In this blog, Bruno Meessen argues that the 'value for money' agenda is also an African one. A key test for Performance-Based Aid schemes will be the extent to which they consolidate reform initiatives already taken at country level.
Over the last 15 days, we have had the opportunity to read two interesting contributions on the progressive shift of the aid agenda towards 'results for money'.
Let's start with the most recent one. On the Broker Online blog, Marcus Leroy, a former technical assistant for the Belgian Cooperation, criticizes the increasing dominance of the "results for money" agenda (and more specifically performance-based aid) in the aid industry.
Leroy's review of the 'value for money' agenda is rich. He first discusses it at a conceptual level and then at the operational level. In this post, I would like to focus on a few points related to the facts (the philosophical and moral issues he identifies I will leave for another blog…). And obviously, given my background, I will stick to the health sector.
First of all, let me be clear that I agree with Mr Leroy on this important point: performance-based aid (PBA) is not without risks. He identifies several of them, some of which were discussed at our last Incentives for Health Provider Performance Network event in May at CERDI in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Presentations there gave us a better understanding of the proposals on the table: some are well advanced (such as the GAVI one), some - maybe the most radical ones -, such as COD Aid or TrAid+ are still under development. All were really interesting. However, the half-day of exchanges also made us realize that PBA will not be the magic bullet that (part of) the aid sector has been in search of for decades.
Facing the unknown, it's only natural to feel some fear. PBA is no exception - many of us have fears about the approach. My main concern is that donors will opt for narrow targets within one sector, resulting in few positive spill-over effects across sectors and the whole local society. Worse, an incentive scheme focusing on just one health problem could have major distortionary effects for the sector overall. I understand that experts in the USA and in Europe are working hard on these issues at this very moment. We heard at a recent aid agency meeting that DfID is making progress in the development of its performance-based aid instrument. We sincerely wish them success.
I do not, of course, agree with everything Leroy states in his piece. More specifically, as far the health sector is concerned, I would like to raise three key issues.
First, I think it's important to make the distinction between performance-based aid and performance-based financing (PBF) at the country level. PBA entails a contract between a donor and a recipient country. PBF, on the other hand, is about institutional arrangements (and involves thus much more than just a contract!) mainly between a central government (for example the Ministry of Health) and health care facilities. Some commentators confound the two strategies. That's a mistake.
I would encourage Mr Leroy to read up on recent PBF experiences in the health sector. He will notice that a whole community of experts and actors is increasingly involved in this approach, and that PBF typically entails broad institutional changes, with a view to the long term. We invite him to visit the health sector in Rwanda for example, or Burundi, where he will see first hand how transformative PBF can be. He will also see how PBF can put pressure on donors to harmonize their interventions and can increase government ownership (if donors are willing to comply with the Paris Declaration, which is of course not always the case).
Secondly, let's not discard the New Public Management agenda so easily (as Leroy seems to do). Many low-income countries do need such reforms for their public sector. As with any reformist agenda, mistakes have certainly been made and will be made again. But it is not because, let's say, the financial incentive scheme set up by Sarkozy for the French police is controversial that health care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa shouldn't be remunerated according to the services (both in terms of quantity and quality) they provide to society. Evidence (or opinions) gathered in other sectors, in other times and in totally different settings do not naturally hold in other circumstances.
This brings me straight to my third point of criticism – which I see as most important. It is a huge mistake to see the agenda of 'results for money' as being predominantly driven by the North and the "usual donor suspects". Just read the viewpoint of Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank and former Minister of Finance of Rwanda, published two weeks ago in The Lancet. Some of you may not know Mr Kaberuka; he is arguably one of the most active and committed reformers in Africa today. The major progress achieved in Rwanda over the last decade is not only a story of political leadership at the highest level, but also one of getting reforms 'technically' right. While Paul Kagame has been a key figure, a lot of the progress in Rwanda has come about because of the commitment of a whole generation of dedicated and visionary Rwandan technicians. Some are still in the country; others, like Mr. Kaberuka, are now sharing their experience and vision at the regional level.
As you might expect from somebody in his position, Mr. Kaberuka's paper is short and focused. The main message is straightforward: thanks to economic growth, African countries can expect to have more and more domestic resources in the near future. What they need most now is accountability. While the author displays a broad understanding of the concept (including democracy) in his paper, he also emphasizes what accountability means from a public finance perspective: public money bringing more benefits to citizens. Mr. Kaberuka's track record and his paper give a clear indication of the policy he has in mind, and PBF is part of the package.
Is this just the vision of a successful ex-Minister of Finance, one might wonder? At a workshop organized by the World Bank in Limbe (Cameroun) two weeks ago on PBF in the health sector, I took note – again – of how important this agenda of greater accountability is for many senior African officials and technicians (although the sample was of course biased). My point is this - the accountability agenda formulated so eloquently by Mr. Kaberuka and others is not something imposed from outside.
In conclusion, PBA is high on the agenda in the North, and will likely remain so in the coming years. Some Western aid experts are voicing concerns. In his post, Mr. Leroy rightly raises the question of the 'agency' of the party under contract. Will PBA fully respect the sovereignty of the recipient country, or will it be yet another tool for donors to impose their own objectives and preferences? I may be naïve, but my guess is that the donors testing out this strategy will aim for a fair and balanced negotiation with the recipient country. But will this be enough to diminish the deep distrust that some stakeholders have developed toward bilateral aid agencies?
I have two constructive proposals for donors working with PBA.
First, it is critical to get recipient countries' perspective on PBA. It would be great if the consultation was transparent (maybe it is in some places, but I am not aware of it). Why not organize some rounds of structured discussions with a few parliaments in the South? As we are reminded by Kaberuka and Leroy, accountability should be directed first of all towards citizens of the recipient countries. I hope that PBA can perform better than existing aid instruments in this respect.
If such a stakeholder consultation process is not possible, another option would be to suggest the PBA strategy first to Rwanda. After the summit in Busan, we know that this would be a sure way to get the perspective of African leaders on this aid instrument (at least of the most vocal one).
For our part, we will ensure that the Financing Health in Africa blog serves as a platform for African experts to share their views and observations on PBA; communities of practice can play a role in this drive for more accountability.
The second proposal is to correctly identify what success looks like under PBA contracts. I would argue that the main test will not be whether PBA manages to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic or maternal mortality (although these would be great feats of course). The real test for PBA will be whether such schemes consolidate country-owned agendas for accountability or whether they undermine them. In this respect, the way PBA relates to different reforms enhancing accountability in the health sector (see the list proposed by Donald Kaberuka) will be the key.
If 'value for money' is increasingly an African agenda as well, it will be interesting to see to what extent civil society, ngo's, beneficiaries, sociologists, antropologists, philosophers, … welcome Performance-Based Aid in the years to come (how was the stance of civil society in Busan on PBA for example?). Accountability seems linked to "democratic" ownership (especially since Busan). You cannot just listen to MoF officials, health economists, donor organisation & aid technocrats and decision makers … and conclude it's a widely shared African agenda. I'm far from an expert, but from a distance the PBA agenda still seems predominantly a technocratic one. No marches yet from activists for example (like the HIV activists did at ICASA, or climate activists in Durban).
Thanks Kristof. This is exactly my point!
Citizens from Belgium, Egypt, Senegal or Brazil are all expecting high quality services from the public services funded with the taxes they pay. The demand for accountability/results is not a question at their level. Pretty clear in the Arabic world in 2010!
Let's not equate the 'value for money' agenda with PBA. This exactly my point in the blog . Ill-designed / too technocratic PBA could indeed go against accountability to citizens.
Now, you may mean: how does the population perceive schemes like PBF? The truth is that the reforms PBF conveys are rather complex and not easy to share with the general population. What matters for households is the quality of the services they receive when they visit the health centre. The fact that utilisation is usually surging after the introduction of a PBF scheme is a first indication that people appreciate the change in behaviors by the health staff.
I sincerely thank Bruno Meessen (BM) for his reaction to my "value for money" paper. I react in 4 points, each time briefly repeating my views and then indicating how this relates to BM's reaction.
1. The gist of my paper is that the use of performance indicators in societal processes tends to ignore the essence of what human development really is, and therefore carries a heavy risk of pernicious effects.
Though my paper describes the unwarranted use of "value for money" as a shortcoming of donors, there is, obviously, no reason to believe that the said pernicious effects are contingent on the actor. In other words, whether or not "value for money" is (also) an African agenda has by itself no effect on the value of my argument.
2. The idea that development objectives can be translated into rational deliverables and that results can be judged independently from the underlying ideology is a delusion, my paper contends.
The somewhat ironic way BM relegates "philosophical and moral issues" to "another blog" does not put my mind at rest. It leads me to fear that the allure of a reductionist, technocratic approach is never far away.
3. My paper argues that "counting and measuring" should be part of a dynamic and interactive process aiming at fundamental long-term objectives as fairness, accountability and participation.
BM's repeated emphasis on accountability gives me the impression that at least on that aspect he largely concurs with my point. On the other hand it must be underlined that even if donors have "balanced negotiations with the recipient country" as BM hopes, the question of representativity, fairness and participation remains unanswered.
4. The policy documents and the field evidence I have knowledge of – admittedly a narrow selection of the whole, and all of them donor documents – do not reassure me that the pernicious effects I describe will be avoided.
BM seems to feel that performance-based remuneration schemes, notably in Rwanda and Burundi, mostly avoid the pitfalls I have pointed out. These schemes, he says, are transformative and they support broader institutional changes. I honestly welcome this and I have no ground whatsoever to refute his assertions. I can only hope they also comply with the values mentioned in point 3 above.
To end on a lighter note, I particularly welcome BM's kind invitation for me to visit the health sector in Rwanda or Burundi. So, I'm looking forward, not only to continue this debate but also to receiving the practicalities of his invitation.
Mr Leroy, thanks for your reaction to my blog. My intention was certainly not to relegate philosophical and moral dimensions as secondary questions. I do believe that performance-based financing, as it is being developed currently in sub-Saharan Africa, is compatible with liberal theories of justice. I promise that I will come back on this in another post.
I also believe that any advanced discussion on any aid instrument is technocratic to some extent. A collective challenge for all aid actors is to bring such discussions in democratic arena, especially those of recipient countries. This is the spirit of our recommendation to involve parliaments in the consultation process on performance-based aid.
I am not an aid expert, but this discussion makes me think that it would be interesting to identify a few metrics / principles to comparatively review different aid instruments. Obviously, 'result for money' aka as 'efficiency' will be one of them. But I agree that there are other important dimensions and that performance-based aid could score low on some of them. This is an important discussion which deserves to be developed. We hope that it will partly take place on this forum.
I share with you this interesting information from the Global Development blog.
'MPs say Britain should use aid to press for good governance'... with a reference to Rwanda.


text:
\section{Introduction}

The "normal" population of radio sources with flux densities greater
than a few mJy is fully explained in terms of radio loud active galactic
nuclei (AGN) hosted by elliptical galaxies.
At fainter flux densities, now extending to $\mu$Jy levels, the
radio source counts are increasingly dominated by contributions from
other populations, such as radio-quiet AGNs mainly hosted by elliptical
galaxies and starbursts in late-type galaxies, whose radio emission
is the result of massive star formation and associated supernovae activity
(\cite{Wind85};
\cite{Benn93}; \cite{Norr05}; \cite{Hamm95};
\cite{Rich98}; \cite{Afon05}; Pran\-do\-ni et al. 2001\nocite{Pran01};
\cite{Geor99}; \cite{Grup99}).

