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Push to speed up tsunami relief World leaders are stepping up global plans to help millions of survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami which killed more than 124,000 people. (BBC, 31 Dec 2004) Wave aid 'too slow to save lives' Delays in delivering aid to survivors of Sunday's Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe could cause thousands more deaths, aid agencies are warning. (BBC, 30 Dec 2004) Fury over Raj’s ‘mini Almo’ plan The Town Hall’s housing department stands accused of setting up a ‘mini-Almo’ (Arms-length management organisation) after creating a private company to manage the way Camden’s council flats are dished out. (Camden New Journal, 30 Dec 2004) Go-ahead for Balkan oil pipeline Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia has given the go ahead for the construction of a $1.2bn oil pipeline that will pass through the Balkan peninsula. (BBC, 28 Dec 2004) Asia battles earthquake aftermath Survivors and rescuers are battling the devastation left by sea surges that wiped out entire communities, killing about 23,000 people. (BBC, 27 Dec 2004) History lessons to stress dates A new effort is being made to get teenagers learning "1066 and all that". (BBC, 27 Dec 2004) Thousands killed in Asian tsunami More than 11,000 people in six countries were killed today when the most powerful earthquake in 40 years triggered huge tidal waves that hit coastlines across Asia. The death toll is almost certain to rise further as the full extent of the devastation emerges. (Guardian, 26 Dec 2004) Blacks and Asians? No, they're 'visible minority ethnics' say police The Metropolitan Police will no longer describe black people as black, as part of a new attempt to counter charges of racism in the force. Both black and Asian people will in future be referred to as "visible minority ethnics". (Telegraph, 26 Dec 2004) Tanker bomb rocks Baghdad quarter A suspected suicide attack using a bomb-laden fuel tanker has left nine dead and 13 injured in a diplomatic quarter of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. (BBC, 25 Dec 2004) Migrants die in icy sea crossing Thirteen African would-be migrants have been found dead aboard a makeshift boat after a desperate attempt to reach the Canary Islands, Spanish officials said. (BBC, 23 Dec 2004) From quitting to comeback: ministers who showed that resignation need not be for ever Cabinet ministers are a bit like heavyweight boxing champions: when they get knocked out they rarely come back. (Guardian, 23 Dec 2004) Hewitt 'weakened rules against corporate graft' The trade secretary, Patricia Hewitt, overruled her civil servants to water down rules to curb corruption by companies after lobbying by the Confederation of British Industry and Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, and the Airbus aircraft maker, secret documents showed in the high court yesterday. (Guardian, 23 Dec 2004) Gambian media in murder protest Some 300 journalists in Gambia in West Africa have held a demonstration in protest at the murder of a veteran journalist who was shot dead last week. (BBC, 22 Dec 2004) IMF praises Brown's 'strong and stable' economy The International Monetary Fund gave Gordon Brown a pat on the back yesterday, saying that the economy is strong and stable. (Telegraph, 22 Dec 2004) DA face-to-face interview to get your first passport Up to 600,000 people each year who apply for their first passports will have to attend an interview under a scheme announced yesterday by the Home Office. (Telegraph, 22 Dec 2004) Unseasonal strife in Santa's little sweatshops It is the week before Christmas, and Santa's helpers are restless. In fact, they have been demonstrating their discontent by striking, smashing their factories, and not turning up for work. (22 Dec 2004) See China Labour Bulletin. Private schools urged to strengthen charity role Private schools should use the full value of their charity tax breaks to pay for the education of poor pupils in order to continue to qualify as charities under a plan endorsed by the government today. (Guardian, 21 Dec 2004) Mobile phones 'alter human DNA' The mobile industry says there is no proof phones harm health Radio waves from mobile phones do harm body cells and damage DNA, a laboratory study has shown. (BBC, 21 Dec 2004) Legal advice on ID cards kept secret The government has banned the release of advice given by Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, to cabinet ministers on whether the controversial bill to introduce ID cards for 55 million British citizens will invade people's privacy or human rights. The government's ban on the release of the information came to light after Chris Pounder, editor of Data Protection and Privacy Practice, published by solicitors Pinsent Masons, applied for the document under the open government code. He was refused access on the grounds that its release "would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion". (Guardian, 20 Dec 2004) Web inaccessibility 'creates net underclass' Companies and public bodies are still failing to take accessibility into account when designing their websites, despite the risk of legal action under the UK's disability discrimination laws. (The Register, 20 Dec 2004) Why some people become hoarders People who hoard apparently useless items may be able to blame an area of their brain, say US researchers. Researchers have linked hoarding to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but it is not known what causes it and whether it is a unique condition. (BBC, 20 Dec 2004) Rwanda withdraws invasion threat Rwanda has withdrawn its threat to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo to attack Rwandan Hutu fighters there. (BBC, 20 Dec 2004) China to introduce trial by jury China is to introduce jury trials next year as part of reforms to its legal system, state media has reported. (BBC, 20 Dec 2004) Unique Costa Rica rainforest at risk Concern is mounting over the future of a pioneering eco-tourism development in Costa Rica - the Monteverde rainforest reserve in the country's north-western highlands. (BBC, 19 Dec 2004) Woman barred from men's football Football's world governing body, Fifa, has ruled that a leading Mexican woman footballer is not eligible to play for a professional men's club. Maribel Dominguez signed for Mexico's second-division club Celaya this week - a move which would have been a first in North and Central America's sport. (BBC, 19 Dec 2004) Prison ship could head for Thames A controversial prison ship currently moored off the Dorset coast could be moved to London to tackle its spiralling inmate population. (BBC, 19 Dec 2004) Lawyer resigns over terror laws A senior barrister, given special security clearance to act for suspected terrorists, is to resign in protest at the government's anti-terror laws. Ian MacDonald QC said he was stepping down after seven years "for reasons of conscience" because the "odious" laws were a "blot on the legal landscape". (BBC, 19 Dec 2004) DR Congo poll gets European aid The European Union has pledged 80m euros (£55m; $106m) to help the Democratic Republic of Congo hold elections next year. (19 Dec 2004) Spanish siesta, adios? For centuries in Spain, heading home mid-afternoon for lunch and a snooze was regarded as something of a national right. (19 Dec 2004) Britain faces censure over Africa coup plot Equatorial Guinea is threatening to take action against Britain in the International Court of Justice for not passing on intelligence of a plot to stage a coup in the oil-rich dictatorship. (Telegraph, 19 Dec 2004) Jowell confirms casino climbdown Tessa Jowell has announced plans to limit the number of new medium and small casinos to 16. (BBC, 17 Dec 2004) 'Widespread racism' at youth jail A report has revealed "widespread" racism at a young offenders' institution in west London. (BBC, 17 Dec 2004) See also Zahid Mubarek Inquiry. Who are held, and why? Sixteen men, all of them Muslim, have been detained under the act and certified as a "suspected international terrorist" and another is detained under other powers. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) 'It calls into question the very existence of an ancient liberty of which this country is proud: freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention'? How the law lords reached their conclusion in one of the most important cases of recent years. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) Judges' verdict on terror laws provokes constitutional crisis A scathing law lords judgment condemning the indefinite detention of foreign terror suspects as a threat to the life of the nation left anti-terrorist laws in tatters yesterday. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) Crooked ex-cllr to pay £16k for fraud A crooked former councillor has been ordered to hand over £16,500 after admitting housing benefit fraud. Gabriel Victor Reis-Fernandes made headlines as Britain's first Portuguese councillor when he won his Stockwell seat in 2002. (South London Press, 17 Dec 2004) Smart gun recognises its owner US scientists have tested a handgun that can only be used by its owner. Sensors embedded in the handle recognise the owner's grip, so if the pistol is ever grabbed by an unauthorised user it should refuse to fire. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) Rare ship forced to leave Somalia Militiamen in the Somali capital have forced the first cargo ship to dock at the main port in nearly a decade to depart without unloading. (BBC, 17 Dec 2004) Big four auditors too powerful, says EU The big four accountancy firms [Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCooper] could face EU action to break up their dominance in carrying out audits for the largest firms in Britain and elsewhere in the world, a Brussels official warned yesterday. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) MS Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbulakshmi, who has died aged 88, was one of India's greatest musicians. A legendary vocalist in the classical Carnatic style of southern India, she captivated audiences in India - to whom she was known as MS Subbulakshmi, or even just MS - and around the world. (Guardian, 17 Dec 2004) Gun lighter man lawfully killed A verdict of lawful killing has been returned by the jury in the inquest of a man shot dead by police while carrying a lighter shaped like a gun. Derek Bennett, 29, was hit four times by two marksmen in Brixton, south London, on 16 July 2001. The officers said they thought the gun was real. (BBC, 16 Dec 2004) Lawyer to head Deepcut inquiry A leading human rights lawyer has been chosen by the Ministry of Defence to conduct a new inquiry into the army's Deepcut barracks in Surrey, where four recruits died from gunshot wounds and police reported more than 100 allegations of mistreatment. Nicholas Blake QC, one of the founders of Matrix chambers with the prime minister's wife, Cherie Booth, will investigate allegations of ritual humiliation, sexual abuse, rape and systemic bullying. (Guardian, 16 Dec 2004) US hospital tries to evict McDonald's One of America's premier cardiac hospitals is locked in a furious battle with McDonald's after its director sought to evict the fast-food outlet from the clinic's sprawling site. (Guardian, 16 Dec 2004) Ignoring Congo's plight The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most lethal since the second world war (A deadly reversal, December 14). (Guardian readers' letters, 16 Dec 2004) Met berated for bias against black officers Britain's biggest police force was castigated yesterday for discriminating against ethnic minority officers and paying lip service to diversity, in an official report that came five years after it was found to be institutionally racist. (Guardian, 15 Dec 2004) UK to keep foreign nuclear waste The government has decided to bury Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, Swiss and Swedish nuclear waste in Britain as a money-making venture to help pay for the UK's own unresolved nuclear waste problems. (Guardian, 15 Dec 2004) We can hold our military to account On the nights of September 13 and 14 2003, British troops arrested and detained Baha Mousa and eight of his colleagues from a hotel in Basra. (Guardian, 15 Dec 2004) Labour donor sounds death knell for council housing The government was today urged to force all councils to transfer their housing stock to housing associations within three years, under provocative new proposals launched by a Labour party donor. In a new pamphlet for left-leaning thinktank the Fabian Society, Jeff Zitron argued that tenants should no longer have a vote to keep their council landlords. (Guardian, 15 Dec 2004) Rent outstrips mortgage costs in many areas Renting an "affordable" home from a housing association is more expensive than buying one of your own in 13 areas of the country, according to new official figures. (Guardian, 15 Dec 2004) Eskimos Seek to Recast Global Warming as a Rights Issue The Eskimos, or Inuit, about 155,000 seal-hunting peoples scattered around the Arctic, plan to seek a ruling from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the United States, by contributing substantially to global warming, is threatening their existence. (New York Times, 14 Dec 2004) A deadly reversal I hope that newspapers do not represent public opinion. If they do, it means that we consider the Home Secretary's love affair more important than the resumption of the most deadly conflict since the second world war. On Sunday, the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), already responsible for 3.8 million deaths, started again. (14 Dec 2004) DVolunteers tested on phone mast 'dangers' Human volunteers will today undergo a series of tests as part of the first major study into the potential health dangers of mobile phone masts. (Telegraph, 13 Dec 2004) Burmese junta releases dissidents Two senior pro-democracy activists are among over 5,000 prisoners being freed from jail in Burma over the weekend. (BBC, 12 Dec 2004) 'Deadliest' year in 10 for media Fifty-four journalists were killed in 2004, the deadliest year for journalists in a decade. (BBC, 11 Dec 2004) M S Subbulakshmi passes away Renowned Carnatic musician, M S Subbulakshmi died here on Saturday night following various complications, according to hospital and family sources. She was 88. (Times of India, 11 Dec 2004) Madrassas hit by sex abuse claims A Pakistani minister has revealed hundreds of cases of alleged child sex abuse at Islamic schools, or madrassas. (BBC, 10 Dec 2004) Colonel charged over Jara killing A retired Chilean army colonel has been accused of ordering the execution of a singer and playwright at the start of Augusto Pinochet's military rule. Col Mario Manriquez was indicted by a judge investigating the killing of Victor Jara in September 