Cuts rally

 11 May 2011 Last updated at 13:16 ET By Marie Jackson BBC News  Cuts to disability benefits could mean disabled people cannot afford transport "Stop - would you like to be disabled? I didn't ask to be," read one placard. Another, in blue felt-tip pen, said: "I'm not here as the lift has been broken for three weeks!"

Many more were designed to make people on London's Embankment - and perhaps David Cameron and his colleagues - pause and think for a moment.

They were being held aloft at a colourful rally to deliver a message to the government to stop spending cuts to welfare benefits.

Many protesters were in wheelchairs or had guide dogs and white sticks.

They had come from right across the UK and were representing some 40 or so charities and organisations and a whole range of disabilities, both visible and hidden.

Asked what the cuts would mean to her, Kirsty Gerrard, who has cerebal palsy, summed it up in three words: "Can't get out."

Her carer elaborated, saying it would mean no transport to see family and friends and the closure of daycare centres where Miss Gerrard does most of her socialising

Under cloudy skies, and against a backdrop of the London Eye, actress and charity campaigner Jane Asher told the crowds: "This is the largest rally of disabled people in living memory, and that's something to be proud of - at the same time, it is very sad that it has come to this.

Kirsty Gerrard, who has cerebal palsy, had a tough journey to London from Bournemouth

"I am calling on the government, with all of you, to put a stop to these cuts - they are cruel, they are misguided, and they are badly drafted."

Most troubling, say campaigners, are cuts to the disability living allowance, which helps pay for people's transport and ensures they can live independently, and new work capability assessments, considered to be unfair for many.

Lord Low, president of the Disability Alliance, estimates 700,000 people will be affected by the cuts.

Later, Miss Asher, who is president of the Arthritis Council, said there had been a rise in suicidal calls to its helpline. "People are very frightened and upset," she said.

At the rally however, any fear had been cast aside for the day leaving a good-humoured mood, but one with angry undertones.

Gerard Maguire, from a deaf group in Islington, smiling and wearing latex blue gloves, attracted the attention of Labour MP Liam Byrne as he came off stage after an impassioned speech.

A sign language interpreter told Mr Byrne he was wearing them to symbolise the government "cutting their hands off".

'No privacy'

Dino Goldie, a 33-year-old from Bath who has been blind since the age of six, was one of many who were desperate to get across the reality of being disabled.

"Disability is not a consumer choice," he said.

"How would you feel about having your bank statements and medical notes read by your next-door neighbour? How would you like to be barred from clubs, bars and taxis because of your disability?

Dino Goldie said his placard read 'we're being shafted by the government!'

"This government has some very strange notions of dignity, privacy and responsibility."

There was also anger directed at benefit cheats. One placard summed it up: "I'm no scrounger, I have MS".

Jim Lodge, from Peckham, who is blind, worries people who already fiddle the system will go on receiving benefits, but honest people - who haven't learned how to play the system - will end up with no help.

He is one of few in the blind community to work full time, earning less than ￡1,000 a month, but says it does not go far.

"If you want to buy anything, it's four times dearer than for sighted people," he said.

Talking weighing scales would set him back ￡40, whereas an ordinary set from Argos would be no more than ￡10, he says.

Then there are the white sticks which cost ￡20 each, and another ￡10 every time the tip needs replacing. An electronic voice-operated organiser might cost ￡150, while special reading devices near ￡1,600.

Without it though, blind people have to rely on other people to read their private mail, says Ray Steptoe, from nearby Bermondsey, who is also blind.

"It's expensive to be disabled.

"The disability living allowance helps us retain a reasonably normal life, whatever normal is."

Thousands of Afghans Rally in Kabul to Reject Any Peace With Taliban

The meeting, organized by a former intelligence director, Amrullah Saleh, and attended as well by Abdullah Abdullah, a former presidential candidate, was a frontal attack on the current government’s policies, and speakers denounced both Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The organizers promised that if they were not listened to, they would “go to the streets and protest.”

Under the name “a gathering for justice,” the meeting was attended overwhelmingly by Afghans from the north and particularly from Panjshir Province, the home of the Afghan icon Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was killed by suicide bombers backed by Al Qaeda two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Panjshir is also the home province of Mr. Saleh and Mr. Abdullah.

Both men have long experienced friction with President Hamid Karzai: Mr. Karzai forced out Mr. Saleh, and Mr. Abdullah withdrew from a runoff election against Mr. Karzai in 2009 because, he said, the voting would be rigged. “The Taliban and Al Qaeda are terrorists,” said Mr. Saleh, as he looked out across the crowd, many of them young people. “They have destroyed our lands and houses, dishonored our wives and families.”