Far-infrared and X-ray observations have also provided further support for
both starburst and AGN processes in the sub-mJy radio sources
(\cite{Afon01}, 2006\nocite{Afon06}; \cite{Geor03},~2004\nocite{Geor04})
In the radio domain, the properties of the faint
radio population have been mainly obtained from samples selected at 1.4 GHz
(e.g., \cite{Rich00}; \cite{Cili99}; \cite{Bond03}; \cite{Hopk03};
\cite{Morg04}; \cite{Huyn05}). Subsequent follow-up observations, carried out
at higher frequencies (5 GHz or 8.4 GHz; e.g., \cite{Donn87}; \cite{Cili03};
\cite{Foma06}) have been used to infer the triggering mechanism of the
radio emission.
In fact, the radio/optical morphology (compact or extended) and the radio
spectrum (flat or steep) can help discriminate between emission
from starbursts and/or AGNs and understanding the interaction between them.
However, the angular size of the radio emission can be a definite
discriminator only at very high resolution ($<0.05$ arcsec, \cite{Garr01};
\cite{GWM05}), while the radio spectral
properties, despite the extensive work done in recent years, can be
interpreted in different ways and suffer from small number statistics.

Analyzing rather small samples ($\la 60$ sources) of sub-mJy sources,
several authors (\cite{Donn87}; \cite{Grup97}; \cite{Cili03}) have found
that the fraction of flat spectrum objects increases going to fainter density
flux.
Recently, with a more robust statistical significance, Prandoni et al.
(2006)\nocite{Pran06}
confirmed this result for a sample of 131 radio sources extracted from the
ATESP survey. However, it is not yet established at which flux density level
the flattening of the spectral index occurs.

At $\mu$Jy level, Windhorst et al. (1993)\nocite{Wind93} found a median
spectral index of $-0.35$ ($S\propto \nu^\alpha$), which, combined with the
rather large linear size of the
radio sources, has suggested synchrotron emission in distant galactic disks
for the extended steep-spectrum sources and thermal Bremsstrahlung
from large-scale star formation for the extended flat-specrtum
sources. Recently, from the analysis of a sample of 47 radio sources,
Fomalont et al. (2006)\nocite{Foma06} found that the spectral index may
steepen for sources fainter than 75 $\mu$Jy and that in at most 40\% of the
$\mu$Jy population the radio emission is associated with AGN emission, while
the rest is mostly a consequence of star formation.

In this context the radio data of the VVDS-VLA Deep survey at 1.4 GHz
(\cite{Bond03}, Paper I) are perfectly suited for the study the properties
of the sub-mJy population.
From the deep radio observations carried out with the VLA, a catalogue
containing 1054 radio sources detected down to a 5$\sigma$ limit of $\simeq$
80$\mu$Jy was
extracted. About 74$\%$ of the whole sample was optically identified using
UBVRI and K data at an equivalent limiting magnitude of $V_{AB}=26.2$
(\cite{Cili05}, Paper II).
The color and photometric redshift analysis of the optical counterparts
show that radio detection preferentially selects galaxies with
higher intrinsic optical luminosity and that most of the faintest radio
sources are likely to be associated with
relatively low radio luminosity objects at relatively modest redshift,
rather than radio-powerful, AGN type objects at high redshift.
The authors found that the majority of radio sources below ~0.15 mJy are
indeed late-type star-forming galaxies and that the radio sources without
an optical counterpart probably contain a significant fraction of
obscured and/or high redshift galaxies.

\begin{figure*}
\includegraphics[width=12cm,angle=-90]{virmos_gmrt.ps}
\caption[]{Radio mosaic at 610 MHz of the F02 field with a resolution of 6
arcsec.
Contours are in units of signal-to-noise ratio, and the first contour is 5
times the
local r.m.s. The average r.m.s on the whole image is $50\mu$Jy/beam.}
\label{field_radio}
\end{figure*}

In this paper we present GMRT radio observations at 610 MHz of the
VVDS-VLA field (Sect. 2). We discuss the methods used to derive the
$5\sigma$ catalogue of 514 radio sources (Sect. 3) and present the
radio source counts at 610 MHz down to 0.3 mJy (Sect. 4).
Furthermore, using the 1.4 GHz catalogue obtained in Paper I, we
investigate the radio spectral index properties of the sub-mJy radio sources
and
the relationships between the radio spectral index and the optical properties
(Sect. 5).
Finally we introduce a small sample of faint candidate ultra-steep spectrum
radio sources (Sect. 6).

\section{GMRT observations \& data reduction}

\subsection{Observations}

The VVDS-VLA field (RA(J2000) $=$ 02:26:00 DEC(J2000) $=$ $-$04:30:00,
hereafter F02 field)
was observed at the radio frequency of 610 MHz with
the Giant Meter-Wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in August 2004 for a total time
of 24
hours (plus a short backup observation of about 4 hours in December 2004 to
recover time lost during the run).
At 610 MHz the GMRT has an angular resolution of about 6 arcsec and
a primary beam of 43 arcmin (FWHM).
To observe the whole field with a sensitivity as uniform as possible,
the 1 sq. deg. area of F02  was covered with a grid of 5 pointings:
one in the field center and the other four displaced by 15 arcmin in both
right ascension and declination from the central pointing.
Each pointing was observed for about 5.5 hours.

Both the lower and upper sidebands, centered around 610 MHz, were recorded
yielding to a total bandwidth of 32 MHz.
The observations were carried out using 128 channels
in each band and a spectral resolution of 125 kHz.
In this way it was also possible to reduce the effects of narrow-band
interferences since only the channels affected by the interferences,
instead of the whole bandwidth, can be removed from the data.
The radio sources 3C48 and 3C147 were observed at the beginning and at the
end of the run as primary flux density and bandpass calibrators.
The nearby source J0241$-$082 was observed every 30 minutes to provide
secondary amplitude and phase calibration.

\subsection{Data reduction}

The data were reduced and analyzed using the package AIPS developed by the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
The amplitude and bandpass calibration were derived from daily observations of
3C~48 and 3C~147 assuming a flux density of 29.43 Jy and 38.26 Jy,
respectively.
After the bandpass calibration the central channels of each sideband were
averaged to 6 channels of 1.75 MHz each, producing a total effective
bandwidth of 21 MHz.
The AIPS tasks UVLIN and CLIP were used to flag bad visibility data
resulting from residual radio frequency interferences, receiver problems or
correlator failures.

For each of the five pointings we imaged a field of about $51\times 51$
arcmin ($2048\times 2048$ pixels with a pixel size of 1.5 arcsec),
roughly the area of the whole primary beam,
along with a number of smaller images centered on off-axis sources that can
produce confusing grating rings in the imaged area.
To avoid distortions due to the use of two-dimensional FFT to approximate
the curved celestial sphere, the $2048\times 2048$ pixels area of each pointing
was not deconvolved as a single image, but was split into  four $1024\times
1024$ sub-images (e.g., \cite{Perl99}).

At the end of the self-calibration deconvolution iteration scheme, the
sub-images of all the 5 fields were combined together using the AIPS task
FLATN and corrected for the primary beam response of GMRT at 610 MHz
to produce the final mosaic with a resolution of 6 arcsec.
The average noise over the whole 1 square degree field in the mosaic map
is about 50 $\mu$Jy/beam providing a dynamic range greater than 2000,
consistent with that expected.
In Fig.~\ref{field_radio} we show the
final image of the 1 square degree field in units of signal-to-noise ratio.

\section{The 610 MHz radio source catalogue}

\subsection{The noise map}

To select a sample of sources above a given threshold, defined in
terms of local signal-to-noise ratio, we derived the noise image following
the same procedure adopted for the 1.4 GHz observations and using the
software package SExtractor (\cite{BA96}).
SExtractor computes
an estimator for the local background in each mesh of a grid that covers the
whole image (see \cite{BA96} for more details). To be fully consistent with
the analysis of the 1.4 GHz data we adopted the same mesh size,  20 pixels,
corresponding to 30 arcsec.
Figure~\ref{noise_map} shows a contour plot of the
noise image.
The noise is reasonably uniform in the inner $40\times 40$ arcmin and starts
increasing closer to the image borders.
The pixel value distribution has a peak at about 50 $\mu$Jy/beam, well in
agreement with the average noise value reported in the previous section.

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8cm,angle=-90]{NOISE.PS}
\caption[]{A contour plot of the noise map obtained with SExtractor.
The inner contour contains the region of the image with noise less than 50
$\mu$Jy/beam, the outer contour the region with noise less than 70
$\mu$Jy/beam. Crosses show the centers of 5 individual pointings.
}
\label{noise_map}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\subsection{The source detections}

We selected the 1 square degree region centered on the F02 field
and
within this region we extracted all the radio components with a peak flux
S$_{\rm P}>$150 $\mu$Jy/beam ($\sim 3\sigma$), using the AIPS task SAD.
For each selected component, the peak brightness and total flux density,
the position, and the
size are estimated using a Gaussian fit.
However, for faint components the Gaussian
fit may be unreliable and a better estimate of the peak flux
S$_{\rm P}$ (very important since it is used for the selection) and of the
component position is obtained with a non-parametric interpolation of the
pixel values around the fitted position.
Therefore, for all the components found by SAD, we derived the
peak flux S$_{\rm P}$ and the position using a
second-degree interpolation fit with the task MAXFIT.
Only the components with a signal-to-noise ratio (derived as the ratio
between the MAXFIT peak flux and the local noise from the noise map)
greater than or equal to 5 have been included in the sample.
Around the brightest sources ($> 10$ mJy/beam), residual sidelobes can be
mistakenly identified with real components by SAD.
For this reason we visually inspected the region around bright
sources to remove sidelobe spikes.

In this way, we selected a sample of 557 components above the local $5\sigma$
threshold. All the components have  flux densities greater than 0.2 mJy at
610 MHz.
The 557 components correspond to 514 sources, since 17 sources are
considered as multiple, i.e., fitted with at least two separate
components, following the same criteria adopted for the 1.4 GHz catalogue.
All the 17 multiple sources at 610 MHz were also found to be multiple
at 1.4 GHz.

