           
                                           
                                   financialeditor@inlnews.com


U.S. and Russia pledge fresh start in relations  Reuters GENEVA- The United States and Russia pledged on Friday to rebuild their strained relations and launched a plan to reach agreement on strategic nuclear missiles by the end of the year. More »

Yoko Ono to receive Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion at Venice Biennale 2009

24 February 2009

Message from Yoko Ono: Dear Friends,

When I heard that I was selected for the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award of 2009,

I felt like i was in a fog, listening to a foghorn far away! The fog slowly cleared.

The foghorn changed into the speech the director of the Biennale was giving on this

occasion. So what should I say…thank you? John would have been so proud of me.

“I told you, didn’t I?” he would say. I am glad, too.

I feel like I was suddenly given a huge birthday card. I see myself struggling to hold

it in my heart. Thank you for being there for me all these years. I am a lucky girl. yoko

Yoko Ono 1 March 2009 NYC Yoko Ono to receive Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion

at Venice Biennale 2009 As part of the 53rd... [More here ?]

Yoho Ono has launched Peace Web Site callled www.imaginepeace.com

http://imaginepeace.com/news/

Yoko Ono to receive Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion at Venice Biennale 2009

24 February 2009

Message from Yoko Ono: Dear Friends, When I heard that I was selected for the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award of 2009, I felt like i was in a fog, listening to a foghorn far away! The fog slowly cleared. The foghorn changed into the speech the director of the Biennale was giving on this occasion. So what should I say…thank you? John would have been so proud of me. “I told you, didn’t I?” he would say. I am glad, too. I feel like I was suddenly given a huge birthday card. I see myself struggling to hold it in my heart. Thank you for being there for me all these years. I am a lucky girl. yoko Yoko Ono 1 March 2009 NYC Yoko Ono to receive Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion at Venice Biennale 2009 As part of the 53rd... [More here ?]

IMAGINE PEACE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOKO!

Happy Birthday YOKO! 18TH FEBRUARY 2009 IMAGINE PEACE TOWER - Viðey Island, Reykjavik, Iceland. In celebration of Yoko Ono’s 76th birthday, and by special arrangement with Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik Energy & The City of Reykjavik, IMAGINE PEACE TOWER was illuminated from sunset till... [More here ?]

BED PEACE 2009: 40th Anniversary 1969-2009

The John & Yoko Amsterdam Bed-In took place from 25-31 March 1969 at The Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, Holland. The John & Yoko Montreal Bed-In took place from 26 May to 2 June 1969 at The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada, culminating in the recording of the anthem “Give Peace A Chance”... [More here ?]

John Lennon’s Imagine to ring out on Liverpool Cathedral’s bells

By Catherine Jones, Liverpool Daily Post HE FAMOUSLY described it as “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional and anti-capitalistic’. But now John Lennon’s magnum opus Imagine – dubbed one of the greatest songs of all time – is to be performed on Liverpool Cathedral’s bells. The... [More 

here ?]

$4m+ of INSTANT KARMA to Darfur

Gift of Lennon’s Songbook Supports Amnesty International’s Global Campaign on Darfur February 18, 2009 Yoko Ono’s generous gift to Amnesty International — the right to have leading international musical artists record new versions of John Lennon’s solo compositions – provided... [Morehere ?]

Yoko Ono Baltic exhibition adds colour to the art world

by Dave Black, The Journal FAMILIES are being encouraged to add their creative touches to a work by Yoko Ono. The-six day event is part of an exhibition of the Japanese artist at the Baltic, on the Gateshead side of the Tyne. Parents and children will use Yoko Ono’s 1966 Add Colour Painting as inspiration... [More here ?]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOKO!

Happy Birthday YOKO! 18TH FEBRUARY 2009 IMAGINE PEACE TOWER - Viðey Island, Reykjavik, Iceland. In celebration of Yoko Ono’s 76th birthday, and by special arrangement with Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik Energy & The City of Reykjavik, IMAGINE PEACE TOWER was illuminated from sunset till... [More here ?]

