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Police hunt detention camp escapees At least five asylum seekers are still at large after escaping from the Woomera detention centre in the Australian outback. (BBC, 30 Mar 2002) Children 'identify Pokemon more easily than animals' Pokemon "creatures" are far more recognisable to the average eight-year-old than British animals and plants. (Ananova, 29 Mar 2002) Schools 'robbing third world of trained teachers' British schools are robbing developing countries of trained teachers in a desperate bid to solve the recruitment crisis, a union complained yesterday. (Guardian, 29 Mar 2002) Britain ends 'boy soldiers' policy Britain is ending its policy of sending so-called "boy soldiers" into battle. The move comes ahead of a UN protocol to be put before Parliament after Easter. It will see no one under the age of 18 sent into a conflict zone. (Ananova, 29 Mar 2002) Pace to release digital TV adapter Pace is set to introduce its new technology that will allow UK viewers to connect to digital TV for a one-off fee. (Ananova, 28 Mar 2002) Police chief Paddick cheered by residents Commander Brian Paddick was greeted by a standing ovation from Lambeth residents last night when he arrived unexpectedly at a meeting calling for his reinstatement. (Independent, 27 Mar 2002) Walk like an African How is it that women from some African tribes can walk for miles bearing loads of up to 65lb on their heads, while the majority of people in the Western world struggle to shuffle their body weight from the car park to the office? Scientists studying walking techniques believe that the answer lies in the energy-efficient and posturally perfect gait of the Africans. (Times, 26 Mar 2002) Upward mobility is on a downward trajectory ... If you’re born at the bottom of the heap, if your parents can’t protect and promote and push for you, you will stay at the bottom of the heap. (Times, 26 Mar 2002) Oxford pledges to root out scandal of cash for places STEPS to try to ensure that tutors were unable to offer places in return for large donations to college funds were taken by Oxford University before the Pembroke College scandal. (Times, 26 Mar 2002) £300m is worth it to get railways heading for the right destination Forget the £300m which is being used to compensate Railtrack shareholders and which has caused such a political furore. The really big number in yesterday's announcement on the replacement of Railtrack with Network Rail is the £9bn that the new company is borrowing in order to take over the nation's rail infrastructure.(Independent, 26 Mar 2002) Intervention is fine, but what about costs and benefits NEW Labour was supposed to be different: instead of nationalisation and the “man in Whitehall knows best”, it was going to be tight controls on public spending, no privileges for the unions and a new partnership with business. (Times, 26 Mar 2002) Afghan earthquake death toll could reach 4,800 An earthquake that shook Afghanistan and northern Pakistan has killed about 1,300 people and left 10,000 homeless. (Ananova, 26 Mar 2002) Government announces £20m solar power programme Solar energy is set to power thousands of homes and offices across the country, as part of a £20 million Government scheme. (Ananova, 26 Mar 2002) Lawrence case witness wins right to sue police Duwayne Brooks has won the right to sue the police for the way he was treated in the aftermath of Stephen Lawrence's death. (Ananova, 26 Mar 2002) Mandarin in bid to curb spin doctors In response to the crisis of confidence in Whitehall following the Jo Moore affair, Britain’s most senior official has invited a selected audience to the Cabinet Office to discuss how the government can improve relations between ministers and civil servants and enshrine political impartiality in legislation. (Sunday Times, 24 Mar 2002) Britain gets less upwardly mobile MAKING it in modern Britain has become more difficult than ever for those from poor homes, dashing hopes that the rise of the free market would put the chance of success within anyone’s grasp. (Sunday Times, 24 Mar 2002) Parents pay £18,000 to live near schools ECONOMISTS have for the first time calculated how much more parents pay for houses in the catchment areas of good state primary schools. (Sunday Times, 24 Mar 2002) Mugabe’s men want remains of Rhodes sent back to Britain THE bones of the imperial hero to whom Zimbabwe traces its current troubles are in danger of being dug up and dumped back in Britain. The grave of Cecil John Rhodes, the British adventurer who once bestrode