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One in three Europeans 'is anti Semitic' A new form of anti-Semitism has taken hold in Europe, fuelled by anti-Israeli sentiment, according to a survey which shows almost one in three Europeans now harbours some anti-Jewish feelings. (Independent, 30 Jun 2002) ID cards - a dumb idea and dangerous too Former Tory Minister Peter Lilley rejected ID cards when he was in power. He explains why. (Observer, 30 Jun 2002) Asian pop musician turns down MBE from ‘colonialist’ Britain A LEADING Asian pop musician has turned down an MBE because he believes the award is associated with the “exploitation” of subjects under the former British Empire. John Pandit, a member of Asian Dub Foundation (ADF), was nominated “for services to the music industry” in the Queen’s birthday honours. (Sunday Times, 30 Jun 2002) Imperial campaigner wins challenge to metric signs A metric martyr is celebrating after a public park admitted it had been wrong to change footpath signs from imperial to metric. (Ananova, 29 Jun 2002) Rwanda's 'hate media' on trial It is an old adage that the first casualty of war is truth, and for more than a century every major conflict has prompted inquests about the manipulation of the media in the service of the state. (BBC, 29 Jun 2002) Barges plan for asylum seekers Asylum seekers could be housed on barges in Britain as they are in the Netherlands, believe an immigration worker and Tory MP. (BBC, 29 Jun 2002) Government investigates council home scam The government is investigating private companies which are raking off huge profits by exploiting a loophole in the council housing right-to-buy scheme, it emerged today. (Guardian, 28 Jun 2002) Report says CCTV is overrated Lord Falconer, the home office minister responsible for criminal justice, faced embarrassment this morning as he opened a CCTV system in Manchester - on the day a report revealed that filming criminals was less effective than improved street lighting. (Guardian, 28 Jun 2002) Africa betrayed: the aid workers' verdict Aid agencies rounded furiously on the world's richest countries last night, describing the G8's much-vaunted rescue plan for Africa as a squandered opportunity and "recycled peanuts". (Guardian, 28 Jun 2002) 'Just talk, talk, talk, while we are left to die' The much-hyped initiative to rebuild Africa elicited little enthusiasm from Mercy Mugai as she clutched her two underfed children and glanced wistfully at the fast-food cafe in central Nairobi. (Telegraph, 28 Jun 2002) War at its "deadliest phase", ICG warns The civil war in Sudan has in recent months reached its "deadliest phase", due to the increased acquisition of lethal weapons by both sides, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned. (IRIN, 28 Jun 2002) Asset strippers They lost their jobs in one of the biggest corporate collapses in US history. So what did the former employees of Enron do next? They took their clothes off for Playboy, of course. (Guardian, 28 Jun 2002) Deaths in police chases triple The number of people being killed in accidents following police chases has more than tripled in the past four years because officers have "continued to engage in too many pursuits that endanger public safety", a report said yesterday. (Guardian, 28 Jun 2002) The company sketched out on the back of a napkin that grew to $180bn A small town in Mississippi is reeling. Far from Wall Street, in downtown Clinton, the world's biggest financial fraud has been perpetrated. Clinton is the unlikely headquarters of WorldCom, the world's largest carrier of internet traffic, which yesterday was on the brink of bankruptcy after admitting a record $4bn (£2.6bn) fiddle. The numbers involved dwarf the Enron debacle. (Guardian, 27 Jun 2002) Pensions are 'slashed' by Labour raid Pension holders have had an average of £530 slashed from the value of their savings as a result of the taxes and financial measures imposed by Gordon Brown since Labour came to power five years ago, Iain Duncan Smith will claim today. (Telegraph, 27 Jun 2002) Kenyan MPs get 700 per cent rise By Adrian Blomfield in Nairobi President Daniel arap Moi's government is giving Kenyan MPs a 700 per cent pay rise as it seeks their support for proposals to postpone elections for a year. (Telegraph, 27 Jun 2002) The difference a degree makes to earning power Having a degree can boost your earnings by almost £15,000 a year, a new survey shows. (Ananova, 27 Jun 2002) Young people rack up debts of more than £30,000 Young people are running up five-figure debts which could dog them into their 30s or 40s, according to a new report. (Ananova, 26 Jun 2002) Train Victims' Ride to Death Passengers aboard the doomed train that crashed in Tanzania had to endure a 20 minute roller coaster ride to death. (Nation via allAfrica.com, 26 Jun 2002) Putting the chicken before the egg: a battle that is still to be fought Imagine a world where you cannot stand upright, stretch your arms or relate in any meaningful way with another being. (Independent, 26 Jun 2002) Union boss calls for more 'affordable housing' A union chief says the UK faces an economic and social "time bomb" unless the Government spends extra money on providing affordable housing. (Ananova, 26 Jun 2002) Property 'overvalued by about 10%' An accountancy firm claims property in the UK is overvalued on average by about 10% compared with historic levels. (Ananova, 26 Jun 2002) It's happening! Libraries vs. the FBI ... Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that "the FBI is visiting libraries nationwide and checking the reading records of people it suspects of having ties to terrorists or plotting an attack." I love that word "visiting" - "ransacked" would be a better term. Of course the FBI has been trying to get libraries to give up records for years, so this part is nothing new. In the past - as in the '50s and '60s, when the FBI found all those Communists hiding in the stacks - the press made such a stink about this clear abuse of Constitutional protections that the FBI stopped the practice (or said it did) by the '70s. But now we have the USA Patriot Act, which gives FBI agents sweeping new powers to "demand from bookstores and libraries the names of books bought or borrowed by anyone suspected of involvement in 'international terrorism' or 'clandestine activities,' " as Nat Hentoff wrote in the Village Voice. (Holt Uncensored, 25 Jun 2002) Worldwatch Charts Earth's Vital Signs Savvy consumers with environmental protection at heart are having a positive impact on the Earth's "vital signs," according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute. (Environmental News Service, 25 Jun 2002) Public's views sought on banning battery farm cages The Government is to launch a public consultation on whether to ban the use of some types of cages for chickens. (Ananova, 25 Jun 2002) US Rewards for Justice programme to be extended to DRC The US government initiative to arrest the organisers of the 1994 Rwandan genocide - the Rewards for Justice programme, which offers up to US $5 million for information - is to be extended to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a spokesman for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda told IRIN. (IRIN, 24 Jun 2002) Electric shock An EU directive could mean that we'll have to pay to have our old TV or computer recycled. (Independent, 24 Jun 2002) Almost 3,000 farmers to stop work From 25 June it will be a criminal offence for about about half of Zimbabwe's commercial farmers to continue farming. (IRIN, 24 Jun 2002) 300 skilled immigrants given fast-track work permit More than 300 immigrants have been given approval to work in the UK over the past five months. (Ananova, 24 Jun 2002) Poison pens Three media executives stand accused of inciting genocide and encouraging crimes against humanity in the 1994 massacre of Tutsis in Rwanda. (Guardian, 24 Jun 2002) History debunks the free trade myth You are visiting a developing country as a policy analyst. It has the highest average tariff rate in the world. Most of the population cannot vote, and vote buying and electoral fraud are widespread. (Guardian, 24 Jun 2002) 15m child deaths blamed on failure to tackle poverty Broken international promises on tackling global poverty have cost the lives of more than 15m children in the world's poorest countries since 1990, aid campaigners claim today. (Guardian, 24 Jun 2002) Arms deals hinder war on terror, says Amnesty G8 governments are undermining their "war on terror" and their claims to want to end armed conflict by supplying massive numbers of weapons to developing countries, an Amnesty International report will warn today. (Guardian, 24 Jun 2002) Why Birmingham is ready to annexe Gibraltar THE latest and strangest change in the political map of Europe could see Gibraltar becoming part of the West Midlands. The geographical challenge has arisen because residents of the British territory are being granted the vote in Euro elections but their population of 27,000 is too small to qualify for an MEP. Instead, they will have to vote as part of a British Euro constituency. Also Waste directive set to become a game of pass the buck. (Times, 24 Jun 2002) FBI Checks Out Libraries The FBI is visiting libraries nationwide and checking the reading records of people it suspects of having ties to terrorists or plotting an attack, library officials say. (CBS News, 24 Jun 2002) Dumped TVs threaten blot on the landscape MOUNTAINS of old television sets are expected to build up across the countryside because a barrage of new European directives will mean that no one will be able to dispose of them in the correct manner, according to leading retailers and recyclers. (Times, 24 Jun 2002) Labour's criminal record revealed With crime rising at its fastest rate for a decade, the government is starting to panic. (Times, 23 Jun 2002) 'Brixton? Right now it's a 24-hr crack supermarket' One year after the softly-softly approach to cannabis began, hard drug use is soaring. Has Paddick's experiment failed - or is the fight unwinnable? (Observer, 23 Jun 2002) Top mandarin: Blair circle acts like the Third Reich Tony Blair's government has been compared to the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich by a senior civil servant who worked for the Government until 2000. (Observer, 23 Jun 2002) Quake families bury their dead Villagers in earthquake-hit Iran have gathered at a hilltop cemetery to bury their dead. (Ananova, 23 Jun 2002) We’re all racists, says top prosecutor