| Home |
| Library |
| Contact us |
| About |
| Site index |
|
Study shows accents matter in business How you speak could help decide how well you get on in the business world, claims a survey of British bosses claim. (Ananova, 29 Sep 2003) Gaelic may die out in 40 years Gaelic is in terminal decline and could be extinct as a spoken language within 40 years, according to a new study. Research by Daniel Abrams, an expert in endangered languages at Cornell University in New York, found that Gaelic has suffered because of the low status assigned to it in schools, the workplace and the media. ...The American research team, headed by Abrams, studied nine languages under threat: Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Welsh, Alsatian in France, French in Canada, Quechua in Peru, Malay in Brunei, and Hokkien and Cantonese in Singapore. (Times, 28 Sep 2003) A taste of fish puts failing pupils on top A STUDY of primary school children has found that supplements of fish and plant oils could push them from the bottom of class to the top in just two terms. (Times, 28 Sep 2003) Scientists fight to save ancestral bone bank Along the walls of a crumbling Cambridge basement, rows of brown cardboard boxes are packed on cramped wooden shelves. It could be the storeroom of a hardware company were it not for the cartons' strange labels: 'Zuni', 'Fuegian', 'Saxon'. (Observer, 28 Sep 2003) Antibiotics 'useless in 12 years' warning ...Prof Hugh McGavock, of the University of Ulster, has blamed over-prescribing in the medical profession and farming. (Ananova, 28 Sep 2003) 'House prices up 138% over a decade' The price of the average house has rocketed 138% in the last decade, according to new research. (Ananova, 28 Sep 2003) Cursed, spat at, ignored. The ordeal of an EU whistleblower Robert McCoy has brought to light fraud and corruption within the EU. ...He has worked for the European Union for more than 30 years. His friends regard him as an upright and loyal bureaucrat, keen to uphold the EU's name against its critics, whether in Brussels or back home in Britain. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) Young Afghans return to lead the renaissance of the land their parents fled Rahim Walizada typifies the new Afghan Renaissance. He drives around Kabul in a bright blue 1959 Volga with an Afghan hound named James Bond and aims to revitalise the arts scene with the opening of his designer carpet gallery, Nomad. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) Beijing stands accused as power giant wins approval to dam Tibetan holy lake A row over Communist cronyism has erupted in China after the prime minister approved plans to build a controversial dam on a Tibetan holy lake, one of the country's last great wildernesses. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) The birth throes of a serious problem ... Although the picture is by no means uniform, in many European countries, birth rates have plummeted to the point where they are well below the replacement rate of 2.1 per woman. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) Labour's £2bn new deal for cities 'is a flop' A £2 billion Government flagship scheme to fund the regeneration of Britain's inner cities has been branded a flop following allegations of mismanagement, waste and nepotism. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) Supermarkets fear new crackdown on 'bully-boy' tactics The tense relationship between supermarkets and food producers is worse than ever, according to an NOP survey carried out for the Competition Commission. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) The supermarkets' code of malpractice The murky, fraught relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers, normally screened from the public gaze, have been thrown into sharp relief by the Competition Commission's report on the takeover battle for Safeway. It's not a pretty picture. (Telegraph, 28 Sep 2003) Report Senegal remembers ferry tragedy Memorial ceremonies have been taking place in Senegal to mark the first anniversary of the sinking of the passenger ferry, Joola, in which more than 1,800 people died. (BBC, 26 Sep 2003) The tabloid Indy will get the traditional welcome - strangulation at birth The Independent is offering London readers a choice of newspaper size from Tuesday. They can buy the paper in broadsheet or tabloid format. (Telegraph, 26 Sep 2003) Bush's Unofficial Official Secrets Act: How the Justice Department Has Pushed to Criminalize The Disclosure of Non-Security Related Government Information Except in a few highly egregious circumstances relating to national security information (espionage and atomic secrets), the U.S. Congress has, in the past, never made it a crime to leak information to the news media. As a result, for over two hundred years, our government has operated without an "official secrets act." (FindLaw, 26 Sep 2003) Top cop stands by 'catch crooks' call Warwickshire chief constable John Burbeck today stood by his call for the public to help the police by making citizen's arrests - saying even old ladies can catch crooks. (Coventry News, 26 Sep 2003) Safeway plc and Asda Group Limited (owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc); Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC; J Sainsbury plc; and Tesco plc: A report on the mergers in contemplation Audit chairman challenges 'smug' housing sector The housing sector is "somewhat smug" about its record on involving tenants and is