| Home |
| Library |
| Contact us |
| About |
| Site index |
|
Test to predict longevity A simple blood test may soon be able to predict how long we will live. For some time, scientists have thought that the ageing process is governed by tiny structures found at the ends of the chromosomes called telomeres. (BBC, 31 Jan 2003) State turns blind eye to workers in the shadows ...In Britain’s booming black economy — now referred to by politically correct Whitehall officials as the shadow economy — hundreds of thousands of people are working illegally with the connivance of not only the native population whom they service, but perhaps also the state. (Times, 31 Jan 2003) Police to be armed with stun guns Police firearms units are to be equipped with American-style stun guns in an attempt to find "less lethal" options to conventional firearms. (Telegraph, 31 Jan 2003) Namibian tribe sues Germany for genocide A Namibian tribe that came close to being exterminated by Germany's colonial forces nearly a century ago is suing the German government and two companies for £2.6 billion. (Telegraph, 31 Jan 2003) Jail sentences for Asian rioters 'not too harsh' The lengthy jail sentences for young Asian men involved in the 2001 Bradford riots were just according to the Court of Appeal. ...In the 15 appeals before the court, the judges reduced the sentences in only four. (Ananova, 30 Jan 2003) New watchdog created to stop Enron-style collapse Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has announced the creation of a new regulator to prevent an Enron-style corporate collapse in Britain. (Ananova, 29 Jan 2003) War 'has ruined Afghan environment' Two decades of war have laid waste Afghanistan's environment so badly that its reconstruction is now compromised, the United Nations says. (BBC, 29 Jan 2003) Timetables of failure The government is today publishing new league tables in an effort to improve the "wretched" way in which many councils administer housing benefit. Twenty-four councils are shown to be taking on average more than three months to process new benefit claims. (Guardian, 29 Jan 2003) Sex in public could land couples in jail Couples who have sex in an outdoor public place could face a jail term of up to six months under proposed legislation. (Ananova, 29 Jan 2003) Riot sentences were excessive, claim families Relatives of seven Asian youths jailed following the 2001 Bradford riots are protesting outside the High Court claiming the sentences are excessive. (Ananova, 29 Jan 2003) 
Blair is a cowardWilliam Russell, the great correspondent who reported the carnage of imperial wars, may have first used the expression "blood on his hands" to describe impeccable politicians who, at a safe distance, order the mass killing of ordinary people. (Mirror, 29 Jan 2003) Cannibal soldiers 'sprinkled salt on six-year-old's flesh' A Congolese pygmy has told how cannibal rebel soldiers sprinkled salt on his nephew's flesh before eating him. (Ananova, 28 Jan 2003) Parents of Deepcut death soldier are bugged The parents of a teenage soldier whose death at Deepcut Army barracks is at the centre of a police investigation, have found their home was being bugged. (Ananova, 27 Jan 2003) Nigeria remembers deadly barracks blast Nigerians have been commemorating the first anniversary of an explosion at an arms depot in Lagos a year ago in which more than 1,000 people were killed. (BBC, 27 Jan 2003) The coffee table war In Britain, newspapers scream their arguments for war. In America, they do it with books, heaps of them, coffee table books recalling the attacks of 11 September 2001, paperbacks pleading for peace in Iraq, great tomes weighed down with footnotes extolling the virtues of "regime change" in the Middle East. In New York, the publishers as well as the media have gone to war. (Independent, 26 Jan 2003) Ritter condemns sex arrest 'smears' Former UN weapons inspector in Iraq Scott Ritter has condemned US media reports that he was arrested in 2001 in an alleged internet sex sting. (BBC, 24 Jan 2003) CNN headlines this story as Ex-arms inspector, war foe Ritter confirms 2001 arrest. American Indians see Lewis and Clark journey as beginning of end As America nears the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Native American leaders are demanding a major reassessment of how we view our heroes and our history. (Times Leader, 23 Jan 2003) Bloody end as trap for man behind massacres backfires American intelligence officials were yesterday struggling to explain the failure of a dramatic operation to snare one of the main instigators of the Rwandan genocide which led to the death of their key informant, a Kenyan businessman vying for a £3m bounty. American intelligence officials were yesterday struggling