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Thursday 11 February 2010

Verity Murphy | 13:02 UK time, Thursday, 11 February 2010

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:
Hello from Gavin Esler:

Today's Quote for the Day: "Chocolate is as good as sex. To me it's like an orgasm" - Britney Spears looks forward to St Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately our attempts to devote all of Newsnight tonight to this hitherto unknown benefit of chocolate have been derailed by the goings on in the EU.

We'll be forgetting Britney and switching to Brussels for the great Greek takeaway as the European summit discussed (in the words of President Herman van Rompuy) "Greece. That's the only topic we mentioned. This concerns Greece and only Greece".

Actually, from Ireland to Spain and Italy there are some broader concerns that we hope to get into as the Greek government appears to secure euro-wide support for preventing them defaulting on their debts.

Most of us don't think twice about paying for something in a high street shop by keying in our pin.

It's easy, fast and in most cases it works. But scratch a little under the surface and there are persistent reports of people who say they've been the subject of fraud of one kind or another on their credit or debit card.

Now a team of computer scientists at Cambridge University has found a flaw in chip and pin so serious they think it shows that the whole system needs a re-write.

Our science editor, Susan Watts, has the story.

Plus we'll have the latest from Iran on the protests on the anniversary of the Iranian revolution of 1979, more on the strange case of those e-mails about Climate Change research from the University of East Anglia, and we'll be paying tribute to the British fashion designer Alexander McQueen who has committed suicide.

Since the Newsnight Joke for the Day cupboard is completely bare - no doubt as a result of the credit crunch - I am reduced to concluding this e-mail with another daft luvvie droning on about chocolate.

This one is Sandra Bullock: "Chocolate's the greatest gift to women ever created, next to men. Chocolate chip ice cream is like cocaine."

Perhaps that explains where Cadbury's went wrong.

Gavin

ENTRY FROM 1302GMT

EU leaders have reached a deal on helping Greece tackle its debt crisis, EU President Herman Van Rompuy says. Will it be enough to convince the markets and prevent contagion to the PIGS in the Eurozone? David Grossman is there.

Tim Whewell reported earlier this week on the planned for the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Today is that day and we are watching events closely.

And Susan Watts will be revealing new flaws in the chip and pin system.

More details later.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    'Tim Whewell reported earlier this week on the big Iran demonstrations planned for the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Today is that day and we are watching events closely.

    Nott too closely though, since the ´óÏó´«Ã½ rendfered itself persona non grata through alleged biased reporting? Will we see yet more 'camera-phone' (none of your contacts got a HD video camera?) foggy shots of people with green ribbons on buses or tubes (one can't tell) which could be anywhere.

    Is this intentionally biased reporting designed to make us do the balancing bit? I only ask (I hold no torch for Iran, nor am I hostile to Israel per se), but this doesn't make the ´óÏó´«Ã½ or UK look good at all.

    Surely that can't be good?

  • Comment number 2.

    on, and it's still going on. I'd like the news to be informative and respectful, not propaganda/dirty tricks - especially from the ´óÏó´«Ã½. If Iran is up to no good with 'WMD', please provide the evidence.

    How about some coverage of what the Iranian Revolution has positively achieved - in the spirit of international good-will?

  • Comment number 3.

    Nicola Sturgen representations to the court for a non custodial sentence in social security fraud case. all entirely justified in my opinion, saves costs for child care and support for the innocent members of his family, allows the guilty party to contnue paying back, Above all its a bit rich comming from other msps who currently paying back our money that they defrauded.

  • Comment number 4.

    Why is the main ´óÏó´«Ã½ News item the suicide of a fashion designer? From what I can make of this business, it is who gets the credit for what in the vanity business.

  • Comment number 5.


    "Chocolate is as good as sex. To me it's like an orgasm" - 'Britney Spears looks forward to St Valentine's Day.'

    - she can't have good sex then :p

  • Comment number 6.

    if the EU helps to bail out greece then the uk will be helping to bailout the euro. nice one.

  • Comment number 7.

    More strange ´óÏó´«Ã½ News broadcasts on Iran. No helicopter shots, of no violence, taken to mean there may be something to hide. Old shots of ribbons on undergrounds etc as alleged evidence of mass dissent, with the outside ´óÏó´«Ã½ reporter straining over Twitter etc trying to find evidence of mass dissent, but not finding it, and that being evidence of government censorship, and if anyone did dissent, well, the police would crack down very hard! Then some very odd talk of how centrifuge tubes could be used to to enrich uranium up to 80%, when Iran says it will only enrich up to 20% which is not weapon grade.

    What are you up to ´óÏó´«Ã½? Why are you fomenting trouble? Why not say cameras and microphones could be used to injure people?