less good at it than it thinks, the audit commission chairman, James Strachan, said today. (Guardian, 25 Sep 2003) World-renowned scholar Edward Said dies Edward Said, the world-renowned scholar, writer and critic has died aged 67, it was announced today. (Guardian, 25 Sep 2003) Police chief tells public to make their own arrests Members of the public who see a crime being committed should intervene to stop it or detain the offender until police help arrives, a chief constable says. John Burbeck, Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, called for a return to "old community values" where if a passer-by saw someone doing wrong, they tried to stop them. (Ananova, 25 Sep 2003) E-government services 'on track' Most public services will be online by the deadline of 2005, officials have insisted. (BBC, 25 Sep 2003) Divorce rate at highest since 1996 The divorce rate in England and Wales is at its highest since 1996, it has been announced. (Ananova, 25 Sep 2003) Plan to scrap national testing unveiled Plans to replace the five to 14-year-old national testing regime with a new system of assessment for Scottish pupils have been unveiled as part of a major overhaul of the education system north of the border. (Ananova, 25 Sep 2003) Afghan children kidnapped and sold says UN Children as young as four are being abducted from Afghan villages and smuggled into neighbouring countries where they are sold. (Ananova, 25 Sep 2003) 'Consume less - feel better' say campaigners Campaigners want an urgent debate into the problem of over consumption of natural resources. Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, Jonathon Porritt, said research showed those who consumed more don't necessarily feel any better for it. (Ananova, 25 Sep 2003) Rebel Israeli pilots 'grounded' The head of Israel's air force has grounded a group of fighter pilots who are refusing to carry out air strikes against Palestinians, Israeli media has reported. (BBC, 25 Sep 2003) Public domain Before we try to computerise government, it's a good idea to find out what it does. Not on the level of social contracts and national security, but nitty gritty stuff like collecting taxes, paying benefits and clearing up our mess. (Guardian, 25 Sep 2003) Nigerian spared death by stoning Amina Lawal, the single mother who attracted worldwide attention when she was sentenced to death by stoning, had her conviction overturned today by an Islamic appeals court in northern Nigeria. (Guardian, 25 Sep 2003) Microsoft chatrooms to close after abuse fear Microsoft is pulling the plug on all its UK chatrooms, used by more than 1.2 million people a month, amid growing concerns they are being used by paedophiles to find child victims. (Guardian, 24 Sep 2003) £500m plan to renew urban areas Hundreds of thousands of homes face demolition under government plans to turn around neighbourhoods where housing markets have collapsed and many are trapped in a spiral of negative equity. (Guardian, 24 Sep 2003) 200 held in Yemen 'to placate US' The US-led "war on terror" has caused a worsening of human rights in Yemen, with the authorities there holding almost 200 people without trial in an effort to placate the Americans, says a report published today. (Guardian, 24 Sep 2003) Government wants file on every child in England The Government says it wants to create a file on every child in England, including information on whether family members have a history of drug abuse or domestic violence. (Ananova, 24 Sep 2003) GM crops 'not wanted' Most people are "cautious, suspicious or outrightly hostile about GM crops", according to a nationwide consultation exercise. (Ananova, 24 Sep 2003) Dead girls' mothers visit US gun victims' families Opium growing is coming to dominate Afghanistan's economy, providing roughly half the war-shattered country's wealth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. (BBC, 22 Sep 2003) More migrants coming to UK Some 172,000 more people migrated to the United Kingdom in 2001 than moved away from it, according to official figures. Private sector up for grabs Most of the Iraqi private sector was put up for sale yesterday as the US-backed provisional administration unveiled sweeping reforms, throwing open its doors to foreign investors. (Times, 22 Sep 2003) Strawberry Hill stakes claim for Gothic revival Buildings under threat from neglect have for the first time been identified on every continent and listed as ‘most at risk’ by the World Monuments Fund. (Times, 22 Sep 2003) Blunkett pushes ID cards debate David Blunkett wants proposals for ID cards to be included in the forthcoming Queen's Speech. (BBC, 21 Sep 2003) DTI fears legal challenge from Wal-Mart The long-awaited publication of the Competition Commission's ruling on the takeover of Safeway, the supermarket chain, could be delayed further, as government officials endeavour to prevent possible legal action by the world's largest company, Wal-Mart. The commission's report, which was handed to the Department of Trade and Industry on August 18, is understood to recommend that Asda - owned by Wal-Mart - Tesco and J Sainsbury should all be blocked from acquiring Safeway. (Telegraph, 21 Sep 2003) Tories promise to halve TV licence The Conservatives are to propose that the television licence fee should be halved as part of a radical overhaul of the role of the BBC. (Telegraph, 21 Sep 2003) Islamic chaplain to Guantanamo prisoners detained A US Army Islamic chaplain who counselled