\subsection{Resolved and unresolved sources}

To discriminate between resolved and unresolved sources we used the ratio
between total and peak flux density.
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{ratio_fit_allflux.ps}
\caption[]{Ratio of the total flux S$_{\rm T}$ to the peak flux
S$_{\rm P}$ as a function of S$_{\rm P}$. The solid lines
show the upper and lower envelopes of the flux ratio distribution
containing the sources considered unresolved (see text). Open symbols
show the sources considered extended.}
\label{ratio_fit_allflux}
\end{figure}
In Fig.~\ref{ratio_fit_allflux} we plot the ratio  between
the total S$_{\rm T}$ and the peak S$_{\rm P}$ flux density as a function of
the peak flux for all the radio sources in the catalogue.
To select the resolved sources, we have determined the lower envelope of
the flux ratio distribution of Fig.~\ref{ratio_fit_allflux} and,
assuming that values of
S$_{\rm T}$/S$_{\rm P}$ smaller than 1 are purely due to statistical errors,
we have mirrored it above the  S$_{\rm T}$/ S$_{\rm P}$=1 value (upper
envelope in Fig.~\ref{ratio_fit_allflux}). We have considered extended the
116 sources lying above the upper envelope that
can be characterized by the equation:

\begin{equation}
\frac{S_{\rm T}} {S_{\rm P}} = 0.85^{-(1.2/{\rm S_P})}~.
\end{equation}

\section{The source counts at 610 MHz}
\label{counts}
The catalogue is listed in Table~1, available in electronic form at the CDS
(http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/) or through the VVDS radio
web page (http://virmos.bo.astro.it/radio/catalogue.html).
For each entry we list
the source name, position in RA and DEC with errors, peak brightness and
total flux density with errors,
major and minor axis, and position angle (measured from N through E).
The errors were calculated as in Paper I following the relations given
by Condon (1997)\nocite{Cond97}.

\onltab{1}{
\begin{sidewaystable*}
\begin{minipage}[t][180mm]{\textwidth}
\caption{610 MHz $5\sigma$ Catalogue: Sample page}
\label{sample_cat}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{lccccrcrcrrr}
\hline\hline
Name &  RA   &   DEC  & $\sigma_{\rm RA}$&$\sigma_{\rm DEC}$&S$_P$&
$\sigma_{\rm S_P}$& S$_T$& $\sigma_{\rm S_T}$&$\theta_M$ &$\theta_m$& PA \\
     &(J2000)&J(2000) &  ``    &   ``   & mJy/beam& mJy/beam& mJy & mJy &
     ``  & ``  & deg \\
\hline

 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022400-041902 & 02 24 00.24& -04 19 02.5& 0.64 & 0.55&
 0.475 &  0.077 &  0.475 &  0.077 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022400-044950 & 02 24 00.89& -04 49 50.8& 0.53 & 0.50&
 0.806 &  0.090 &  0.806 &  0.090 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022402-040731 & 02 24 02.23& -04 07 31.9& 0.62 & 0.62&
 0.759 &  0.080 &  1.641 &  0.173 & 12  &  7 &  45 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022402-041342 & 02 24 02.73& -04 13 42.2& 1.05 & 0.58&
 0.507 &  0.079 &  1.175 &  0.183 & 12  &  7 & 101 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022402-042059 & 02 24 02.08& -04 20 59.6& 0.79 & 0.75&
 0.348 &  0.069 &  0.348 &  0.069 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022402-042155 & 02 24 02.56& -04 21 55.4& 0.50 & 0.44&
 0.823 &  0.070 &  0.823 &  0.070 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022402-044136 & 02 24 02.68& -04 41 36.7& 0.64 & 0.91&
 0.841 &  0.072 &  5.961 &  0.511 & 22  & 14 &  7  \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022403-040931 & 02 24 03.14& -04 09 31.7& 0.65 & 0.62&
 0.750 &  0.073 &  2.584 &  0.252 & 12 & 11 & 119 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022403-041339 & 02 24 03.80& -04 13 39.5& 0.41 & 0.41&
 2.352 &  0.076 &  2.640 &  0.086 &  7  &  6 &  73 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022403-043305 & 02 24 03.80& -04 33 05.2& 0.41 & 0.41&
 4.124 &  0.084 &  7.790 &  0.158 &  9  &  8 &  92 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022404-044811 & 02 24 04.13& -04 48 11.2& 0.64 & 0.66&
 0.435 &  0.080 &  0.435 &  0.080 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022405-040950 & 02 24 05.31& -04 09 50.9& 0.49 & 0.44&
 0.715 &  0.069 &  0.715 &  0.069 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022405-042237 & 02 24 05.83& -04 22 37.4& 0.58 & 0.55&
 0.341 &  0.068 &  0.341 &  0.068 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022406-045544 & 02 24 06.09& -04 55 44.6& 0.72 & 0.93&
 0.442 &  0.087 &  0.442 &  0.087 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022408-041134 & 02 24 08.87& -04 11 34.1& 0.43 & 0.43&
 1.160 &  0.068 &  1.160 &  0.068 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022408-042627 & 02 24 08.36& -04 26 27.8& 0.85 & 0.87&
 0.379 &  0.068 &  0.379 &  0.068 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022409-041702 & 02 24 09.77& -04 17 02.6& 0.45 & 0.44&
 0.918 &  0.067 &  0.918 &  0.067 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022409-044254 & 02 24 09.02& -04 42 54.7& 0.49 & 0.53&
 0.566 &  0.079 &  0.566 &  0.079 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022409-044722 & 02 24 09.94& -04 47 22.1& 0.59 & 0.49&
 0.579 &  0.077 &  0.579 &  0.077 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022410-042147 & 02 24 10.03& -04 21 47.7& 0.46 & 0.44&
 0.788 &  0.064 &  0.788 &  0.064 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022410-044607A& 02 24 09.58& -04 46 06.4& 0.40 & 0.40&
 8.943 &  0.089 & 13.472 &  0.134 &  8  &  7 & 102 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022410-044607B& 02 24 10.36& -04 46 08.2& 0.40 & 0.40&
 24.735&  0.086 & 30.740 &  0.107 &  7  &  6 &  96 \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022410-044607T& 02 24 10.13& -04 46 07.5& 0.40 & 0.40&
 24.735&  0.058 & 44.500 &  0.104 & 30  & 15 &      \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022410-045033 & 02 24 10.22& -04 50 33.5& 0.40 & 0.40&
 6.859 &  0.082 &  7.207 &  0.086 &  6  &  6 &  0  \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022411-042604 & 02 24 11.55& -04 26 04.8& 0.95 & 1.17&
 0.326 &  0.062 &  0.606 &  0.116 & 13  &  6 &  37  \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022412-041042 & 02 24 12.27& -04 10 42.0& 0.43 & 0.42&
 1.065 &  0.064 &  1.065 &  0.064 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022412-044043 & 02 24 12.34& -04 40 43.5& 0.47 & 0.52&
 0.462 &  0.071 &  0.462 &  0.071 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022413-042227 & 02 24 13.63& -04 22 27.6& 0.60 & 0.53&
 0.551 &  0.063 &  0.551 &  0.063 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022413-042732 & 02 24 13.63& -04 27 32.1& 0.49 & 0.47&
 0.798 &  0.063 &  0.798 &  0.063 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022413-044642 & 02 24 13.18& -04 46 42.2& 0.42 & 0.42&
 1.484 &  0.076 &  1.484 &  0.076 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022414-041205 & 02 24 14.24& -04 12 05.7& 0.64 & 0.53&
 0.386 &  0.065 &  0.386 &  0.065 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022414-041237 & 02 24 14.16& -04 12 37.0& 0.64 & 0.59&
 0.339 &  0.066 &  0.339 &  0.066 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022414-042922 & 02 24 14.57& -04 29 22.9& 0.94 & 0.52&
 0.338 &  0.067 &  0.338 &  0.067 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022415-043143 & 02 24 15.98& -04 31 43.8& 0.41 & 0.41&
 1.640 &  0.064 &  1.640 &  0.064 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022416-042056 & 02 24 16.07& -04 20 56.8& 0.50 & 0.46&
 0.591 &  0.060 &  0.591 &  0.060 &       &      &     \\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022419-042028 & 02 24 19.04& -04 20 28.2& 0.62 & 0.55&
 0.319 &  0.059 &  0.319 &  0.059 &       &      &     \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\vfill
\end{minipage}
\end{sidewaystable*}
}

For the unresolved sources the total flux density is set equal to the peak
brightness found by MAXFIT and the angular size is undetermined.
For each of the 17 sources fitted with multiple components in the
catalogue we list an entry for each of the components, identified with a
trailing
letter (A, B, C, {\ldots}) in the source name, and an entry for the whole
source, identified with a trailing T in the source name.
In these cases the total flux was calculated
using the task TVSTAT, which allows for the integration of the map values over
irregular areas, and the sizes are the largest angular sizes.
The peak flux density distribution
of the 514 radio sources is shown in Fig.~\ref{Speak_distribution}.
The catalogue contains 381 radio sources with a flux density less than 1 mJy
at 610 MHz (corresponding to $74\%$ of the whole sample) and, to our
knowledge, it is the deepest survey at low frequencies
($\nu < 1.4$ GHz) obtained so far.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{Speak_distribution.ps}
\caption[]{Peak flux density distribution for all the 514 radio sources at
610 MHz}
\label{Speak_distribution}
\end{figure}

