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Commonwealth fury at Whitehall 'meddling' The trade and industry secretary, Patricia Hewitt, was embroiled in a row with the Commonwealth secretariat last night after it emerged her officials had plotted to muzzle Commonwealth staff advising developing countries at last month's World Trade Organisation meeting in Cancun. (Guardian, 31 Oct 2003) The day the music died A growing list of top-flight rockers are cashing in by using their music to sell products. (Toronto Star, 31 Oct 2003) World drowning in oceans of data Growing net, computer and phone use is driving a huge rise in the amount of information people generate and use. (BBC, 31 Oct 2003) UN examines DR Congo mining The United Nations' Security Council is due to meet to consider a report on the impact the plundering of resources has had on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (BBC, 30 Oct 2003) Litter warning pensioner 'critical' A pensioner is in a critical condition in hospital after being attacked when he told a child not to drop litter in the street, police said. (Ananova, 30 Oct 2003) Australia must release the names of the 353 dead! On 19 October 2001, 146 children, 142 women and 65 men lost their lives when the small, grossly-overloaded Indonesian fishing boat, in which they were travelling, capsized and sank as they sought to flee persecution in their homelands and rebuild their lives in Australia. (Institute of Race Relations, 30 Oct 2003) Millions of adults would fail GCSE exams Fifteen million adults are so bad at maths or English they would fail a GCSE, Government research has revealed. (Ananova, 30 Oct 2003) Village accused of racism Police are investigating complaints of racism after a caravan with gypsies painted on it was burnt at a bonfire party in Sussex. (Ananova, 30 Oct 2003) Russian libraries throw out communist 'propaganda' Almost three quarters-of-a-million books on communism are being thrown out of libraries in Russia. (Ananova, 29 Oct 2003) Government to merge equality bodies A powerful new single body is being set up by the Government to counter all forms of discrimination. Plans for a Committee for Equality and Human Rights are set to be announced on Thursday. It will replace the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission. (Ananova, 29 Oct 2003) File not found The government's plan to keep a file on every child in England, so that those at risk of abuse, neglect or deprivation can be helped before they reach crisis point, has swiftly become mired in legal confusion and technical difficulties. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Co-op sponsors specialist school bids The Co-op is to sponsor a network of secondary schools under Labour's controversial specialist schools policy in England, it was announced today. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Estate agents urge buyers to lie about income to get mortgage First-time home buyers are being encouraged to lie about their incomes by mortgage brokers in some of Britain's biggest estate agents, an investigation says today. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) A little that may go a long way towards ending inequality This a novel policy. It is rare for governments to pay out large sums that no one will benefit from for 18 years, under some future administration. This is aspirational social engineering, designed to give low-income children some of the security the middle classes take for granted. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Parents choose how to invest child trust cash Parents will be free to choose from the available schemes for investing the tax-free cash - up to £1,000 - the government plans to give through the child trust fund scheme, Downing Street and the Treasury said yesterday. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) BMA raises concern over child databases The government's plan to keep a file on every child in England in a bid to identify those in need of help before they reach crisis point will breach patient confidentiality, according to the British Medical Association (BMA). (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Up to 15,000 people killed in invasion, claims thinktank As many as 15,000 Iraqis were killed in the first days of America's invasion and occupation of Iraq, a study produced by an independent US thinktank said yesterday. Up to 4,300 of the dead were civilian noncombatants. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Leave London, ministers told Government ministers should decamp themselves and their entire departments to disadvantaged regions outside of the capital in a bid to help close the regional economic gap between north and south, according to an Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) report to be launched tomorrow. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) African minister condemns teacher 'poaching' The South African education minister, Professor Kader Asmal, has called the act of rich countries "poaching" teachers from poorer countries "neo-colonial". (Guardian, 29 Oct 2003) Poor nations 'must do more' to meet education targets, says Boateng The chief secretary to the treasury, Paul Boateng, today cast doubt on the ability of the world's poorest countries to reach the millennium goal of getting every child into primary education by 2015. (Ananova, 29 Oct 2003) I chose my private school, says Diane Abbott's son The son of Labour MP Diane Abbott has rejected claims his mother is a hypocrite for sending him to a £10,000-a-year private school. (Ananova, 28 Oct 2003) Blunkett toughens rules on asylum A package of asylum measures unveiled yesterday includes a two-year prison sentence for those who destroy their travel papers and only one chance of appeal for failed applicants. (Guardian, 28 Oct 2003) Millions celebrate festival of lights Millions of Hindus and Sikhs are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights. (Ananova, 26 Oct 2003) Grenadians grateful for 1983 U.S. invasion ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada -- With church hymns and quiet reflection, Grenadians today celebrate Thanksgiving -- their national holiday honoring the U.S. troops who landed on this wink of a Caribbean island 20 years ago to restore calm after a Marxist-oriented revolution self-destructed and the country careened toward civil war. (Miami Herald, 25 Oct 2003) Major condemns 'porn' of spin John Major, the former prime minister, has denounced the government's use of spin as the "pornography of politics". (Guardian, 25 Oct 2003) Oil giant in dock over Amazon waste ChevronTexaco could be fined hundreds of millions of dollars and be forced to spend more than $1bn (£590m) cleaning up pollution from 28 years of oil extraction in Ecuador, if a court case which has opened in a small frontier town on the edge of the Amazon forest finds against it. (Guardian, 25 Oct 2003) Campaign urges men to become primary school teachers A "manhunt" has been launched by the Teacher Training Agency to get more male graduates to become primary school teachers in England. (Ananova, 25 Oct 2003) Tougher laws on planning decisions PUBLIC bodies in Scotland are to be required by law to consider the impact of their decisions on the environment, it was announced yesterday. (Times, 24 Oct 2003) America's homeless become new small-town pioneers Decision day nears on future of Oregon's experiment in community living. (Guardian, 25 Oct 2003) Washington: the eco-vandals For the first time in political memory, all the high-profile environmental positions in Washington are occupied by staunch opponents of green measures. (Guardian, 24 Oct 2003) A message for bad neighbours A BLUEPRINT to tackle antisocial behaviour has been drawn up for a borough where more than 7,000 complaints were made last year about noisy neighbours. (South London Press, 24 Oct 2003) Blunkett admits attacking racism documentary was 'a mistake' David Blunkett has admitted he made a mistake in attacking a TV documentary uncovering racism in the police - but blamed the BBC. (Ananova, 24 Oct 2003) 15,000 asylum seeker families allowed to stay Up to 15,000 asylum seeker families will be allowed to stay in the UK indefinitely ahead of new moves to tighten the system. (Ananova, 24 Oct 2003) Amnesty raises plight of 'Grenada 17' Amnesty International has revived memories of a turbulent time in Caribbean politics by questioning the convictions of 17 people said to have carried out killings during Grenada's 1983 coup. The report comes as Grenada prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the US invasion which ended the coup and ousted the Caribbean nation's revolutionary government. (BBC, 23 Oct 2003) Sixth police officer resigns after racism documentary ... Pc Andy Hall is the fourth officer from Greater Manchester Police to resign after featuring in BBC1's The Secret Policeman. (Ananova, 23 Oct 2003) Rupert vs. the BBC -- The 'Foxification' of Britain ...So it's been fascinating watching what has been going on in our media over the past few months. The attacks on the BBC by Tony Blair and his government, joinging forces with Rupert Murdoch and his executives at BSkyB, must be viewed in the context of what's already become a fait accompli in the United States -- the diminution of public space, especially public broadcasting space, by the ever more powerful forces of privatization. (MediaChannel, 23 Oct 2003) Think Tank Social housing needs a national regulator with teeth, writes Ed Mayo. (Guardian, 22 Oct 2003) Key workers to get £50,000 foot on property ladder Loans of up to £50,000 are to be offered to key workers to help them get a foot on the property ladder - with more for senior London teachers. (Ananova, 21 Oct 2003) Police ditch web auto-search THE Australian Federal Police have decided to ditch software used to monitor websites, including one providing comments and news of the controversial SievX incident, in which 353 asylum-seekers drowned while trying to reach Australia by boat. (Australian IT, 21 Oct 2003) Hidden Britain: Four million cries for help Four million children live in poverty in the UK, the fourth wealthiest nation in the world. More than 5.5 million households