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'Effigy' gypsies unite at bonfire Gypsies angered by the burning of an effigy of a traveller family at a firework event in Sussex last year have held their own bonfire celebrations. The Gypsy Bonfire Society was formed after Firle Bonfire Society members were not charged with inciting racial hatred for burning the caravan effigy. (BBC, 31 Oct 2004) US must act over climate says Queen The Queen has made a rare intervention in world politics to warn Tony Blair of her grave concerns over the White House's stance on global warming. (Guardian, 31 Oct 2004) China cracks down on internet cafes China has closed 1,600 internet cafes and fined operators a total of 100 million yuan (£6.5m) for letting children play violent games and for other violations, the government revealed yesterday. (Scotsman, 31 Oct 2004) FBI 'studying Halliburton deals' The controversial award of a key Iraqi oil contract to US giant Halliburton is now being investigated by the FBI, it has been claimed. (BBC, 29 Oct 2004) Job cuts 'false economy' - TUC Plans to shed 71,000 civil service jobs will prove to be a "false economy" that could hamper public sector reforms, according to a TUC report. (BBC, 29 Oct 2004) Relaxation of ID rules pressures banks to open doors Anti-money laundering rules for customers opening new accounts are to be relaxed as the Government prepares to pressurise banks to open more accounts for the poor. (Times, 29 Oct 2004) Tenants 'blackmailed' into housing transfers Claims that ministers are trying to blackmail tenants into accepting new management of council housing are justified, according to a government researcher. Academic Hal Pawson, who has carried out a series of official studies for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has delivered a scathing attack on the government's troubled housing policy. Writing in this year's UK Housing Review he claimed that that it was misleading of ministers to claim that their policy of switching homes to new landlords promoted choice in public services. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) European Leaders Sign EU Constitution European leaders on Friday signed the EU's first constitution, designed to give the union a sharper international profile and speed up decision-making in a club now embracing 25 nations. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) Doreen Lawrence wins libel case Stephen Lawrence's mother has won libel damages from the publishers of a book which accuses her of subjecting her son to a "harsh and uncompromising" regime. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) Wardens to issue fines for antisocial behaviour Blair also wants to expand on-the-spot offences to include minor theft and for unconvicted drug abusers to be forced to have treatment. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) Charity says a million children live in overcrowded homes Almost a million children are living in overcrowded homes because the government is not providing enough social housing for lower income families, a report claimed yesterday. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) Blair misused intelligence, says ex-spy officer Intelligence has been increasingly used as a public relations tool since Tony Blair first introduced "a culture of news management" upon first winning power in 1997, a former senior intelligence officer said yesterday. Such information was used during Operation Desert Fox - the bombing of Iraq during 1998 - and a year later in the Kosovo war, according to John Morrison, who was deputy chief of defence intelligence at the time. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) Johannesburg mayor approves gated suburbs Wealthy Johannesburg suburbs won the right to seal themselves off against crime yesterday, despite claims that this marks a return to the no-go areas of the apartheid era. (Guardian, 29 Oct 2004) China's dying ethnic villages Far from the glitz and glamour of China's booming cities, Guizhou province is home to many of the country's ethnic minorities. (BBC, 29 Oct 2004) DQuestions and Answers on the EU Constitution The constitution being signed by EU leaders at a ceremony in Rome tomorrow is all things to all people – a federalists’ charter to eurosceptics who don’t want it, and a failure of integration to those who do. (Scotsman, 28 Oct 2004) Debt woman 'no idea' of interest A woman who took out a loan for £5,750 which spiralled to £384,000, has said she had "no idea" how much the interest was mounting. (BBC, 28 Oct 2004) Iraq death toll 'soared post-war' Iraqi people are now 58 times more likely to die a violent death Poor planning, air strikes by coalition forces and a "climate of violence" have led to more than 100,000 extra deaths in Iraq, scientists say. (BBC, 28 Oct 2004) New 'yob' targets to be unveiled Fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in England and Wales will be named on Thursday. (BBC, 28 Oct 2004) Archbishop condemns gambling proposals The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has intensified the Church's attack on the Government's Gambling Bill and said that it will