Michael Jackson – The King of Popular Music

He passed about 51 years in this world but left behind the amazing tales of familiarity and popularity, regard and disregard and successes which this world will continue to reiterate for unlimited period of time. He was born on 29^th August 1958 and died on 25^th June 2009 in a mysterious way. The every living day of this mysterious artist keeps a unique story. Yes! We are talking about Michael Jackson who started singing in 1964 along with his four brothers. This group was called “Jackson Five”. This childhood period of Michael Jackson is a heart touching tale of hardships.

Whenever on any pleasant morning or cool evening, he saw his same age children were playing different games in the parks, tears used to run out from his eyes, but Michael Jackson got tremendous reward of his tear. He reached such horizons of success and popularity, which many singers even can’t dream of. The selling records of Michael Jackson’s audios and videos are still unbeatable. His name is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Record under more than one title. One of those titles is “The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time”.

Besides 13 Graeme Awards, Michael Jackson received 17 “No. 1 Singles” awards on his single songs. More than 800 million Records of Michael Jackson has been sold, which itself is a record--- and still his albums are selling in different shapes. Besides being singer, composer, producer, dancer, choreographer, actor and businessman, he was also the social worker. He gave 250 million Dollars in his lifetime to his own established welfare organization “Heal the World” Foundation and to other 39 welfare organizations as a donation.

More than this amount, he donated after collecting from his welfare programs. He also has the honor of the “Highest Pop Star Donator” to welfare organizations. After 80’s his personality remained victimized of several disputes, rumors and scandals. His changing nose pattern and complexion remained the topic of news, sometimes he got the accusation of bad behavior with children, which could not be proved. This disputed prince of the Music World married in 1994 with the daughter Liza of Elvis Presley and in 1996 with a Nurse named Dabby. He had two children with her.

One was the son, whose name he chose “Prince” (which was also the nickname of Michael in his youth). Second one was a girl, whose name was chosen as “Paris”. The third child’s name of Michael Jackson was Michael Jackson II. His nickname is Blanket. He was born in 2002 and his mother is unknown and father is also dubious. However, Michael Jackson said that the child was his own but the mother was rented. After the death of Michael Jackson, his childhood friend Mark Laster opined that “Paris” may be his daughter because her face resembles with that of her own daughter. He claimed that he has given his sperm as a present or donation.

During 2003 and 2005 Michael Jackson started using narcotics to much extent and his weight was started deteriorating quickly. He also remained sometime in Bahrain as a guest with an Arab Sheikh. The rumors of his converting into Muslim have also been spread at that time. In 2006, the news of his financial crisis started coming. During that time he returned to America and started living in a rented palace because his own house was closed due to the accusations of not paying of loans and legal proceedings.

On 25^th June, 2009 at 22 min past 12 his illness news was received on an emergency number of Fire Department in Los Angles. In three minutes ambulance reached his house. According to the medical staff he was not breathing at that time. At 56 min past 12 doctors officially declared him death. This way the story of life of the King of Popular Music ended. But the guesses about his death, the pull and push of his heredity and accusations on various people in respect of his death is still going on.

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1st May: World Labors Day

Labors, Harvesters, Farmers are still deprived of their rights

1^st May is the Word Day of Labors and its decision has also been taken by labors themselves and not by UNO, because by that time UNO didn’t exist. On this day labors all over the world celebrate the memories of 1886 Chicago labors who sacrificing their lives get 8 hours timings approved for themselves. On this day, labors all over the world organize seminars, processions; rallies and meetings to express their resolution that they will continue their struggle until the exploitation system has not been eradicated.

The patient and hard struggle of labors, workers, servants and innocents has been going on for centuries. This tussle is going on since the inception of this world. When for the very first time few powerful people after drawing lines on the earth started claiming their possession and made the weaker, innocent and obedient public their servant by aggravation and cruelty. The class difference in the society started prevailing since then. The powerful and cruel people of that time started taking forceful hard work from them and made them their servant. But in 18^th and 19^th century the labor body started strengthening. This was the period when steam engines and factories were entering into the machine era. The laborers were paid very less amount in lieu of their severe hard work.

Before this time in 1789, the France Revolution had taken place. The ideas of Carl Marks were prevailing. Then in 1883, Carl Marks died. At the same time the laborers were also making their parties. By that time there were neither any fix timings for the laborers nor any law. They had to work late till night. There was no compensation in case of accident or death. New industries were establishing in Europe. Science was also advancing. The network of factories and industries was spreading. The labor body was rising and marching towards Union making. The laborers struggled in Britain, made unions and federations. The laborers also struggled before this time but the work done by Chicago laborers will be remembered till eternity.