live in the shadow of deprivation, giving the UK one of the worst records on child poverty in the industrialised world. (Mirror, 21 Oct 2003) Safety puts play areas in danger CHILDREN'S playgrounds are being closed as councils find it impossible to keep pace with safety standards. (Mirror, 21 Oct 2003) Co-op goes GM-free The Co-op has announced that it is banning genetically modified food and ingredients throughout its entire business. (BBC, 21 Oct 2003) Sexuality 'may be determined before birth' Scientists say sexuality may be in the genes and pre-determined before birth. (Ananova, 20 Oct 2003) Barclays blows the gaff Matt Barrett, chief executive of Barclays Bank at least deserves credit for being summoned before a Treasury select committee and telling the truth. He admitted he did not use his company's credit card or anyone else's "because it's too expensive". He added that he urged his four children not to do so either. (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) Ministry agonises over fate of nuclear subs The Ministry of Defence is searching for a publicly acceptable solution for disposing of 27 highly radioactive submarine reactors, each twice as high as a double decker bus. (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) Big Issue sellers held in drugs crackdown Police arrested most of the Big Issue sellers on Liverpool's streets yesterday amid fears that they had been involved in dealing heroin and crack cocaine while using the magazine as a cover. (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) Pensioners warned over equity release Pensioners should avoid a raft of specialist equity release schemes called "home reversion plans", a firm of financial advisers warned this week. (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) It's the poor who pay the highest price Easy money is a myth. An all too typical situation is summed up by one distressed lady who told me: "I don't think anyone can understand properly just how it feels, to dread letters coming through the letterbox. When they did come, you'd feel so ill you'd put the letters behind the mantelpiece - never even open them sometimes." (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) Not always the ticket Fixed monthly payments or a quarterly bill? As Sean Coughlan warns, the choice is not quite as simple as it seems when it comes to getting real value for your money. (Guardian, 18 Oct 2003) Agribusiness ignores science Sir - Your editorial (Oct 17) diametrically opposed the views expressed in your news pages ("Field trials show GM crop farming could be 'disastrous' for wildlife"). (Telegraph, Letter to the editor, 18 Oct 2003) Prison population at new high The prison population in England and Wales has reached a new all-time high of 74,023. (Ananova, 17 Oct 2003) Taiwan boasts the world's tallest building Taiwan's capital is celebrating having the world's tallest skyscraper after crews finished installing the pinnacle on the 508-metre-tall Taipei 101 building. (Ananova, 17 Oct 2003) HSBC 'putting profit before people' HSBC has been accused of putting profit before people over plans to cut 4,000 UK jobs over the next three years and move them to Asia. (Ananova, 17 Oct 2003) Taxpayers face extra £1.5bn annual bill for railways Rail Regulator Tom Winsor has signalled a big rise in the cost of the railways at a time when the Government has warned the industry it must keep a close watch on expenditure. (Ananova, 17 Oct 2003) Child slaves rescued from granite pits Seventy-four child slaves, some as young as four years old, have been rescued after being forced to smash granite in a Nigerian quarry for a year. (Ananova, 16 Oct 2003) DMarchers face tanks in La Paz power struggle Thousands of peasants, miners and farmers marched on the Bolivian capital yesterday demanding the president's resignation. (Telegraph, 16 Oct 2003) Two killed in new Bolivia protests Protesters are now calling for the president to resign Two miners have been killed and several injured in Bolivia as thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police and troops. (BBC, 15 Oct 2003) Scottish scientist 'developed evolution theory before Darwin' New evidence has come to light suggesting a Scottish geologist came up with the theory of natural selection long before Charles Darwin. (Ananova, 15 Oct 2003) Councillors' 'golden goodbye' approved What do you think of the so-called golden goodbyles? Controversial plans to pay off councillors with up to £20,000 have been narrowly approved by Welsh assembly members. (BBC, 15 Oct 2003) Plan to move rail enquiries to India 'is stupid' Unions have attacked plans to move the UK's National Rail Enquiries service to India as crass stupidity. (Ananova, 15 Oct 2003) Employers 'cheating workers out of minimum wage' Thousands of workers are still being cheated out of the minimum wage by dishonest employers, according to research. (Ananova, 15 Oct 2003) Anger as state pension rises just £2.20 a week Campaigners for the elderly hit out yesterday after it emerged that the basic state pension will increase by just £2.20 to £79.65 a week from next