endanger the vulnerable. (Telegraph, 28 Oct 2004) Go-ahead for industry to increase pollution Tony Blair was accused of empty rhetoric on climate change yesterday after the Government allowed industry to increase its greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years by the equivalent of seven million extra cars on the road. (Telegraph, 28 Oct 2004) Guantanamo detainees sue Four British men who were held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly three years launched a legal action against the US government yesterday, alleging torture and other human rights violations. Shafiq Rasul, 27, Asif Iqbal, 22, Rhuhel Ahmed, 22, and Jamal al-Harith, 37, lodged damages claims for £5.5 million at the Federal District Court in Washington. Among the defendants is Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary. (Telegraph, 28 Oct 2004) Gene tests prove that we are all the same under the skin The popular notion that skin colour can indicate physical or mental differences between groups of people has been demolished by a new analysis of the human genome, which declares race to be a biologically meaningless concept. (Times, 27 Oct 2004) Mexico has 'giant wealth divide' Mexico has some of the highest and the lowest standards of living in the world, a United Nations report has found. (BBC, 26 Oct 2004) Press 'least free' in Asia, Cuba Press freedom is most under threat in Asia and the Middle East, according to a report from media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. (BBC, 26 Oct 2004) Migrant workers' skills studied Research to identify the skills of migrant workers in the East of England is to be carried out. (BBC, 26 Oct 2004) Gipsy gang builds 16-home 'estate' on beauty spot Villagers with homes overlooking the unspoilt beauty of the Somerset Levels complained yesterday that their lives had been "shattered in a few hours" after scores of gipsy travellers moved on to adjacent land with "military-style precision". ! (Telegraph, 26 Oct 2004) Who knows? It has no editors, no fact checkers and anyone can contribute an entry - or delete one. It should have been a recipe for disaster, but instead Wikipedia became one of the internet's most inspiring success stories. (Guardian, 26 Oct 2004) Demand for Thailand deaths probe Amnesty International has urged the Thai government to impartially investigate the deaths of at least 84 protesters in the south of the country. (BBC, 26 Oct 2004) Increased demand for recovered paper boosts recycling across Europe Europe's paper industry has claimed credit for a "virtuous circle" of increased recycling alongside latest data on production and waste recovery. In 2003 the sector took another step towards its unilaterial commitment to reach 56% recycling by 2005, the figures show. (Environment Daily, 26 Oct 2004) Shares fall on growth worries amid oil turbulence The FTSE 100 index of leading shares suffered its biggest one-day fall in 11 weeks yesterday, as investors fretted over the future of the world economy. (Telegraph, 26 Oct 2004) Juries learn sex offenders' past Juries in child sex abuse and theft cases in England and Wales could soon be told whether the defendant has convictions for similar offences. (BBC, 25 Oct 2004) The latest gentlemen's club: benches for Islington boozers A handful of locals who make a habit of boozing it up in public in the borough of Islington, north London, will be pleased to hear they are soon to be provided with their own form of gentlemen's club - albeit a slightly lower brow one. Special benches will be installed around the trees leading up to Old Street station as part of a £1m regeneration of a rundown area close to the City financial district. (Guardian, 25 Oct 2004) National targets set for libraries The government is to try to reverse the downward trend in library book-borrowing by introducing national standards on how many new books public libraries should buy and how often they ought to replace worn-out stock. (BBC, 25 Oct 2004) Jesus the black icon tops list of greatest They are people whose achievements transcended mere fame. In an age characterised by synthetic celebrity, they are recalled as figures of substance and longevity. (Guardian, 25 Oct 2004) Massacre of Iraqi army recruits The bodies of more than 40 Iraqi army recruits have been found following an ambush near the Iranian border in the north-east of the country. (BBC, 24 Oct 2004) Labour accused of lottery larceny Former Prime Minister John Major has accused the government of "grand larceny" for using lottery funds for the environment, health and education. (BBC, 24 Oct 2004) Crackdown on nuisance neighbours People whose lives are "made hell" by nuisance neighbours are to be given more protection to encourage them to give evidence in court. (BBC, 24 Oct 2004) The wreckage of Haiti's dreams While supporters of the recently ousted President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, battle with police in the Haitian capital, the northern town of Gonaives is trying to recover from a tropical storm, which killed 2,000 people, destroyed homes and left survivors starving. Will the Haitian people ever be able to enjoy the independent