Exactly 125 years ago from now, such enthusiastic, revolutionary and dedicated political and labor leaders had been born who for the first time called complete strike and presenting their valuable lives turned the labor movement in the new direction and rose the laborers’ head with pride by sacrificing their blood. This incident occurred in the industrial city of Chicago in America near the famous “Hay” market. The laborers of that time raised their voice against the then authorities, industrialists, factory owners, landlords and money holders that challenged them to listen, “You cruel people we are also humans, give us the right of living too, fix our working hours, raise our salaries and give us livelihood.”

They were shouting to the laborers of the world to get united; they were united without any difference in cast, creed or color and were asking for their rights and demands. The whole industrial city of Chicago was jammed. The Chimneys of Mills and factories had stopped excreting smoke. This was the first time in the history when the hard workers had raised the mutiny flag by their unity and wrote a new chapter by calling the complete strike. Then on 1^st May 1886 in the morning the anonymous journalist while performing his revolutionary duty had written a writing which has now become the part of the history.

“Oh! Laborers! Your fight has been started. The time will take itself the final decision. Step forward to get your demands accepted, for your duty hours, continue your struggle, the authorities will have to bend, victory will be yours, never lose courage, be united, in this lies your survival, your success, keep fighting till the fulfillment of your demands, “

This writing of the journalist had rose additional emotions and they demanded strongly for 8 hours timings and then for the first time 24 hours had been adjusted like that we will do 8 hours work, we will rest for 8 hours and we will pass 8 hours with our family. The authorities, mill owners, money holders didn’t like this slogan and unity of the laborers and they taking the strict action opened fire on them. They wounded the weaponless, peaceful and weaker laborers,

 

The white peaceful flag of the laborers becomes red. The shirt of one of the laborer turned red with the blood. Then they made that red blooded flag their own flag in place of white flag and decided that they will not go to work unless their demands were not fulfilled. Red flag will now be our flag and from then onwards the red flag became the flag of laborers.

At last the authorities accepted the demands of the laborers and likewise for the first time the 8 hours timings were accepted. On this occasion seven prominent leaders of laborers including Fisher, Angeel, Peterson and Spies were brought to trial and 4 leaders were sentenced to death. These leaders went from this world but left their work, name and their movement alive for good. Afterwards, laborers got their many demands accepted by their struggle. The revolution came in Russia in 1917. Laborers got their many demands accepted in Europe. Now the timings in Europe are 6 hours. But still in many parts of the world exploitation with the laborers are going on and there is a need of long and hard struggle like Chicago laborers did by the laborers of that exploited areas in order to get their justified demands accepted by the authorities. UNO also need to play its role in such areas of the world.

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Hundreds stage pillow fight in central London

On International Pillow Fight Day, hundreds flocked to Trafalgar Square in central London to bop one another over the head. 

Tom Nizio had come equipped for a fight – with starry pyjama trousers on his legs and a pillow in his rucksack.

"I love this kind of fun," said Mr Nizio, 29, from Acton, west London, surveying the gathering crowd in Trafalgar Square yesterday. "I heard about it on Facebook, and just thought, I've got to have some of this."

He released the pillow from his rucksack and set off on his rollerblades. It was about to begin – the novelty addition to the London season, International Pillow Fight Day.

Organised – sort of – in cities around the world, International Pillow Fight Day can best be described as a global gathering of those who have yet to grow out of pillow fights, with a bit of charity fund-raising on the side.

It is the brainchild of Kevin Bracken and Lori Kufner, who, in 2005 while students at Toronto University in Canada, founded the art group Newmindspace.

International Pillow Fight Day started in 2008, but pillow fighting has always been part of Bracken and Kufner's oeuvre. Indeed, judging by their online "how-to" guide, it can change the world.
"This is a building block of our goal to spread free event culture to every corner of the world.
"Imagine that anywhere on the face of the Earth, there may some day be free, fun, massive public events like pillow fights and interactive art installations on every day of the year.
"Imagine that in the future, we will be united by our drive to live free, fun public lives! That is the era we dream of."
None of which seemed to put anyone off. They had come to Trafalgar Square in their hundreds, in fluffy slippers, dressing gowns, skintight jumpsuits, elephant outfits and other liberal interpretations of the pyjama dress code.
Some had no sensible reason to be here.
"There's not much thought gone into it," said Fredrika Drake, 25, a waitress from Camden, north London. "I just thought – awesome! Fun!"
Others may have thought about it too much.
Josie Colgate, 32, a sales adviser, brandished her pillow and glanced slyly at her boyfriend Sam Hobson, 28, from Maidstone, Kent.
"He's my main target. I don't normally get the opportunity."
The klaxon sounded. Trafalgar Square filled with about 200 swinging pillows and innumerable flying feathers.
All this, in front of smiling Police officers – despite an apparent lack of any official permission.
At the Greater London Authority, the landowner of Trafalgar Square, a Mayoral spokeswoman said tersely: "No permission has been given. We are not providing further comment."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, whoever was "organising" Saturday's pillow fight had adopted the "I'm Spartacus" approach to leadership responsibility.
On the section of the International Pillow Fight Day's website inviting each city's organisers to identify who was hosting their event, the Londoners had simply entered: "We all are."
It fitted the philosophy of the movement's founders, which may appeal to anyone trying to cut through red tape to organise a Royal Wedding street party.
"Never ask permission," Bracken and Kufner have written. "It is very unlikely anybody will say yes. The permit culture we citizens witness in city halls around the world is perhaps the single largest barrier to experiencing the full richness of public life in the cities we live in. Public assembly is a human right."
And money from the £5 "whack n' keep" souvenir pillows was going to raise funds for aid to the tsunami-struck areas of Japan.
Similar scenes were being re-enacted yesterday in about 130 locations, from Adelaide, Australia, to Zurich, Switzerland - via Chisinau, Moldova; Caracas, Venezuela; and Seoul, South Korea.
As for Tom the rollerblading builder, he was last seen charging into the melee offering the closest that anyone came to tactical insight.
"I'm just going to go in and hit anyone who comes in my way."
He vanished into in a cloud of feathers, pillows and pyjamas – the fog of pillow combat.