To minimize incompleteness effects in the lowest flux density bin we derived
the radio counts using the radio sources with flux
density greater than 0.3 mJy. The source counts are summarised in
Table~\ref{Tab_counts}.
\begin{table*}
\centering
\caption{The 610 MHz radio source counts}
\label{Tab_counts}

\begin{tabular}{cccccccc}

\hline

$S$  & $<S>$ & $N_S$ & $N_S^{\rm corr}$ & $dN/dS$             & $nS^{2.5}$          &  $N(>S)$ &C$_{\rm res}$\\
(mJy) & (mJy) &       &                 &sr$^{-1}$ Jy$^{-1}$ & sr$^{-1}$ Jy$^{1.5}$ &deg$^{-2}$&           \\
\hline
~~0.30 -- ~~0.45 &   0.37 & 145 & 195.4 & 4.28$\times10^9$ & ~11.06$\pm$~~0.93   &488 & 1.5 \\
~~0.45 -- ~~0.68 &   0.55 &  93 &  93.4 & 1.36$\times10^9$ & ~~9.72$\pm$~~1.01   &292 & 1.3\\
~~0.68 -- ~~1.01 &   0.83 &  64 &  64.0 & 6.23$\times10^8$ & ~12.23$\pm$~~1.53   &199 & 1.2\\
~~1.01 -- ~~1.52 &   1.24 &  33 &  33.0 & 2.14$\times10^8$ & ~11.59$\pm$~~2.02   &135 & 1.1\\
~~1.52 -- ~~2.28 &   1.86 &  32 &  32.0 & 1.38$\times10^8$ & ~20.64$\pm$~~3.65   &102 & 1.0\\
~~2.28 -- ~~3.42 &   2.79 &  19 &  19.0 & 5.48$\times10^7$ & ~22.52$\pm$~~5.17   &~70 & 1.0\\
~~3.42 -- ~~5.13 &   4.19 &  16 &  16.0 & 3.07$\times10^7$ & ~34.84$\pm$~~8.71   &~51 & 1.0\\
~~5.13 -- ~~7.69 &   6.28 &  11 &  11.0 & 1.41$\times10^7$ & ~44.00$\pm$~13.27   &~35 & 1.0\\
~~7.69 -- ~11.53 &   9.42 &   4 &   4.0 & 3.42$\times10^6$ & ~29.39$\pm$~14.70   &~24 & 1.0\\
~11.53 -- ~17.30 &  14.13 &   6 &   6.0 & 3.42$\times10^6$ & ~80.99$\pm$~33.07   &~20 & 1.0\\
~17.30 -- ~25.95 &  21.19 &   6 &   6.0 & 2.28$\times10^6$ & 148.80$\pm$~60.75   &~14 & 1.0\\
~25.95 -- ~38.92 &  31.78 &   2 &   2.0 & 5.06$\times10^5$ & ~91.12$\pm$~64.43   &~~8 & 1.0\\
~38.92 -- ~58.39 &  47.67 &   4 &   4.0 & 6.75$\times10^5$ & 334.79$\pm$167.40   &~~6 & 1.0\\
~58.39 -- ~87.59 &  71.51 &   1 &   1.0 & 1.13$\times10^5$ & 153.76$\pm$153.76   &~~2 & 1.0\\
~87.59 -- 131.37 & 107.26 &   0 &   0.0 & 0.00             & 0.00                &~~1 & 1.0\\
131.37 -- 197.05 & 160.89 &   1 &   1.0 & 5.00$\times10^4$ & 518.95$\pm$518.95   &~~1 & 1.0\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table*}
For each flux density bin we report the average flux density, the observed
number of sources, the number of sources corrected for the visibility area,
the differential source density (in sr$^{-1}$ Jy$^{-1}$),
the normalised differential counts $nS^{2.5}$ (in sr$^{-1}$ Jy$^{1.5}$) with
estimated Poissonian errors (as $n^{1/2}S^{2.5}$), the cumulative number
of sources, and the resolution bias correction.
The resolution bias correction accounts for the fact that extended objects
with peak flux densities below the survey limit, but total integrated flux
densities above this limit, would not be detected by the search procedure.
Given a flux density, there will be a maximum detectable angular size beyond
which a source will no longer be detectable because its peak flux density
drops below the catalogue threshold.
To estimate the correction factors to be applied we modeled a population of
radio sources extracted from source counts with the integral size distribution
derived in Paper I and described by a broken power law consistent with that
observed.

The normalized differential counts are shown in
Fig.~\ref{Source_counts} together with other measurements obtained at the
same frequency from different surveys. Even if not comparable to the deepness
of radio surveys at higher frequencies, the source counts obtained for the
F02 field at 610 MHz are about one order of magnitude deeper than any
previous survey below 1 GHz.
Figure~\ref{Source_counts} clearly shows a flattening of the radio counts
around 1 mJy at 610 MHz.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{virmos_gmrt_counts.ps}
\caption[]{The normalized differential source counts at 610 MHz. Our results
(dots) are shown together with those from 2 other surveys
(\cite{Katg79}; \cite{Cond84}).}
\label{Source_counts}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Comparison with the 1.4 GHz radio source catalogue}

Both the 610 MHz and 1.4 GHz catalogues have been derived with the same
procedure from images with the same resolution but different sensitivity
(the r.m.s. in the 1.4 GHz mosaic is $\simeq$ 17 $\mu$Jy).
The 610 MHz catalogue contains 514 radio sources with flux density greater
than 200 $\mu$Jy compared with the 1054 radio sources with flux density
greater than 71 $\mu$Jy in the 1.4 GHz catalogue.
We used all the unresolved sources with flux greater than 0.5 mJy at 610 MHz
to derive the systematic offset in right ascension and declination between
the two catalogues. Assuming the 1.4 GHz VLA catalogue as a reference, we
find a mean offset of $\Delta$RA$=-0.14\pm 0.37$ and $\Delta$DEC$=0.87\pm 0.40$
arcsec.
These offsets are a fraction of the pixel size and they are expected since the
the data sets were self-calibrated.
Taking into account these systematic offsets we cross-correlated
the two $5\sigma$ catalogues using a search radius of 3 arcsec (2 pixels).
We found that
448 sources (87\%) in the 610 MHz catalogue have a matched counterpart at 1.4
GHz with only 66 sources detected at 610 MHz without a counterpart above
$5\sigma$ at 1.4 GHz.
Given the different sensitivity of the two surveys and the frequency range
considered, these 66 sources will have spectral index steeper than $\sim -1$.
We will return to these sources later in Sect. 6.

\section{The spectral index properties of sub-mJy radio sources}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{spix_flux.ps}
\caption[]{Flux density at 1.4 GHz as a function of the spectral index
between 1.4 GHz and 610 MHz. Filled squares represent lower limits in the
spectral index. The solid lines, drawn at 0.10 and 0.15 mJy, are used to
illustrate the bias against flat spectrum radio sources at lower flux levels.
The slanted solid line shows the maximum value of the spectral index above
which no 610 MHz detection is possible due to the flux limit of the 610
MHz survey.}
\label{flux_vs_spix}
\end{figure}
\subsection{The spectral index catalogue}

Both the 610 MHz and 1.4 GHz surveys have the same angular resolution and the
catalogues have been assembled using identical procedures. These features
are important to derive reliable spectral indeces.
Moreover, the large number of sub-mJy sources found in these surveys
allows us to study the spectral index properties of this class of sources with
robust statistics.

The present analysis assumes that the radio sources have not varied
significantly in the 4 year interval between the 1.4 GHz and 610 MHz
observations. For the general properties of the sample this is a reasonable
assumption since a significant variability
occurs in only about 5\% of the mJy and sub-mJy radio source population
(\cite{OW85}; \cite{Wind85}).
To study the spectral index distribution of sub-mJy radio sources
we started from the 1.4 GHz $5\sigma$ catalogue searching for counterparts at
610 MHz within a radius of 3 arcseconds
from the position of the component at 1.4 GHz
and to a limit of $3\sigma$ at 610 MHz.
Of the 1054 radio sources in the 1.4 GHz catalogue, 448 are coincident
with radio sources above $5\sigma$ at 610 MHz, 293 correspond to sources
in the range 3-5$\sigma$ at 610 MHz, and 313 have no counterpart
above $3\sigma$ at the lower frequency.
The spectral index catalogue is available as an ascii table at the following
address:
http//virmos.bo.astro.it/radio/catalogue.html .
Spectral indeces (defined as $S\propto \nu^\alpha$) for the 741 matched
radio sources (with counterparts above $3\sigma$ at 610 MHz) are calculated
using the total radio flux density at each frequency. Lower limits are
derived for the 313 sources without a counterpart at 610 MHz using the
peak brightness of the 1.4 GHz component and 3 times the local rms in
the 610 MHz image.

\subsection{Spectral index versus radio flux density}
In Fig.~\ref{flux_vs_spix} the 1.4 GHz flux density versus the radio
spectral index is shown for the 1054
sources (detection and limits).
Filled squares are used to indicate the lower limits in the
spectral index.
Figure~\ref{flux_vs_spix} clearly shows the well known bias in spectral index
due to the different sensitivities of the observations at the two frequencies.
In our case, there
is a bias against flat spectrum sources at lower flux densities because of the
higher flux limit of the 610 MHz observations. For illustrative
purposes, we drew two lines corresponding to $S$(1.4 GHz)$=0.10$ mJy and
$S$(1.4 GHz)$=0.15$ mJy. Below 0.1 mJy only the sources with the
steepest spectral index can be detected at 610 MHz, and the lower limits
dominate
(108 detections and 134 lower limits for sources with $S$(1.4 GHz)$<0.10$ mJy).
Therefore to avoid such a strong bias,
in the following statistical analysis we have considered only the 812
spectral indeces (633 detections and 179 lower limits) derived from sources
with $S$(1.4 GHz)$\ge 0.10$ mJy.

\begin{table}
 \centering
 \caption{The radio spectral index versus 1.4 GHz flux}
 \label{tab_spix_flux}
     \begin{tabular}{lccc}
     \hline
1.4 GHz Flux    & \# of        & \# of      & Median \\
 interval (mJy) &  detections  & limits     &  $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}$ \\
\hline
$0.10\le S < 0.15$ & 171     & 110        & $-0.61\pm 0.04$ \\
$0.15\le S < 0.50$ & 304     & ~69        & $-0.46\pm 0.03$ \\
$S\ge 0.50$         & 158     & ~~0        & $-0.67\pm 0.05$ \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

In our analysis we included both the measured values and the lower
limits to $\alpha_{\rm r}$.
The sources were divided into three flux density bins: $0.10\le S$(1.4
GHz)$< 0.15$ mJy, $0.15\le S$(1.4 GHz)$< 0.50$ mJy, and $S$(1.4 GHz)$\ge
0.50$ mJy, and for each bin we calculated the median value of the
spectral index taking into account the lower limits. The statistical
difference of the median in the three flux density intervals was tested using
the software package ASURV, which
implements the methods described by \cite{FN85} and \cite{IFN86} to properly
handle censored data.
The radio spectral index of the first and third bin
are consistent with being drawn from the same distribution, while the
sources with $0.15\le S$(1.4 GHz)$< 0.50$ mJy have 99\% of probability
of being drawn from a different population with flatter spectral index.
This result, based on a much larger number of sources than previous works
is statistically significant and deserves some comments.