al-Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba has been detained as part of a military investigation, officials said. Captain James Yee, also known as Yousef Yee, according to US military records in Guantanamo, has been confined since September 10. (Ananova, 21 Sep 2003) What good friends left behind Two years ago, as the bombs began to drop, George Bush promised Afghanistan 'the generosity of America and its allies'. Now, the familiar old warlords are regaining power, religious fundamentalism is renewing its grip and military skirmishes continue routinely. (Guardian, 20 Sep 2003) UN demands halt to Israeli threats against Arafat The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution demanding that Israel halt threats to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat but also condemning suicide bombings by Palestinians. (Ananova, 20 Sep 2003) Americans draw a veil of secrecy as casualties grow A culture of secrecy has descended upon the occupation authorities in Iraq. They will give no tally of the Iraqi civilian lives lost each day. (Independent, 20 Sep 2003) Half of all new nurses recruited from abroad NEARLY half the nurses starting work in Britain each year come from abroad, a study by the Royal College of Nursing has found. The study, carried out for the college by academics at the University of Edinburgh, found that the number of nurses recruited to Britain over the past five years rose by nearly 6,000 to 18,048. (Times, 19 Sep 2003) Bush 9/11 Admission Gets Little Play For months leading up this year's war on Iraq, the Bush administration implied that Saddam Hussein had a hand in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The argument was well-received by Americans, and might have been the single leading factor behind public support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. An oft-cited poll conducted by The Washington Post last month revealed that 69% of Americans continue to believe it likely that Hussein was personally involved in 9/11. No real evidence to support this has emerged, however, leading some (including E&P, just last week) to declare that the media had failed in its duty to correct the public misperception. So when President George Bush admitted on Wednesday, for the first time, that there was "no evidence that Hussein was involved with the September 11th" attacks, one would assume that would be big news and an opportunity for the press to make up for past failings. (Editor & Publisher, 19 Sep 2003) Activists attack human rights report THE Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights report came under criticism yesterday for failing to take America to task over its treatment of detainees in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. (Times, 19 Sep 2003) Virus poses as Microsoft update A Windows virus masquerading as a security update from Microsoft is spreading via e-mail, warn experts. ...The virus tries to trick people into clicking on it by purporting to be a security update from Microsoft, using a variety of subject line and spoof e-mail addresses. (BBC, 19 Sep 2003) 'Binge drinking' costing Britain £20bn-a-year "Binge drinking" is an increasing problem in Britain with alcohol abuse costing the country around £20 billion a year. (Ananova, 19 Sep 2003) Bush clears Saddam on 9/11 George W.Bush admitted yesterday there was no evidence tying Saddam Hussein to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US. (The Australian, 18 Sep 2003) Gay campaigners celebrate Section 28's demise Gay rights campaigners are celebrating the repeal of the controversial Section 28 as the Local Government Act received royal assent. (Ananova, 18 Sep 2003) Firms face fines over unwanted emails New powers to fine companies which send junk e-mails and text messages have become law. (Ananova, 18 Sep 2003) Archer set to be stripped of peerage Lord Archer will be stripped of his peerage under proposals for House of Lords reform announced by the Government. (Ananova, 18 Sep 2003) Supermarkets 'bullying farmers to break law' Supermarkets were blamed yesterday for encouraging the illegal use of cheap immigrant and criminal farm workers, and the Government was castigated for its "woefully inadequate" response to the problem. (Telegraph, 18 Sep 2003) Refugees die after being thrown in sea Dozens of refugees and illegal immigrants from east Africa were feared drowned in the Gulf of Aden yesterday after smugglers forced them off a boat at gunpoint, six miles from the coast of Yemen, according to a UN official. (Guardian, 17 Sep 2003) A raw deal How can residents be expected to solve the problems of living in deprived communities? (Guardian, 17 Sep 2003) Guinea-Bissau president 'resigns' General Seabre (right) says he will not stay in power The president of Guinea-Bissau, who was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sunday, has resigned from his position. (BBC, 17 Sep 2003) Iraq destroyed WMD years ago says Blix Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix believes that Iraq destroyed most of its weapons of mass destruction 10 years ago. (Ananova, 17 Sep 2003) Cleared officer backs Met boycott Superintendent Ali Dizaei, who was cleared of all criminal charges after a multi-million pound corruption investigation by his own force, said yesterday that his ordeal had left him on anti-depressants. ...Last night Mr Dizaei backed the position that plunged Britain's biggest police force into crisis: "It would be dishonest for any police officer, white or black, to