Africa, has become the latest focus for the anger of President Robert Mugabe’s supporters. (Sunday Times, 24 Mar 2002) British planes head to Africa for terror monitoring work Two British surveillance aircraft are expected to arrive in Kenya this weekend in support of the US-led war against terrorism. (Ananova, 23 Mar 2002) When it takes mum and dad to shove you up the ladder Cash-strapped first-time buyers have always had to struggle to get a toehold on the property ladder, but with homes in some parts of the country now more than four times average earnings, many are being priced out of the market altogether. (Guardian, 23 Mar 2002) Disease stalks new megacities Two leading British development groups gave warning yesterday that sanitation in many of the world's cities is in crisis and will dramatically worsen with the continuing growth of cities and slums. (Guardian, 23 Mar 2002) Blighted estate that forced a change of heart The streets of Europe's largest council housing scheme have no doubt witnessed more than their fair share of incidents. Damascene conversions of leaders of the Conservative party, however, are an undoubted rarity. (Guardian, 23 Mar 2002) Creative arts link to lower crime rates BURGLARY rates were cut by 27 per cent during a five-week period when teenagers in deprived areas were offered sport, art and drama courses in their summer holidays. (Times, 22 Mar 2002) Camp X-Ray detainees will get 'second-class justice', says Amnesty Amnesty International calls the military tribunals for detainees at Camp X-Ray "second-class justice" for foreigners. (Ananova, 22 Mar 2002) UN warns of looming water crisis More than 2.7 billion people will face severe water shortages by the year 2025 if the world continues consuming water at the same rate, the United Nations has warned. (BBC, 22 Mar 2002) Nigeria Sharia architect defends law The governor of a northern Nigerian state which enforces Sharia law has defended Islamic punishments after they were criticised by the federal government. (BBC, 21 Mar 2002) Labour uses council bills as stealth tax - Tories Labour is using council bills as a form of "stealth tax", the Tories claim, after the Government confirmed that the average charge is to rise by an inflation-busting 8.5%. (Ananova, 21 Mar 2002) Caribou flavoured condoms given away in Arctic Around 15,000 condoms 'flavoured' with the musk of ox, caribou and arctic char have been given away at the Arctic Winter Games in Canada. (Ananova, 21 Mar 2002) The locals know what aid they need ... A planned development project in Andhra Pradesh, called Vision 2020, has been promised £65m in British aid. (Independent, 21 Mar 2002) Met chief insists cannabis cautions 'save police time' The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says cautioning people caught in possession of cannabis has saved 1,350 hours of police time in six months. (Ananova, 21 Mar 2002) Grannies may get paid for childcare Grandparents would be paid by the state for time they spent looking after their grandchildren under a radical scheme being considered by ministers to encourage single parents back into the labour market. (Guardian, 21 Mar 2002) US residents alter Arabic names A growing number of Americans are changing their names to less Arabic-sounding ones following the September 11 terrorist attacks. (Ananova, 21 Mar 2002) Greenbelt 'must be used for 84,000 new homes a year' AN EXTRA 84,000 homes will have to be built on greenbelt land every year for the next two decades if England is to avoid its biggest housing emergency, experts said yesterday. Increased longevity, rising immigration, breakdown of the family unit and more people living on their own could result in a shortage of 1.1 million homes within 20 years, according to research in two reports published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. (Times, 20 Mar 2002) The Politics of Pain and Pleasure [Skip the beginning and start here:] ... The way we are educated and entertained keeps us from knowing about or understanding the pain of others in other parts of the world, and from understanding how our pleasure is connected to that pain of others. It is a combined intellectual, emotional, and moral failure -- a failure to know and to feel and to act. Let's take a simple example, the CBU-87, also known as the cluster bomb, which is a part of the U.S. arsenal. It is a bomb that U.S. pilots drop from U.S. planes paid for by U.S. tax dollars. (Counter Punch, 20 Mar 2002) Police chief accused of drug-taking forced out of post The maverick police commander behind Scotland