F.B.I. Casts Wide Net Under Relaxed Rules for Terror Inquiries, Data Show

 John Ashcroft, an attorney general in the Bush administration, loosened F.B.I. rules after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., has not changed policies on F.B.I. investigation rules that were relaxed by the Bush administration in 2008.


WASHINGTON — Within months after the Bush administration relaxed limits on domestic-intelligence gathering in late 2008, the F.B.I. assessed thousands of people and groups in search of evidence that they might be criminals or terrorists, a newly disclosed Justice Department document shows. 


In a vast majority of those cases, F.B.I. agents did not find suspicious information that could justify more intensive investigations. The New York Times obtained the data, which the F.B.I. had tried to keep secret, after filing a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.
The document, which covers the four months from December 2008 to March 2009, says the F.B.I. initiated 11,667 “assessments” of people and groups. Of those, 8,605 were completed. And based on the information developed in those low-level inquiries, agents opened 427 more intensive investigations, it says.
The statistics shed new light on the F.B.I.’s activities in the post-Sept. 11 era, as the bureau’s focus has shifted from investigating crimes to trying to detect and disrupt potential criminal and terrorist activity.
It is not clear, though, whether any charges resulted from the inquiries. And because the F.B.I. provided no comparable figures for a period before the rules change, it is impossible to determine whether the numbers represent an increase in investigations.
Still, privacy advocates contend that the large number of assessments that turned up no sign of wrongdoing show that the rules adopted by the Bush administration have created too low a threshold for starting an inquiry. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has left those rules in place.
Michael German, a former F.B.I. agent who is now a policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that the volume of fruitless assessments showed that the Obama administration should tighten the rules.
“These are investigations against completely innocent people that are now bound up within the F.B.I.’s intelligence system forever,” Mr. German said. “Is that the best way for the F.B.I. to use its resources?”
But Valerie E. Caproni, the bureau’s general counsel, said the numbers showed that agents were running down any hint of a potential problem — including vigilantly checking out potential leads that might have been ignored before the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Recognize that the F.B.I.’s policy — that I think the American people would support — is that any terrorism lead has to be followed up,” Ms. Caproni said. “That means, on a practical level, that things that 10 years ago might just have been ignored now have to be followed up.”
F.B.I. investigations are controlled by guidelines first put in place by Attorney General Edward H. Levi during the Ford administration, after the disclosure that the bureau had engaged in illegal domestic spying for decades. After the Sept. 11 attacks, those rules were loosened by Attorney General John Ashcroft and then again by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey.
Some Democrats and civil liberties groups protested the Mukasey guidelines, contending that the new rules could open the door to racial or religious profiling and to fishing expeditions against Americans.
In 2006, The New York Times reported that the National Security Agency had each month been flooding the bureau with thousands of names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses that its surveillance and data-mining programs had deemed suspicious. But frustrated agents found that virtually all of the tips led to dead ends or innocent Americans.
When the Mukasey guidelines went into effect in December 2008, they allowed the F.B.I. to use a new category of investigation called an “assessment.” It permits an agent, “proactively or based on investigative leads,” to scrutinize a person or a group for signs of a criminal or national security threat, according to the F.B.I. manual.
The manual also says agents need “no particular factual predication” about a target to open an assessment, although the basis “cannot be arbitrary or groundless speculation.” And in selecting subjects for such scrutiny, agents are allowed to use ethnicity, religion or speech protected by the First Amendment as a factor — as long as it is not the only one.
An assessment is less intensive than a more traditional “preliminary” inquiry or a “full” investigation, which requires greater reason to suspect wrongdoing but also allows agents to use more intrusive information-gathering techniques, like wiretapping.
Still, in conducting an assessment, agents are allowed to use other techniques — searching databases, interviewing the subjects or people who know them, sending confidential informers to infiltrate an organization, attending a public meeting like a political rally or a religious service, and following and photographing people in public places.
In March 2009, Russ Feingold, then a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, asked the F.B.I. how many assessments it had initiated under the new guidelines and how many regular investigations had been opened based on information developed by those assessments.
In November 2010, the Justice Department sent a classified letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee answering Mr. Feingold’s question. This month, it provided an uncensored copy of the same answer to The Times as a result of its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
F.B.I. officials said in an interview that the statistics represented a snapshot as of late March 2009, so the 11,667 assessment files were generated over a roughly four-month period. But they said they believed that agents had continued to open assessments at roughly the same pace since then.
Some aspects of the statistics are hazy, officials cautioned.
For example, even before the December 2008 changes, the bureau routinely followed up on low-grade tips and leads under different rules. But that activity was not formally tracked as an “assessment” that could be easily counted and compared.
F.B.I. officials also said about 30 percent of the 11,667 assessments were just vague tips — like a report of a suspicious car that included no license plate number. Such tips are entered into its computer system even if there is no way to follow up on them.
Finally, they said, it is impossible to know precisely how many assessments turned up suspicious facts. A single assessment may have spun off more than one higher investigation, and some agents may have neglected to record when such an investigation started as an assessment.
Ms. Caproni also said that even though the F.B.I. manual says agents can open assessments “proactively,” they still must always have a valid reason — like a tip that is not solid enough to justify a more intensive level of investigation but should still be checked out.
But Mr. German, of the A.C.L.U., said that allowing agents to initiate investigations without a factual basis “seems ripe for abuse.” He added, “What they should be doing is working within stricter guidelines that help them focus on real threats rather than spending time chasing shadows.”