Yoko Ono LIVE: Passages for Light - in conversation with Alexandra Munroe [Guggenheim, NY, USA]

  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128 01173, USA Thursday, April 2, 6:30pm; tickets $30    Third Mind Live Performances, Education, and Public Programs  In conjunction with the exhibition, the Guggenheim Museum presents Third Mind Live, a performance and lecture series... [More here ?]

IMAGINE: The Peace Ballad of John and Yoko

  Montreal museum celebrates Bed-In anniversary April 2 to June 21, 2009 Following Warhol Live, this spring the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will continue in a musical vein by celebrating the fortieth anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous 1969 Bed-in in Montreal with an exhibition designed... [More here ?]

Group Show: The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989 [New York, USA]

The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989 30 January 2009 – 19 April 2009 EXHIBITION EXPLORES IMPACT OF ASIAN ART AND THOUGHT ON AMERICAN ARTISTS FROM THE LATE 19TH THROUGH 20TH CENTURIES Approximately 250 Works by 100 Artists and Literary Figures from James McNeill Whistler to... [More here ?]

Yoko Ono at Stanford

Yoko Ono reflects on her life, work and public perception History Professor Gordon Chang and Yoko Ono answered questions from the audience after Ono’s  presentation Wednesday in Dinkelspiel Auditorium. by Cynthia Haven, Stanford Report, January 15, 2009 Tickets vanished within a few hours. Clearly,... [More here ?]

Imagine Peace Tower Stamp - Bronze award

The 2008 stamp of the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER has been awarded a Bronze by Stamp News. From StampNews.com Top 10 extraordinary stamps of the year 2008 We at StampNews.com want to strike the balance of the passing year. Plenty of new stamps have seen the light all over the world. No question all of them... [More here ?]

Click here to view John Lennon & Yoko Ono stage a 'bed-in'

Click here to view Yoko One-Lennon discussing
forgiving Mark Chapman for shooting John Lennon

Click here to view Yoko Ono-Lennon interview with Jay Leno

Click here to view Yoko Ono-Lennon interview with Barbara Waters

Click here to view interview with Sean Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 1

Click here to view interview with Sean Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 2

Click here to view interview with Sean Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 3

Click here to view interview with Sean Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 4

Click here to view interview with Sea Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 5

Click here to view interview with Sean Ono-Lennon on his album Friendly Fire Part 6

Click For more info of Sean Ono-Lennon and his album Friendly Fire

Click here to view early interview with the Beatles Part 1

Click here to view early interview with the Beatles Part 2

Click here to view early interview with the Beatles Part 3

Click here to view a Promo for Attempt 3.4- The Movie produced by the Fringe Shows Have Talent Team at the 2007 the Edinburgh Fringe Festival soon to be at your local cinema as the beginning of many alternative cinema filmed live from Fringe Performances around the world

Click here to view John Lennon Singing Give Peace a Chance

Click here to view  John Lennon Singing Imagine Live

Click here to read more about the life of John Lennon who lost his life just trying to Give Peace a Chance and trying to get everyone in the world to image a world were everyone loved each other and so there was no more need for wars

Click here to read more about Yoko Ono-Lennon who is carrying on John Lennon's work to Give Peace a Chance with her special expression where everyone says to everyone else they first meet  "I LOVE YOU" as Yoko Ono-Lennon said during the Love In For Peace days where John and Yoko stayed in Bed For Peace...
"....if everyone can be happy and love each other...no one will want to kill anyone else...as only sad people want to kill others... happy people do not want to kill anyone..."

 Wed January 28th
Glasgow - BBC Scottish HQ, Pacific Quay  4.30pm
(called by Stop the War)
Edinburgh - BBC East Scotland, The Tun, Holyrood Rd   5.30pm (called by Scottish PSC)

SPSC will project the DEC's Appeal for Gaza onto the wall of the BBC building.
Speakers include Pauline Goldsmith, one of the four signatories of the actors' boycott letter BBC.