The well known flattening of the normalized source counts appears at
$S$(1.4 GHz)$\la 0.5$ mJy, so we can expect that the highest flux bin is
dominated by classical radio loud AGNs with spectral index $\sim -0.7$,
consistent with that found.
The situation becomes more interesting at lower flux densities where,
as we already know from the radio counts, there is a rapid increase in the
number of radio sources that is generally ascribed to
starburst galaxies, low luminosity AGNs, and radio quiet QSOs.
Indeed, we detect a significantly flatter spectral index for sources with
$0.15\le S$(1.4 GHz)$< 0.50$ mJy, meaning that the new population of radio
sources emerging below 0.5 mJy has a relevant contribution from flat spectrum
compact radio cores that could be hosted in low luminosity AGNs or in radio
quiet QSOs. On the contrary, the starburst population is expected to have
$\alpha \sim -0.7$ or steeper, since the contribution of thermal radio emission
at these frequencies is negligible.
It is worth noting that, because of the spectral index bias, we
eventually miss radio sources with flat or inverted spectra.
Therefore, we can conclude that the flatter
radio spectrum of the sources in the intermediate flux density bin compared
to those at higher flux densities is statistically significant.
Even if it can be difficult to compare results obtained by samples selected at
different frequencies, this result is
also consistent with that found by Ciliegi et al. (2003)\nocite{Cili03}
in the Lockman Hole Survey, where radio sources with flux density at 4.9 GHz
in the range $0.1\le S<0.2$ mJy have $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}=-0.37\pm 0.10$
mJy compared to $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}=-0.81\pm 0.14$ mJy for the sources at
higher flux density.

The interpretation of the spectral index distribution in the fainter flux
density bin  ($0.10\le S$(1.4 GHz)$< 0.15$ mJy) is more uncertain due to
the increasing weight of the bias against flat spectrum
sources. The value of $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}=-0.61\pm 0.04$ mJy
suggests that the contribution from flatter spectrum radio cores
is decreasing and steeper spectra sources are taking over again. Indeed,
evolutionary models of the sub-mJy population predict that starburst
galaxies become dominant at $S\la 0.2$ mJy at 1.4 GHz (e.g., \cite{Hopk98};
\cite{SMG04}), and the spectral index properties of sources below 0.15 mJy
might just be the signature of this effect. Unfortunately, the large number
of lower limits in the first flux density bin ($\simeq 40\%$) and the
selection effect against sources with spectral index flatter than $\simeq 0$
that is still present in the first flux density bin make it difficult to draw
any strong conclusion.

In summary,
the spectral index distribution shows statistically significant differences
above and below 0.5 mJy at 1.4 GHz, confirming that a change in the population
of radio sources occurs below 0.5 mJy. Radio sources between 0.5 mJy and
0.15 mJy have on
average a flatter spectral index, and we interpret this result as being
due to the contribution of flat spectrum cores in low luminosity AGNs and
radio quiet QSOs. At the faintest flux density level of our survey,
the spectral index steepens again, as expected if starburst galaxies become
the dominant population, but possible incompleteness effects
and the large number of limits makes the statistical significance of this
result less secure.

\subsection{Spectral index versus optical type}

Optical identifications of the 1.4 GHz catalogue were presented in Paper II.
On the basis of a maximum likelihood technique, 718 of the 1054
radio sources were identified with optical counterparts and classified in
different optical types based on a color-color plot.
We adopted a revised classification of the optical type of the identified
radio sources based on the best-fit SED template
used to estimate the photometric redshift (details on the template sets
used to fit the photometric data can be found in \cite{Ilbe06}).
Due to the uncertainties of the
process, we decided to use only 3 main morphological categories
(early-type, late-type, and starburst) and considered only objects whose
photometric redshifts
are in range $0.2\le z\le 1.5$, where there is an excellent agreement between
photometric and spectroscopic redshifts in the VIMOS-VLT deep survey
(\cite{Ilbe06}). The results of the spectral index distribution for
different optical types are shown in Table~\ref{tab_spix_type}.

\begin{table}
 \centering
 \caption{The radio spectral index versus optical type}
 \label{tab_spix_type}
     \begin{tabular}{lcccc}
     \hline
Optical        &  \# of      & \% of flat & \# of  & Median \\
classif.       &  detections  &    spectrum& limits &  $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}$ \\
\hline
Early          & 225         & 34\%      &  65     & $-0.55\pm 0.04$ \\
Late           & ~80         & 21\%      &  21     & $-0.70\pm 0.04$ \\
Starburst      & ~37         & 11\%      &  ~8     & $-0.69\pm 0.10$ \\
Unidentified   & 263         & 34\%      &  64     & $-0.59\pm 0.04$ \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

A statistical analysis of the spectral index distribution for each optical
classification was performed with ASURV.
The median spectral index of the early-type galaxies is significantly flatter
than that of late-type objects. Based on all the test of the ASURV analysis,
there is a 98\% probability that the two distributions are different.
Early-type and starburst galaxies have also different $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}$
with a slightly less significance because of the larger uncertainty.
The unidentified objects have a spectral index distribution indistinguishable
from early-type galaxies and with a probability of 95\% of being different from
that of late-type objects. Finally, the fraction of flat spectrum radio sources
($\alpha>-0.5$) is the same in early-type and unidentified objects, while it
is significantly lower in late-type and starburst ones.
These results confirm that
late-type and starburst galaxies have steeper radio spectra than radio sources
identified with early-type objects. The radio spectral properties of the
unidentified radio sources suggest that
a large fraction of optically unidentified objects is associated with
weak (distant or obscured) early-type galaxies.

\section{Steep spectrum radio sources and high-redshift radio galaxies}

While it is observationally well known that high-redshift radio galaxies
(HzRGs) have the steepest spectral indices (usually measured between
a few hundred MHz and 1.4 GHz), the reasons why this happens are not entirely
understood. Several explanations have been invoked in the literature to
interpret this so-called $z$-$\alpha$ correlation. Most of them assume that the
spectral energy distribution of high and low redshift radio galaxies are
intrinsically identical and that $k$-correction and enhanced inverse Compton
steepen the spectra of HzRGs (De Breuck et al. 2000,
2002\nocite{DeBr00}\nocite{DeBr02}; \cite{Peda03}; \cite{Cohe04};
\cite{Jarv04}).
Recently, the possibility that HzRGs could have
intrinsically steeper spectral indices as they might expand in denser
environments has
been suggested to explain the radio SED in the SUMSS-NVSS sample
of ultra-steep spectrum sources (\cite{Klam06}).

We used our dual frequency observations of the F02 field to derive a
sample of ultra-steep spectrum (USS) radio sources
selecting all the radio sources with $\alpha \le -1.3$. To minimize the
inclusion of spurious sources (e.g., noise spikes),
we considered only those sources with a
$\ge 5\sigma$ detection at one frequency and at least a $\ge 3\sigma$
detection at the other frequency. Finally, to avoid the contribution
of steep spectrum nearby sources we excluded all the sources found resolved
in the 1.4 GHz catalogue.

The sample contains
39 objects from the 1.4 GHz based spectral index catalogue (i.e. with a
$\ge 5\sigma$ detection at 1.4 GHz, and $\ge 3\sigma$ counterpart at 610 MHz).
To this sample we added the 19 sources from the complete 610 MHz sample ($\ge
5\sigma$) for which there is a counterpart between 3 and 5 $\sigma$ at 1.4
GHz. This sample is listed in Table~\ref{tab_uss}, with the name from the
1.4 GHz catalogue, or from the 610 MHz catalogue for those objects with
1.4 GHz flux between 3 and 5 $\sigma$, total flux at 1.4 GHz, peak brightness
and total flux at 610 MHz, relative errors, and the spectral index.

These 58 sources must be considered as candidate USS sources
as several effects can be responsible for the steep spectral index
regardless of the intrinsic shape of the radio spectrum.
Since the 1.4 GHz and
610 MHz observations are separated by 4 years, radio flux density variability
may contaminate the sample.
Furthermore, all the 58 USS candidates
are weak radio sources: the brightest one is 0.33 mJy at 1.4 GHz. This means
that
errors in the total flux density determination can also be relatively large,
yielding to a less secure spectral index value.
Finally, larger fitted sizes for some components at 610 MHz compared to the
sizes derived at 1.4 GHz can produce
very steep spectral indices. This last effect is certainly affecting some
of the sources with the most extreme spectral index ($\alpha < -1.9$) which
are fitted with extended Gaussian components at
610 MHz. Anyway, it must be noted that for these sources even considering the
peak flux density at 610 MHz instead of the total flux density yields to
sources with steep spectral index ($\alpha \la -1$).

Considering all these effects and possible contaminations, the sample of
58 candidate USS sources is still a good starting point to
select real ultra-steep spectrum objects and simultaneous multifrequency
observations are needed to provide a reliable classification.
In particular, it is interesting to
note how these candidates are about one to two orders of magnitude fainter
than USS sources selected from previous studies (e.g.,
De Breuck et al. 2000, 2004\nocite{DeBr00}\nocite{DeBr04})
so they could be associated with the most distant USS sources or could be the
low radio luminosity counterparts of the HzRGs presently known.

Among the 58 USS candidates 45 are optically identified and we tried to
confirm the nature of possible HzRGs using the available optical information.
In Fig.~\ref{spix_iab} we plotted the I$_{\rm AB}$ magnitude and spectral index
for all the sources using the following notation: empty circles are sources
in the spectral index catalogue and not USS candidates, triangles are
sources in the spectral index catalogue and not USS candidates
with a lower limit in the spectral index, filled squares are
USS candidates that also belong to the spectral index catalogue, and finally
empty squares are used to identify USS candidates that do not belong to the
spectral index catalogue (sources with 1.4 counterparts between 3
and 5 $\sigma$).
The small number of USS candidates makes a statistical comparison rather
uncertain, but the median of the I$_{\rm AB}$ magnitude for the USS candidates
is 21.8 compared to 20.9 for the rest of the sample.
What can be appreciated from Fig.~\ref{spix_iab} is a general steepening of the
spectral index going to fainter magnitudes.
We have divided all the identified radio sources into two bins of
optical I$_{\rm AB}$ magnitude, smaller or greater than I$_{\rm AB}=22$,
and the results are shown in  Table~\ref{tab_spix_iab}.
The two distributions are different with a confidence level of 99\%.