say to a young potential ethnic minority recruit, join the police service, you will have a fair career and be treated with dignity, because it's just not going to happen. "Don't join until there is a visible demonstration from the commissioner himself to take out the cancer of racism from officers at the top of the police service. This includes the anti-corruption unit." (Guardian, 17 Sep 2003)  African Union chairman sworn inMr Konare was praised for bringing peace to Mali The former president of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, has taken over as chairman of the African Union. (BBC, 16 Sep 2003) Bolivia gas plans trigger unrest Protesters in Bolivia have launched a series of strikes and set up roadblocks across the country to show their opposition to government plans to export natural gas. (BBC, 16 Sep 2003) Top black policeman walks free from court A senior black police officer has walked free from court after being cleared following Britain's costliest single police corruption probe. Superintendent Ali Dizaei, once tipped to be Britain's first black chief constable, claimed he was subjected to a "witch hunt" since joining the Metropolitan Police. (Ananova, 15 Sep 2003) Raiders destroy Afghan police station Suspected Taliban rebels have raided and set ablaze a police station in southeastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. (Ananova, 14 Sep 2003) One in six workers are union members Only one in six of Britain's workforce are members of a trade union, according to a new poll. (Ananova, 14 Sep 2003) The dos and don'ts of debt 1. Don't bury your head in the sand: Your debt will not go away. You must tackle the problem before it escalates out of control. ... (Guardian, 13 Sep 2003) Hi-tech blimp is new spy in the sky ... The navy wants every big city in the United States to be watched over by three gigantic dirigibles, each to be shared between federal and state agencies such as the police and border patrol during normal duty, but redeployed by the navy in case of a terrorist emergency. (Times, 13 Sep 2003) Blunkett revives plan to let agencies trawl phone and net users' records Ministers are to press ahead with plans to ensure that communications companies retain the records of every telephone, internet and email user, in the face of determined opposition from industry and civil liberties groups. (Guardian, 13 Sep 2003) I was sacked as Rwanda genocide prosecutor for challenging president, says Del Ponte Carla del Ponte, who was removed last month from her post as prosecutor for the Rwanda genocide court, yesterday blamed her dismissal on the country's president, Paul Kagame. (Guardian, 13 Sep 2003) US soldiers kill 8 Iraqi police AMERICAN soldiers shot dead eight Iraqi policemen in Fallujah yesterday in a disastrous case of mistaken identity that threatens to reignite blood feuds and anti-coalition attacks in the unruly Sunni towns west of Baghdad. (Times, 13 Sep 2003) Murdoch sees pay package increase to $14m RUPERT MURDOCH, chairman and chief executive of The News Corporation, saw his pay package rise more than 50 per cent to $14.1 million (£8.8 million) in the past financial year as the media group swung back into the black. (Times, 13 Sep 2003) Cashing in on Pol Pot regime Cambodia is planning to cash in on the notoriety of the former Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot by turning his grave into a tourist attraction. (Telegraph, 13 Sep 2003) Nike settles workers rights case Nike says it has agreed to pay £1 million to a workers rights group to settle a case which has been dragging on for five years. As part of the settlement, Nike has agreed to pay the Fair Labour Association $1.5 million to boost efforts to improve factory conditions and monitoring. (Ananova, 12 Sep 2003) Israel 'decides in principle to expel Arafat' Israel's security Cabinet has reportedly decided in principle to expel Yasser Arafat, but has put off immediate action. (Ananova, 11 Sep 2003) Enron executive jailed for five years A former executive with the collapsed US energy giant Enron has been jailed for five years after admitting one charge of conspiracy. (Ananova, 10 Sep 2003) Blunkett demands explanation from police Home Secretary David Blunkett has demanded an explanation from police as to why they used anti-terrorist powers against protesters at an arms show. (Ananova, 10 Sep 2003) OAPs lobby parliament More than 1,000 pensioners gathered at the House of Commons for a mass lobby to demand higher state pensions. (Ananova, 10 Sep 2003) Half the population 'in poverty during last 10 years' Half the population has spent at least a year of the last decade living in poverty, Government figures have showed. (Ananova, 9 Sep 2003) Zimbabwean arrested for sending fax to Britain A Zimbabwean man has been arrested for sending a fax to a friend in Britain that detailed violence during local elections. Martin Mukaro, 35, appeared in a Harare court accused of breaching the state's draconian Public Order and Security Act. (Ananova, 9 Sep 2003) Child ID numbers planned in care shake-up Every child in England is to be given a credit card-style ID number in reforms aimed at preventing a repeat of the horrific death of Victoria Climbie. (Ananova, 8 Sep 2003) Mandy, Ali and Tony will never stop spinning – I should know Derek Draper I am 6,000 miles away training to be a psychotherapist, when I hear that Peter Mandelson is set to make a comeback. It sounds so absurd as to be unbelievable. Talk about the spin