    Too frequent use of counterfactuals/subjunctives is provocative.

  • Comment number 8.

    5. Mistress76uk '- she can't have good sex then :p'

    Or else she and Bullock have contracts with Kraft/Hershey.

    Is there anything for men? Men seem to lose out all round! Seriously!

  • Comment number 9.

    First the demise of subversive modern 'art', now subversive 'fashion'. Are we seeing the long overdue demise of subversive elements which supported our vain, self-destructive, economic anarchism? Let's hope so.

  • Comment number 10.

    So the EU is offering moral support, which means nothing, Greece has asked for technical assistance from the IMF and Trichet seems to be almost champing at the bit for the ECB to take over Greece from it's current government. I imagine had I posted this even a year ago I would have been called a conspiracy nut, sadly as I have long predicted, things are on their way to an inevitable conclusion, and now people are starting to look at the endgame-

    Sovereign Default On A Global Scale


    As for chip and pin, better late than never on the story I suppose.

    And Britney, 3 words she needs to google, White Tiger Tantra.

  • Comment number 11.

    S. Africa: 10pm News

    Cut to township:

    ´óÏó´«Ã½ Reporter, Andrew Harding: "Riots this week...a growing underclass is demanding more than just freedom"...

    Talks directly to crowd in township: "No improvement in 20 years?"

    Crowd: "No...no......I think it's got worse!"

    Cut to Mandela looking (justifiably) unmoved by Jacob Zuma's 'State of The Nation' speech as if to say: 'Is THIS really what it was all for?'

    Logically, he should, given his history as a 'comrade', be rooting for Stalinist Mugabe.

    How about some more honest reporting like this ´óÏó´«Ã½ Newsnight?

  • Comment number 12.

    Verity Murphy.

    "..(in the words of President Herman van Rompuy) "Greece. That's the only topic we mentioned. This concerns Greece and only Greece". "

    jauntycyclist #6.

    "if the EU helps to bail out greece then the uk will be helping to bailout the euro. nice one."


    ah yes, how convenient to forget that the UK, even though not part of the Euro 'zone', has debt problems (in percentage terms) quite like those of Ireland or Greece; but unlike the Greek and the Irish, the Britons have fewer partners willing to help.

    (headline today: repossessions running at a fourteen year high)

  • Comment number 13.

    Ah, the moments of pleasure, Mr Gavin Esler

    Bon appetit

    mim

  • Comment number 14.

    Statis, Iran is an enemy of the UK and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is a nationalistic, state run broadcaster. Any claims that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not biased are complete tosh and I wish they'd admit it, although through their coverage of Iran, Venezuela, etc. they tacitly say so.

  • Comment number 15.

    Excellent debate by Paul on the Greek Financial crisis with beautifully illustrated graphics too.
    Excellent report by Susan on the chip and pin fraud, and it is interesting to note that the US may not be introducing the same system. How pathetic of the people behind the chip and pin system to refuse to give an interview and instead give an empty chair "statement" stating that it would be rare to have such a fraudlent case. Well Susan's report clearly showed it was possible. What did happen to the thumb print idea for credit cards?

  • Comment number 16.

    Why has the ´óÏó´«Ã½ not covered the recently revealed report into New Labour's subterfuge and gerrymandering over its immigration policy? No one voted to this massive influx, that seems calculated to boost the Labour vote.

  • Comment number 17.

    #15

    Mistress76uk

    Do you think the 'beautiful' graphics had anything to do with chocolatte that's supposed to be better than sex? From your #5 it looks like you are in disagreement about this one!/?/

    mim

  • Comment number 18.

    #17 addendum

    I used to work with a woman who used to say that chocolate was better than sex. However, she is now a grandmother of at least 4.

    mim

  • Comment number 19.

    #16 Alcuin I've been writing about this for the last few days, but NN doesn't do anything that will show the Labour party in a bad light! ; )

    I think it amounts to this but in the current situation they have got a country for votes.

    I remember the hue and cry in the press when the deligent Audit Commission discovered this deception, but not a mention of the current fiasco anywhere on the Beeb, even though most papers have had an article about it. (see my posts yesterday or Wed) ; )

    How do the Labour party keep getting away with it, I just don't know. And yet again this morning, we have the Ethopian Binyam on the first item on the Beebs webpage, can someone explain why? He probably does have (alledgedly) terrorist connections, but the ole Beeb is going to keep plugging him away, one man against an entire country's demographic change!

  • Comment number 20.

    16. Alcuin 'Why has the ´óÏó´«Ã½ not covered the recently revealed report into New Labour's subterfuge and gerrymandering over its immigration policy? No one voted to this massive influx, that seems calculated to boost the Labour vote.'

