| Home |
| Library |
| Contact us |
| About |
| Site index |
|
Q&A: Muslim headscarves The French government has passed a law banning the wearing of Islamic headscarves in schools, which comes into effect at the start of the new school year on 2 September. (BBC, 31 Aug 2004) Enclave of the rich offers expats the good life Wealthy expats arriving in Cape Town have a choice: a view of the beach or vineyards. (Times, 27 Aug 2004) Billions of lives at risk over sanitation, says UN More than a billion people drink unsafe water and more than 2.6 billion — around 40 per cent of the world’s population — have no access to basic sanitation, UN agencies said yesterday.(Times, 27 Aug 2004) Council demands £525 from dead man Bungling bureaucrats have accused a dead man of blowing his rent money on a summer holiday. Grieving widow Louisa Sparks opened a letter from Southwark council demanding swift payment of an alleged £525 debt. The letter was addressed to her husband, Jim, who died of lung cancer two months earlier aged 84. (South London Press, 27 Aug 2004) Scrap all-postal voting, says watchdog Electoral Commission says public confidence was dented by experiment, and ballot box should be kept in new hybrid system. (Guardian, 27 Aug 2004) Polling stations saved after postal vote fiasco Tony Blair's plans to abolish polling stations for local elections appeared doomed last night after a damning report from the Electoral Commission. (Telegraph, 27 Aug 2004) RAF targets Manchester's gay pride festival in recruitment drive The RAF will come out this weekend as the first of the armed forces to recruit at a major gay festival. (Guardian, 27 Aug 2004) It's grown, but so has gap between best and worst paid Average pay for workers at FTSE 100 companies has moved up again this year but the gap between the best and worst paid has widened further, the Guardian's annual survey reveals. (Guardian, 27 Aug 2004) Sistani's intervention pulls Najaf back from the brink Iraq's interim government last night threw its weight behind the deal to end the fighting in Najaf agreed by the country's foremost Shia leaders, though it remained to be seen if it would emerge from the stand-off with any credit. (Guardian, 27 Aug 2004) China's economy 'still at risk' China's leaders should not relax their efforts to cool the country's fast-growing economy, the International Monetary Fund has warned. (BBC, 26 Aug 2004) A ruinous trap of their own making Iraq is now more dangerous to the US than when they went to war. (Guardian, 26 Aug 2004) Oil rich, dirt poor John Vidal recently returned from Equatorial Guinea, one of the few western journalists to visit in recent years. (Guardian, 26 Aug 2004) Hands off the Mobos What is Peter Tatchell's problem? With each new attack on homophobia, he only manages to further alienate black people. (Guardian, 26 Aug 2004) Guantánamo Britons to be visited by lawyers The United States is to allow three British citizens and two British residents their first access to a lawyer since being imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay over two years ago. (Guardian, 25 Aug 2004) Youth on trial A new scheme aims to create courts in which youngsters will be tried by their peers. (Guardian, 25 Aug 2004) Shell 'faces $1.5bn Nigeria bill' Nigeria's Senate is reportedly to ask a Shell unit to pay $1.5bn (£0.84bn) compensation to oilfield communities for environmental damage. (BBC, 26 Aug 2004) An elegy for the UK countryside Half a century ago, probably even in the last two or three decades, the UK countryside had a definite purpose. (BBC, 24 Aug 2004) Blood on the Hands: A Survey of Canada's Role in Haiti Five hundred Canadian soldiers are returning from Haiti this month. Together with the armed forces of France and the United States, they took part in the violent overthrow of the elected government of Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February/March of this year. Since then, occupying troops have provided backing for rightist gangs who will form the core of the police and government authority the occupying forces are cobbling together to replace the Aristide government. ...Aristide angered the French government in April 2003 when he demanded that it pay $21 billion in reparations to Haiti. France, the island's former colonial power, had extorted millions of dollars in payments from Haitian governments during the 19 th and 20 th centuries as punishment for the successful anti-slave revolt that led to Haiti's independence from France in 1804. (Centre des Médias Alternatifs du Québec, 24 Aug 2004) Charities speak out at government lottery control The government is facing a growing backlash from charities over a "naked seizure of control" of up to £700m a year of national lottery funding. (Guardian, 24 Aug 2004) DLondon's hidden Black history London's hidden Black history will be brought alive this coming Saturday by historian Steve Martin, who will lead a heritage river journey as part of Rendezvous of Victory week. (Black Information Link, 24 Aug 2004) CCTV for safer Tube station A new look Stockwell Tube station will include 