\begin{table}
 \centering
 \caption{The radio spectral index versus optical magnitude}
 \label{tab_spix_iab}
     \begin{tabular}{lccc}
     \hline
 I$_{\rm AB}$     & \# of   & \# of  & Median \\
    mag           &  detections  & limits     &  $\alpha_{\rm r\_med}$ \\
\hline
I$_{\rm AB}<22$         & 351         &  80        & $-0.57\pm 0.03$ \\
I$_{\rm AB}\ge 22$      & 193         &  33        & $-0.68\pm 0.04$ \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}
A limited area (625 arcmin$^2$) of the F02 field was observed in the
near-infrared K-band optical (\cite{Iovi05}; \cite{Temp07}).
Twelve of the 58 USS candidates fall in this area; 11 out of 12 have an
optical/near-infrared
identification and 8 out of 11 (73\%) have K$_{\rm Vega}>$ 20.
For comparison, 120 sources from the spectral index catalogue and not USS
are identified in the same area and only 65 out of 120 (54\%) have
K$_{\rm Vega}> $20. Clearly the statistics are still very limited, but this
is another indication of a larger fraction of possible HzRGs in the USS
sources compared to the rest of the sample.
An estimate of photometric redshifts through the best-fit
to the optical/near-infrared spectral energy distribution, following the
method described in Ilbert et al. (2006)\nocite{Ilbe06}, indicates that
these 11 sources are in the redshift range $\sim$ 0.2 -- 3.5, with only 3 of them having
photometric redshift $<$ 1. The observed spectral energy distributions
of these sources are consistent with a variety of spectral types,
ranging from elliptical to irregular/starburst. A closer look at their
optical and K-band images reveals a high incidence of objects with
peculiarities, while the position of the sources in the BzK diagram
introduced by \cite{Dadd04} are consistent with 3 of these sources
being z $>$ 1.4 star-forming galaxies and 1 a z $>$ 1.4 passive galaxy,
which also has R$-$K and I$-$K colors typical of extremely red objects.
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{spix_iab.ps}
\caption[]{Two point radio spectral index as a function of the optical
I$_{\rm AB}$ magnitude. Dots are used for sources in the spectral index
catalogue and not USS, triangles are for lower limits in the
spectral index catalogue and not USS, filled squares
are USS candidates in the catalogue and empty squares are USS candidates
not in the catalogue (with 1.4 GHz counterpart between 3 and 5 $\sigma$).}
\label{spix_iab}
\end{figure}

\begin{table*}
\label{tab_uss}
\caption{Candidate USS sources}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{lccccccc}
\hline
\hline
     &  \multicolumn{2}{c}{1.4 GHz}& \multicolumn{4}{c}{0.61 GHz} & \\
Name & S$_T$ & $\sigma_{\rm S_T}$ & S$_p$ &
$\sigma_{\rm S_p}$ & S$_T$ & $\sigma_{\rm S_T}$ &
$\alpha$ \\
     & mJy           &     mJy                    & mJy/b.      &
 mJy/b.                   &    mJy         &           mJy               &
         \\
\hline
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022402-041343 &  0.249   &  0.017   & 0.507    & 0.079    & 1.175    & 0.183   & -1.87\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022406-044556 &  0.104   &  0.018   & 0.332    & 0.086    & 0.332    & 0.086   & -1.40\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022411-042604 &  0.090   &  0.018   & 0.326    & 0.062    & 0.606    & 0.116   & -2.30\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022413-044642 &  0.327   &  0.020   & 1.484    & 0.076    & 1.484    & 0.076   & -1.82\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022414-041204 &  0.081   &  0.015   & 0.386    & 0.065    & 0.386    & 0.065   & -1.88\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022422-042616 &  0.157   &  0.016   & 0.329    & 0.066    & 0.675    & 0.135   & -1.76\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022423-040229 &  0.128   &  0.016   & 0.408    & 0.073    & 0.673    & 0.121   & -2.00\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022428-041511 &  0.073   &  0.015   & 0.342    & 0.058    & 0.342    & 0.058   & -1.86\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022432-041342 &  0.250   &  0.016   & 0.543    & 0.061    & 0.813    & 0.092   & -1.42\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022436-041031 &  0.139   &  0.016   & 0.306    & 0.061    & 0.665    & 0.133   & -1.88\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022436-041709 &  0.097   &  0.016   & 0.288    & 0.053    & 0.288    & 0.053   & -1.31\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022444-044335 &  0.096   &  0.017   & 0.320    & 0.053    & 0.320    & 0.053   & -1.45\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022447-045851 &  0.133   &  0.017   & 0.418    & 0.073    & 0.418    & 0.073   & -1.38\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022451-045700 &  0.143   &  0.018   & 0.439    & 0.082    & 0.722    & 0.135   & -1.95\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022452-040912 &  0.084   &  0.015   & 0.248    & 0.049    & 0.248    & 0.049   & -1.30\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022517-044602 &  0.084   &  0.016   & 0.270    & 0.051    & 0.270    & 0.051   & -1.41\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022550-042141 &  0.135   &  0.016   & 0.414    & 0.044    & 0.414    & 0.044   & -1.35\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022550-044505 &  0.122   &  0.019   & 0.372    & 0.049    & 0.372    & 0.049   & -1.34\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022611-044005 &  0.078   &  0.015   & 0.289    & 0.045    & 0.289    & 0.045   & -1.58\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022621-040834 &  0.140   &  0.017   & 0.377    & 0.059    & 0.867    & 0.136   & -2.19\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022624-044203 &  0.209   &  0.017   & 0.418    & 0.049    & 1.204    & 0.140   & -2.11\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022638-040845 &  0.090   &  0.017   & 0.270    & 0.058    & 0.270    & 0.058   & -1.32\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022642-044205 &   0.220  &  0.017   & 0.758    & 0.046    & 0.758    & 0.046   & -1.49\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022658-041814 &   0.217  &  0.016   & 0.683    & 0.050    & 0.683    & 0.050   & -1.38\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022700-040501 &   0.233  &  0.014   & 0.467    & 0.066    & 0.725    & 0.103   & -1.37\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022709-045117 &   0.080  &  0.015   & 0.305    & 0.058    & 0.305    & 0.058   & -1.61\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022713-041756 &   0.083  &  0.016   & 0.283    & 0.054    & 0.283    & 0.054   & -1.48\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022716-045719 &   0.086  &  0.016   & 0.363    & 0.083    & 0.363    & 0.083   & -1.73\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022724-042502 &   0.115  &  0.016   & 0.366    & 0.053    & 0.366    & 0.053   & -1.39\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022727-045724 &   0.288  &  0.016   & 0.689    & 0.083    & 0.921    & 0.110   & -1.40\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022735-043159 &   0.155  &  0.016   & 0.466    & 0.057    & 0.466    & 0.057   & -1.32\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022735-044628 &   0.118  &  0.018   & 0.447    & 0.069    & 0.447    & 0.069   & -1.60\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022739-040504 &   0.074  &  0.013   & 0.263    & 0.067    & 0.263    & 0.067   & -1.53\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022741-041736 &   0.084  &  0.015   & 0.312    & 0.063    & 0.312    & 0.063   & -1.58\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022743-044721 &   0.147  &  0.018   & 0.437    & 0.073    & 0.437    & 0.073   & -1.31\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022744-040911 &   0.103  &  0.014   & 0.347    & 0.067    & 0.347    & 0.067   & -1.46\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022745-040559 &   0.110  &  0.015   & 0.359    & 0.070    & 0.359    & 0.070   & -1.42\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022755-044520 &   0.100  &  0.019   & 0.360    & 0.085    & 0.360    & 0.085   & -1.54\\
 VIRMOS1.4GHz\_J022758-045432 &   0.110  &  0.020   & 0.403    & 0.102    & 0.403    & 0.102   & -1.56\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022414-042922 &   0.062  &  0.018   & 0.338    & 0.067    & 0.338    & 0.067   & -2.04\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022421-041713 &   0.081  &  0.017   & 0.313    & 0.061    & 0.313    & 0.061   & -1.63\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022424-044327 &   0.060  &  0.015   & 0.315    & 0.063    & 0.315    & 0.063   & -2.00\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022503-044807 &   0.072  &  0.018   & 0.271    & 0.048    & 0.271    & 0.048   & -1.60\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022512-044720 &   0.068  &  0.018   & 0.292    & 0.050    & 0.292    & 0.050   & -1.75\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022525-043235 &   0.050  &  0.015   & 0.199    & 0.039    & 0.199    & 0.039   & -1.66\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022538-044658 &   0.056  &  0.016   & 0.286    & 0.050    & 0.286    & 0.050   & -1.96\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022539-042548 &   0.057  &  0.015   & 0.203    & 0.039    & 0.203    & 0.039   & -1.53\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022539-044528 &   0.067  &  0.017   & 0.281    & 0.047    & 0.281    & 0.047   & -1.73\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022552-044233 &   0.068  &  0.017   & 0.265    & 0.045    & 0.265    & 0.045   & -1.64\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022556-043522 &   0.056  &  0.018   & 0.235    & 0.041    & 0.235    & 0.041   & -1.73\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022559-044421 &   0.078  &  0.020   & 0.274    & 0.051    & 0.274    & 0.051   & -1.51\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022626-043657 &   0.069  &  0.016   & 0.211    & 0.041    & 0.211    & 0.041   & -1.35\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022635-042049 &   0.066  &  0.017   & 0.266    & 0.044    & 0.266    & 0.044   & -1.68\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022637-041336 &   0.070  &  0.018   & 0.329    & 0.046    & 0.329    & 0.046   & -1.86\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022641-041602 &   0.073  &  0.016   & 0.296    & 0.046    & 0.296    & 0.046   & -1.69\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022646-041156 &   0.064  &  0.016   & 0.295    & 0.051    & 0.295    & 0.051   & -1.84\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022648-042040 &   0.064  &  0.016   & 0.240    & 0.045    & 0.240    & 0.045   & -1.59\\
 VIRMOS0.6GHz\_J022715-041648 &   0.061  &  0.016   & 0.283    & 0.053    & 0.283    & 0.053   & -1.85\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table*}
\section{Conclusions}

We observed the VVDS-VLA field (F02) with the
Giant Meter-Wave Radio Telescope at 610 MHz, imaging the 1 square degree area
with an angular resolution of 6 arcsec and an average sensitivity of about
50 $\mu$Jy/beam. A complete catalogue of 514 radio sources down to a local
$5\sigma$ limit has been compiled and the radio source counts at 610 MHz
have been derived. The source counts are the deepest obtained so far at this
frequency and clearly show the flattening of the radio counts at about 1 mJy.