Protesters will today gather outside the BBC in Glasgow and Edinburgh against the controversial decision by the BBC not to air a Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) crisis appeal for the people of Gaza .

  Mick Napier, chair of the SPSC, said, “The BBC’s decision to impede the humanitarian appeal on behalf of the people of Gaza comes on top of this well-substantiated record of pro-Israeli bias.  It also comes to a population who see yet another invasion in the Middle East where the British government is on the wrong side and believe that the BBC is even more so. The Sun newspaper never recovered on Merseyside from its appalling misreporting of the Hillsborough disaster and the BBC may never recover from this similar violation of deeply held convictions.  The great majority of British people clearly feel that Palestinians have been savaged and that denying aid to the victims is sadistic.”

Samena Dean, from the Islamic community said: “This has nothing to do with impartiality, but everything to do with Mark Thompson’s views on the conflict.  He clearly wants to help Israeli punish the Palestinians for resisting the Occupation and the Siege.  Mark Thompson visited Israel in 2005 and held talk with Ariel Sharon, the man responsible for the massacres at Sabra and Shatila.  By the very fact that Mark Thompson would meet Sharon shows that he would rather ‘Aunty Beeb’ peddle Israeli propaganda then help to relive a humanitarian crisis in Gaza .”

 Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (intifada). The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland .
For further information, contact:
Email: info@scottishpsc.org.uk
Website: www.scottishpsc.org.uk  

 2. BBC defends Gaza appeal decision:

The BBC has defended a decision not to air a TV fund-raising appeal for Gaza , saying it wanted to avoid compromising public confidence in its impartiality.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7846150.stm

 3. BBC under pressure over Gaza emergency appeal

The BBC came under mounting pressure today to screen an emergency appeal for Gaza , after ITV, Channel 4 and Five all announced they will show it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bbc-under-pressure-over-gaza-emergency-appeal-1515149.html

 4. DEC would normally raise about £10 million:

A national appeal from the DEC would normally raise about £10 million, but without the broadcasts the total is certain to be lower.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5568735.ece

 5. DEC Access and Impartiality
The DEC members are committed to humanitarian principles including independence and have confirmed they are able to work without hindrance from the Hamas controlled authorities both to identify who are the most needy and to channel assistance to them directly, either through their own staff or well established local non governmental partners. The DEC members have submitted lists of partners and their banking arrangements, to insure proper systems are in place.

http://www.dec.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=320

 6. General Background

The State of Israel was founded through the systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948. This event, known as the 'Nakbah', or catastrophe, to Palestinians, saw the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of them from their homes. Those expelled are still refused their rights under international law to return to return home. The crimes committed against the Palestinian people did not end in 1948 however, and daily theft of land and resources continues as Israel pushes forward its policy of replacing the Palestinian people with Jewish immigrants from around the world.

Protest at BBC studios turns  into Occupation
About 200 protesters demonstrated outside the BBC studios in Glasgow against the
controversial decision by the BBC not to air a Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
 crisis appeal for the people of Gaza. 
At around 5pm the protesters managed to  gain access to the building turning protest  into an occupation, around 70 protesters  remain in occupation of the building some  4 hours later with the remaining protesters taking up residence outside.
The protest was supported by a number of  organisations including the Scottish Palestine  Solidarity Campaign (SPSC).   The BBC's decision is even more controversial  now as the other networks have bowed to  requests by the public and also the government
Mick Napier, chair of the SPSC, said,  "Block Israeli propaganda not aid to Gaza. 
The BBC's decision not to air the DEC  appeal is absolutely disgusting.   Failure to raise the estimated 10 million  required is going to result in more deaths. 
These deaths are going to be as a direct  result of some BBC executive decision. 
These executive have literally  got the blood of Gaza on their hands".
Samena Dean, from the Islamic community  said: "This takes the BBC's Islama-phobia
to a new level with their discrimination  against the Palestinians. Depriving people
of desperately needed humanitarian aid  because they are Palestinians is shocking
discrimination that would never be  tolerated against anyone else. 
They suffered under a brutal 20 month  Israeli siege, followed by a savage
Israeli war, where they used illegal  weapons on the civilian population and
now this discrimination from the  BBC will result in more deaths,
 and the ones to die are once again going  to be children."
Click here at www.inlnews.com for a  complete historical round up of stories  and photos of what has been happening  with the Israel-Gaza Conflict.
http://www.inlnews.com/Gaza_Israel_Ceasefire.html

Mark Thompsonm rector general of the BBC
Broadcasting House nPortland Place London W1A 1AA.