120 CCTV cameras. (South London Press, 24 Aug 2004) Malawi crippled by nursing crisis Malawi is facing a health crisis as trained nurses leave to seek better wages abroad. (BBC, 23 Aug 2004) I'm spurning spin to help poor, says Mandelson Peter Mandelson pledged yesterday to shun spin and to tackle Third World poverty in his debut appearance as the European Union's incoming trade commissioner. (Telegraph, 21 Aug 2004) Do you send money home? One of the ways that money enters poor regions of the world, including Africa, is in the form of remittances, sent back by immigrant workers in the industrialised world. (BBC, 20 Aug 2004) Illegal workers' fears and hopes Fred Mugarura works long hours, often for less than the minimum wage. (BBC, 19 Aug 2004) Scotland seeks own definition of public benefit Voluntary organisations have called for criteria to define "public benefit" in Scottish law that would strip private schools of their charitable status and tax breaks - and could lead to sharp divergence from English law. (Guardian, 19 Aug 2004) Gay men reluctant to tell GPs Less than half the gay men in the UK are "out" to their doctors, in many cases because they are concerned about judgmental attitudes or issues of confidentiality, according to a report published yesterday. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Rimington hits out at US over detainees Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, criticised the American authorities yesterday for the way they treat detainees at Guantanamo Bay. (Telegraph, 18 Aug 2004) The storm waves ripping boulders from our shores Giant storm waves already over 65ft high are getting bigger, occurring more frequently and eroding Britain's Atlantic coast, according to new research. (Telegraph, 18 Aug 2004) Iraq given a low priority by voters The average voter does not share the keen interest of the political and media classes with Iraq, according to the results of this month's Guardian/ ICM opinion poll. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Upset at Haiti acquittal A jury acquitted the Haitian former paramilitary leader Louis-Jodel Chamblain of murder yesterday after a 14-hour trial that caused outrage among human rights groups, who have attacked the country's US-backed government. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Neighbours' threat to Congo Burundi and Rwanda threatened to send troops into neighbouring Congo yesterday to hunt for the militiamen who massacred at least 160 refugees at a UN camp, if Congo failed to disarm the fighters. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Selfish? Maybe, but nimbys can do real good Insult them as nimbys, lulus or noos if you like, but community opponents to development are good for the planning process, researchers say. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) World faces population explosion in poor countries The world is heading for wildly uneven population swings in the next 45 years, with many rich countries "downsizing" during a period in which almost all developing nations will grow at breakneck speed, according to a comprehensive report by leading US demographers released yesterday. (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Sharon's housing plan breaches road map Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, yesterday approved the building of 1,001 homes in settlements in the West Bank, breaching guarantees made to the US as part of the "road map" peace plan. (Times, 18 Aug 2004) The middle way to a fairer world For a philosopher, Julian Baggini (Feeling pure won't help the world's poor, G2, August 17) ought to be more aware of the fallacy of the "undivided middle". (Guardian, 18 Aug 2004) Lib Dem call to shift quangos to the regions The Liberal Democrat party today claimed that nearly half a billion pounds could be saved by moving quangos' headquarters out of London. (Guardian, 17 Aug 2004) 1.7m face hunger in Indonesia Some 1.7 million Indonesians have been living on one meal a day for the past three weeks because the government, which admits it cannot feed them, has blocked a UN world food programme project, aid agencies said yesterday. (Guardian, 17 Aug 2004) Sainsbury's buys corner stores Struggling supermarket group J Sainsbury has almost doubled the size of its convenience store operation with a £100m deal. (Guardian, 17 Aug 2004) Feeling pure won't help the world's poor As a fervent advocate of ethical consumerism, I seriously suggest that you consider flying long haul, wearing Levi's and drinking coffee at Starbucks. ! (Guardian, 17 Aug 2004) Student debt 'doubles under Labour' Average student debt has doubled since Labour came to power. (Telegraph, 17 Aug 2004) Tories target human rights Tory party plans to overhaul the Human Rights Act will be announced next month. Officials said yesterday they were annoyed by weekend reports saying that Michael Howard had already made up his mind to scrap the law that Labour introduced. (Telegraph, 17 Aug 2004) Janjaweed not being reined in, says UN The prospect of international sanctions being imposed on Sudan drew closer