April. (Telegraph, 15 Oct 2003) Daily News targets SA web return The Zimbabwe newspaper shut down last month is planning to relaunch an online version from neighbouring South Africa. (BBC, 13 Oct 2003) Uniforms 'raise school standards' School uniforms encourage better behaviour, says minister School uniforms can help to improve pupils' behaviour, says Education Minister Ivan Lewis. (BBC, 13 Oct 2003) Nigerian Anglicans in gay protest Members of Nigeria's 17 million-strong Anglican Church - the world's second-largest Anglican congregation - spent a day fasting and praying to protest the confirmation of homosexual priests and bishops in Britain and the United States. (Ananova, 13 Oct 2003) Proud moment for 12-year-old 'speaking clock' A 12-year-old girl says she is proud to have become the only child and the first Scot to record the Speaking Clock in its 67-year history. (Ananova, 13 Oct 2003) Where the next net boom is coming from Will the internet transform society? Likely not. The UK is too large and too developed for online digital connectivity (the so-called "e-society") to totally change most things we do. (Guardian, 13 Oct 2003) 'Hundreds left homeless' after Israeli army strike Israel's three-day military operation in a Gaza Strip refugee camp has left about 1,500 Palestinians homeless, according to UN officials. (Ananova, 13 Oct 2003) Straw blasts 'flawed' ID cards plan Plans for compulsory identity cards have reportedly been attacked as 'flawed' by Jack Straw. (Ananova, 12 Oct 2003) Ground Zero planners urged to build world's tallest structure The structure which will replace New York's twin towers could stand more than 2,000ft high, dwarfing the world's tallest buildings. (Ananova, 11 Oct 2003) Teachers 'colluding with coursework cheating' Senior examiners fear some teachers are colluding with cheating by their pupils in GCSE, GNVQ and A-Level coursework. (Ananova, 10 Oct 2003) Workers strike over 'Big Brother' monitoring system Factory workers are taking strike action after bosses introduced a Big Brother-style monitoring system forcing them to wear red tags on tea breaks. (Ananova, 10 Oct 2003) Forced to slum it This week the UN took to the streets of Rio, New York, Cairo and Nairobi to announce the arrival of the "new urban revolution". The explosive growth of world cities in the past few decades, it said, has left more than 900 million people in slums, with the probability that twice as many more will live in insanitary, overcrowded, unofficial settlements within 30 years. (Guardian 10 Oct 2003) Less English spoken in US homes The latest US census shows a big rise in the number of people who speak languages other than English at home. According to the 2000 census, 47 million people over the age of five - nearly a fifth of the US population - do not use English with their families. (BBC, 9 Oct 2003) Lawyer claims US 'torturing' Guantanamo prisoners The US military has tortured terrorist suspects held without charge at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, a lawyer representing some of the suspects claims. (Ananova, 8 Oct 2003) Coke battles Indian village for water Coca-Cola has launched legal action against an Indian village, after residents claimed its bottling plant there is seriously depleting their drinking water. (Ananova, 8 Oct 2003) Don't join the Met, say police The National Black Police Association has launched a campaign to discourage members of ethnic minorities from joining the Metropolitan Police. (Ananova, 8 Oct 2003) Coke pays off whistleblower Coca-Cola has agreed to pay $540,000 to a former employee who claimed the company inflated its profits and knowingly sold contaminated drinks. (BBC, 8 Oct 2003) EU determined to abolish death penalty worldwide The European Union says it wants to use all diplomatic means to try and persuade China, Iran, the US, Japan and others to abolish the death penalty. (Ananova, 7 Oct 2003) 2,400 more recruits to join civilian police force Scotland Yard is expanding its pioneering civilian policing scheme, despite concerns at the behaviour and suitability of some recruits. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2003) Virtual intervention in battle over Parthenon marbles The British Museum yesterday issued its most stinging rejection yet of Greek pleas for the return of the Parthenon marbles, on the day an exhibition opened to show how even a partial return of the sculptures could dramatically alter the way they are seen. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2003) Gun which 'knows' its user triggers police interest A firearms expert says a gun which "knows" who is carrying it and where it is pointing could provide vital evidence in police shooting investigations. (Ananova, 7 Oct 2003) Equity withdrawal slows down The rate at which Britons are withdrawing equity from their homes has slowed slightly. The Bank of England said people took £11.29 billion out of their properties during the second quarter of 2003. (Ananova, 7 Oct 2003) Slum growth 'shames the world' The 1990s saw a rapid rise in slum dwellings, report says The number of people living out their days in the squalor of a slum is almost one billion, the United Nations says - one-sixth of the world's population. (BBC, 6 Oct 2003) Spam watchdog 'needs more bite' The government watchdog responsible for tackling spam needs greater powers, an influential group of MPs has said. (BBC, 6 Oct 2003) Abbey 'jobs to India plans' prompt union warning A fresh row over jobs being "outsourced" to India has blown up after unions discovered plans by the Abbey bank to launch a pilot programme in Bangalore. (Ananova, 6 Oct 2003) Councils spend 35p on average school dinner School meals are often nothing more than "muck off a truck" that cost caterers half as much to make as prison food, according to a report. (Ananova, 6 Oct 2003) Tories target 'grey vote' with pension hike pledge Tories pledge to increase the basic state pension in line with average earnings if they were returned to power, in a bid to grab the vital grey vote. (Ananova, 5 Oct 2003) Put off children and you'll end up paying for it A Tory call for women to have more babies to prop up Britain's ailing state pension scheme has caused outrage. (Observer, 5 Oct 2003) Can business save the world? Corporate social responsibility has struck a chord. It resonates not just in Europe and the US but in developing economies, too - Brazil and India, to name but two. While it's easy to be sceptical, even cynical, about some of its current manifestations, that shouldn't blind us to the messages that the global surge of interest is sending. (Observer, 5 Oct 2003) Power struggle A forest of wind turbines is spreading across some of the most beautiful areas of Britain in a green energy revolution. Many critics say they are an ugly blot - and others believe they are an ill-conceived answer to a long-term problem. (Guardian, 5 Oct 2003) Slopping out at Barlinnie ‘must end’ ... An inspection report published yesterday said inmates at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow shared cramped cells and had to “slop out” three times a day in sinks where dishes and cutlery were washed. (Times, 4 Oct 2003) China's Uighurs mourn way of life My first view of Kashgar's old city was from above, from a 10th floor hotel window. (BBC, 4 Oct 2003) 'Draconian' stop, search laws misused, court told Civil rights campaigners yesterday asked the high court to rule that David Blunkett, the home secretary, and the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir John Stevens, are misusing "draconian" anti-terrorism laws. (Guardian, 3 Oct 2003) Cuban presents 14,000 signatures challenging Castro A democracy activist has laid down a new challenge to Cuban leader Fidel Castro by delivering more than 14,000 signatures to parliament demanding a referendum for sweeping changes in the socialist system. (Ananova, 3 Oct 2003) Family flees home after their moving experience A FAMILY who left South London to take part in a housing relocation scheme up north have fled home - after ONE WEEK. Rosalind Redwood says the final straw came when her 15-year-old daughter, Victoria, was offered drugs and eight-year-old Rebecca was SHOT with a pellet gun after moving to Heywood, in Lancashire. (South London Press, 3 Oct 2003) Police numbers reach record high The number of police officers in England and Wales is at its highest level ever, Home Secretary David Blunkett has announced. There were more than 136,386 officers at the end of August, which is above the government target for next year. (BBC, 2 Oct 2003) US image drops among Muslims Hostility towards the US has reached "shocking" levels in the Muslim world, according to a report released in Washington. (BBC, 2 Oct 2003) World economy in malaise, says UN report The world economy is in malaise, growth will remain sluggish and the goal of halving extreme poverty by 2005 are unlikely to be met, according to a UN report. (Ananova, 2 Oct 2003) Blunkett unveils new asylum seekers plan New plans to make it easier for genuine asylum-seekers to enter Britain have been announced by David Blunkett. (Ananova, 2 Oct 2003) Naked workers invade Mexican senate Naked farm workers staged a mass invasion of the Mexican senate as part of a land row. (Ananova, 1 Oct 2003) Blair suffers conference blow on hospitals Tony Blair has suffered an embarrassing defeat on foundation hospitals after delegates voted to scrap his flagship policy at Labour's annual conference. (Ananova, 1 Oct 2003) US marines leave Liberia US military planes and helicopters carried the last few American ground forces out of Liberia - leaving Liberians dismayed at their silent withdrawal. (Ananova, 1 Oct 2003) British prison may be built in Jamaica At least two British companies are in talks with Jamaica's government to build a prison there. The idea has been promoted by British officials who say the large number of Jamaicans convicted on drug offences are overburdening Britain's prison system. (Ananova, 1 Oct 2003) A very civic servant He is known as Tony Blair's community renewal guru. But what does US academic Robert Putnam think of New Labour? (Guardian, 1 Oct 2003) |
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updated:
16 Dec
2003