to explain the failure of a dramatic operation to snare one of the main instigators of the Rwandan genocide which led to the death of their key informant, a Kenyan businessman vying for a £3m bounty. US investigators in Nairobi had enlisted the help of Kenyan security services to arrest Felicien Kabuga, a Rwandan tycoon charged with financing the 1994 murder of 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus. (Guardian, 22 Jan 2003) Conflict would cost taxpayer at least £3.5bn The cost to British taxpayers of a war against Iraq would total at least £3.5bn and probably significantly more, it was estimated yesterday. (Guardian, 22 Jan 2003) Right-to-buy discounts to be cut Council tenants' right-to-buy discounts are to be slashed in 42 areas of England, the government has announced. (BBC, 22 Jan 2003) See also: BBC Areas affected by the right-to-buy change, 10 Downing St. Right to Buy scheme updated. Thirty years after US women won the right to choose, the fight over abortion continues Today, Norma McCorvey is to deliver an emotional speech at a rally in Texas marking the 30th anniversary of the court ruling that gave American women the constitutional right to an abortion. She will say abortion is utterly wrong. "I'm 100 per cent pro-life. No exceptions. No compromise." (Independent, 22 Jan 2003) Livingstone blames road charges on school run Parents who take their children to school by car were blamed by Ken Livingstone yesterday for his decision to introduce the congestion charge. (Telegraph, 22 Jan 2002) Sprawl of greenfield housing condemned Homes are planned for greenfield sites covering an area bigger than Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton combined, countryside campaigners said yesterday. (Telegraph, 22 Jan 2003) Labour's class vengeance hurts the poorest most How do you get poor children into university? That is the question that Labour education policy is trying to answer. The argy-bargy about top-up fees versus graduate taxes, market systems or Treasury control, is all really about this absolutely central point: how can the advantages of higher education be extended to people from underprivileged backgrounds? (Telegraph, 22 Jan 2003) Third of British children 'living in poverty' Around a third of all children in Britain are living in poverty, and it is worse among those in ethnic minority groups, according to new figures. (Ananova, 21 Jan 2003) Compensation dodge threatens urban regeneration A surge in the number of tenants buying their homes is threatening to scupper efforts to regenerate Britain's rundown estates, according to new unpublished research. (Guardian, 21 Jan 2003) Quarter of lottery players say it's poor value More than a quarter of people who play the National Lottery say it does not represent value for money. (Ananova, 21 Jan 2003) Blue-chip firms fall foul of Higgs A large number of blue-chip companies are in breach of a new code on boardroom standards unveiled yesterday by the Government in a bid to prevent an Enron-style corporate scandal hitting the UK. (Independent, 21 Jan 2003) See also Shake-up for cosy world of British boardrooms. Insect plagues India's 'tree of life' An insect that originates in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has crossed the border and is making India's ''tree of life'' distinctly sick. (BBC, 21 Jan 2003) Blunkett gives 30 areas cash to tackle drug crime Home Secretary David Blunkett has named the 30 areas of England most affected by drug crime, which will get extra cash to tackle the problem. (Ananova, 21 Jan 2003) Gender pay gap widens The gap between the pay of men and women widened to almost 19% last year, reversing a 20-year trend, according to a new study. (Ananova, 20 Jan 2003) Black pharaoh trove uncovered A team of French and Swiss archaeologists working in the Nile Valley have uncovered ancient statues described as sculptural masterpieces in northern Sudan. (BBC, 20 Jan 2003) Malaysian police raid website office Malaysian police have raided the offices of the independent news website, Malaysiakini. (BBC, 20 Jan 2003) Why immigration is good for Britain WE'RE being swamped by a tide of asylum seekers - or that's what the racist merchants of doom would have us believe. Coming over here, taking our jobs, scrounging off the state, bringing crime, guns, drugs - and now even terrorism. (Mirror, 20 Jan 2003) Into the art of darkness Forget all previous notions of Italy. Arriving in Parma in 1999, Tobias Jones ignores the palazzi, art and architecture, the food, wine, ritual and romance. He elects instead to write about the other, darker side of Italy, the politics, corruption, assassinations and interminable legal wranglings. (Observer, 19 Jan 2003) What are you reading? A HALF a