BRITAIN’S top criminal prosecutor has claimed that British society is institutionally racist and that this has infected his own organisation. (Times, 23 Jun 2002) Social factors 'cause ethnic schizophrenia' Unemployment and early separation from both parents may be key factors behind the higher rates of schizophrenia in British African-Caribbeans, research suggests. (BBC, 22 Jun 2002) Easy Money Telephone selling is irritating at the best of times. (Guardian, 22 Jun 2002) The Telephone Preference Line helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you do not wish to receive. Israeli army 'error' kills four Israeli tank and machine gun fire killed three Palestinian children and a teacher in the West Bank city of Jenin yesterday in what Israeli military sources claim was an error made by soldiers. (Guardian, 22 Jun 2002) Whitehall admits GM foe was 'martyred' The campaign to discredit an "ageing and frail" scientist who raised doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods turned him into a martyr, according to Whitehall papers. (Guardian, 22 Jun 2002) In 2002, A Less-Travelled Road To Mecca Each year, roughly two million of Islam's one billion adherents worldwide make their way to Mecca for a pilgrimage that is a pillar of their faith. (Weekly Trust via Allafrica.com, 22 Jun 2002) How IMF became part of the problem WHEN the Thai baht collapsed on July 2, 1997 no one knew that this was the beginning of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression — one that would spread from Asia to Russia and Latin America. (Times, 22 Jun 2002) Plans for London are biggest since Wren KEN LIVINGSTONE’S plans for London include building almost half a million homes, creating more than 600,000 jobs and enough office space for 75 Canary Wharf towers. Other proposals include three new river crossings and 130 new schools. (Times, 22 Jun 2002) At least 500 dead, 1,600 injured in Iran quake At least 500 people are reportedly dead and more than 1,600 are injured after an earthquake in northwestern Iran. (Ananova, 22 Jun 2002) Millions of strikers bring Spain to a halt Millions of Spanish workers joined a general strike yesterday, bringing airport and rail station closures, clashes with police, and a bleak welcome for EU leaders heading for the Seville summit. (Telegraph, 21 Jun 2002) Warmer world will be sicker world Global warming is triggering wildlife disease epidemics around the world according to researchers. (Ananova, 20 Jun 2002) 'Don't let Sept 11 destroy civil liberties' Former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone believes detention without trial is a tactic too far in America's fight against terrorism. (Telegraph, 20 Jun 2002) Police arrest dozens as Spain hit by general strike Police have arrested 27 picketers protesting against cuts in unemployment benefits during Spain's first general strike in nearly a decade. (Ananova, 20 Jun 2002) D"Windtalkers" Shoots for the Real Thing In a series of articles for the Navajo Times, Marley Shebala reports that “Windtalkers” director John Woo made every effort to consult Navajo leaders, Code Talkers and cast Navajos in leading roles. (New California Media, 20 Jun 2002) Labour viewed as 'sleazy and disreputable' Half a decade of hype, spin and alleged attempts to manipulate the media have wrought havoc with the Blair Government's reputation for probity and honesty, according to a special YouGov survey for The Telegraph. They have had the same effect on Tony Blair's own reputation. (Telegraph, 20 Jun 2002) Marines to be pulled out of Afghanistan after three months The Royal Marines are to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, three months after they were dispatched on their mission to help to root out al-Qa'ida and Taliban fighters, the Government announced yesterday. (Independent, 20 Jun 2002) Ministers blamed for fridge mountain A withering report into Britain's fridge-mountain fiasco has criticised ministers and civil servants for ignoring a host of warnings about recycling rules that led to the crisis. (Independent, 20 Jun 2002) Why I'll be supporting Brazil Many black Britons will be shouting for England tomorrow - but their patriotism is misplaced. (Guardian, 20 Jun 2002) Murderer freed as European Court overrules minister AN ASIAN man who claims wrongful conviction for murder after defending himself from a racist attack pledged last night to clear his name after being released from prison after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. Satpal Ram, 36, who served nearly 16 years, was jailed for life in 1987 for stabbing a white man in an Indian restaurant in Birmingham during a struggle. (Times, 20 Jun 2002) BT cuts cost of payphone calls BT is slashing the price of calls from payphones in a promotion designed to win back customers. (Ananova, 20 Jun 2002) Outrage over murderer's freedom The release of a convicted murderer following a European human rights ruling was condemned as "outrageous" last night by his victim's family. (Telegraph, 20 Jun 2002) Tough sex laws to tackle internet paedophiles SWEEPING proposals to modernise sex laws and toughen sentences for child sex abuse and indecent exposure are to be published by the Government in the autumn. (Times, 20 Jun 2002) The curse of the