114-year-old now world's oldest person

The world's oldest person, Besse Cooper, sits in her room at a nursing home near Atlanta, 

At 114 years old and counting, Besse Cooper says it's "rather great" to be the oldest person in the world.
She makes her 75-year-old son proud.
"We were delighted when she got to 100. We thought that was a great achievement," said Sid Cooper. "We never imagined she'd live to be the oldest person in the world."
Cooper, who is 114 years and 5 months old, assumed the mantle of the oldest living person after the death Monday of Eunice G. Sanborn of Texas, according to the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group. The group certifies super centenarians - people who are 110 or older.
Cooper wears a string of pearls double-looped around her neck and spends her days sitting and sleeping. She now lives in a nursing home outside Atlanta. Her wheelchair has bright pink armrests embroidered with "Ms. Besse, 2010 114."
She was born in Tennessee on Aug. 26, 1896, during the second term of President Grover Cleveland.
One of eight children, she was a tomboy and loved tagging along with her two older brothers, climbing trees and splashing in rivers. She carried that active lifestyle and love of outdoors into adulthood. That, plus good genes, is probably the secret to her longevity, her son said.

But Cooper has her own idea: "I mind my own business and I don't eat junk food," she said at her 113th birthday celebration, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reported.
Cooper lived on her own until she was 105 and stubbornly resisted leaving her house, Sid Cooper said. Her health has declined steeply in the last year or so, and she can't hear or see well, he said. Speaking seems to require effort.
She moved to Georgia to be a school teacher during World War I, her son said.
She married in the early 1920s and taught fourth through seventh grades in a two-room schoolhouse until her first child was born. Although she stopped teaching then, she was an avid reader until her eyes got too bad last year. She always insisted that her children get an education.
Married for about 40 years, Cooper has outlived her husband by nearly half a century. They had four children, about a dozen grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild, Sid Cooper said.

World Labour Day Being Observed Today

Labour Day is being marked all over the world including Pakistan today. President and Prime Minister have assured the labourer class that government will put in all efforts for acquiring a reasonable position for them in the society reported by A Pakistan News.
A major ceremony regarding the Labour Day will be held in Convention Center Islamabad, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. The Labourer organizations and unions will hold rallies and public meetings in different parts of the city to re-affirm the resolve to continue struggle for achievement of their rights on the occasion of International Labour Day here today.
President Asif Ali Zardari and all party activists give due respect to the labourer community and the entire PPP leadership believe in active participation of labourer in the national economic development process, besides providing them better working environment.
PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif said in a message that it is a duty of all of us to provide a respectable position for the labourers in our society and their social rights should also be safeguarded.

UNESCO marks International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

“Everyone has a role to play in ending racial discrimination, and it is only through constant vigilance that we can hope to achieve its demise,” stressed Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, in her message for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, calling on decision-makers and “citizens everywhere” to join in UNESCO’s endeavours “to make this a more racially tolerant world”.