1973. (BBC, 10 Dec 2004) Butler launches attack on Blair Former civil service chief Lord Butler has criticised the way Tony Blair's government operates, accusing it of being obsessed with headlines. (BBC, 10 Dec 2004) Human rights 'under new strains' The UN's human rights chief has warned that the vision and promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are under considerable strain. (BBC, 10 Dec 2004) Asylum operation racist, say law lords The law lords ruled yesterday that a Home Office operation at Prague airport to prevent Czech Roma people travelling to Britain to claim asylum amounted to "inherent and systematic" racism. (Guardian, 10 Dec 2004) Frank Field battle plan to beat yobs Britain is moving from the "politics of class to the politics of behaviour" as members of a predominantly poor and white group refuse to accept society's rules and threaten the majority, a leading Labour MP said last night. (Guardian, 10 Dec 2004) Road sparks alarm for Brazil rainforest Brazil and Peru have announced a £363m plan for a highway to link Brazil's Amazon basin to the Pacific, raising concerns about further devastation in the rainforest. (Guardian, 10 Dec 2004) Congo death toll up to 3.8m Six years of conflict in Congo have claimed 3.8 million lives - half of them children - with most victims killed by disease and famine in the still largely cut-off east, the International Rescue Committee said yesterday. (Guardian, 10 Dec 2004) Watchdog defied on all-postal elections The government insisted yesterday that all-postal elections should continue, overriding strong objections from the watchdog responsible for overseeing polls. (Guardian, 10 Dec 2004) Just because it's a Tory idea doesn't mean it's wrong Governments can no longer convince people they aren't fiddling the figures. (Guardian, 9 Dec 2004) Council under fire for Dame Shirley deal Westminster council short-changed residents in a compromise deal with its disgraced former leader Dame Shirley Porter over the money she owed the council, the district auditor was told yesterday. (Guardian, 9 Dec 2004) US forces face new inmate abuse claims Further serious allegations of prisoner abuse have been levelled against American special forces operating in Iraq, this time by agents of the Pentagon's own spy service, the Defence Intelligence Agency. (Telegraph, 9 Dec 2004) English 'world language' forecast A third of people on the planet will be learning English in the next decade, says a report. ...In the year 2000, the British Council says there were about a billion English learners - but a decade later, this report says, the numbers will have doubled. (BBC, 9 Dec 2004) Senior policeman facing 'machinegun' race inquiry A senior policeman is under investigation after allegedly calling for machineguns to be used to stop Muslims travelling to a religious festival. (Telegraph, 9 Dec 2004) Karadzic 'will never surrender' The brother of the war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic has said the former Bosnian Serb leader will never surrender to The Hague tribunal. (BBC, 8 Dec 2004) China's miners pay for growth China's vibrant economic growth is built on coal, the source of two thirds of the country's electricity. (BBC, 8 Dec 2004) Wasted lives of the young let down by jail system We jail more children than almost any other country in the European Union. While politicians have been wringing their hands over the relentless increase in the number of adult prisoners, they have stayed almost silent on the fact that the number of children behind bars has been rising even faster. ...Kevin Jacobs was 16 when he was sent to a young offender institution. By that time, he had been let down by the state for more than 14 years. (Guardian, 8 Dec 2004) Half of all workers on $2 a day or less A record number people are working in the global economy but half of them make $2 a day or less, according to a report published yesterday. (Guardian, 8 Dec 2004) Hold Iraq death probe, Blair told Forty-six eminent figures including military men, ex-diplomats and bishops have written to Tony Blair urging a inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq. (BBC, 8 Dec 2004) Millions to miss out on the net By 2025, 40% of the UK's population will still be without internet access at home, says a study. (BBC, 8 Dec 2004) See The Digital Divide in 2025 Brown criticised on malaria cash Two eminent malaria scientists have sent a letter to the chancellor, Gordon Brown, criticising his decision to fund a future vaccine against a disease which, they say, could be wiped out from parts of Africa right now with cheap drugs. (Guardian, 6 Dec 2004) See Malaria vaccine given a boost. Logging suspended in Philippines Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has suspended logging and vowed punishment for law-breakers as the country reels from four deadly storms in two weeks. (BBC, 5 Dec 2004) Honey 'could help fight cancer' Honey and royal jelly could become part of the arsenal