infidel On July 15 1099, the crusaders from western Europe conquered Jerusalem, falling upon its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants like the avenging angels from the Apocalypse. (Guardian, 20 Jun 2002) Londoners least likely to know the neighbours Londoners are Britain's worst neighbours, says the office for national statistics, whose research published yesterday suggests people in the capital are the least likely to know or trust others living nearby. (Guardian, 20 Jun 2002) Fresh fears over mobile phones A major study into the safety of mobile phones has concluded that they may affect the health of people who use them. (BBC, 20 Jun 2002) DDesperate migrants take risky voyage to holiday isle ... The migrant route now overtaking the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar as the favoured way of reaching Europe for sub-Saharan Africans leads to the rocky and volcanic holiday island of Fuerteventura, 60 miles from the African coast and the most accessible of the Canaries. (Independent, 19 Jun 2002) Barnardo's in £400m lawsuit over children sent to be farm 'servants' Barnardo's was accused yesterday in a £400m lawsuit of shipping destitute children from Britain to become farm "servants". (Independent, 19 Jun 2002) Boost for Blair over curbs on illegal migrants Tony Blair yesterday won the backing of Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, for tough curbs on illegal immigration to help counter the rise of extreme Right-wing parties in Europe. (Telegraph, 19 Jun 2002) Young arsonists destroy £1m estate A housing estate, built eight years ago at a cost of £1 million, is to be demolished and rebuilt after attacks by arsonists as young as five. (Telegraph, 19 Jun 2002) Rwanda: Gacaca - gambling with justice "The gacaca system of community tribunals may represent an opportunity for genocide survivors, defendants and witnesses to present their cases in an open and participatory environment. This could be an important step towards national reconciliation and resolving Rwanda's prison crisis," Amnesty International said today, in reaction to Rwanda's inauguration of a new community-based tribunal system designed to address the backlog of cases from the 1994 genocide. "However, the extrajudicial nature of gacaca and the inadequate preparation for its start, coupled with the present government's intolerance of dissent and unwillingness to address its own poor human rights record, risk subverting the new system," the organization added. "It is therefore imperative that both the Rwandese government and the international community take steps to ensure that gacaca complies with minimum international standards of fair trial." (Amnesty International Press Release, 19 Jun 2002) 'Snooper's charter' dropped David Blunkett admitted yesterday that the Government had "blundered" as he announced that the Home Office had abandoned plans to expand the list of organisations allowed access to private email and telephone records. (Telegraph, 19 Jun 2002) Regulation of Investigative Powers Act, 2000. RUC encouraged us to kill Finucane, claims loyalist Compelling new evidence indicates that the Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane was killed with the involvement of British intelligence and police officers. (Independent, 19 Jun 2002) UN finds poor getting poorer in Africa Extreme poverty in Asia has been declining over the past 25 years, but has grown steadily in Africa's poorest countries according to the UN. (Ananova, 18 Jun 2002) 'Fortress Europe' raises the drawbridge ... Fortress Europe is willing to lower the drawbridge for the few but keep it firmly up for the many. And it is trying to tell those already inside the castle that they ought to join in and not keep themselves to themselves. (BBC, 18 Jun 2002) Rwanda launches village courts A new court system has been launched in Rwanda, designed to clear the huge backlog of cases resulting from the genocide eight years ago. (BBC, 18 Jun 2002) Death toll in Chinese storms could top 500 Rescuers have given up on finding 300 people missing in floods in western China. (Ananova, 18 Jun 2002) DComeback concert of Arkan's widow turns into anthem to indicted Serb warlord Greeted by the deafening cheers of some 100,000 fans, Serbia's most popular folk music star, Ceca Raznatovic, strutted her stuff in a triumphant comeback at the weekend. (Independent, 17 Jun 2002) Killer vows to clear his name A man released from prison after a campaign for his freedom has vowed to clear his name. Satpal Ram was jailed for life for the murder of 21-year-old Clarke Pearce at a restaurant in Birmingham in 1986. (BBC, 17 Jun 2002) Don't get cross about St George, all this flag-waving is just about fun not fascism ... My daughters and the millions of new flag-wavers are neither PC patriots nor nascent neo-Nazis. (Times, 17 Jun 2002) NHS Direct calls cost taxpayer more than visits to GP Each call to NHS Direct, the 24-hour helpline launched to ease the burden on the health service, costs the taxpayer about 25 per cent more than a visit to the doctor. (Independent, 17 Jun 2002) Water, water everywhere, but... Later this year, the construction of the world's latest dam is due to be finished. As dams go, the one being built at Castanhão, in Brazil's