Dear Mark Thompson

We, the undersigned actors and directors,  like millions of others, are absolutely
appalled at the decision by the BBC to  refuse to broadcast the DEC appeal for
Gaza. We therefore are taking what action  we can in protest at this decision
by stating, like our fellow actor,  Samantha Morton, we will never work for
the BBC again unless this disgraceful  decision is reversed. We will urge others
from our profession and beyond  to do likewise.
We will also not pay our TV license fee  in protest and encourage others to do likewise.
 It is time for the people of Britain to take  a stand on this issue by demanding the
BBC reverse this decision and by  supporting the call from Palestinian civil society for a complete economic,  academic and cultural boycott of Israel  until it ends its pitiless violence against  the long-suffering people of Gaza
and the whole of Palestine .

Tam Dean Burn  Pauline GoldsmithPeter Mullan lison Peebles
Gazans' attempts at rescuing trapped bodies were hampered by continued attacks on Sunday [AFP]

Gazans tell of ordeal as war rages

[Gallo/Getty] With more than 1,000 Palestinians dead amid Israel's war on Gaza - more than  300 of them children - Al Jazeera spoketo citizens of the territory struggling to surivive under the Israeli offensive.

 Moussa el-Haddad, a doctor at Shifa hospital in Gaza City "We hear screams over the radio from people injured in the streets asking for emergency
 help, but paramedics can't reach them and,  besides, the hospitals are overcrowded. Even those killed can't be reached. 'm telling you, Gaza is on fire. Everyone on  this piece of land is under attack.  In this time and age, I can't believe the  world is watching and no one is doing anything. don't understand Ban Ki-moon is making  trips from here to there.
Why doesn't he help stop this bloody war?"A
 A mother who lost her only son

"They [Israeli soldiers] opened fire at us. My son Faris was killed in my arms. I couldn't have children for 21 years after marriage until God gave me this child.


Elaina Qleibo, the head of food and security for Oxfam
"There is this grave feeling of impotence and  I wish I was a doctor or a magician so I can
 save all of these people. There is no safe place to say and there is  a lack of water, so it's become a very  overbearing situation.People here are sufferring deeply, so much  that they are numb, like when you have an  accident, you immediately enter a state  of numbness.You see an old man sitting by himself looking  like he's about to cry or you'll see a group
of people walking to pretend that nothing  is happening.The shock is so big here, I don't know  if people realise what is happening to them."

A four-year-old girl attacked by an Israeli soldierb

"I saw him [the solider] hiding next to the shop. I looked around for my mum, then he shot me.One bullet hit my hand and the other  penetrated my  stomach through my back."

Maysa al-Khitab, a resident of Gaza City

"Please help us. The Israelis are bombing us  with phosphorus bombs, so please help us.The shelling has been continuous since last night. We are in an area where 500 other families are under bombardment."Where are the Arabs? Where is the world?  None of them are doing anything."We are being killed. I just saw 300 peoplekilled in front of my own eyes when the tower
 collapsed. Please stop this war."

A father who lost two daughters

"My three daughters went out with my mother. All of a sudden, Israeli soldiers started  shouting at them from a very close distance. My eldest was hit by 17 bullets in the chest and my two-year-old was hit by 12. They both died, of course." Khaled Ezzidin, a resident of Deir al-Balah outside of Gaza "I used to live in a city called al-Zahra and,  one night, me and my family were hiding in  the basement of our house. We came under fire for about two hours and  by a miracle we survived the bombardment. The next day we left the city and moved to Deir al-Balah."

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/01/
20091155194386203.html