century ago, George Orwell used the famous phrase "Big Brother is watching you" in his novel 1984. Today, under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, Big Brother will indeed be watching us every time we use a public library. Or buy a book. (Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan 2003) Also available via Common Dreams. Directors told to meet without the executives NON-EXECUTIVE directors of British companies will today be urged to hold private meetings without chairmen or executive directors to discuss where their businesses are going wrong. (Times, 20 Jan 2003) Fair trade firm set for successful flotation TRAIDCRAFT will today announce the successful flotation of a company with a difference — its shares pay no dividend and the market is decidedly illiquid. But the issue from Traidcraft, which sources and sells ethically produced goods from around the world, has been fully subscribed to raise £3.25 million. (Times, 20 Jan 2003) E-mail from an expat The number of people joining Voluntary Service Overseas has plummeted since 11 September. But security fears did not put off Justin Scully, as he tells in our series on expatriate readers of BBC News Online. (BBC, 20 Jan 2003) Aid volunteers put off by fear of terrorism FEARS of terrorist attacks abroad and economic uncertainty at home have led to a huge decline in the number of Britons willing to do voluntary work abroad. (Times, 20 Jan 2003) Six found dead in immigrants boat A Russian cargo ship off southern Italy has discovered suspected illegal immigrants on a small boat - six of whom were dead and six alive. (Ananova, 19 Jan 2003) Eastward Ho! Go-ahead for 40-mile linear city along the Thames Tony Blair has given the green light for a huge expansion of London eastwards with a series of new townships to relieve overcrowding in the capital and provide affordable homes for people priced out of the housing market. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) Western protectionism blamed for 'shameful' global poverty The west is accused of "unjustifiable and objectionable" protectionism in its dealings with developing countries, in a report attacking the "shameful" level of global poverty. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) Royal Mail harassment 'rampant' The Equal Opportunities Commission yesterday launched a formal investigation into wide- spread sexual harassment of women postal workers at Royal Mail. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) Ex-firebrand turned smooth operator is back in firing line When Trevor Phillips was a teenager in Georgetown, Guyana, he led a school strike which resulted in him being marched, at gunpoint, to police headquarters. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) How property equals poverty Making that first step on to the property ladder is a dream for many people - a dream of affluence and comfort. But for millions of homeowners the reality is rather different. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) Somali children in exodus to Europe Thousands of children are being smuggled into Europe from war-ravaged Somalia every year, with Britain the most popular destination, according to a UN report released yesterday. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) How to... be on a committee A committee is a group of people who get together to dream up difficulties and avoid decisions. Anything with a budget has a committee attached - in effect, it's a form of contraception that prevents the budget conceiving anything new and exciting. (Guardian, 18 Jan 2003) Japanese car makers target China Take a drive through London, Los Angeles or Lagos and many of the cars you'll see will be Japanese. (BBC, 17 Jan 2003) Africa hopes for anti-wrinkle cash cow Some of the poorest women in Africa have something that American women want. It's called shea butter, comes from West Africa and is said to have magic moisturising properties to create excellent anti-wrinkle creams, lip balm, stretch-mark ointments and soothing nappy rash lotions. (BBC, 17 Jan 2003) Crooked council worker is jailed AN EX-HOUSING officer has been jailed for two years for stealing almost £50,000, while police investigate five other cases of corruption and fraud at the same council. (South London Press, 17 Jan 2003) Your own council house the key to happy retirement A GOLDEN old age is within the reach of us all, according to researchers, and you do not have to be stinking rich to enjoy it. In fact, all you need is good health, freedom to choose your retirement date, and the chance to buy your council house. (Times, 17 Jan 2003) The web should net all Most websites are currently much too difficult to use for some sections of the population. They include