In 2010, the Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March) takes place in the broader context of the United Nations International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, Ms Bokova also noted in her message. “As lead agency for the Year, UNESCO is seeking to bring new impetus to the search for dialogue, tolerance and peace in our rapidly changing times,” she said.

On 19 March, UNESCO and the French Federation of UNESCO Clubs will invite young people to discuss the issue of racism and discrimination at a symposium at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The event’s two sessions will be led by the French associationsAssociation Service Social Familial Migrants (ASSFAM) and Pédagodroit.Participants will work towards a common understanding of concepts, behaviours and existing legal frameworks and discuss different means to combat racism and discrimination.

The opening of the photo exhibition “Avec ELLE, avec LUI” (“With her, with him”) will follow the debate. Produced by students and teachers from the Rosa Luxemburg School in Aubervilliers (France), the show is an appeal for mutual respect and tolerance, illustrating in 30 images the diversity of relationships between people from different backgrounds, beyond stereotypes and prejudices.

In addition, also on 19 March, UNESCO and the Spanish soccer team F.C. Barcelona will announce the start of a joint anti-racism campaign. It will kick off at F.C. Barcelona’s match against Osasuna on 24 March at Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadium with messages rejecting racism. A number of activities will follow throughout the year, including a press conference (date to be announced) at which Barcelona players will add their voices to the rejection of racism.

The campaign is a new initiative produced by the partnership between UNESCO and F.C. Barcelona, signed in November 2007.  The previous (2008-2009) project, “Youth Voices Against Racism”, in collaboration with the European Parliament and UNESCO’s European Coalition of Cities against Racism, involved young people aged 15 to 18 in local policy-making and the design of anti-racism activities. Many of the suggestions they made will be put into practice in this new campaign.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorates events on 21 March 1960, in Sharpeville, South Africa, when police opened fire and killed young students peacefully demonstrating against the apartheid "pass laws". The United Nations proclaimed the Day in 1966. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.

White House unhappy with Iranian nuke proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki speaks during a press conference, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, at the International Institute for Strategic Studies regional security conference in Manama, Bahrain. Iran is ready to exchange the bulk of its stockpile of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel rods as proposed by the U.N. but according to its own mechanisms and timetable, the foreign minister said Saturday. Speaking to reporters at a regional security conference in Bahrain, Manochehr Mottaki said Iran agreed with a U.N. deal proposed in October in which up to 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of its uranium would be exchanged for fuel rods to power its research reactor.

The White House is expressing unhappiness over Iran's announcement that it is ready to exchange uranium for nuclear fuel.

Such a deal would meet a key demand of a U.N.-sponsored effort to defuse fears over Iran's nuclear ambitions. But instead of shipping most of its uranium abroad for processing before it is returned to Tehran, Iran's foreign minister said Saturday that the material instead would be exchanged in batches.

A senior Obama administration official says that proposal is inconsistent with the U.N. plan.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, urged Iran to accept the U.N. offer to help build confidence in claims that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

'End discrimination' says UN leader

'End discrimination' says UN leader

'End discrimination' says UN leader

Thursday, 10, Dec 2009 12:00

By Alex Steger.

UN security general Ban Ki-Moon has called on people the world over to end discrimination.

He made the plea in a speech to mark Human Rights Day which falls on the anniversary of the adoption of the universal declaration of human rights.

The UN leader will mark the day, which is celebrated on the December 10th each year, by opening a discussion on the subject of discrimination in development in New York today.

He said: "We must confront inequality and intolerance wherever they are found. On Human Rights Day, I call on people everywhere to join the fight against discrimination."

He went on to say: "No country is free of discrimination. We see it everywhere, in many forms. Ethnic strife. Hate speech. Xenophobia. Its targets include women, children and the poor. Migrants. Minorities of all kinds. They are seen as "different," and excluded from the mainstream. But they are not alone. The United Nations stands with them.

"The United Nations is committed to defending the rights of all, and particularly the most vulnerable. That is our identity and our mission. Discrimination is outlawed by international treaties. But abstract commitments are not enough."

The universal declaration of human rights was adopted by the United Nations general assembly in 1948 and was the first global enunciation on human rights.

It begins with now infamous line: "All human beings are born free and equal and in dignity and rights.

Corruption, country by country. The 2009 Transparency International index in full

Transparency international's corruption index

Every year, Transparency International ranks 180 countries to create its corruption index. Find out how each nation does• Get the data

How endemic is corruption around the world - and where does it flourish?
Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the world's most credible measure of of domestic, public sector corruption.
Figures released today show that public corruption in Afghanistan has worsened over the past two years and is now more rampant than in any country apart from Somalia. Afghanistan has sunk for the second straight year in this ranking of 180 nations based on perceived levels of corruption in the public sector.
The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. That ranking is based on data from country experts and business leaders at 10 independent institutions, including the World Bank, Economist Intelligence Unit and World Economic Forum.
Countries which saw their ranking drop included Iran, which fell to 1.8 from 2.3 following the presidential election in June. Political turmoil also contributed to a fall in Ukraine's score to 2.2 from 2.5. Greece saw its score slide to 3.8 from 4.7, reflecting insufficient 'anti-corruption enforcement', lengthy delays in the judicial process and a string of corporate scandals that TI said pointed to "systemic weaknesses".
Fragile, unstable states that are scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the index. Meanwhile, the highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.
But the vast majority of countries in the 2009 index scored below five.
The full data is below and we've added in last year's rankings too. Take a look and let us know what you can do with it. Also check out TI's interactive map too.