Then Mr. Saleh addressed Mr. Karzai: “You call them your brothers, this is oppression — to this nation; they are not our brothers,” he said in a criticism of Mr. Karzai’s frequent reference to the Taliban not as enemies or terrorists but as “upset brothers” or “angry brothers.”

The meeting struck a strongly nationalist tone and seemed aimed at generating the kind of grass-roots movement that has swept the Middle East. It was advertised on Facebook, radio and television stations, as well as in local newspapers.

Banners in Dari, one of the official Afghan languages, around the edge of the large tents were critical of the government: “The international community should not support Karzai for deals with the Taliban;” “Don’t step on our national interest by making deals with the Taliban;” “Every government organ is screaming with corruption, let’s root it out.”

The meeting was held in the parking lot of one of Kabul’s many immense wedding halls, and the manager, who asked that his name not be used, said that his staff had set out more than 10,000 chairs. Almost every one was filled, and overflow crowds gathered outside to listen to the speeches over loudspeakers.

The dominance of northerners at the gathering raised the issues of the growing tension over the prospect of a peace deal with the Taliban and the very different outlooks of the predominantly non-Pashtun north of Afghanistan and the overwhelmingly Pashtun south.

“As you know, one tribe, one circle has governed Afghanistan,” said Rasullah Paya, 22, a Kabul University student, referring to the Pashtuns, the ethnic group of Mr. Karzai. “From now on we don’t want one circle, one tribe, one nation, to run the government,” said Mr. Paya, who is from the Hazara ethnic group and is originally from Parwan Province, which is also in the north.

In fact, the government’s senior figures come from all ethnic groups, but perhaps because there is general frustration with day-to-day corruption and inefficiency, people feel deeply disenfranchised.

Others were even blunter. Abu Bakr, 32, from Panjshir Province, said, “We came today to participate in this gathering, to express our hatred of the Taliban and of the High Peace Council.”

The peace council, with more than 60 members, picked by Mr. Karzai, has been involved in reaching out to the Taliban and other insurgent groups to persuade them to lay down their weapons and join the government.

Mr. Saleh worked for Mr. Karzai until last June when insurgents attacked a peace jirga held in Kabul with rockets. In the wake of the attack, Mr. Karzai forced both Mr. Saleh and the interior minister at the time, Hanif Atmar, to offer their resignations because they had not pre-empted the attack. While Mr. Saleh is a Tajik, Mr. Atmar is a Pashtun, and they have criticized the government’s failure to root out corruption and to take a tough stand against the Taliban.

Underlying the reason for the gathering and on the minds of many in attendance was Mr. Karzai’s recent meeting with senior Pakistani officials at which the two countries’ leaders pledged to work together to bring peace to the region. However, in private the Pakistanis pushed for changes in Afghan policies, urging the country to draw closer to China and implicitly distance itself from the United States.

After the meeting, several local newspapers released what they said were lists of Pakistan’s demands to Afghanistan. While some of the demands were completely fabricated, others appeared to have been mentioned at the meeting, and the overall lack of transparency, coupled with the recent revelation that Osama bin Laden was living near a Pakistani military compound, has exacerbated people’s suspicions of Pakistan.

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Stocks and Bonds: Earnings Upswing Propels A Broad-Based Rally

Investors had been set up for a series of disappointments but got an unexpected lift from two bellwether companies — Intel and United Technologies — helping to spur a broad-based rally that put equities on the path for more gains in coming weeks.

“Until yesterday, earnings were lackluster, not too exciting, even disappointing,” said Nick Kalivas, senior equity index analyst at MF Global. He said the last round of reports “shifted the psychology quite significantly.”

Shares of Intel rose 7.8 percent to $21.41 while United Technology gained 4.3 percent to $85.90.

At the close, the Dow Jones industrial average had gained 186.79 points, or 1.52 percent, to 12,453.54. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index rose 17.74 points, or 1.35 percent, to 1,330.36. The Nasdaq, driven by Intel, added 57.54 points, or 2.10 percent, to 2,802.51.

The Nasdaq posted its largest daily percentage gain since Octobe, while the Dow hit its highest close since early June 2008. The S.& P. 500 had its best performance in a month.

European shares also closed sharply higher, with the FTSE 100 in London adding 2.1 percent and the DAX in Frankfurt gaining almost 3 percent.

For a second day, investors in the United States received some positive news about the housing market in the United States.

The National Association of Realtors said that the sale of existing homes in March rose 3.7 percent from February to an annual rate of 5.10 million units. Economists had expected a smaller increase to a five million unit pace.

But the median home price fell 5.9 percent in March from a year earlier to $159,600.

“The underlying trend for existing home sales is improving, but only at a gradual pace,” said Michael Gapen, an economist at Barclays Capital in New York. “Demand should gradually firm as labor market conditions continue to improve.”