arid north-eastern state of Ceará, is not the biggest nor the most controversial, and, in many respects, its completion will go largely unnoticed by the millions of Brazilians who stand to benefit from it. Yet the fact that the Castanhão dam needs to be built at all is testament to the growing worldwide crisis in the supply of fresh water. (Independent, 17 Jun 2002) Bushmen campaign spreads to Canada In another sign that the campaign for Gana and Gwi Bushmen rights is spreading across the world, Survival has learnt that there was a large protest today outside the World Diamond Conference in Vancouver, Canada. (Survival International News Release, 17 Jun 2002) Generation gap in attitudes to asylum-seekers ... people believe Britain takes in nearly a quarter of the world's asylum-seekers, when the true figure is less than 2 per cent. The misconception was even wider among youngsters, who thought the UK took in 31 per cent of the world's total. (Independent, 17 Jun 2002) New incentives to transfer council homes The government is to attempt to revive its flagging policy of selling-off council homes to housing associations with a series of new financial incentives to encourage more local authorities to transfer their homes. (Guardian, 17 Jun 2002) S.J. library embraces new role As the school year comes to a close, the Berryessa Library is anticipating a traditional bookish hush that it has not seen for nine months. Since September, nearly 200 children have fought over 40 seats each day after school, turning the library into the hottest after-school hangout in the neighborhood. (Mercury News, 17 Jun 2002) Asylum seekers will be sent back to ‘safe’ Somalia HUNDREDS of asylum seekers are to be forcibly returned to Somalia by the Home Office. The government believes northern regions of the east African country are now peaceful after years of inter-clan fighting and are safe enough for people who fled to Britain to go back. (Times, 16 Jun 2002) 'Plans to be submitted for new nuclear bomb factory' There are plans for a new nuclear bomb making factory in Berkshire, according to reports. (Ananova, 16 Jun 2002) 'White Australia' town split by race row Children's laughter and the babble of waterfalls are the only sounds that pierce the silence as you stroll through the Chinese Gardens, a tranquil oasis just outside Young, a dusty town in a remote part of New South Wales. (Independent, 16 Jun 2002) DIberian lynx nears extinction as EU-backed work wrecks habitat Massive EU subsidies are helping to cause the extinction of the Iberian Lynx, which would be the first big cat to vanish since the sabre-tooth tiger, top scientists said last week. (Independent, 16 Jun 2002) Anger as abusers keep title of 'priest' The child abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic church in America continues to rage after a conference of bishops adopted new disciplinary guidelines that stopped short of requiring that offending priests be automatically expelled from the ministry. (Independent, 16 Jun 2002) Gaddafi 'aims to hijack' African Union organisation The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is using his country's oil wealth to buy influence across Africa, according to diplomats, in an attempt to dominate the African Union (AU), due to be launched in South Africa next month. (Independent, 15 Jun 2002) Let's face it: in the game of life, familiarity breeds trust People are more likely to give one another the benefit of the doubt if they have similar faces, a scientific study says. (Independent, 15 Jun 2002) Parents must be able to set up schools, says Tory The Tory education spokesman Brian Monteith said yesterday that the state should pay parents to set up their own schools. &nsbp; In a Tory-led debate, he attacked what he called "the Scottish collectivist establishment", which included union officials, directors of education and socialists in the main political parties. (Telegraph, 14 Jun 2002) Boys will be boys It has become a tragic inevitability that whenever international peacekeepers are sent to bring law and order to a war torn country, a vast and exploitative sex industry, allegedly follows close behind. Correspondent looks at Bosnia and Kosovo where girls as young as 15 have been duped into working in brothels and forced to have sex with UN personnel. (BBC, 14 Jun 2002) 250 Million Africans Live in Abject Poverty The minority leader in the National Assembly Honourable Halifa Sallah has said that 250 million Africans are living in abject poverty in spite of the abundance of natural resources on the continent, apportioning blame on inept leadership. (Independent, Banjul, via Africa.com, 14 Jun 2002) The knives are out for Campbell The knives were out last night for Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's closest political confidant, who is being blamed for the Government's latest public relations disasters. (Telegraph, 14 Jun 2002) Spin row closes on Campbell So now we know exactly what the prime minister is supposed to have done to enhance his role during the Queen Mother's lying in state - or some of it. (BBC, 13 Jun 2002) When Native Foods Were Left Behind Boarding schools, particularly those located off the reservations, have greatly impacted Native American lives for more than one hundred and twenty years. (New California Media, 13 Jun 2002) Revealed: how the smoke stacks of America have brought the world's worst drought to Africa To those who live there, it is as if the rich have stolen the rain. For more than 30 years, the Sahel region of Africa has suffered the longest sustained droughts in the world. In some places, rainfall has fallen by between 20 and 50 per cent. (Independent, 13 Jun 2002) Industrial countries 'stole' Africa's rain during 80s drought Sulphur from power stations and factories in North America and Europe may have caused the African droughts of the 1980s. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) Power to the car poolers The internet has earned a fearsome reputation for its romantic match-making capabilities. Now commuters are using it to make unions of a different kind - among car sharers. (BBC, 12 Jun 2002) Big rise in number of high earners The number of workers in the UK earning six figure-salaries has risen by nearly one half over the past four years. (BBC, 12 Jun 2002) Livingstone 'to have 18% pay rise' during London pay strikes A review body has recommended Ken Livingstone's pay should increase by almost 18% to £108,000. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) London's council workers in 48-hour pay strike Thousands of local authority workers across London are launching a 48-hour strike over pay, threatening disruption to council services. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) The CGCA's Alternative 10-point Plan The decline of parts of Covent Garden (and the West End of London as a whole) could be halted by compliance with existing Laws and Regulations. ... There is no immediate need for new Forums, Meetings, discussions or By-Laws. (Covent Garden Community Association, Annual Report, 12 Jun 2002) Labour chairman accuses media of exaggerating spin Labour chairman Charles Clarke has accused the party's critics in the media of undermining democracy by exaggerating sleaze and spin. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) Fixing global warming costs 'next to nothing' say experts A top economist says fixing global warming now will have next to no impact on the long-term global economy. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) At least 179 dead after storms in China More than 179 people are now feared dead in the flooding and mudslides caused by torrential rains in western China. (Ananova, 12 Jun 2002) No Final Solutions: Remembering the War in Afghanistan To protest against America and Britain’s military “War on Terror,” Catherine Barron set up a cricket scoreboard on the steps of St. Martin’s church in Trafalgar Square, London. (Islam Online, 11 Jun 2002) Long-awaited Gacaca trials about to begin The long-awaited trials to be conducted by Gacaca courts - an adapted form of Rwandan traditional participatory justice - are to begin on 18 June to deal with the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide, in which Hutu extremists in the country killed some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 100 days. (IRIN, 11 Jun 2002) Village that shops together stays together When sleepy Maiden Bradley nearly lost its store, residents created a plan to save it that could be a model for other rural communities. (Guardian, 10 Jun 2002) Brickbats and mortar ... When it comes to housing, the government believes that what's best for tenants is to "transfer" their homes from local council control to that of a housing association. Like most New Labour projects it is noble in its aims, self-avowedly non-ideological in its conception and self-evidently dogmatic in its execution. The target is to bring all council housing up to a decent standard by 2010. (Guardian, 10 Jun 2002) Town for sale amid debt crisis A desperate situation calls for desperate measures, and burdened by staggering debts a Czech town has been forced to put the public library, a children's playground and other assets up for sale. (BBC, 10 Jun 2002) Children make history at human rights committee A group of children have made history by becoming the first to give evidence to a parliamentary committee. (Ananova, 10 Jun 2002) Crops destroyed so officials can see better Farmers in China had their crops destroyed to give visiting officials a better view. (Ananova, 10 Jun 2002) Farmers unhappy over 'irresponsible' GM crops drama Farmers' leaders have called the BBC "irresponsible" for screening the thriller Fields Of Gold. (Ananova, 10 Jun 2002) We're all Thatcherites, Mandelson tells Labour Former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson says Labour should crack down on crime and illegal immigration. (Ananova, 10 Jun 2002) Employers 'exploiting anti-union laws' It is argued millions of workers are being denied their human rights because employers are "exploiting" regulations on union membership. (Ananova, 10 Jun 2002) Protesters target firms with liberal outlooks Companies that promote themselves as socially responsible businesses will only succeed in attracting more protests from a new generation of radical "anti-brand" activists, a think-tank argues today. (Independent, 10 Jun 2002) Ministers prepare to sell GM to the public Ministers are determined to grow GM crops commercially in Britain as soon as