Yard's cannabis experiment admitted yesterday that he was "very disappointed" to be forced out of his post but conceded that the move was inevitable following allegations of drug-taking published in a Sunday tabloid newspaper. (Guardian, 19 Mar 2002) Delta body to complete abandoned projects A special body set up by Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, to undertake rapid development of the country's impoverished Niger Delta oil region has started completing projects abandoned by its predecessor, officials said. (IRIN, 19 Mar 2002) Defining democracy More than 10 years after the end of the cold war, the paradox of "people's power" grows clearer by the day. Democracy, in the sense of a popular uprising against a faulty system of government or a hated individual ruler, can produce "regime change". But it takes more than the toppling of a ruler or even a system to produce democracy. (Guardian, 19 Mar 2002) Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Asians out of Africa For Jatinder Verma, the experiences of British Asians and their forebears have given rise to some of the greatest stories never told. Journey to the West site. (Times, 19 Mar 2002) Tenants face a long wait IT COULD be decades before the Aylesbury Estate is brought up to scratch. That's the stark warning from Southwark council leader Stephanie Elsy. Residents living on the estate voted in January against plans to hand over their homes to a housing association. (South London Press, 19 Mar 2002) Canadian natives help isolated tribe in India A Canadian chief is today calling on an Indian court to prevent the recently contacted Jarawa tribe from being brought out of their forest home. Local authorities in the Andaman Islands, Indian territories in the Bay of Bengal, planned to remove the nomads to a government settlement in order to 'civilise' them. Learning of this plan, Simeon Tshakapesh, Chief of the Mushuau Innu in eastern Canada, has warned the Andaman administration of his own people's horrific experiences of forced resettlement. (Survival International News Release, 19 Mar 2002) Condemned mother awaits her fate Safiya Husaini listens as a judge, sitting in an Islamic court in Nigeria, explains that she will have to wait a week before finding out whether she is to die by stoning. (Times, 19 Mar 2002) British explorer discovers ruins of lost Inca city A LOST city that was among the Incas’ last redoubts against the Spanish conquistadors has been discovered on a Peruvian mountain by a British-led team of explorers. (Times, 19 Mar 2002) The Big Guys Work For the Carlyle Group Are you the sort of person who believes in conspiracies--the Trilateral Commission secretly runs the world, that sort of thing? Well, then, here's a company for you. The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C., buyout firm, is one of the nation's largest defense contractors. (Fortune, 18 Mar 2002) Consignia defends £1.25 charge for cash machines Consignia is defending its decision to install cash machines at post offices which will charge consumers in some areas £1.25 to use them. (Ananova, 18 Mar 2002) Planning reform proposals 'bad for democracy' The Tories have named major projects which they say could be "forced through" by the Government under proposed new planning laws. (18 Mar 2002) Bushmen denied water, food and communication After cutting off the Gana and Gwi Bushmen's water, the Botswana government intensified its campaign to drive them from their ancestral land by forbidding them to hunt or gather, stopping Bushmen taking supplies to their villages, and stealing their radio transceivers. (Survival International Press Release, 18 Mar 2002) Human rights workers receive death threats Human rights workers who are struggling to protect the rights of West Papua's 250 different tribes against Indonesian oppression have been told they are on the assassination hit list of the Indonesian special forces. (Survival International Press Release, 18 Mar 2002) Politicians steal tribal land The Ogiek honey-gatherers in Kenya risk being driven out of their forest homeland under new government proposals to open the land to outside settlers and businesses. It has recently emerged that top politicians, including the president, have staked claims on the land. (Survival International, 18 Mar 2002) Curbs demanded on cash for planning laws Business leaders are urging the Government not to give councils more power to demand cash from developers in return for planning permission. (Ananova, 18 Mar 2002) All comers welcome in Canada Anne McIlroy says that Canada