people who have disabilities, are elderly, or have low literacy levels - users who together make up a large percentage of the population. (Guardian, 16 Jan 2003) Librarians Split on Sharing Info In the year following the passage of the Patriot Act, librarians' response to law enforcement requests for patrons' records has been sharply divided, according to a nationwide survey. (Wired, 16 Jan 2003) Fortress continents ... A fortress continent is a bloc of nations that joins forces to extract favourable trade terms from other countries, while patrolling their shared external borders to keep people from those countries out. (Guardian, 16 Jan 2003) UK sells Iran 'military' equipment Britain has given the go-ahead for the export to Iran of equipment that can be used in anti-personnel land mines. (BBC, 16 Jan 2003) EU to fingerprint all asylum seekers Asylum seekers in Europe face a new hurdle from today, when the EU officially launches a centralised fingerprinting system operating from Brussels. (Guardian, 15 Jan 2003) At least 80 feared drowned as boat capsizes At least 80 people are feared to have drowned after a boat travelling between Somalia and Yemen capsized. (Ananova, 15 Jan 2003) The United States of America has gone mad America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War. (Times, 15 Jan 2003) Police 'missing targets' for ethnic minority officers David Blunkett has accused five police forces of allowing the number of ethnic minority officers to fall in the past year despite targets to increase black and Asian recruitment figures. (Independent, 15 Jan 2003) Blunkett signals retreat on race David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, signalled a major retreat yesterday from the race relations policy adopted by the Government after Sir William Macpherson's report into the death of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence. (15 Jan 2003) Analysis: A sign of the times: humiliation for the new media hero who defeated an old giant Steve Case, the founder of America Online, stunned the world by announcing his intention to buy Time Warner. That was three years ago. He was the very embodiment of the all-conquering new media. But today he stands for deflated fortunes and unvarnished humiliation. (Independent, 14 Jan 2003) Clean sweep that masks community breakdown As part of our long-term investigation into whether the government is delivering public service improvements on the ground in Enfield, north London, this month we look at the state of the streets and antisocial behaviour, and find painfully slow progress. (Guardian, 13 Jan 2003) 'Spot checks' for company accounts Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt will this month announce the creation of an independent body to carry out "spot checks" on companies' accounts as part of a revamp of corporate law. (Independent, 12 Jan 2003) Plan to stem decline in Irish The Irish government is to take a new look at the country's first language after reports suggest that use of Irish is decreasing fast. (Ananova, 12 Jan 2003) Families have a great-great future GREAT-grandparents and even great-great-grandparents are set to become a feature of many family gatherings, while cousins, aunts and uncles will become thin on the ground, according to researchers at Oxford University. (Times, 12 Jan 2003) Governor commutes 167 death sentences Illinois governor George Ryan has commuted the death sentence on 167 condemned inmates. It is the broadest attack on capital punishment in decades. (Ananova, 12 Jan 2003) Amnesty pleads for Guantanamo inmates Human rights group Amnesty International has called for the US to charge or release all of the prisoners held at its base at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay. The call comes on the first anniversary of the arrival of prisoners from Afghanistan. (BBC, 11 Jan 2003) Judge ignores court order and takes over white farm A Zimbabwe High Court judge has ignored an order by his own court barring him from moving onto a farm confiscated from a white family. (Ananova, 10 Jan 2003) A very Tory kind of history Niall Ferguson's feel-good television series on the British empire is a blinkered and sentimental romp. (Guardian, 9 Jan 2003) Attackers storm Pakistani cable TV company Tens of thousands of cable television subscribers in northwest Pakistan have been cut off after armed masked men stormed a broadcaster's offices and smashed equipment. (Ananova, 9 Jan 2003) Sale of the century ... The idea - and the practice - that councils build houses at public expense and let them to tenants at reasonable rents has always been quintessentially Labour. (Guardian, 9 Jan 2003) Lethal recreations: how violent computer games can affect the teenage brain A series of