is dead, long live the spin. But all I have to do is close my eyes and I can imagine the scene all too clearly. (Times, 7 Sep 2003) Profile: Matthew Taylor: A wise old spinner: the new kid at No 10 He is lean, hip and mean-looking, a quintessential Blairite and the darling of television news programmes. Matthew Taylor is the new face in the Downing Street policy reshuffle, shipped in from the swanky Covent Garden outfit that is his left-wing think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, to stoke Labour’s gasping boilers. (Times, 7 Sep 2003) Camp Delta inmates will talk for burgers American interrogators here have come up with a few new weapons as they try to pry loose the secrets of prisoners captured on the battlefields of Afghanistan. (Sunspot, 7 Sep 2003) What Nelson never saw The history of Nelson's rambling Sicilian estate exposes a brutal side to one of England's greatest naval heroes. (Independent, 6 Sep 2003) This war on terrorism is bogus Massive attention has now been given - and rightly so - to the reasons why Britain went to war against Iraq. But far too little attention has focused on why the US went to war, and that throws light on British motives too. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) Riot gear sold to Hong Kong The government was last night criticised for approving the export of riot control equipment to Hong Kong while condemning the authorities for trying to introduce a law suppressing democratic rights. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) Bourgeois image haunts National Trust With an inclusive motto, "for ever, for everyone", it has rather strayed from the ambition of its founders to provide rural rest and recreation for downtrodden urban masses. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) London police braced for violent protests at Europe's biggest arms fair Anti-terrorist police will be part of a £1m policing operation in London's Docklands next week to protect Europe's largest defence exhibition amid concerns that demonstrations by anti-arms trade activists and anarchists could turn into riots. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) Mind the gap: why student year out may do more harm than good For the teenagers who cast off their daily lives and head off for South America, Africa and Asia, it may offer the time of their young lives. But research published yesterday shows that the so-called "gap year" between school and university is not as beneficial as has been suggested. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) Clarity emerges as court closes its doors The doors of Court 73 closed on Thursday after four weeks in which the inner workings of the British government were laid bare as seldom before. Lord Hutton will return to the Royal Courts of Justice a week on Monday. In the first phase of the inquiry a wealth of emails, memos, letters, minutes and personal testimony have revealed several important truths about the government's handling of the case for war and its impact on one man, David Kelly. (Guardian, 6 Sep 2003) Tate neighbours' image of a toweringly grim future The first image was released yesterday of a proposed 20-storey block of flats sited on the doorstep of Tate Modern - a notion described by the Tate director, Sir Nicholas Serota, as "the equivalent of building a tower block in the forecourt of the British Museum". (Guardian, 5 Sep 2003) Pity the poor, struggling middle classes: they've got a bad case of luxury fever As maladies go, it does not, at first glance, appear the most difficult to bear. Even the name - luxury fever - carries a certain aspirational panache. But the desire of Britons to ape celebrity lifestyles while earning altogether more modest incomes is leading, according to research, to a perverse delusion: the belief we are poor when we have never had it so good. (Guardian, 5 Sep 2003) Call to move Whitehall 'up north' A think tank is calling for Whitehall's entire civil service staff to be moved to the regions. (Ananova, 3 Sep 2003) Citizenship classes for new Britons Proposals for an English language test to be taken by people applying for UK citizenship have been welcomed by the Home Secretary, David Blunkett. (BBC, 3 Sep 2003) Report of the Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Group: The New and the Old. Institutional racism used as excuse for doing nothing, says CRE chief Institutional racism is now being used by some public services as a "cop-out" or an excuse to avoid tackling discrimination, the head of the commission for racial equality (CRE) warned yesterday. (Guardian, 1 Sep 2003) Ageing baby boomers set to rock society The British political landscape is about to be rocked by changes caused by the ageing of the baby boomers, the generation that has persistently challenged conventional behaviour patterns, the thinktank Demos warns today. (Guardian, 1 Sep 2003) Not just warmer: it's the hottest for 2,000 years The earth is warmer now than it has been at any time in the past 2,000 years, the most comprehensive study of climatic history has revealed. (Guardian, 1 Sep 2003) Jail terms are grotesque says new DPP THE new Director of Public Prosecutions was at the centre of his first political controversy last night after criticising as “grotesque” the effect of plans by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, for longer minimum jail sentences. (Times, 1 Sep 2003) |
| Cuttings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
updated:
18 Jul
2005