The same field was previously observed with the VLA at 1.4 GHz with the same
angular resolution. We searched for 610 MHz counterparts of the 1054 radio
sources above $5\sigma$ in the 1.4 GHz catalogue, obtaining a spectral index
catalogue containing 741 matches
(448 above $5\sigma$ and 293 in the range 3-5$\sigma$ at 610 MHz) and 313
lower limits (below $3\sigma$ at 610 MHz).
Examining the spectral index properties of this catalogue as a function of the
radio flux density at 1.4 GHz and of the optical identification we found the
following results:
\begin{itemize}
\item
Above 0.5 mJy the median spectral index is steep ($\alpha=-0.67\pm 0.05$)
and is consistent with being associated with a population of classical radio
loud AGNs.
\item
Between 0.15 mJy and 0.50 mJy the median radio spectral index becomes
significantly flatter ($\alpha=-0.46\pm 0.03$). It is intriguing that the
change in spectral index occurs at the same flux density corresponding to the
flattening of the radio source counts at 1.4 GHz, suggesting that the new
population of radio sources has different
spectral properties of the classical radio loud AGNs.
In particular, the flatter spectral index seems to rule out the starburst
galaxies as the dominant population of radio sources in this flux density
interval.
\item
At the faintest end of the flux density distribution (objects between 0.10
and 0.15 mJy), the median spectral index steepens again
($\alpha=-0.61\pm 0.04$). Unfortunately, incompleteness effects in this flux
density interval do not allow us to draw any strong conclusions for these
faintest
sources. Nevertheless, it is intriguing to suggest that the possible
steepening of the spectral below 0.15 mJy might be associated with the
population of strong evolving late type and starburst objects.
\item
About 70\% of the radio sources are identified with optical galaxies divided
into three major categories: early-type, late-type, and starburst.
As expected, late-type and starburst galaxies have indistinguishable
spectral index distributions with a median spectral index $\alpha\simeq -0.70$,
while early-type galaxies have a flatter median spectral index
$\alpha=-0.55\pm 0.04$. The unidentified objects have spectral properties
very similar to those of the radio sources identified with early-type galaxies.

\end{itemize}

Finally we constructed a sample of 58 candidate USS sources that need
further observations to be properly identified as real ultra-steep spectrum
sources. The most relevant feature of these candidate USS sources is
that they are between one and two orders of magnitude fainter than the USS
sources used to find HzRGs. Therefore, they could be associated with even more
distant HzRGs, or with low luminosity HzRGs. In both cases these sources
represent almost unique objects and it will be very important to confirm
their nature of being USS sources and possible HzRGs.
In the meantime, we  show that there is a general trend for
these candidate USS sources to have fainter I-band and K-band magnitudes with
respect to the rest of the sources.

\begin{acknowledgements}
We thank the staff of the GMRT who have made these observations possible.
GMRT is run by the National Center for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research.

\end{acknowledgements}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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text:
Fred Hampton: We Still Need Justice
From Outrage to Action: Twenty Years of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee
DRAD Joins NCAC in Rebuking Book Censorship In Schools
Published by Chip Gibbons at December 2, 2021
Fifty-two years ago today, the Chicago Police murdered Illinois Black Panther Chair Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. In a raid orchestrated by the FBI, Chicago Police stormed the Black Panther officer at 4:00 AM. Not only did they fire first, they fired 100 times. The Black Panthers, on the other hand, according to a grand jury fired between 0 to 1 shots.
It was not a shoot out. It was a naked political assassination. And it implicated one of the darkest chapters in FBI history, it's Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO).
Take Action: Tell Congress to pass the COINTELPRO Full Disclosure Act
Here is how we explained Cointelpro and its role in the assassinatiion of Fred Hampton in our report Still Spying on Dissent: The Enduring Problem of FBI First Amendment Abuse:
By 1956, the FBI was no longer satisfied to merely conduct surveillance of dissent. They also wanted to neutralize and disrupt political organizations. As part of its Counter Intelligence Program or COINTELPRO, the FBI escalated from surveillance to full blown harassment. COINTELPRO targeted completely lawful political organizing. In fact, it was predicated on a belief that an increasingly liberal Supreme Court was making it more difficult to convict Communists of crimes, leading "Hoover and his men to use dirty tricks instead of criminal prosecutions to neutralize the party."
Initially, COINTELPRO targeted the Communist Party, but it soon grew to encompass attacks on the Socialist Workers Party, the Civil Rights and Black Liberation Movements, the Puerto Rican independence movement, the antiwar movement, and the New Left.162 Among some of its most notorious victims were Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Designating civil rights activists as "black hate" groups, the FBI tried to blackmail King into killing itself. The FBI was also deeply concerned about the unification of racial justice movements after King's death and directly wanted to prevent it. They devoted particular attention to the Black Panther Party.
The FBI orchestrated a 1969 Chicago Police raid on the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party after an FBI informant provided the FBI with a map of the party headquarters. During the raid, the police fired nearly a 100 times, killing the party's charismatic young leader Fred Hampton as he lay sleeping in bed. Fellow Black Panther Mark Clark was also killed. While the police claimed self-defense, "a federal grand jury determined that the police had fired between eighty-three and ninety shots–the Panthers a maximum of one." A toxicology report showed a large amount of secobarbital in Hampton's system, leading to allegations that the FBI informant drugged Hampton. Many view Hampton's death as an execution, murder, or assassination.
Additionally, on our Still Spying podcast our policy director Chip Gibbons interviewed Jeffrey Haas who knew Fred Hampton and described in disturbing detail the night he learned Hampton had been murdered.
This is far from ancient history.
In the last year alone, there has been a renewed interest in the case.
A major Hollywood movie, Judas and the Black Messiah, which our policy director reviewed for Jacobin, brought the story of the charismatic young organizer and the FBI's efforts to destroy him to a popular audience.
And new documents half a century later further raised further questions about the FBI's involvement in Hampton's death.
DRAD organized two important events around these documents, including
Fred Hampton: The Fight For Truth
And… The FBI, Judas, and the Black Messiah
With these new revelations, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), a member of the Illinois Black Panthers at the time of Hampton's assassantion, renewed the call for the release of pertinent documents. We organized members of Congress, civil society groups, and historians in support of his call.
Rush also introduced a bill to release not just the files concerning Hampton's murder, but all of the COINTELPRO records. You should tell your member of Congress today to support this bill.
Hampton's murder was 52 years ago, it's time to know the full truth.
Chip Gibbons

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A sleazy record promotor tries to make it big with a local Chicago garage band and plans to make them famous while keeping the profits for himself.
A nerdy professor who has no luck with women builds beautiful female robots to satisfy his sexual desires.
A businessman turns into a vampire after drinking brandy laced with vampire blood and sets out on an odyssey of killing the descendent's of Dracula's executioners.
Narrator: What you are about to see may not even be possible, within the narrow limits of human understanding.
I'd be hard-pressed to find a more painful film. Nausea-inducing camera twists, seemingly random editing (try and find a scene that has anything to do with the one that preceded it), bad lighting, bad acting, nonexistent writing and a lack of *anything* that makes a good, or coherent film. Add to all that one of the lamest twist endings in cinema history, with out any sort of plot to justify it, and you have one infuriating film. It was so difficult to sit through, I was almost in tears by the end. One of those films you can't enjoy on any level, even as camp.


• Given the antagonistic tone of Eminem's new album 'Kamikaze', we could be in for a lot of this: Machine Gun Kelly has released a diss track in response to comments made about him on the record. Meanwhile, 'Kamikaze' is set to become Eminem's ninth UK number one this week, beating the current record of eight he holds jointly with Abba and Led Zeppelin.
• Eliza Shaddad has released the video for new single 'This Is My Cue'. Her debut album, 'Future', is set for release on 26 Oct. She also has UK shows in London and Glasgow in November.
• Tyler, The Creator has released new track, 'Puff', a remixed version of instrumental track 'Blow My Load', from his 2015 album 'Cherry Bomb'.
• The Radio Dept have released new single 'Going Down Swinging'.
• New Order have announced that their only UK show in 2018 will be at Alexandra Palace in London on 9 Nov. So now you know.
• Charlotte Gainsbourg will play a one-off UK show at Koko in London on 11 Dec. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
• A few more AIM Awards winners have been announced ahead of the ceremony tonight. Sophie will receive the Innovator Award. Goldie will be named Pioneer for his Metalheadz label. And Outstanding Contribution will go to Tracey Thorn.


2Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care?
What does the Invasive Species Zone Mean to You?
This poster is from Tahiti, where miconia has replaced more than 75 percent of the native forest. Citizens are encouraged to report and destroy the noxious weed.
Kāmauli hou i ke akua, e!
Renew offerings thanking the akua!
Invasive species affect every ecosystem in the Hawaiian Islands, from the regions deep underwater to the summit of the tallest mountains.
Invasive species are nonnative species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health. They directly prey upon or outcompete native species for resources.
Invasive species can be plants, animals, insects, or microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and diseases.
The first invasive species to reach the Hawaiian Islands was likely the Polynesian rat, which hitched a ride aboard the Polynesian voyaging canoes.
Biologists consider invasive species the number one threat to native Hawaiian ecosystems–though global warming may soon override invasives. Currently, invasive species in Hawai'i are managed by a number of state, federal, and private agencies. Organizations such as the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and the invasive species committees and watershed partnerships on each island make it their mission to prevent harmful alien species from spreading throughout the Islands.
Native Hawaiian cultural practices depend on healthy ecosystems, which are endangered by invasive species.
Before contact with Western explorers, Hawaiians made everything they needed out of what they found in the natural environment. Plants provided the raw material for houses, canoes, clothing, food, fires, lamps, tools, surfboards, musical instruments, medicines, and much more.
Early Hawaiians chose sturdy 'ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha) branches for their house posts and thatched their roofs with lauhala (Pandanus odoratissimus) and loulu (Pritchardia spp). They made clothing out of wauke (paper mulberry) dyed with 'olena (Curcuma domestica), lit up the dark with kukui (Aleurites moluccana) nut oil lamps, and rode waves on surfboards carved from the wiliwili (Erythrina sandwichensis) tree.
Invasive pests and diseases such as 'ōhi'a rust (Puccinia psidii) or the wiliwili gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) have the potential to wipe out the native Hawaiian species they prey on within a single season.
Hawaiians had an intimate bond with their natural environment–and many still do. They believe that certain native plants and animals are kinolau, physical manifestations of gods, or 'aumakua, physical ancestral spirits. They treat these species accordingly, with respect and reverence. They even view weather patterns—certain types of rain, wind, or rainbows—as kinolau and 'aumakua. When aggressive, introduced pests erode the integrity of native ecosystems, crucial pieces of the Hawaiian way of life are lost.
• Listen to the chant as it is read in Hawaiian. How would you describe the feeling of the chant? What did it make you think about?
• Have you ever been on the road to Hāna? What are your impressions of this area? Most of the vegetation you see along the highway is non-native and some, such as the large patches of strawberry guava and bamboo, are invasive. Does knowing this change how you feel about it?
Examples of forests dominated by invasive species can be seen along the Hāna Highway. Notice the huge patches of bamboo, the thick strawberry guava stands, and the bright orange flowers of the African tulip tree reaching far up the mountain. These species have replaced the native plants and trees that once flourished here.
Most of all, we get a feeling of balance. What a diversity of living things, and not too much of any one of them. Sometimes I envision just a couple of square meters of it, that's all, not too much to ask…placed in a small corner of the yard, there to be the model for any gardener, and almost impossible to duplicate or maintain because of the narrow requirements of temperature and moisture. And because of weeds. In a month, even if all of the mosses could persist, the dandelions, Spanish needles, three-leafed clovers, and beggar's ticks would be in there. Weeds.
But what's a weed? Something that's growing where it is not wanted. The rarest prairie wildflower, introduced to the native subalpine grasslands of Haleakalā, might be a weed there. We can all appreciate what trouble weeds can be. Maybe we are already aware of banana poka, a passion-fruit relative, climbing like a blight over the tops of koa-'ōhi'a forests on Hawai'i Island. It hogs the light, so that under its green net are sun-starved native plants, skeletons of trees, open soil. Or perhaps we have walked through an unexpected blackberry patch on Ka'ala, or in Kōke'e, and recalled adjectives and dark thoughts while nursing thorn-shredded arms and legs. Or we've seen the sad spread of Clidemia on O'ahu, Moloka'i, Maui, and Hawai'i: gulches full of nothing but purple berries and crinkled leaves, where we once breathed in the scent of native mints in full bloom. Aloha 'ino!
Why is it that weeds always grow so fast? Taste so bad? Prickle and poke? It is their strategy. They are colonizers, adapted to establish a foothold and hold it in a disturbed situation: a landslide scar, or scoured flood plain. And we are great disturbers, too, aren't we? Road builders, sub-dividers, and yes, trail builders too. Is it any accident that Clidemia followed O'ahu hikers and hunters on their trips to Wailau and Waimanu?
We are the keepers of the land. We need to make a choice. For me, I have made a judgment that a native plant, no matter how plain-flowered, how small, how unremarkable, is inherently more valuable than any ornamental. Oh, there are beautiful introductions to be sure! But so many of them are splashes of color, spectacular to experience, and striving to out-do. But there is much to say about subtle beauty too. A concert of diversity in a native forest is a hum of quiet harmony and delicate shades.
Well, we can make a choice. I can envision a horrid world, where the only things that have been able to survive with humans are those things that we couldn't weed out: the thorniest things, the most poisonous, the things that crowd other things out, the cockroaches and flies, the things that thrive under our streets and on our waste. It is a world that comes if we don't care. Because when we don't watch the garden, the weeds come in.
Or, there is a world in which we value and care for native diversity because it makes us richer. We can listen to clear waters drip from mosses into a cold mountain pool, watch 'ōpae sweep the rocks for algae, see a kanawao with tiny white flowers at its roots pollinated by diminutive beetles that work the soil. We can all stand to learn what is really valuable in our islands: a diversity of things found nowhere else in our wide world, and a beauty that is the antithesis of neon-emblazoned ideas of what is visually appealing.
And the best thing is that these riches are not gotten via corporate maneuvering, labor unions, or business degrees. We can all enjoy these riches without kicking someone else off a ladder. Mai e loa'a i ka waiwai o ka 'āina – Come partake of the riches of the land.