recent scientific studies suggests repeated playing of explicit video games might desensitise young people to violence. (Independent, 8 Jan 2003) Anger as Rwanda releases 40,000 from jail President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has issued a decree to release up to 40,000 prisoners, including thousands of genocide suspects, a senior government official said yesterday. (Guardian, 8 Jan 2003) 'Gadget printer' promises industrial revolution The idea of printing a light bulb may seem bizarre, but US engineers are now developing an ink-jet printing technology to do just that. The research at the University of California in Berkeley will allow fully assembled electric and electronic gadgets to be printed in one go. (New Scientist, 8 Jan 2003) Credibility gap Prince William's 10-week stint of community work in Chile two years ago was cheered by charities keen to promote gap-year volunteering. They were doubly pleased that he worked alongside a homeless 17-year-old. But they are notably less enthusiastic about the government's new suggestion that financial incentives could be the way to turn other less well-heeled school leavers into full-time "gappers". (Guardian, 8 Jan 2003) Agencies underestimate value of unpaid workers Unpaid workers put in long hours to make a difference in their communities, but are often undervalued or overlooked in favour of paid professionals. A survey by the Standing Conference for Community Development and the Community Development Foundation reveals that some activists work for up to 50 hours a week and have been involved in their neighbourhoods for many years. (New Start, 8 Jan 2003) 'Crude discrimination' hits poor homeowners Half Britain's poor are neglected by the government because they are owner-occupiers and ineligible for housing benefit, according to research published today for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. (Guardian, 8 Jan 2003) Minister accused over £100m sweeteners An MP is complaining to the Speaker today about a Ministry of Defence "cover up" over the offer of nearly £100m financial sweeteners to push through the part-privatisation of the defence research agency QinetiQ to the Carlyle Group, a US firm whose European chairman is the former prime minister John Major. (Guardian, 7 Jan 2003) Record jail numbers insupportable, says Lord Irvine Fresh concerns over the corrosive impact of prison overcrowding are voiced today by the chief inspector of prisons after the lord chancellor admitted yesterday that the record jail population of 72,522 in England and Wales was "insupportable". (Guardian, 7 Jan 2003) End of republican ideal in French high-rise hell The constitution promises equality for all citizens. But immigrants in crime-ridden sink estates tell a startlingly different story. (Guardian, 7 Jan 2003) Straw admits oil is key priority The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, yesterday pinpointed for the first time security of energy sources as a key priority of British foreign policy. (Guardian, 7 Jan 2003) Ministers vow to back bid to scrap section 28 The Government is to back a fresh bid to repeal legislation banning the use of taxpayers' money to promote homosexuality. (Ananova, 7 Jan 2003) 'Fashion shame drives teenagers to truant' Researchers have found one fifth of 15-year-olds play truant because of concerns about their appearance. (Ananova, 7 Jan 2003) Co-op Union to change name The Co-operative Union is to change its name after 133 years - to Co-operatives UK. (Ananova, 6 Jan 2003) The 10 Worst Corporations of 2002 ... Multinational Monitor has named Arthur Andersen, British American Tobacco (BAT), Caterpillar, Citigroup, DynCorp, M&M/Mars, Procter & Gamble, Schering Plough, Shell and Wyeth as the 10 Worst Corporations of 2002. (Common Dreams, 3 Jan 2003) Prescott the homewrecker JOHN Prescott was accused of betraying council tenants last night after leaked documents showed he was planning savage cuts in their right-to-buy. (The Mirror, 3 Jan 2003) Right-to-buy discount to be cut A SERIES of restrictions to prevent private landlords and developers from exploiting the right-to-buy scheme are to be announced by John Prescott next week. (Times, 3 Jan 2003) Prescott to defend right-to-buy restrictions John Prescott will insist next week that new restrictions on the right to buy council homes in urban areas of housing shortage are no more than an extension of policies adopted by Tory governments when similar shortages happened in attractive rural areas. (Guardian, 3 Jan 2003) Six immigrants drown off Gibraltar ... The single-engine, rubber boat sank after hitting rocks during a crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco. (Ananova, 2 Dec 2002) |
|
|
|
|
updated:
26 Dec
2004