Download the data
• DATA: download the full dataset, including ISO country codes
Can you do something with this data?
Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group or mail us at datastore@guardian.co.uk
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Data summary
Corruption index scores
Click heading to sort. High score equals least corrupt, low score equals most corrupt

Country/Territory
SOURCE: Transparency International
2009 rank CPI 2009 Score CPI 2008 score

1 New Zealand 9.4 9.3
2 Denmark 9.3 9.3
3 Singapore 9.2 9.2
3 Sweden 9.2 9.3
5 Switzerland 9 9
6 Finland 8.9 9
6 Netherlands 8.9 8.9
8 Australia 8.7 8.7
8 Canada 8.7 8.7
8 Iceland 8.7 8.9
11 Norway 8.6 7.9
12 Hong Kong 8.2 8.1
12 Luxembourg 8.2 8.3
14 Germany 8 7.9
14 Ireland 8 7.7
16 Austria 7.9 8.1
17 Japan 7.7 7.3
17 United Kingdom 7.7 7.7
19 United States 7.5 7.3
20 Barbados 7.4 7
21 Belgium 7.1 7.3
22 Qatar 7 6.5
22 Saint Lucia 7 7.1
24 France 6.9 6.9
25 Chile 6.7 6.9

25 Uruguay 6.7 6.9
27 Cyprus 6.6 6.4
27 Estonia 6.6 6.6
27 Slovenia 6.6 6.7
30 United Arab Emirates 6.5 5.9
31 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.4 6.5
32 Israel 6.1 6
32 Spain 6.1 6.5
34 Dominica 5.9 6
35 Portugal 5.8 6.1
35 Puerto Rico 5.8 5.8
37 Botswana 5.6 5.8
37 Taiwan 5.6 5.7
39 Brunei Darussalam 5.5
39 Oman 5.5 5.5
39 Korea (South) 5.5 5.6
42 Mauritius 5.4 5.5
43 Costa Rica 5.3 5.1
43 Macau 5.3 5.4
45 Malta 5.2 5.8
46 Bahrain 5.1 5.4
46 Cape Verde 5.1 5.1
46 Hungary 5.1 5.1
49 Bhutan 5 5.2
49 Jordan 5 5.1
49 Poland 5 4.6
52 Czech Republic 4.9 5.2
52 Lithuania 4.9 4.6
54 Seychelles 4.8 4.8
55 South Africa 4.7 4.9
56 Latvia 4.5 5
56 Malaysia 4.5 5.1
56 Namibia 4.5 4.5
56 Samoa 4.5 4.4
56 Slovakia 4.5 5
61 Cuba 4.4 4.3
61 Turkey 4.4 4.6
63 Italy 4.3 4.8
63 Saudi Arabia 4.3 3.5
65 Tunisia 4.2 4.4
66 Croatia 4.1 4.4
66 Georgia 4.1 3.9
66 Kuwait 4.1 4.3
69 Ghana 3.9 3.9
69 Montenegro 3.9 3.4
71 Bulgaria 3.8 3.6
71 Macedonia 3.8 3.6
71 Greece 3.8 4.7
71 Romania 3.8 3.8
75 Brazil 3.7 3.5
75 Colombia 3.7 3.8
75 Peru 3.7 3.6
75 Suriname 3.7 3.6
79 Burkina Faso 3.6 3.5
79 China 3.6 3.6
79 Swaziland 3.6 3.6
79 Trinidad and Tobago 3.6 3.6
83 Serbia 3.5 3.4
84 El Salvador 3.4 3.9