yesterday when the United Nations envoy in Khartoum said no progress had been made on disarming the Janjaweed militia in Darfur. (Telegraph, 17 Aug 2004) EU health card to replace E111 form A new health insurance card is to replace the familiar E111 form for holiday makers who travel to European countries. (Telegraph, 17 Aug 2004) UN to help map a common world The United Nations has embarked on a mission to standardise every place name in the world. (Times, 17 Aug 2004) Prince's villagers turn on Duchy over flats Residents of Poundbury, the model village created by the Prince of Wales, have accused his Duchy of Cornwall estate of abandoning its founding principles by building a block of flats in the village. (Times, 17 Aug 2004) Observers endorse Venezuela vote International observers in Venezuela have confirmed President Hugo Chavez's victory in a referendum on whether he should be removed from office. (BBC, 17 Aug 2004) Welsh ID card trial launched Shoppers in Swansea will this week join a trial of a high-tech ID card that could become compulsory under Home Office plans. (BBC, 17 Aug 2004) FBI 'harassing' protesters The FBI has questioned dozens of demonstrators planning to come to New York for the Republican convention later this month and encouraged agents to scour protest groups for evidence of any planned disruptions. (Guardian, August 17, 2004) Watchdog's Big Brother UK warning The UK could "sleepwalk into a surveillance society" as a result of ID cards and other plans, UK information commissioner Richard Thomas has warned. (BBC, 16 Aug 2004) Youth crime plans 'could misfire' Specially targeting the children of criminals to try and turn them away from crime could be counter productive, the Home Office has been warned. (BBC, 16 Aug 2004) Bangladesh flood worker's diary Elora Ferdous is a project officer with the British aid agency, Oxfam, in north-west Bangladesh. (BBC, 16 Aug 2004) Watchdog attacks ID card scheme Government plans for identity cards have been criticised by Britain's information watchdog. (BBC, 16 Aug 2004) Why Venezuela has Voted Again for Their 'Negro e Indio' President There's so much BS and baloney thrown around about Venezuela that I may be violating some rule of US journalism by providing some facts. Let's begin with this: 77% of Venezuela's farmland is owned by 3% of the population, the 'hacendados.' (Baltimore Chronicle, 16 Aug 2004) Bomb kills many at Indian parade A bomb has exploded at an Independence Day march in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, killing at least 18 people and injuring many others. (BBC, 14 Aug 2004) Hard hit municipalities: The attempt to destroy Lavalas and the consolidation of the coup Although international attention has largely focused on the removal of President Aristide little attention has been given to turnover in local government offices. (Haiti Action, 14 Aug 2004) Forgotten people await apology for German genocide Katuuo Isascar proudly leads the horse around the dusty plot steeped with the blood of his ancestors. The 65-year-old Herero has flown thousands of miles from Berlin, where he has lived for 30 years, to commemorate the battle that sparked one of the most infamous passages of German colonial history. (Times, 14 Aug 2004) New virus threat to online banking Cyber-crooks have begun a new attack against online banking customers in an attempt to get access to their accounts. (Times, 14 Aug 2004) Polly Toynbee is right... Polly Toynbee is right in her analysis of the motives of the resistance movement. While wind is the renewable resource that is cost-effective, solar and wave power will catch up. By the time a new cluster of nuclear plants would be on stream, the next generation of cheap thin film photovoltaic cells will be in mass production. Already, China is gearing up to dominate the market. In the next decade our roofs could be collectively generating multi-gigawatts of power for the grid. As for wave power, this is frequently used as proxy for all marine energy resources, to the detriment of tidal power. The result is that marine power is considered an outsider in the race for clean energy. Yet tidal power alone could more than match the present generating capacity of all nuclear power plants. The initial cost may be greater than nuclear, but this is outweighed by the long-term benefits of tidal with its low running costs, reliability, long life and predictability. Dr Peter Smith, Professor in renewable energy, University of Nottingham (Guardian reader's letter, 14 Aug 2004) World oil demand estimate raised The International Energy Agency has revised upwards its estimate of world oil demand, quashing hopes of an imminent decline in oil prices. (BBC, 11 Aug 2004) Pacific nations seek integration Leaders from 16 Pacific nations are continuing their meeting in Samoa to work on a plan to promote better governance in the troubled region. (BBC, 11 Aug 2004) Malaysia police 'brutal, corrupt' The head of a commission inquiry into the Malaysian police says his panel has been inundated with allegations of corruption and brutality. (BBC, 10 Aug 