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Women 'pushed into girls' jobs' Girls are being pushed into jobs thought of as traditional to their sex, a new report claims. (BBC, 31 Mar 2005) How Scotland inspired Jules Verne A century after Jules Verne's death, science fiction writers still follow in the Frenchman's footsteps. ...Jules Verne ... embarked for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, where the striking terrain inspired a novel about a metropolis hidden beneath Loch Katrine, which he called New Aberfoyle. The book, The Underground City, is being republished this week with a foreword by modern-day geographer and Verne scholar Professor Ian Thompson. (BBC, 30 Mar 2005) MPs rap UN over Darfur death toll The death toll from Sudan's Darfur crisis has been grossly underestimated, British MPs have said. (BBC, 30 Mar 2005) DWhat on Earth are we doing to our planet? Humans are damaging the planet at an unprecedented rate and increasing the risk of abrupt collapses in nature that could spur disease, deforestation or "dead zones" in the seas, an international report has found. (Scotsman, 30 Mar 2005) Teachers will fight city academies The National Union of Teachers is to set up hit squads of activists to fight government plans to open 200 city academies. (Times, 29 Mar 2005) New skills boost for 'dead-end jobs' staff A plan to end dead-end jobs was unveiled by the Government yesterday. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said she would offer free training to 15 million adults in the UK who cannot read or write properly. (Mirror, 23 Mar 2005) Royals in EU cash for farms Details of the millions of pounds the Queen, Prince Charles and big landowners claim in European farm subsidies can be revealed today. (Mirror, 23 Mar 2005) Postal votes invite fraud, says judge A high court judge yesterday questioned the validity of the forthcoming general election by branding the current postal voting system "an open invitation to fraud". (Guardian, 23 Mar 2005) Shia leaders close to deal on Iraqi government Leading Shia politicians said yesterday that they had finally brokered a deal with Kurdish parties to end a debilitating impasse over the formation of Iraq's first freely elected government in decades. (Guardian, 23 Mar 2005) New skills boost for 'dead-end jobs' staff A plan to end dead-end jobs was unveiled by the Government yesterday. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said she would offer free training to 15million adults in the UK who cannot read or write properly. (Mirror, 23 Mar 2005) Royals in EU cash for farms Details of the millions of pounds the Queen, Prince Charles and big landowners claim in European farm subsidies can be revealed today. (Mirror, 23 Mar 2005) Requiem for Romero Twenty-five years ago today, Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot dead while saying Mass in a small chapel at a cancer hospice in San Salvador, El Salvador. (BBC, 23 Mar 2005) £60m fraud case collapse probed An inquiry is to be launched after six men walked free when a fraud case costing £60m and lasting 21 months collapsed at London's Old Bailey. (BBC, 23 Mar 2005) Rethink urged on asylum reforms The government is being urged to rethink restrictions on legal aid for asylum seekers which are due to be brought in within days. (BBC, 23 Mar 2005) Parisians tempted with tap water The Paris municipality has started distributing free designer carafes in a bid to convince Parisians that tap water is just as good as mineral water. (BBC, 22 Mar 2005) Namibian founding father replaced The man who led Namibia since independence 15 years ago, Sam Nujoma, has handed over power to his successor. (BBC, 21 Mar 2005) Pupils make more progress in 3Rs 'without aid of computers' The less pupils use computers at school and at home, the better they do in international tests of literacy and maths, the largest study of its kind says today. The findings raise questions over the Government's decision, announced by Gordon Brown in the Budget last week, to spend another £1.5 billion on school computers, in addition to the £2.5 billion it has already spent. (Telegraph, 21 Mar 2005) N Zealand 'should take in Vanunu' New Zealand's Green Party has called for former Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu to be offered a New Zealand passport. (BBC, 21 Mar 2005) Racial equality 'beacon' to UK Wales has the chance to lead the way when it comes to race equality, according to the assembly government. ...But Mr Phillips also used the occasion to attack coverage by some newspapers in recent weeks of the controversy over unauthorised encampments by travellers and Gypsies. (BBC, 21 Mar 2005) UK debt is at 'time bomb' levels UK personal debt levels are a "time bomb" that pose a threat to millions of households, a report commissioned by the Conservative Party has found. (BBC, 20 Mar 2005) Zimbabwe bars 3 million voters More than 3 million Zimbabwean expatriates have been barred from voting in the imminent parliamentary elections by a supreme court ruling that will deprive the opposition of a large chunk of its support. (Guardian, 19 Mar 2005) Blow for poorest pensioners The government was accused yesterday of favouring wealthier pensioners in the budget after it was revealed that more than 4 million older people on low incomes will be excluded from the chancellor's plans. (Guardian, 19 Mar 2005) For far too long, we have left patriotism to the extremists What is it that unites, on the left of British politics, George Orwell, Billy Bragg, Gordon Brown and myself? An understanding that identity and a sense of belonging need to be linked to our commitment to nationhood and a modern form of patriotism. By celebrating ... our history, including such figures as Olaudah Equiano who was, alongside William Wilberforce, a key abolitionist of