    I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong here, but didn't a past frequent blogger here often say as much? It seem to me that a lot has been said in these pages over the years which the ´óÏó´«Ã½ could have picked up on, but chose not to. It's not as if they needed someone to stand up and admit culpability/intent, the facts speak for themselves, and should they have wished, they could have held those responsible, well, just incompetent if intent could not be proven/admitted.

    It isn't intentions which matter (I've learned at least that much). So why hasn't the ´óÏó´«Ã½? Why does so much appear revolve around whether or not those in positions of public accountability 'knew' or 'intended' etc to do X Y or Z? We can not see these psychological states. Surely What matters is whether X, Y or Z occurred whilst they were in office and were thus responsible? What he current zeitgeist in liberal-democracies anarchistic encourages is irresponsibility in public office, and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and public inquiries (e.g. The Iraq Inquiry - cf. Jack Straw, or Lord Falconer on Question Time) keeps reinforcing by omission by letting this language of self-exoneration go unchallenged. That encourages others to try it, and thus reinforces our culture's chaos/anarchism.

    Ignorance is no excuse for those who hold public office. It speaks volumes of incompetence or sinecure to all of those who are truly paying attention.

  • Comment number 21.

    ecolizzy #19.

    "And yet again this morning, we have the Ethopian Binyam on the first item on the Beebs webpage, can someone explain why?"

    given the way you ask this question it is likely to have been rhetorical, however, why not google 'mi5 coverup' or 'mi5 rendition' for the reasons why.

  • Comment number 22.

    BEST OPTIONS: JOHN HEALEY AND THE ´óÏó´«Ã½ (#19)

    I was listening to Radio 5 when the Shadow Housing Minister made a correct but unwise comment (repossession the best option for some). Ms Derbyshire made hay and ´óÏó´«Ã½ News, later, made an entire STACK by 'miss-speaking'. Whether we choose to perceive edginess or dodginess - the Beeb stand blatantly culpable in the style for which the opted.

  • Comment number 23.

    Mistress76uk @ 15
    > What did happen to the thumb print idea for credit cards?

    I don't think that'd help in this situation. It you can fool a machine into thinking it's received the correct pin you can fool it into thinking it's received the correct thumb print.

  • Comment number 24.

    LOGIC v FUZZY LOGIC? (#23)

    Not my field Count, but isn't recognition of key presses (one key per numeral)about as undemanding as 'recognition' gets, whereas PATTERN comparison is pretty complex? There again, is suppose - like Lord Goldsmith - the machine comes, ultimately, to a 'better view' (yes - no) and that is where to hack in.

    Why did I wwrite this? No wonder I was poorly regarded by the school ethos.

  • Comment number 25.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 26.

    barriesingleton #24.

    "..whereas PATTERN comparison is pretty complex?"

    provided a public domain link in #25 to show how easy it is to forge fingerprints; seems that the ´óÏó´«Ã½/moderators believe that by 'closing their eyes' reality will go away. ;)

  • Comment number 27.

    I wasn't paying full attention to the piece but I thought the issue was that the verification of the pin is made against the chip rather than against a remote database (I think the messing about with the machines was to ensure that happens) and if you've cloned the card you stick your own thumb print on just as you could stick your own pin on.

    If the check is remote then I agree it is probably more complex as an identifier. I'm not sure which is easier though finding out some-one's pin or making a mould of their thumb. We definitely leave our thumb prints all over the place in a way we wouldn't our pin.
    What happens if you have no hands?

    I'd have thought most fraud was "card holder not present" transactions anyway.

  • Comment number 28.

    My Big Fat Greek Bailout

    too big to fail? heads they win tails you lose economics?

    Iran Tub Thumping.

    is there a cd?

  • Comment number 29.

    #21 Yes jr4412 it was a rhetorical statement, I have been following it. But why all the excitement about a probable (alledgedly) terrorist, an Ethopian at that, what was this man up to? He appears to have travelled to all the right places to look extremely suspicious. I don't like torture I do not agree with it, as I said in an earlier post, I don't think it's going to get any answers, people will say anything for peace of mind and no pain, so a useless thing to do.

    But it goes on all the time, do you think this one incident will stop it. Look at the Chandlers, they are having to endure starvation, and attempted rape, but I don't notice anyone on this blog even mentioning them. And then there is the cruel practice of sawing off someones head while they are fully conscious, isn't that barbaric torture, but again I've never seen anyone scream about it on here.

    Yes we should be setting an example, and agree NOT commiting torture in any form, but it goes on, we are just chosey who we rant about.