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department said that home construction rose 7.2 percent in March from February to a seasonally adjusted 549,000 units a year. Building permits, an indicator of future construction, rose 11.2 percent after hitting a five-decade low in February.

The trend of positive earnings continued after the market’s close on Wednesday and could help spur another rally on Thursday, the last trading day before the Easter holiday. Apple rose 2.7 percent in after-hours trading after a blowout quarter that surged past expectations. Revenue for the technology giant rose 83 percent from the quarter a year ago.

F5 Networks, considered a momentum favorite for investors, climbed 7.3 percent to $99.74 after its second-quarter profit topped expectations and the company forecast third-quarter earnings largely above estimates.

American Express rose 0.8 percent to $47, recovering from earlier losses. While the company’s profit topped expectations, expenses at the credit card company rose.

I.B.M. slipped 0.4 percent to $164.75 after reporting a drop in signings of new business at its global services division during the first quarter. Its profit and revenue, however, came in above analysts’ projections, and it raised its full-year profit view.

In the bond market, Treasury prices fell Wednesday as investors preferred riskier assets. The price of the 10-year Treasury note fell 12/32, while the yield rose to 3.41 percent from 3.36 percent late Tuesday.

 

Roundup: Rose Leads Big Rally for Bulls; Hawks Overcome Howard’s 46

Rose scored 39 points and found Kyle Korver for a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, helping top-seeded Chicago stage a late rally to beat the Pacers 104-99 in their playoff opener Saturday.

“We knew it was going to be a hard game,” Rose said. “From the beginning, I guess we weren’t prepared for it. Next time, I think we’ll be ready.”

For the Pacers, the loss was tough to accept. They controlled most of the game but could not put it away.

They would make little runs, Chicago would come back, and the Pacers would pull ahead again. With Rose staring at them, Danny Granger never felt safe.

“With Derrick Rose on the other team? No,” Granger said. “It’s like a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend. Every time you tell her you don’t want to talk to her, she’ll show up at your door again.”

Trailing by 98-88 in the final period, the Bulls showed the resolve that carried them to a league-best 62-20 record, closing with a 16-1 run over the final 3 minutes 38 seconds.

Rose scored 7 points during the impressive finish, including a 3-point play and a floater that tied it at 99-99 with 1:27 left. He then hit Korver with a cross-court pass for a 3 that gave the Bulls their first lead, 102-99.

Granger then missed a 3 and Joakim Noah got the rebound. Rose eventually hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining. Game 2 in this best-of-seven series is Monday night at United Center.

Rose again showed why he is a favorite for the most valuable player award, even though he was off target. He missed each of his 9 3-point attempts but went 19 of 21 at the foul line and finished with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Luol Deng added 18 points and Korver finished with 13.

Granger led Indiana with 24 points, and Tyler Hansbrough finished with 22, as the Pacers came up just short in their first playoff game in five years.

The Pacers will try to shake this one off and figure out how a game that looked so promising ended in defeat.

“We put forth a good effort, but who cares?” Granger said.

Now, the Bulls can breathe a little easier after a hard, physical game.

“Right now, I’m feeling good and can’t wait to go eat,” Rose said.

HAWKS 103, MAGIC 93 Joe Johnson scored 25 points, Jamal Crawford finished with 23 and visiting Atlanta beat Orlando in Game 1 of their playoff series, overcoming a monster night by the Magic star Dwight Howard.

Atlanta was eliminated by Orlando in last year’s playoffs in the most lopsided four-game sweep in N.B.A. history, but this one was much different.

The Hawks led by as many as 18 points while running multiple bodies at Howard all game, and the rest of the Magic failed to deliver.

Howard tied a career high with 46 points and had 19 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 27 points, but no other Orlando player scored in double figures.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Orlando.

The Hawks were in control throughout after stumbling into the playoffs with a six-game losing streak.

They carried an 85-71 lead into the final quarter and caught a break when Howard was whistled for his fifth foul with 10:58 to play.

But even with Howard playing less aggressively underneath on defense, Orlando put together a 10-1 run that cut it to 92-83 with 4:40 left.

The Magic came out with some renewed offensive spirit in the opening minutes of the third, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 57-53. The Hawks responded with an 11-0 run.

MAVERICKS 89, BLAZERS 81 Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter and host Dallas defeated Portland in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Even though Nowitzki struggled from the field most of the night, he came through when the Mavericks needed him most.

Nowitzki scored 12 consecutive points in the game-turning spurt in the closing minutes when Dallas tied the game and eventually went ahead to stay.

Jason Kidd added 24 points, including a playoff career-best six 3-pointers.