2004) Recovery brings social change to Bam The dust has settled in the southern Iranian town of Bam - seven months after the earthquake which killed at least 22,000 people and destroyed some 90% of the historic town. Now the relief effort is over and the master plan, which will map out everything from the width of Bam's roads, to the size of its houses, is being finalised. (BBC, 9 Aug 2004) Community work 'could help students ease their debts' Students could work off some of their loans by volunteering in a gap year before or after university rather than spending time relaxing on beaches in far flung destinations, according to new government plans. (Telegraph, 9 Aug 2004) Gypsy camp plea by police to deter racist thugs Chief constables are demanding a network of new official gypsy camps across the British countryside to quell the growing tensions between travellers and villagers over illegal settlements. (Guardian, 8 Aug 2004) Big salaries fuel attack over 'fat cats' in Whitehall The salaries of the chief executives of 12 Whitehall agencies, who between them receive £1.5 million a year, are fuelling a row over public sector "fat cats". (Telegraph, 8 Aug 2004) Iraq PM shuts down Al-Jazeera for stirring up violence Iraq's interim government has ordered the Al-Jazeera television network to close its Baghdad office for a month, accusing it of inciting violence and hatred as fighting continues in southern towns. (Telegraph, 8 Aug 2004) Germany to attend Herero ceremony Germany's military commander had vowed to wipe out the Herero A German minister will, for the first time, attend ceremonies commemorating the massacre of Namibia's Herero people by German soldiers 100 years ago. (BBC, 7 Aug 2004) Kerry Wants Energy Independence for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Friday pressed the case for American energy independence as a step toward better national security, talking to farmers on the western edge of Missouri. (Guardian, 6 Aug 2004) Families call for immediate freeing of Britons caught in 'Kafka nightmare' The families and lawyers of four Britons still held in Guantánamo Bay demanded their immediate release yesterday as allegations of sustained abuse at the camp raised fresh fears for their mental and physical health. (Guardian, 5 Aug 2004) Guiana 1838 The film will be set to release by September 24, 2004 for a weekend long premier of thirteen exclusive shows in Queens, NY. For more details about the film's premiere weekend and other information regarding the film please check out the official homepage at: www. rbcradio.com/ guiana1838.html (News release, 5 Aug 2004) New blood to flow in London's arteries Planners are working on renovating canals to take heavy lorries off the capital's roads. (Guardian, 5 Aug 2004) Wal-Mart's Quebec staff win union rights Workers at a Wal-Mart store in the Canadian province of Quebec have won the right to unionise in a landmark first for the world's largest retailer. (Guardian, 4 Aug 2004) Afghanistan to Guantánamo Bay - the story of three British detainees Today the Guardian publishes extracts from a 115-page report based on lengthy interviews the 'Tipton three' gave about their treatment by US and UK officials and military. (Guardian, 4 Aug 2004) Polystyrene homes planned for Afghans Many people in Afghanistan have lost everything, including their own houses, during the country's long decades of war. (BBC, 4 Aug 2004) Britons allege Guantanamo abuse Three British men held by the US in Guantanamo Bay for more than two years have compiled a report alleging abuse and humiliation while in captivity. ...Asef Iqbal, Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Rasul - all from Tipton in the West Midlands - returned to Britain in March having spent more than two years in American custody - first in Afghanistan, then at Guantanamo Bay. (BBC, 4 Aug 2004) Paddick: I've been promoted into a non-job Britain's most senior openly gay police officer has spoken about his frustrations in his role of deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Brian Paddick, who came to prominence for his controversial cannabis experiment in Lambeth in south London in 2001, has told the Guardian that the position he was promoted to in January is a "bit of a non-job". In an interview in today's Society Guardian he says he has not made a single decision since taking up the £118,000-a-year desk job at New Scotland Yard. (Guardian, 4 Aug 2004) Token effort The long holidays can be a dull time for deprived teenagers who can't afford to go away, but a voucher scheme in Cornwall funds excursions that they organise for themselves. (Guardian, 4 Aug 2004) The making of Guiana 1838 In April of this year Guyana hosted a film crew led by Rohit Jagessar, the director and writer of a historical film about indentureship and slavery in British Guiana during the early 1800s. (Stabroek News, 4 Aug 2004) Guantanamo chaplain quits US army A Muslim army chaplain accused and then cleared of espionage is resigning from the US military. Captain James Yee says he is frustrated that the US military never apologised for jailing