    And where will all this rage in the media get us, things will go quietly underground, as it is we have had mass immigration forced on us by stealth, did we know that was a planned agenda, did we scream and shout we want to remain a manageable size of population, no, no one screamed, and now we are sinking under so many poor people. But politicians and the rich are doing very nicely thank you from the low cost of living for them. Cheap labour.

  • Comment number 30.

    Don't know if this link is permitted....



    It's probably the same one jr4412 found. But I've read that criminals are now swapping their fingerprints over by transplant, to fool the machines.

  • Comment number 31.

    29. ecolizzy - You write a lot of sense. Many will share that view. Trust me. Keep thinking and keep posting. It just takes a critical mass.

    'And where will all this rage in the media get us, things will go quietly underground, as it is we have had mass immigration forced on us by stealth, did we know that was a planned agenda, did we scream and shout we want to remain a manageable size of population, no, no one screamed, and now we are sinking under so many poor people.'

    Well, some people did. Some covered the cyncial policy/consequences repeatedly. Look what happened.... But that's what one has to do to get things heard above the noise.

    Weave the threads together, they depict a very old story. , why? How many will know? It's how the Bill of Rights came about. Now, was that a good thing? Was the ECHR? Where are people's duties? Why are duty prone people the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) - what did they all once have in common? Apart from the family.

  • Comment number 32.

    ecolizzy #29.

    agree with much you wrote, though not that this is about any given individual.

    "Yes we should be setting an example, and agree NOT commiting torture in any form, but it goes on, we are just chosey who we rant about."

    the problem (as I see it) is this: 'we' in the UK appear to condone torture it if it is done by someone else and we get to 'benefit' from the results (why else, eg, is the UK government still denying CIA planes were serviced here whilst stopping over on rendition flights).

    I'd say that if we do not stand up to be counted, we aid and abet.

    as the Guardian put it in their editorial 11.02.2010:

    Parliament cannot claim to exercise effective oversight of MI5 if (as one of our most senior judges apparently believed) it has been "deliberately misled". This is a desperately serious state of affairs, whatever spin Mr Miliband puts on it.

  • Comment number 33.

    TWAS EVER THUS (#29)

    Hi Lizzy. I have just pointed out to my MP, that his concern for a right to whack an intruder is appreciated. When whacking a burglar, the only collateral damage arises - as with the one who was brain damaged - in terms of DEGREE of whack. Now: moving to 'SHOCK AND AWE', even the name is glorying in DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE TO TERRORIZE. The idea was to scare any fight out of Johnnie Foreigner. So what of DISPROPORTIANATE FORCE to scare any further fight out of Johnnie Burglar? Our wretched politicians and 'Justicians', are simply unable to compute the obvious.

    We lock up the innocent in this country, due to the courts having more delight in precise process than justice. I have said before: justice is hard work and untidy. The lawyer nerds just love process and tidiness. (And many are in Parliament.) A long prison term is torture. The courts 'nerd' ever onward.

    I am puzzled by the Chandler situation. If our government can lie and cheat about everything else, surely they can get some wealthy person to pay the ransom and SWEAR BLIND IT IS NOUT TO DO WITH THEM. It’s the stuff they do all the time with their wealthy chums AND ONLY LYING FOR GODS SAKE!

  • Comment number 34.

    barriesingleton #33.
    (ecolizzy)

    "I am puzzled by the Chandler situation."

    perhaps you're simply not cynical enough?

    by not resolving this emotive 'situation' it can be brought back into the 'media glare' again and again -- whenever needed, to keep some other story out of the headlines. ;)

  • Comment number 35.

    #31 32 33, Sorry haven't time to go in depth to them at the moment, you all make very good points.

    Sort of watched (kept dropping off!:( ) the programme about the Home Office last night, hhhmmmm it said a lot to me, we haven't a clue who runs anything around here I feel. All those ministers, perhaps Yes Minister, was very accurate after all... What is our moral position these days, it seems to have been forgotten, war, war, war, it seems to me! WHY?

  • Comment number 36.

    Statist, in the spirit of what you have said (#20) I have recently starting to ape the tactics of politicians. When someone destroys my arguments, refutes my 'facts' I simply reply "I don't recognise that at all" and just keep saying it.

    If it works for them and it makes journos crumble, then it's worth a try.

  • Comment number 37.

    36. manchester me - That's the spirit. Where did all those arrested development oddballs get the idea that standing up and arguing is acceptable anyway? It's what 3 year olds do! You don't find competent engineers, doctors etc doing that! I bet they all did arts subjects! Trouble is, I bet most of the journalists did too!

    Seriously, many science (and good philosophy) trained people look at them as if there's something seriously wrong with them! But these days we have 'care in the community' and special projects to help keep 'children' out of prison and the crime figures down! Hence the HoC etc!

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