will have to open its doors to more immigration as national census reveals an all-time low in population growth. (Guardian 18 Mar 2002) Stars urge Egypt to free gay prisoners Stars including Sir Elton John, Emma Thompson and Eddie Izzard are backing calls for Egypt to free 23 men imprisoned for homosexuality. (Ananova, 17 Mar 2002) Cecil Rhodes: A bad man in Africa The evil that men do lives after them - and rarely more miserably than in the case of Cecil Rhodes, who died 100 years ago this month. (Independent, 16 Mar 2002) EU fishing fleets devastate third world Over-fishing by foreign fleets, including those from Europe, are causing alarming reductions in fish stocks off west Africa and South America, putting local fishermen out of business and removing valuable food resources, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep). (Guardian, 16 Mar 2002) Fish stocks have sharply declined, says UNEP Fish catches on the West African coast have declined sharply declined and some species have completely disappeared, the United Nations Environment Programme reported on Friday. The decline, it added, was linked to over-fishing by foreign fleets. (IRIN, 15 Mar 2002) UK 'poaching' Jamaican teachers Last year 600 teachers left the island to work abroad, mostly in the USA and England. More have already gone this year. One high school head teacher told the BBC the recruitment raids amounted to "rape and pillage". (BBC, 15 Mar 2002) 15 girls die as zealots 'drive them into blaze' SAUDI Arabia's religious police are reported to have forced schoolgirls back into a blazing building because they were not wearing Islamic headscarves and black robes. (Telegraph, 15 Mar 2002) School attacked over evolution teaching Professor Dawkins, of Oxford University, says children at Emmanuel College in Gateshead are being taught "ludicrous falsehoods". (BBC, 14 Mar 2002) B&B for homeless to end in two years STEPHEN BYERS pledged yesterday that no families with children would be housed in bed and breakfast accommodation within two years. (Times, 14 Mar 2002) More complaints over power and gas switch 'cowboys' More people are complaining about unscrupulous "cowboy" sales techniques used to persuade customers to switch gas and electricity suppliers. (Ananova, 10 Mar 2002) Camp X-Ray prisoners urged to 'come clean' THE military commander of Camp X-Ray yesterday offered the chance of a swift release for the five Britons held at Guantanamo Bay. (Times, 9 Mar 2002) Thousands homeless in Gujarat Authorities in the western Indian state of Gujarat say nearly 56,000 people are now living in camps after fleeing savage rioting between Hindus and Muslims. (BBC, 7 Mar 2002) Blair to scrap promises on workers' rights TONY BLAIR is preparing to renege on promises to improve workers’ rights in an attempt to “keep business on board” for his beleaguered policy of private provision of public services. (Times, 6 Mar 2002) An explosive situation It is called the silent epidemic and it has infected an estimated 500,000 people in Britain, and 170m worldwide, without attracting the kind of tabloid headlines devoted to HIV/Aids. It can lay dormant in a carrier for up to 25 years, and health professionals fear it could be a timebomb ticking away with no one knowing when it might explode. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) Poor substitute for new policy Has the tide finally turned? Have anti-poverty programmes belatedly become politically acceptable? Six weeks ago, Alistair Darling, the work and pensions secretary, became the first minister to insist that Labour should end its covert anti-poverty programme and make it overt. Last week, David Willetts, his Tory shadow, declared it was time the Conservative party got back in touch with the poor and its One Nation traditions. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) Home truths Forget telecoms, gas and water. Thatcher's biggest privatisation was housing. Owner occupation rose from half of all tenures to more than two thirds. Renting from councils fell from a third to just a fifth. Right to buy was a Tory triumph. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) TV watchdog attacks news budget cuts Britain's most senior television regulator has called for the power to set a minimum budget for ITV's news coverage, following concerns about the substantial cut in the value of ITN's contract. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) For their eyes only The United States possesses an extraordinary institution which sets it apart from almost every other nation on Earth and helps define America as an open democracy. It is called the 1966 Freedom of Information Act, and it is in serious trouble. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) A brief history of trade rows The EU is considering imposing up to $4bn in trade sanctions on American products in retaliation for US tax breaks awarded to exporters. The World Trade Organisation, the body governing world trade, in January upheld an earlier ruling on the illegality of the tax measures. (Guardian, 6 Mar 2002) 9p tax on plastic bags as Ireland goes green SHOPPERS in the Irish Republic will be forced to pay 15 euro cents (9p) for every plastic bag that they take home from today in a drastic effort to cut down on a growing litter problem. (Times, 4 Mar 2002) Net monitoring scheme under fire UK Government plans to archive all internet traffic and e-mail has been singled out for a controversial award at this year's Big Brother Award ceremony. Awards from Privacy International (BBC, 4 Mar 2002) Tracking the millionaire Pied Piper of poverty I first heard about Mogens Amdi Petersen in 1995, when I was following up the strange story of a British teenager who had been found crying in a cafe in Copenhagen. (Sunday Times, 3 Mar 2002) Treasury makes £2.4 billion from legal immigrants LEGAL immigrants to Britain make a net contribution to the economy of £2.4 billion, government research has found, equivalent to 1p off the basic rate of income tax. (Sunday Times, 3 Mar 2002) Dentist faces £2m claim in NHS fraud probe Investigators who believe they have identified the biggest single case of alleged fraud in the NHS have issued a High Court writ to claw back almost £2m in taxpayers’ money from a dentist. (Sunday Times, 3 Mar 2002) If someone rattles a charity tin, think twice about handing over your cash Last summer, at the county show held every year in Lambeth's Brockwell Park, I made a donation to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. (Guardian, 3 Mar 2002) New justice system guide for schools Judges have launched a guide aimed at explaining the justice system to schoolchildren. (Ananova, 3 Mar 2002) Sixsmith: I was offered £100,000 hush money Martin Sixsmith, the former press chief to Stephen Byers, was offered £100,000 hush money in a desperate attempt to save the skin of the Secretary of State for Transport. (Independent on Sunday, 3 Mar 2002) Point and think The dot-com bust killed off many Web sites that had challenged traditional media with smart, fresh essays and opinion - but, as JEFF WARREN reports, a new intellectual model has grown up in their wake. (Toronto Globe & Mail, 2 Mar 2002) '15,000 died of cancer' after US atom tests RADIOACTIVE fallout from nuclear weapons tests caused at least 15,000 fatal cancers in America in the past half century, according to reports of a government study. (Times, 1 Mar 2002) Muslims burnt alive in Indian revenge riots THE Indian Army was called in to restore order after a Hindu mob set fire to Muslim houses in Ahmadabad, killing 38 people, including a dozen children, in apparent revenge for an arson attack on a train carrying Hindu nationalists. (Times, 1 Mar 2002) Police fire first plastic baton round to end siege POLICE have used a plastic baton round for the first time on the British mainland to end a siege where a knife-wielding man was threatening to kill his partner and two young children. (Times, 1 Mar 2002) War on terror prompts human rights warning MPs are warning the Government may be letting human rights concerns "slip down their list of priorities" in its eagerness in the war on terrorism. (Ananova, 1 Mar 2002) Unskilled work becomes harder to find ? ... There are broadly enough highly-qualified people to go around, the research shows. However, there are more intermediate and low-skilled people than there are jobs requiring these levels of qualification, although employers still prefer to hire them over workers with no skills at all. (Ananova, 1 Mar 2002) Interview with Trevor Ngwane Interview with Trevor Ngwane, 41, chairperson of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee and former Pimville councillor. He talks about his expulsion from the ANC and why workers feel betrayed by the party they helped to build. (Focus, Helen Suzman Foundation, Mar 2002) Eskom v Soweto: the battle for power The residents say they cannot afford to pay their electricity bills. Eskom and the government say that tarrifs are low and they must pay or be cut off. (Focus, Helen Suzman Foundation, Mar 2002) |
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updated:
24 Jan
2005