84 Guatemala 3.4 3.1
84 India 3.4 3.4
84 Panama 3.4 3.4
84 Thailand 3.4 3.5
89 Lesotho 3.3 3.2
89 Malawi 3.3 2.8
89 Mexico 3.3 3.6
89 Moldova 3.3 2.9
89 Morocco 3.3 3.5
89 Rwanda 3.3 3
95 Albania 3.2 3.4
95 Vanuatu 3.2 2.9
97 Liberia 3.1 2.4
97 Sri Lanka 3.1 3.2
99 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 3.2
99 Dominican Republic 3 3
99 Jamaica 3 3.1
99 Madagascar 3 3.4
99 Senegal 3 3.4
99 Tonga 3 2.4
99 Zambia 3 2.8
106 Argentina 2.9 2.9
106 Benin 2.9 3.1
106 Gabon 2.9 3.1
106 Gambia 2.9 1.9
106 Niger 2.9 2.8
111 Algeria 2.8 3.2
111 Djibouti 2.8 3
111 Egypt 2.8 2.8
111 Indonesia 2.8 2.6
111 Kiribati 2.8 3.1
111 Mali 2.8 3.1
111 Sao Tome and Principe 2.8 2.7
111 Solomon Islands 2.8 2.9
111 Togo 2.8 2.7 120
Armenia 2.7 2.9
120 Bolivia 2.7 3
120 Ethiopia 2.7 2.6
120 Kazakhstan 2.7 2.2
120 Mongolia 2.7 3
120 Viet Nam 2.7 2.7
126 Eritrea 2.6 2.6
126 Guyana 2.6 2.6
126 Syria 2.6 2.1
126 Tanzania 2.6 3
130 Honduras 2.5 2.6
130 Lebanon 2.5 3
130 Libya 2.5 2.6
130 Maldives 2.5 2.8
130 Mauritania 2.5 2.8
130 Mozambique 2.5 2.6
130 Nicaragua 2.5 2.5
130 Nigeria 2.5 2.7
130 Uganda 2.5 2.6
139 Bangladesh 2.4 2.1
139 Belarus 2.4 2
139 Pakistan 2.4 2.5
139 Philippines 2.4 2.3
143 Azerbaijan 2.3 1.9
143 Comoros 2.3 2.5
143 Nepal 2.3 2.7
146 Cameroon 2.2 2.3
146 Ecuador 2.2 2
146 Kenya 2.2 2.1
146 Russia 2.2 2.1
146 Sierra Leone 2.2 1.9
146 Timor-Leste 2.2 2.2
146 Ukraine 2.2 2.5
146 Zimbabwe 2.2 1.8
154 Côte d´Ivoire 2.1 2
154 Papua New Guinea 2.1 2
154 Paraguay 2.1 2.4
154 Yemen 2.1 2.3
158 Cambodia 2 1.8
158 Central African Republic 2 2
158 Laos 2 2
158 Taijikistan 2 2
162 Angola 1.9 1.9
162 Congo, Republic 1.9 1.9
162 Congo, Democratic Republic 1.9 1.7
162 Guinea-Bissau 1.9 1.9
162 Kyrgyzstan 1.9 1.8
162 Venezuela 1.9 1.9
168 Burundi 1.8 1.9
168 Equatorial Guinea 1.8 1.7
168 Guinea 1.8 1.6
168 Haiti 1.8 1.4
168 Iran 1.8 2.3
168 Turkmenistan 1.8 1.8
174 Uzbekistan 1.7 1.8
175 Chad 1.6 1.6
176 Iraq 1.5 1.3
176 Sudan 1.5 1.6
178 Burma 1.4 1.3
179 Afghanistan 1.3 1.5
180 Somalia 1.1 1

Furnace oil sales up by 63pc in August

Wapda has begun clearing dues owed to IPPs, prioritising repayment to oil-fired units.— Photo from AP/File

KARACHI: Oil demand in the country significantly improved by 37 per cent in August 2009, thanks to consistent rise in furnace oil demand and sharp recovery in diesel (HSD) sales, said a JS Research report issued on Thursday.

The Pakistan State Oil sales grew by stunning 44 per cent during this period due to efficient volume handling by the company.

The company supplied 31,000 tons of furnace oil per day to thermal plants in August 2009 compared to 19,000 tons in August 2008, up 63 per cent on year-on-year basis.

To improve electricity generation through existing power plants, a committee was constituted on July 21 which instructed the PSO to supply 35,000 tons of furnace oil to Wapda generation companies and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). This pushed furnace oil sales to 49 per cent on year-on-year basis to 860,000 tons in August.

HSD sales also recovered sharply, posting 26 per cent volumetric growth during the month, led by a gradual improvement in trade activities on the back of overall economic recovery, said the JS report.

Wapda clears dues of Hubco, Kapco

The International Power (England) announced on Thursday that Wapda had made further payments to independent power sector in settlement of their overdue receivables, prioritising oil-fired plants, reported Topline Securities on Thursday.

The report said that as a result International Power’s share of net overdue receivables at the Hubco and the Kapco has been fully cleared.

International Power’s share of the net overdue receivables at Uch Power Company is $17 million (£10.4 million).

‘We expect the remaining overdue receivables at the indigenous gas-fired Uch station to be cleared shortly,’ said a press release.

An exchange rate of £1=US$1.63 has been applied in this announcement.

James Murdoch at the Edinburgh International Television Festival

James Murdoch at the Edinburgh International Television Festival

James Matthews, Scotland correspondent

News Corporation's James Murdoch has called for major changes in the way UK broadcasting is run and regulated, and strongly criticised the BBC and TV watchdogs.