of weapons against cancer, researchers say. (BBC, 5 Dec 2004) Women to benefit from citizen's pension plan All pensioners would receive the full basic state pension, irrespective of the amount they have paid in National Insurance contributions during their working lives, under radical plans being drawn up by the Government to improve the incomes of elderly women. (Telegraph, 4 Dec 2004) Aborigines' dark island home Aboriginal residents of Palm Island in northern Australia are preparing for another depressing chapter in the story of their isolated home. (BBC, 4 Dec 2004) BBC apologises for Bhopal hoax The BBC has been tricked into broadcasting a false report that the US company Dow Chemical admitted blame for the Bhopal disaster and set up a massive compensation fund. (Times, 3 Dec 2004) See The Yes Men See Big chem deploys DMCA to takedown parody site. Regulator allows water firms extra £46 on bills British water companies were handed the biggest price increases in a decade yesterday, sending their shares soaring. (Telegraph, 3 Dec 2004) New blow to city academies as fashion designer withdraws £2m sponsorship Parents claim victory against controversial school scheme that takes money - and influence - from private sector. (Guardian, 3 Dec 2004) Pensioners' cash goes down despite fuel top-up Pensioner groups reacted angrily yesterday to an attempt by the chancellor to disguise a £50 cut in retirement incomes for the over-70s. (Guardian, 3 Dec 2004) Independent labels take EU to court over Sony merger Independent record labels representing such artists as Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes will today accuse European regulators of making big mistakes in deciding whether the €5 billion (£3.45 billion) merger between Sony Music and BMG would lead to collective dominance in the industry. (Times, 3 Dec 2004) Two-way benefits of the school for local enterprise Cecil Jones High School in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, is proud of its track record in helping to create tomorrow's young entrepreneurs, which the government signalled yesterday as an important aim for secondary schools. (Guardian, 3 Dec 2004) Aboriginal boy 'put in noose' Australian police are investigating claims that an Aboriginal boy was dragged around by a noose during an attempted farm robbery in Queensland. (BBC, 2 Dec 2004) Calls grow for independent view of Brown's golden rule Calls are growing in the City and Westminster for more independent scrutiny of the public finances to assess whether Gordon Brown is meeting his self-imposed fiscal rules. (BBC, 2 Dec 2004) The civilians we killed The chaos of war should never be understated. On the way to Baghdad, I saw bodies by the road, many in civilian clothing. (BBC, 2 Dec 2004) You call this liberation Who wrote this - a pop sociologist, obscure blogger or anti-war playwright? "Muslims see Americans as strangely narcissistic - namely, that the war is all about us. As the Muslims see it, everything about the war is - for Americans - really no more than an extension of American domestic politics and its great game. This perception is ... heightened by election-year atmospherics, but none the less sustains their impression that when Americans talk to Muslims, they are talking to themselves." (Guardian, 2 Dec 2004) No more survivors in China blast All 166 miners missing after a gas explosion in central China on Sunday have been confirmed dead, according to Chinese state media. (BBC, 1 Dec 2004) Saro-Wiwa's remains go home The return of Nigerian playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa's body to his home town of Bane has been broadly welcomed by his familty, who consider it a first step in their campaign to clear his name. (BBC, 1 Dec 2004) Growing, growing, gone If the west is serious about reversing the threat to the planet's species it must alter its economic growth. (Guardian, 1 Dec 2004) Asbo absurdities The government claims antisocial behaviour orders are working. (Guardian, 1 Dec 2004) AM expelled for 'Mrs Windsor' jibe A Plaid Cymru AM has become the first to be ordered out of the Welsh assembly chamber after calling the Queen "Mrs Windsor". Leanne Wood refused to withdraw the remark, made during a debate on the Queen's Speech. (BBC, 1 Dec 2004) Expand security council, says UN panel A United Nations panel has called for the UN's main decision-making body, the security council, to be expanded from 15 to 24 members, giving broader representation to developing countries. (Guardian, 1 Dec 2004) Italy goes on strike over economy Millions of Italians stopped work yesterday in protest at the economic policies of Silvio Berlusconi's government. (Guardian, 1 Dec 2004) Rwanda announces invasion of Congo Rwanda signalled yesterday that it was on the verge of invading the Democratic Republic of Congo to hunt Hutu militants, fuelling fears of renewed conflict. (1 Dec 2004) |
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updated:
8 Jan 2005
2005