Renault has been given the green light to name its new electric car Zoe
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Renault can name a new car model Zoe, a French judge has ruled – throwing out a case brought by the parents of two girls called Zoe Renault.
The families had argued that their children – and to a lesser extent, other children who have the first name Zoe – could face a lifetime of mockery for sharing the name of a car.
But the judge found no evidence that it would cause the children “certain, direct and current harm”.
The families say they plan to appeal.
“There’s a line between living things and inanimate objects, and that line is defined by the first name,” their lawyer David Koubbi told Associated Press.
“We’re telling Renault one very simple thing: first names are for humans.”
Following Wednesday’s hearing, Mr Koubbi told reporters that the judge had accepted Renault’s argument that Zoe “was not a first name, but just a common noun”. He said that logic was perverse.
He also argued that all of France’s thousands of Zoes could be affected, with playground teasing and, as they grow older, comments in bars such as “Can I see your airbags?” or “Can I shine your bumper?”
The all-electric Renault Zoe ZE (zero emission) is set for launch in 2012. Zoe – which means “life” in Greek – was apparently chosen to underline the car’s environmental credentials.
Renault has already given several models women’s names – including Clio and Megane – without facing any campaign of public opposition.
An unnamed Renault official told AP that the manufacturer had no plans to change the car’s name.
“We’re very happy with the judge’s decision,” the official said.
First names are taken very seriously in France – where parents used to be forced to select from an official list of approved names.
That is no longer the case, but officials can still argue against parents’ choices if they feel they will subject children to harm or ridicule.
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Photographer Mick Rock’s images helped define the music scene of the 1970s – with his portraits of the likes of David Bowie, Debbie Harry, Mick Jagger and Queen.
Here, as photos from his new book – Exposed: The Faces of Rock N’ Roll – go on public display in London, are some of them. Mick talks affectionately about the artists with whom he worked and ultimately became friends.
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Mick Rock: Rock Music – in association with Zippo – can be seen at the Idea Generation Gallery in east London until 16 January 2010. Admission free.
Image of Marlene Dietrich courtesy Rex Features – all other images copyright Mick Rock.
Music by Blondie, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Queen and the Ramones. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 11 November 2010.
Related links:
Mick Rock
More audio slideshows:
Storm’s sleeves – Pink Floyd
‘London Calling’ – The Clash
Snapshots of the past
Talking Pictures
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The public sector is being squeezed because of spending cuts
The Scottish government is planning a radical shift in its spending priorities, BBC Scotland has learned.
It is understood that Finance Secretary John Swinney will announce plans to move some day-to-day spending to projects involving capital investment.
This will be in a bid to save jobs and promote economic growth.
Mr Swinney is due to outline his spending priorities for the forthcoming financial year before MSPs at Holyrood next Wednesday.
The possibility of a shift in policy is in line with views expressed by Professor Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize winning economist recently appointed to advise Scottish ministers.
As things stand, capital investment is due to face much tighter constraints than revenue, down 38% over four years.
BBC Scotland’s political editor Brian Taylor said that although taking day-to-day spending and using it on capital projects will add to the pressure on revenue spending, ministers believe that maintaining capital investment is vital to economic growth.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Paul Collingwood nails down his Ashes starting spot with an important innings of 94 after England struggle initially against South Australia.
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Sir Paul said the force had failed to anticipate the level of violence
The Met Police is launching an inquiry into how it prepared for Wednesday’s student march over university tuition fees, which ended in violent clashes.
Thousands marched peacefully in London over plans to increase fees in England.
But outside Tory party headquarters in Millbank, a minority smashed windows, lit fires and threw missiles at police.
Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson said the violence, which led to 35 arrests and 14 people being injured, was unexpected and “an embarrassment to London”.
The violence has been condemned by student leaders and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
The day began with a largely peaceful march after hundreds of coachloads of students and lecturers from England and Wales converged in the capital.
But once the march reached Conservative HQ, some demonstrators used tools to smash through windows.
Crowds then surged forward and stormed the building. Some fled to the roof from where they threw a fire extinguisher and liquids, it was reported.
The BBC’s Mike Sergeant, who was at the scene, said one female police officer was injured by the missiles.
Six fellow police officers and seven others were also injured in the clashes, according to Scotland Yard. No-one is thought to be seriously hurt.
The latest police figures showed 35 arrests were made.
By 1700 GMT, the police had largely taken control of the building, but a stand-off between about two dozen demonstrators and the police continued late into the evening.
Protesters were contained on the road and were eventually released by police. Their photographs were taken as they left to help identify key troublemakers.
Essex University student Leila Khaled, 22, was among those held in the police cordon. She said demonstrators, who were not there to cause trouble, were left “freezing” and “desperate” as they waited to be let out.
The Met Police is now facing accusations that too few officers were on duty during the protest.
Windows were smashed in before protesters stormed the building
Met Commissioner Sir Paul said the force should have anticipated the level of violence “better”.
“It’s not acceptable. It’s an embarrassment for London and for us,” he said.
Mr Johnson said he was appalled that “a small minority had abused their right to protest”.
“This is intolerable and all those involved will be pursued and they will face the full force of the law.”
Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi, who was inside the building during the protest, said police had responded “in the circumstances that they felt best”.