Mr Murdoch gave the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival exactly 20 years after his father, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, delivered the keynote address.

Mr Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, told delegates: "We have analogue attitudes in a digital age.

"What were once separate forms of communication, or separate media, are now increasingly interconnected and exchangeable. So we no longer have a TV market, a newspaper market, a publishing market. We have, indisputably, an all-media market."

He said, however, that broadcasting policy had not kept pace with the change.

Murdoch On Regulation

There was too much regulation and Government input. Not enough was left to choice and free enterprise.

On broadcasting regulation by the likes of Ofcom, Mr Murdoch said it was excessive and would harm the broadcasting industry in the digital age.

"How in an all-media marketplace can we justify this degree of control in one place and not in others? Other areas of the media have been able to get by without it.

"There is a strong alternative tradition with at least four centuries behind it - first of pamphlets and books, later of magazines and newspapers."

Most importantly, in this all-media marketplace, the expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision, which are so important for our democracy.

James Murdoch

Mr Murdoch had strong criticism for the BBC, saying its licence-fee arrangement and business ambitions were squeezing out previously thriving, independent operators.

"There is a land-grab, pure and simple going on… spearheaded by the BBC. The scale and scope of its current activities and future ambitions is chilling.

"Being funded by a universal hypothecated tax, the BBC feels empowered and obliged to try and offer something for everyone, even in areas well-served by the market."

Murdoch On The BBC

The way the BBC was operating, he said, was a threat to independent journalism.

"Most importantly, in this all-media marketplace, the expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision, which are so important for our democracy.

"Dumping free, state-sponsored news on the market makes it incredibly difficult for journalism to flourish on the internet. Yet it is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it."

Following in the footsteps of his father, Rupert Murdoch

James Murdoch was speaking 20 years after his father, Rupert Murdoch, delivered a MacTaggart lecture in Edinburgh.

Murdoch junior ended his speech to media executives by warning that their industry would never fulfil its potential without greater scope for free enterprise.

"The private sector is a source of investment, talent, creativity and innovation in UK media," he said.

"The ability to generate a profitable return is fundamental to the continuation of the quality, plurality and independence that we value so highly."

:: News Corporation is a minority shareholder in BSkyB.

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Asia facing unprecedented food shortage, UN report says

The UN has said that billions of dollars will be needed to improve irrigation in Asia. Photograph: Stringer/India/Reuters

Asia faces an unprecedented food crisis and huge social unrest unless hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in better irrigation systems to grow crops for its burgeoning population, according to a UN report published today.

India, China, Pakistan and other large countries avoided famines in the 1970s and 1980s only because they built giant state-sponsored irrigation systems and introduced better seeds and fertilisers. But the extra 1.5 billion people expected to live on the continent by 2050 will double Asia's demand for food, says the report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Bank-funded International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

A combination of very little new land left for cultivation, an increasingly unpredictable climate and water supplies stretched to the limit means the only realistic option to feed people in the future will be better management of existing water supplies, according to the report.

"There is no new land or water to develop so we have to make more use of what we have. Existing irrigation systems are often 50 to 70 years old. They are leaking and water is evaporating. We urgently need a new generation of irrigation. That is the only way we are going to feed everyone," said Colin Chartres, who is the director general of IWMI.

"If we don't [invest] we will see food crises like the one in 2007 repeated over and again. That was an early warning. If nothing is done, you are going to get an increase in social unrest, migration and a fertile ground for terrorism," he said.

Since the demise of communism and the rise of the free market, farmers have increasingly opted to take irrigation into their own hands, mainly using cheap Chinese-made pumps.

Tens of millions of smallholders have invested in their own pumps so that they can extract water from shallow aquifers whenever they choose. Governments have been unable to regulate this practice, which has led to major exploitation of water resources.

Water tables in parts of India and China have dropped catastrophically in the last few years. "It's a trend that will become more common. The consequence will be more farmer suicides, hardship and collapsing enterprises," said Chartres.

The food crisis is compounded by millions of wealthier people in developing countries turning away from traditional rice and cereal-based diets to western dairy and meat-based foods that require more water, says the report.

"The agriculture of tomorrow will need a lot more water. Given that one litre of water is used to produce one calorie of food, the world will need up to 6,000 cubic kilometres of additional water every year to feed another 2.5 billion people 2,500 calories per day.

"This is almost twice what we use today and is not sustainable," said Chartres.

The report urges countries to repair and modernise irrigation systems and use better drip-fed farming. The UN expects the world to have an extra 2.5 billion mouths to feed within 40 years, most of them in developing countries. Africa's population could double, Asia's could grow by nearly 30% and Pakistan's by 85%.

Major investment in irrigation systems needed to feed population expected to grow by 1.5 billion over next 40 years