him at Guantanamo Bay on charges that were later dropped. (BBC, 4 Aug 2004) Immigration managers bullied black colleague A black woman whose colleagues referred to her desk as "Robben Island" while she worked in the most politically sensitive unit of the Home Office's immigration and nationality directorate (IND) has won her claim of racial discrimination. (Guardian, 3 Aug 2004) Gibraltar and other empire leftovers Gibraltar is one of those places left behind by the end of empire. (BBC, 3 Aug 2004) Inequality 'up under Labour' The government yesterday responded to a hard-hitting report claiming Labour has not done enough to help the poor by arguing that its commitment to "a fair society" depends on reducing the income gap between rich and poor. (Guardian, 3 Aug 2004) 'We will not disband the area forums' Council leaders have denied claims that forums which give residents an influential voice are to be axed. (South London Press, 3 Aug 2004) Guantanamo sends Moroccans home Five Moroccans held at Guantanamo Bay have been returned to the authorities in their home country, Morocco's official news agency says. ...The men who arrived in the North African kingdom on Sunday were named by the MAP agency as Mohamed Ouzar, 24, Mohamed Mazouz, 30, Radouane Chekkouri, 32, Abdellah Tabarak, 49, and Brahim Benchakroun, 24. (BBC, 2 Aug 2004) Israel plans to expand settlement It has emerged that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has given the go-ahead for 600 new homes in the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank. (BBC, 2 Aug 2004) 'Divide between rich and poor is getting wider' The gap between rich and poor has widened since Tony Blair became Prime Minister - even though fewer people live in poverty, according to a study published today. (Telegraph, 2 Aug 2004) IPPR Press Release The state of the nation - pdf file Why graduates need extra degrees in charisma to survive the job jungle Employers are staging a 'Darwinian war for talent' in which only the business savvy player makes the first rung on the ladder. ...The Mismanagement of Talent by Phillip Brown and Anthony Hesketh is published by Oxford University Press and costs £16.99. (Telegraph, 2 Aug 2004) Arafat 'ruining his people' says protege The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, received the strongest challenge yet from a protege when Mohammad Dahlan, a former interior minister, accused him of squandering $5bn (£2.74) and "sitting on the corpses" of Palestinians. (Guardian, 2 Aug 2004) Forget the poor - it's the rich who deserve UN aid programmes In spite of efforts by humanitarian organisations, charities and philanthropic societies, the problem of wealth only gets worse. (Guardian, 2 Aug 2004) Dhaka drowns in flood of sewage, misery and tears Rashida Aktar gazed out of the top floor of the half-built brick building where she and hundreds of neighbours have taken refuge from the floods. (Times, 2 Aug 2004) MEPs are shown how to help themselves to £300,000 a year Britain's newly elected MEPs could boost their earnings to £300,000 a year, according to a leaflet aimed at helping them to maximise their expenses. (Times, 2 Aug 2004) Belle Vue farmers want help to clear canals to transport cane Farmers at Belle Vue, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara) are seeking aid to clean about 13 canals at an estimated cost of $5M to assist in transporting their cane to the estates. (Stabroek News, 2 Aug 2004) School funding drive pays off as laptops land in class The rows of old-fashioned hinged-lid wooden desks and the traditional kaleidoscope of colourful displays on every square centimetre of the high classroom walls sends out a mixed message about the kind of work that is going on in Oakthorpe school - a large multi-ethnic primary to the west of the borough of Enfield in Palmers Green, and one of its best-performing non-denominational schools. (Guardian, 2 Aug 2004) Poles mark 1944 Warsaw uprising Poland is marking the 60th anniversary of the failed Warsaw uprising against the Nazi occupation that left the city in ruins and some 200,000 Poles dead. (BBC, 1 Aug 2004) Channel 4 takes on Radio Four with launch of national digital station Channel 4 is to launch a national digital radio station next year in direct competition with the BBC's Radio 4. (Telegraph, 1 Aug 2004) Remand for French Guantanamo four Four French men repatriated from the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay have been remanded in prison. ...Mourad Benchellali, Nizar Sassi, Imad Kanouni and Brahim Yadel were placed under investigation on suspicion of associating with a terrorist organisation. ...Three other French suspects are still in US custody at Guantanamo Bay. (BBC, 1 Aug 2004) Ofwat to peg water groups' planned £22bn bill increases Ofwat, the water regulator, is set to disappoint the industry and provide welcome cheer to consumers by refusing to allow leading utility companies to increase prices by £22bn over the next five years. (Telegraph, 1 Aug 2004) |
| Cuttings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
updated:
29 Mar
2006