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British Menswear Brands That Will Give Your Style A Classic Masculine Edge
Distinctive styles beyond Saville Row.
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LAST UPDATEDFriday 30th October, 2020
Eric Commerce
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Whether it's dressing Bond, a monarch, or David Beckham, the British menswear circuit has done more than its fair share of introducing understated masculine style to a global audience. Britain is arguably the birthplace of menswear and the traditions of the past are still heavily ingrained in its menswear scene today.
While you might think the Brits are all about raincoats, stuffy clubrooms, and posh names that remind you of the guys who bullied you at rugby training, there's much more to see than just the polished suits of Saville Row.
With a plethora of great British brands making cutting edge clothing for the modern man, we've put together a comprehensive list of the best British menswear brands you need to know about, ranging from the elder statesmen on Saville Row to the young and experimental.
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Where To Buy Them From
Whilst British suiting pride themselves on being meticulously crafted in the United Kingdom, British menswear labels are a bit more lax when it comes to their clothing's country of origin. That's not to say that they've off-shored all manufacturing to Asia. Swimwear brands like Orlebar Brown still make their clothing in Portugal and England. Their materials meanwhile are sourced from Italy, France and Portugal.
For high-end labels like Belstaff who pride themselves on being British, their entire collection oddly isn't made there any more — most of their products today are Italian made. For brands like Barbour, if there's no country of origin on the label indicating U.K made then you can expect their products to be made in European regions like Turkey, Portugal and Bulgaria. Their biker jackets are still made in the U.K by third parties.
Even brands which are quintessentially British like Burberry have multiple countries of product origin. The iconic label has factories in China, Polan, Romania, India, Spain, Italy, England and the U.S.
We don't live in the stone ages any more so you'll be pleased to hear that many British menswear brands have online stores these days. If they don't provide worldwide shipping you're likely to find them through local distributors, albeit at slightly higher prices. Beyond that your best bet is to hit up online stores like ASOS, MR. PORTER, SSENSE, End Clothing, YOOX and Everlane.
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Private White VC
Private White VC is named after a guy whose story will probably make you feel rather inadequate. Fortunately, their clothes are designed to have the opposite effect. They offer a range of hard-wearing, functional casual wear but it's their jackets – bombers, motorcycle jackets, and raincoats – that hold our attention.
Their production standards are hard to beat – each garment passes through 21 pairs of hands during the process and it's all done from a factory in Manchester. You can probably tell by now that Private White VC is all about continuity, and with the original White's grandkids still running the show, we're pretty sure that's the way it will stay.
Sunspel makes its home in premium basics, an area of the market that's often easy to overlook.
The brand made some of the first premium underwear in Britain in 1860 and spearheaded the introduction of boxer shorts in the 1940's. They've since broadened their horizons in a big way, with everything from merino knitwear to swim shorts and tees for summer.
Sunspel tends to stick to a neutral colour palette, making their basics versatile enough to slot in and out of every outfit.
Haven't heard of Baracuta? Well, you'll most definitely have seen one of their jackets. Quite possibly one of the most iconic designs of all time, the Baracuta G9 has been a favourite of well-dressed men for decades. It has been the jacket of choice for personalities like Steve McQueen, Elvis, Jason Statham, Daniel Craig, Damian Lewis and Bradley Cooper.
Is there anything more that needs to be said? If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for you.
Folk describe themselves as 'quietly elegant clothing enriched by subtle details: style without drama'. This obsession with the finer details is what makes their garments stand out from the crowd. Made from a range of high-quality fabrics and materials, their simple designs will last forever and look great.
Launched in 1971, Reiss has captured a loyal following of guys who always need that next shirt, tie, or knit.
Reiss offers men both casual and formalwear, with modern tailored two-piece suits and a grasp of British style that's geared towards the younger and more sartorially progressive gent.
Their white shirts are a staple and you can't go wrong with any of their navy suits for a job interview or fraught in-laws dinner. You'll find them in David Jones and we wouldn't be surprised if their retail footprint grows in 2018.
N Peal
N Peal creates some of the finest cashmere clothing known to man. Their cashmere is sourced from a selection of special Mongolian goats and each step of production is meticulously overlooked to ensure only the highest quality.
N Peal has been the choice of cardigans and jumpers for James Bond as well as several other heavy-hitting celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marilyn Monroe and the Princess of Monaco.
Wax London was formed by a group of friends who wanted to bring the tradition of making garments in the U.K...back to the UK.
Their designs marry quintessential British looks with hints of Scandinavian influence to create ultra-functional, minimalistic clothing for everyone. Made in the UK, with a strong emphasis on production quality, their garments will last a lifetime.
It should be no surprise that British menswear comes with a history that's hard to match. Founded in 1894, Barbour is no exception.
Their reputation rests on the laurels of their enduringly popular waxed cotton jackets which are as relevant now as they were in decades past. Barbour isn't just a one-trick pony, and you'll be able to find gilets, motorcycle jackets, and casual polos and trousers in recent collections.
Barbour offers a garment repair service, working on over 100,000 jackets annually. So if you buy a jacket in now, there's every chance you'll still be wearing it in a decade or more.
At the heart of Belstaff is adventure. Their garments are designed to travel with you wherever you go and to help you look your finest along the way.
Originally famous for their innovative use of waxed, waterproof cotton, Belstaff has come a long way since and has a range of clothing and accessories that are luxurious yet rugged.
Everyone wants a Burberry coat – period. Burberry has some serious historical mileage behind them, from outfitting British officers in WWI to their presence today as runway stalwarts.
The trench coat is a small, but distinctive part of their offering and you'll be able to find luxury fragrances, scarves, and bags in 2018. If we had a choice, we'd see you walk out the door with one of their camel trenches.
They never, ever go out of style, and the countless imitations on the market don't do them justice. If there's anything to save up for in 2018, it's this.
'The quirky Brit tailor that likes funny patterns' doesn't quite do Paul Smith justice. A menswear heavyweight, Paul Smith redesigns classic British tailoring with a bold eye for colour and prints, without cutting any corners during the design process.
He's an advocate for wool and tailoring heritage, but doesn't let that get in the way of a cheeky print or jab at Saville Row's stuffy pretentions. Nowadays, Paul Smith is exploring subdued, light outwear in contrast to his characteristic boldness: floral printed knits and espadrilles, tailored swimwear, and a whole lot of orange, everywhere.
Have a look at his wool bombers and don't feel afraid to slot a floral tie into your rotation.
Founded in 1979 and operated to this day by the dashing Jeremy Hackett, Hackett offers classic ready-to-wear tailoring with the maturity you'd only expect from the elders of the Saville Row establishment.
His emphasis is on the classic workhorses of a masculine wardrobe, allowing you to build a full complement of suits, shirts and ties for the corporate nine-to-five. Their latest spring collection includes lighter knits, gilets, and casual jackets, but you won't see novelty prints or clever pop-culture nods anywhere here.
Hackett is for the guy that wants British understatement without the musty sartorial cobwebs you tend to associate with Saville Row. They're great for a mature, but contemporary wardrobe.
Gieves and Hawkes have an impeccable CV that spans some two hundred years and a client list to match. These guys originated in London in 1771 as military and establishment tailors and earned not one but three Royal Warrants (not an easy thing) in the process.
While they might outfit former heads of state and celebrated sportsmen like David Beckham, mere plebs like us can still access a strong made to measure and bespoke program that'll have you leaving their plush London headquarters feeling like you should be a leading face in the next 007.
Most guys don't put 'luxury' and 'bathers' in the same basket, so thankfully we have Orlebar Brown to make it a thing.
Orlebar Brown answered the cries of men who were fed up with long, fratboy boardies, replacing them with smart, tailored shorts that you could probably wear out on the town. They encompass both plain, versatile patterns and novelty prints, and are as carefully made as other serious tailoring brands.
If you want to make getting sunburnt by the pool a luxury experience, a pair of Orlebar Brown boardies is a stylish step in the right direction.
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