possible and are setting out to persuade the public to accept them. (Independent, 9 Jun 2002) I'm a victim of the smear machine, too, says top Labour MP One of the most senior Labour backbenchers and a leading critic of the Tony Blair's transport policy today claims she is the latest victim of a government-backed smear campaign to remove her. (Independent, 9 Jun 2002) Women graduates find sexism hard to handle FEMALE graduates cannot cope with sexism in the workplace because they rarely encounter discrimination until they leave school or university, research has shown. (Times, 8 Jun 2002) Cameras put in police stations to prove cops aren't corrupt The city council of a Mexican city have installed closed-circuit cameras in local police stations to reassure the public its officers do not take bribes or torture suspects. (Ananova, 8 Jun 2002) DTrial of genocide suspect begins Monday A genocide suspect, Eliezer Niyitegeka, will go on trial on Monday before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Internews reported. (IRIN, 7 Jun 2002) Once again, African children are dying of hunger. But why is famine afflicting places of such natural wealth? ... Nearly 13 million people are on the brink of starvation as the worst food crisis in a decade spreads across six countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. (Independent, 7 Jun 2002) Australia 'is treating migrants worse than criminals' Asylum-seekers in Australian detention centres are treated worse than criminals and frequently suffer from depression, a United Nations delegation said yesterday. (Independent, 7 Jun 2002) Memorial to road deaths planned The Government is backing plans for a national memorial for the victims of road accidents in an effort to highlight the number of deaths and injuries on the roads. ... More than 17 million people have been injured and 350,000 killed in road accidents in Britain over the past 60 years. (Times, 7 Jun 2002) BNP tenants' leader can stay African AIDS families too poor to buy medicine SHE is just three-and-a-half years old and already learning to care for her mother. (Mirror, 7 Jun 2002) How the computer 'killed' nation state The computer has killed the nation state and September 11 was merely the beginning of a century-long war, according to one of the US government's former top advisers. (Guardian, 7 Jun 2002) Biggest ever meeting protests over planned refugee centre More than 1,500 people gathered in the centre of a small market town in Nottinghamshire to protest at plans to build a refugee centre nearby. (Ananova, 7 Jun 2002) DoT's secret e-mail to 'dig dirt' on victim of Paddington Senior figures at the Department of Transport sent a secret e-mail to uncover information on the Paddington rail crash survivor Pam Warren in what has been seen as an attempt to discredit her. (Independent, 6 Jun 2002) Washington plan to fingerprint 100,000 foreigners legally in US MORE than 100,000 Muslims and Middle Eastern nationals living legally in the United States are to be fingerprinted and forced to register their whereabouts with the Government. (Times, 6 Jun 2002) Prescott in a jam over failure to meet promise on car journeys The Government was accused of trying to rewrite history yesterday, five years after a promise by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott that by June 2002 there would be fewer journeys made by car. (Telegraph, 6 Jun 2002) The Cultivation of African Palm in Chiapas At this time, after gathering information from diverse sources, we write about the African palm, which is used for its oil. (CIEPAC Bulletin, 6 Jun 2002) Sunday computer fix 'costs £11,600' An inquiry was demanded yesterday after it was revealed the taxpayer pays almost £12,000 every time a computer technician is called out to the National Probation Service on a Sunday. (Independent, 5 Jun 2002) US blacklists trafficking countries The United States has published a report revealing the massive scale of global human trafficking and blacklisting 19 countries for not doing enough to stamp out what it calls "a modern form of slavery". (BBC, 5 Jun 2002) Our son, the rebel As he approaches the end of his 18-year jail sentence for exposing Israel's nuclear secrets, Mordechai Vanunu is still full of rage and refusing to be silenced. (Guardian, 5 Jun 2002) Copenhagen flirts with fascism ... Over the past year, the unheralded swing to the right in Danish politics has made the gradual increase in Germany's vote for the Nazis look slow. (Guardian, 5 Jun 2002) Islamic court spares woman from stoning until 2004 An Islamic appeal court in northern Nigeria’s Katsina State on Monday gave a 30-year-old woman sentenced to death for adultery a reprieve until January 2004. It also deferred hearings on her appeal to 8 July. (IRIN, 4 Jun 2002) Logging threatens Pygmies' forest life A basket dangling from her head and a machete in hand, Bayanga's bare-breasted traditional doctor scours the forest for the day's medical and psychological needs. (BBC, 4 Jun 2002) New book says Christians suffered most A new book which claims that Christians are the victims of worldwide persecution has stirred controversy in Italy amid accusations that it minimises the Holocaust and demonises Islam. (Guardian, 4 Jun 2002) (!) Mosquito nets provided