status secured 200 years ago? (BBC, 23 Oct 2004) Town hall walkout over email scandal Council leaders have come under renewed pressure to take action against two councillors whose controversial political comments were exposed in a leaked email scandal. In the emails, Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Sanders described his council's special planning arrangements - known as Section 106 Agreements - as "bribes". (South London Press, 22 Oct 2004) Some Turkish women 'back beating' More than a third of Turkish women believe they deserve to be beaten if they argue with their husbands or deny them sex, according to a new survey. (BBC, 22 Oct 2004) Poor 'miss out on music lessons' Children from poor homes in England are missing out on the chance to learn to play a musical instrument, school inspectors have said. (BBC, 22 Oct 2004) Russian MPs ratify climate change treaty The Russian parliament has ratified the Kyoto protocol on climate change, clearing the way for the treaty to come into force seven years after it was first signed. (Telegraph, 22 Oct 2004) Civil servants vote for walkout Britain's largest civil service union has voted to stage a one-day strike on 5 November. (BBC, 22 Oct 2004) Test your financial literacy Large numbers of Britons find financial products and jargon difficult to understand, a survey from the Institute of Financial Services (IFS) has said. (22 Oct 2004) Brown warned over 'mounting borrowing' The chancellor, Gordon Brown, risks breaking his self-imposed "golden rule" of borrowing only for investment over the economic cycle, experts warned today. (Guardian, 21 Oct 2004) Climate change is devastating the lives of millions, say charities Climate change is already devastating the lives of millions of people in the poorest countries, say leading international development charities who yesterday joined green groups to call on the rich to do more to prevent future catastrophe. (Guardian, 21 Oct 2004) Women lose in pensions scandal says minister The new secretary of state for work and pensions yesterday described the women's pensions crisis as a "national scandal" as he reiterated his support for a more generous basic state pension scheme. (Guardian, 21 Oct 2004) MPs' expenses are revealed MPs are to have their expense and allowance claims scrutinised by the public for the first time, with figures showing an MP can take home nearly £200,000 a year. (Telegraph, 21 Oct 2004) Marble trade sucks Indian villages dry The highway from the Indian capital Delhi stretches across the arid rocky landscape that makes up the desert state of Rajasthan. (BBC, 20 Oct 2004) Science 'excludes black people' British black scientists, engineers and technologists are vastly under-represented in their chosen fields, says a leading commentator. (BBC, 20 Oct 2004) Migrants flock to Canaries The Canary Islands are Europe's winter sun playground, attracting up to 10 million tourists every year. But now the continent's southernmost border is no longer just a tourist destination - it is being used as a staging post for illegal immigrants who want to enter Europe. (BBC, 20 Oct 2004) Premium rate fraud 'an epidemic' Scams using premium rate phone lines have reached "epidemic" levels, according to the Trading Standards Institute (TSI). (BBC, 20 Oct 2004) DRacists on list of 'Great South Africans' South Africa's official broadcaster was forced to scrap its Great South Africans series yesterday after viewers chose white supremacists, convicted fraudsters and cheating sportsmen for the top 100 places. (Telegraph, 19 Oct 2004) Exploitation on tap Why is Britain using aid money to persuade South Africa to privatise its public services? (Guardian, 19 Oct 2004) 500 years on, Spanish region tries to evict the Moors again 
Authorities in the Spanish region of Aragon, whose kings helped evict the Moors from Spain 500 years ago, has stirred controversy by suggesting that the severed heads of four Moors should be removed from its heraldic shield. (Guardian, 19 Oct 2004)Leaked report damns passive smoking Passive smoking is a "substantial public health hazard," expert advisers have told the government in a boost to those seeking tobacco bans in restaurants, bars and other work and public places. (Guardian, 19 Oct 2004) 'Ignorance' over identity theft Britons are worried about identity theft, yet few know how to deal with the crime, according to new research. (BBC, 19 Oct 2004) Racists have sentences cut Three men jailed for a racially motivated attack on Rastafarian Derek Senior in Nottingham have had their sentences cut on appeal on the basis the racially aggravated element of the attack had been 'overestimated'. (BBC, 18 Oct 2004) Doorstep selling 'must be banned' Firms should be banned from cold calling door-to-door the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) has said. (BBC, 18 Oct 2004) UK boost for biomass fuel crops The UK is to encourage the production of biomass, crops grown specially for use as environmentally-friendly fuels. (BBC, 15 Oct 2004) Greenspan plays down oil burden Soaring oil costs do not yet present a serious threat to the US economy, says Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan. (BBC, 15 Oct 2004) First blue plaque for a black Brixtonian A celebrated West Indian man of letters has been immortalised by a blue plaque on the building where he lived out his final years. The plaque was placed on the Railton Road terrace where CLR James lived between 1981-89. It is the first to be dedicated to a black Brixtonian. (South London Press, 12 Oct 2004) The human cost of zero tolerance Joseph Scholes was a disturbed 16-year-old with a history of self-harming. Lawyers, social workers and psychiatrists said he was a high suicide risk. So why was he sent to prison for a minor street crime? By Ronan Bennett. ...on Sunday March 24 2002, he wrote a note to his parents and attached a noose to the bars of a cell window. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) An estate known by its gunfire When locals hear of another shooting in Nottingham, they assume it was in St Ann's. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) Climate fear as carbon levels soar An unexplained and unprecedented rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere two years running has raised fears that the world may be on the brink of runaway global warming. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) Protest and survive A group of banks and property companies have gone to the high court to ban a peaceful march at Canary Wharf on Friday in support of union rights and a living wage (Loach pitches in for low-paid cleaners, October 9). (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) Defence bigwigs who graduated from the school of Arthur Daley You have to feel sorry for the Canadians. They buy a secondhand sub that sounds fine as it purrs its way out of Faslane, but a day out of port, the vessel is swept by a serious fire. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) 52,000 youths have nowhere to live, study finds The extent of homelessness among 16 to 24-year-olds in England is revealed for the first time today in research from York University showing that up to 52,000 were without housing last year. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) A job is not enough Come that May morning next year there is one issue that will get me to the voting booths and, despite the anger about Iraq, will ensure that I vote Labour: that is the party's pledge to halve child poverty by 2010. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) US seizes webservers from independent media sites American authorities have shut down 20 independent media centres by seizing their British-based webservers. (Guardian, 11 Oct 2004) Instant fines for firework misuse Police have acquired a new weapon to crack down on firework misuse - an on-the-spot £80 penalty fine for those who break recent laws limiting their use. (BBC, 10 Oct 2004) Zimbabwe 'to curb' rights groups Zimbabwe's government is tightening restrictions on human rights groups operating in the country, reports say. (BBC, 9 Oct 2004) Loach pitches in for low-paid cleaners He has spent his life documenting the struggles of the poor and excluded, in films ranging from Cathy Come Home to last month's Ae Fond Kiss. Now Ken Loach is taking on the might of Canary Wharf in a row that mirrors his acclaimed 1998 film Bread and Roses, fighting for the rights of cleaners in the lucrative financial institutions on the Docklands estate. (Guardian, 9 Oct 2004) Ministers 'sorry' for Iraq error Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has apologised for the use of inaccurate intelligence to justify going to war in Iraq. (BBC, 8 Oct 2004) Oil boom fuels bushmeat trade The bushmeat trade in Equatorial Guinea is thriving thanks to a recent boom in oil, research has suggested. (BBC, 7 Oct 2004) Web blunder boosts Bush bashers A slip of the tongue by Dick Cheney has given a boost to anti-Bush campaigners. (BBC, 7 Oct 2004) Photo journal: Ethiopian wood collector As UK Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Ethiopia to find ways of raising living standards, Amaretch, 10, from the capital, Addis Ababa, tells of her daily struggle. (BBC, 7 Oct 2004) How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2004) Brought to you by VSO After two years working in Africa with VSO, Halina Sikabofori took home more than just a sense of personal achievement. (Guardian Advertising Feature, 7 Oct 2004) Google opens a new chapter Google, the increasingly powerful internet search engine, could overhaul the way books are sold with a planned service that allows users to search full texts and buy titles online. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2004) Syrians revel in political theatre Things have been changing in Syria since President Bashar al-Assad took over from his father four years ago. But as Jon Leyne finds, more freedom of speech does not guarantee you will like what you hear. (BBC, 7 Oct 2004) There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq 1,625 UN and US inspectors spent two years searching 1,700 sites at a cost of more than $1bn. Yesterday they delivered their verdict. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2004) Indian power sale warms investors India's major power producer, National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC), has sold out its $1.2bn (£0.67bn) flotation within 15 minutes. (BBC, 7 Oct 2004) Time called on pricey pints The current pattern of pub ownership has pushed up the price of a pint in many locals to nearly 10p above the national average, according to a new pub guide. (Guardian, 7 Oct 2004) Flood maps show extra 300,000 homes are now at risk New flood maps published yesterday by the Environment Agency show that an additional 300,000 homes in England and Wales are at risk of flooding and could attract higher insurance premiums. (Telegraph, 7 Oct 2004) DForeign doctors given British slang lessons A group of Austrian doctors left baffled by British slang have received a helping hand from their new colleagues in South Yorkshire. (Telegraph, 7 Oct 2004) Belmarsh - Britain's Guantanamo Bay? You don't have to go to Cuba to find terror suspects controversially imprisoned. Nine foreigners have been held in London's Belmarsh Prison for almost three years without charge or trial. So is it the UK's Guantanamo Bay? (BBC, 6 Oct 2004) Inspectors conclude no WMD in Iraq The group hunting for banned weapons inside post-war Iraq is preparing to report that it has found no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. (BBC, 6 Oct 2004) Teaching citizenship 'is more important than ever' The Chief Inspector of Schools in England yesterday attacked the "incoherent" and "nonexistant" curriculums of the 1960s and 1970s for failing to prepare children for life today. (Telegraph, 6 Oct 2004) 'Free Angela Davis' T-shirt Protest, fashion and inspiration combine in the second Object Lesson to coincide with Black History Month. This week it is drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum's new exhibition, Black British Style. (Times, 6 Oct 2004) Man accused of pensioner's murder A pensioner was murdered by a man who punched and kicked her in the face when she resisted as he burgled her home, the Old Bailey has heard. (BBC, 5 Oct 2004) Japan mulls multicultural dawn The name Sony summons visions of all things Japanese. Yet its board chairman, Iwao Nakatani, recently called for mass immigration, opening Japan to different faces and influences. (BBC, 5 Oct 2004) Long wait for Killing Fields justice More than 25 years after Cambodia's murderous Pol Pot regime was toppled, the battle to bring his henchmen to justice appears almost won. (BBC, 5 Oct 2004) 50,000 trapped by Israeli assault on Gaza Israeli forces have demolished the homes of hundreds of Palestinians, bulldozed swaths of agricultural land and destroyed infrastructure in their bloodiest assault on the Gaza Strip in years. (Guardian, 5 Oct 2004) Suicide car bomb blasts kill 21 in Iraq At least 14 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in a series of car bomb attacks in central Baghdad and seven, including two children, have died in a blast in Mosul. (Telegraph, 4 Oct 2004) Immigration warning 'vindicated' Immigration will add six million to Britain's population over the next three decades, according to new figures. The estimate, by the think tank Migrationwatch UK, is based on the latest forecasts from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). (Telegraph, 4 Oct 2004) Body exhumed in inquiry over Army tribal rape claims The body of a teenage Kenyan girl who died after allegedly being raped by British soldiers in Kenya in 1995 has been exhumed as part of an investigation into her death. The parents of Mantoi Kaunda, 16, claim she and her younger sister were attacked by two soldiers while walking home after collecting firewood around Archer's Post, a remote area 140 miles north-east of Nairobi. (Telegraph, 4 Oct 2004) Protest at anti-terror detainees Hundreds of civil liberties campaigners have protested outside Belmarsh Prison at the detention of 11 foreign nationals under UK anti-terrorism laws. (BBC, 3 Oct 2004) Guantanamo has 'failed to prevent terror attacks' Prisoner interrogations at Guantánamo Bay, the controversial US military detention centre where guards have been accused of brutality and torture, have not prevented a single terrorist attack, according to a senior Pentagon intelligence officer who worked at the heart of the US war on terror. Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Christino, who retired last June after 20 years in military intelligence, says that President George W Bush and US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have 'wildly exaggerated' their intelligence value. (Guardian, 3 Oct 2004) Capita's school deal under fire The government's policy of handing key education services to the private sector came under renewed attack yesterday after ministers confirmed that a £177m contract has been awarded to Britain's biggest outsourcing company, Capita. (Guardian, 2 Oct 2004) Letter 'shows Guantanamo torture' The first uncensored letter from a Briton held at Guantanamo Bay shows he has been tortured, his lawyers claim. Moazzam Begg, 36, has been detained at the US military base without trial for two-and-a-half years. (BBC, 1 Oct 2004) |
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updated:
21 Jan
2005