“People had a legitimate right to protest on issues that they felt very strongly [about], and it is a shame that a small minority of those protesters ruined it for the rest of them,” she said.
Angry scenes at 30 Millbank at student fees protest
Demonstrators were also cleared from outside the Liberal Democrat headquarters, where a car window was smashed.
National Union of Students (NUS) president Aaron Porter said the violence was “despicable” and not part of the plan.
“This action was by others who have come out and used this opportunity to hijack a peaceful protest,” he said.
The NUS is threatening to try to unseat Liberal Democrat MPs who go back on pre-election pledges they made to oppose any rise in tuition fees.
Higher education funding is being cut by 40% – with teaching grants being all but wiped out except for science and maths.
The government expects the costs of teaching other courses to be funded by tuition fees from 2012.
The plan is for a lower cap at £6,000, with universities able to charge up to £9,000 – triple the current cap – in “exceptional circumstances”. Ministers insist their plans offer a “fair deal for students”.
Earlier on Wednesday, during prime minister’s questions in the Commons, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had a fiery exchange with Labour’s Harriet Harman over fees.
He was accused of hypocrisy, because the Liberal Democrats opposed tuition fees in the election run-up.
But he said Labour had made U-turns itself over fees, which it brought in in 1997, and said the party had no clear alternative policy.
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President Obama could face a chilly reception at the Seoul meeting
The global financial system and world economy are set to dominate the agenda at a two-day meeting of the G20 group of nations in South Korea.
But there are fears the summit in Seoul could descend into a row between the US and China about so-called “currency wars” and trade imbalances.
Ahead of the meeting US President Barack Obama urged leaders to work together for global economic recovery.
He said the US would seek to create jobs and reduce global imbalances.
On a visit to a US base in Seoul before the main G20 meetings began, Mr Obama took the opportunity to urge North Korea to engage with the international community.
“North Korea’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons will only lead to more isolation and less security,” he said. “But there is another path available to North Korea.”
Washington has blamed global economic imbalances in part on Beijing’s alleged manipulation of its currency to help boost Chinese exports, which has led to Beijing amassing huge foreign reserves.
Others, however, say America’s economic policies, specifically creating new money to pursue quantitative easing (QE), could also be a form of currency manipulation for its own ends.
Speaking to the BBC, the president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, said there were “definitely tensions” over currency.
What is the G20?
The G20 group comprises the world’s 19 leading national economies, plus the European Union.
It was formed in 1999, and held its first meeting that year.
Until 2008 the G20 was overshadowed by the smaller G8 grouping of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, Canada and Russia.
However, this has changed since the global financial crisis of 2008, and the G20 has effectively now replaced the G8 as the main global economic forum.
The major growth in the economies of G20 members China, India and Brazil has also contributed to the rising importance of the grouping.
The G20 currently meets twice a year, but this is set to reduce to one meeting from 2011.
“One has to be wary of the tensions because you don’t want them to slip into protectionism,” he said.
But he said that while the US raising the issue over China was “useful”, he added China’s next five-year plan for its economic development would focus on increasing domestic demand, adding this would be important in shifting China’s growth.
At a G20 press conference, Brazil’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega criticised the US central bank’s latest QE programme.
“The trouble with putting an extra $600bn into the US economy is that this money will not go into production, will not create jobs and neither will it boost domestic consumption.
“With more money in the market, investors will take advantage of higher interest rates in other places, put the money into these countries’ stock exchanges or invest in commodities, raising the prices and causing inflation in our countries,” Mr Mantega said.
Accused of forcing the dollar down to trade its way back to prosperity, Mr Obama is expected to hold one-on-one talks with two of the strongest critics of his administration’s economic direction – Chinese President Hu Jintao and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
President Obama has said that the US alone could not restore growth but accepted the US must change, adding: “When all nations do their part… we all benefit from higher growth.”
“Everyone agrees on the “shared interest” in finding a solution to global imbalances. The disagreement is over how – and how quickly”
Read Stephanie’s blog
However, he defended America’s “decisive action to halt the fall in activity caused by the deepest crisis we have experienced in generations”.
And he again called on countries not to rely on exports to pull them out of their economic problems.
“We all now recognize that the foundation for a strong and durable recovery will not materialize if American households stop saving and go back to spending based on borrowing.
“Yet, no one country can achieve our joint objective of a strong, sustainable, and balanced recovery on its own.
“Just as the United States must change, so too must those economies that have previously relied on exports to offset weaknesses in their down demand,” Mr Obama said.
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron also warned that China should act to correct its trade imbalance.
“During and after the financial crisis, world leaders huddled close, staring together over the precipice. With the danger of an immediate plunge over, they began jostling, and are now pushing. But the cliff edge is still there”
Read Mark’s blog
Critics, especially in the US, have called for tariffs on Chinese imports unless the yuan is allowed to appreciate.
It is feared that other countries will rush to allow currency devaluation to also make their exports more competitive.
But China considers the exchange rate of its currency to be an internal matter and has only agreed to only gradually let the yuan appreciate.
The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has urged the G20 to agree to let current account imbalances unwind, rather than impose targets and policy instruments that could be damaging to all.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