for more than 158,000 A programme to distribute 60,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to thousands of households in Kikimi, an outlying district of Kinshasa, was launched on Monday by the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund. (IRIN, 3 Jun 2002) Roll Back Malaria. Fortress Europe pulls up the drawbridge Gated communities have become all the rage over the past 20 years. In a world where the gap between rich and poor is ever more apparent, those who have made it find that one way to engender a sense of security is to live behind razor wire. (Guardian, 3 Jun 2002) Earnings of women still lag by 18% British women can celebrate 50 years of progress in the workplace, but still lack sufficient childcare, are concentrated in particular jobs, and earn on average 18% less than men, according to the equal opportunities commission. (Guardian, 3 Jun 2002) Battle of Algiers returns to haunt Le Pen as claims of torture focus on far-right leader Wartime role of NF leader risks far-right vote in Sunday's election The ghosts of Jean-Marie Le Pen's past as an army officer in Algeria emerged yesterday to haunt the election campaign of the man whose political rise ushered the revival of Europe's far right. (Guardian, 4 Jun 2002) Bangladesh to ban mobile phones for children Bangladesh is preparing to ban mobile phones for children under 16 to protect them from exposure to radiation that could damage their brains. (Ananova, 3 Jun 2002) Bullies who let Britain down Bosses who think acting like American tough guys raises productivity are making it worse. A gentler touch is needed if this country is to catch up with its rivals There is a commonly held view that Britain has the most flexible labour market in the world outside the US. New Labour claims this makes the economy attractive for foreign investment and is a model for other European countries. If so, why does productivity in Britain remain lower than in many of these other nations? (Observer, 2 Jun 2002) TV? You may as well talk to a trouser press What do the following phrases have in common: military intelligence, caring Conservatism, interactive TV? They're all oxymorons, or contradictions in terms. Especially the last one. (Observer, 2 Jun 2002) Placing Big Brother on wrong side of the law Help is at hand for employees who feel they are being snooped on by their employers. The new Employment Practices Data Protection Code will make it far harder for organisations to listen in on telephone calls made by staff, read their emails or film them with secret cameras. (Observer, 2 Jun 2002) Asylum crisis hyped in Europe, says UN A row has broken out between Britain and the United Nations after Home Secretary David Blunkett was accused along with his EU counterparts of exaggerating the scale of the asylum crisis. (Observer, 2 Jun 2002) School teenagers to get £40 bonus Schoolchildren are to be paid £40 a week to stay on at school as part of a multi-billion-pound revolution in secondary schools in England and Wales. (Observer, 2 Jun 2002) Bush blocks bid to save millions of lives European governments have long suspected it. Environmentalists have long proclaimed it. But now there is clear evidence that President George Bush's environmental policy is indeed a load of crap. (Independent, 2 Jun 2002) Congolese rebels massacred own soldiers and civilians to foil coup in Kisangani The mutilated bodies of up to 200 unarmed soldiers and civilians have been found floating in rivers leading from the north-eastern Congolese city of Kisangani where rebel authorities were reported last week to have foiled an attempted coup. (Telegraph, 2 Jun 2002) Genocide of African-Colombians Choco, Colombia, South America, is the ancestral home of 18 million poor and marginalized African Colombians. On May 2, 302 people, 32 percent of the population of Bellavista, a town in Choco of more than 800 people, were killed, wounded or disappeared. (New California Media, 2 Jun 2002) How mothers can pass on problems Anxiety and depression in pregnant women is strongly linked to their children having emotional and behavioural problems, says research published today. (Telegraph, 1 Jun 2002) Africans drown as migrant boat sinks off the Canaries At least 15 African migrants drowned off Spain's Canary islands yesterday when the fragile boat they were travelling in sank while trying to take them to Europe, police said. (Guardian, 1 Jun 2002) Distil my beating heart To establish a personal connection with the 18th-century gin trade, you have only to look at the label of your own supply: Beefeater, Booth, Gordon, Tanqueray. All descend from the first companies of distillers who, having grown very rich on gin, understandably and on the whole successfully resisted attempts to limit its consumption. Review of The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva: The 18th-century Gin Craze by Patrick Dillon. (Guardian, 1 Jun 2002) Maori militancy fades as rainbow nation embraces diversity ... In contrast with Australia, where Aborigines were dismissed as savages by European settlers, the rights of Maoris were acknowledged from the start. (Independent, 1 Jun 2002) |
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updated:
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2002