slavery ... (Guardian, 19 Mar 2005) Echoes of Africa in Guyanese Creole-Creole - says visiting professor Professor Walter Edwards was jogging in the National Park the other day when, what with the hot-hot sun, he suddenly felt "ning-ning" so he had to sit down. (Stabroek News, 19 Mar 2005) DMadrid removes its final statue of General Franco The last statue of General Franco in Madrid was unceremoniously taken down yesterday, touching off a new row about the dictator's legacy and Spain's troubled history. (Telegraph, 18 Mar 2005) Gandhi 'sex road' renaming is dropped Durban city council outraged South Africa's Indian community yesterday after it tried renaming a dilapidated street in a red light district in honour of Mohandas Gandhi. (Telegraph, 18 Mar 2005) The true cost of Labour's spend: £700bn Labour is planning to spend nearly £700billion by the end of the next Parliament, according to a party document intended to expose Conservative proposals. (Telegraph, 18 Mar 2005) Asylum seekers jailed for having no passport More than 230 asylum seekers have been arrested and 134 convicted under new legislation which penalises those who fail to produce a passport, the Guardian has learned. (Guardian, 18 Mar 2005) Vanunu faces new jail term The Israeli nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu, is facing another term in prison after he was charged yesterday with breaching a gag order imposed on his release from an 18-year sentence last April. (Guardian, 18 Mar 2005) Italy repatriates 180 boatpeople Italy has repatriated some 180 illegal migrants following mass landings of boat people on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, off North Africa. (BBC, 18 Mar 2005) Madrid removes last Franco statue The Madrid authorities have removed the city's last statue of former military ruler General Francisco Franco. (BBC, 18 Mar 2005) Town hall to sell black archive home The home of a national archive documenting the history and culture of Britain's black community is to be sold as part of a multi-million pound property sale. Lambeth council wants to dispose of the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) building in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, as part of a £57million sell-off. The council plans to raise £36.3million from the sale of "surplus operational and non-operational properties" in the next financial year. Finance bosses hope to bring in a further £21million from the sale of homes to council tenants under Right to Buy legislation. But we can reveal the council has offered the BCA the possibility of a home in the heart of Brixton's new regeneration scheme. The BCA may move into the Grade II listed Raleigh Hall in Saltoun Road. (South London Press, 17 Mar 2005) Nike anti-racism campaign is viewed with suspicion Anti-racism groups in Europe are viewing with suspicion Nike's motives for their campaign against racism in football. The groups have stated they do not want to receive money from the American multinational company from the sale of their wristbands. (Evening Standard, 17 Mar 2005) Sex slave gang 'tip of iceberg' Human traffickers who sold a teenager into the sex trade for £4,000 may be the "tip of the iceberg", police say. (BBC, 17 Mar 2005) Nike anti-racism campaign is viewed with suspicion Anti-racism groups in Europe are viewing with suspicion Nike's motives for their campaign against racism in football. The groups have stated they do not want to receive money from the American multinational company from the sale of their wristbands. (Evening Standard, 17 Mar 2005) Control orders 'could target IRA' The government has refused to rule out using its new control orders against members of the IRA. (BBC, 17 Mar 2005) US tries to sink forests plan The US plans to wreck a British initiative to commit the G8 states to combatting illegal logging in the world's threatened rainforests, a leaked memorandum revealed last night. (Guardian, 16 Mar 2005) Threat to Woodcraft Folk as Hodge wields the axe The Woodcraft Folk, a children's organisation set up 80 years ago by Labour Party supporters who found the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides too militaristic, was in peril yesterday after the Government withdrew funding. (Telegraph, 16 Mar 2005) Youth movement lost funding 'because of anti-war protests' The Woodcraft Folk, a liberal alternative to the Scouts and Guides, today claimed its opposition to the Iraq war led to the government axing its funding. (Guardian, 16 Mar 2005) Ebbers found guilty over $11bn fraud at WorldCom Bernard Ebbers, the maverick former boss of WorldCom, was yesterday found guilty of taking a lead role in the largest fraud in corporate history and could now face the rest of his life in prison. (Guardian, 16 Mar 2005) Pinochet 'stowed $13m in banks' The former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet stowed away more than $13m (£6.8m) in 125 bank accounts, according to a US Senate investigation. (BBC, 16 Mar 2005) Kenya protesters in police battle Kenyan police have arrested nine people and used tear gas and water cannons in running battles with protesters before the opening of parliament. (BBC, 16 Mar 2005) Gang who destroyed Muslim graves are to be sentenced The three teenagers convicted of destroying 34 Muslim graves in a cemetery rampage are to be sentenced next month. (South London Press, 16 Mar 2005) Here's to us Councillors are to throw a party to celebrate closing 15 housing offices. The knees-up at Lambeth Town Hall will celebrate the "success" of its controversial housing department "reframing" project, which has seen 15 sites merged into five area offices. (South London Press, 15 Mar 2005) Be proud of colonial past, urges Brown Gordon Brown set out his vision of how to strengthen Britain's national identity yesterday as he prepared to return to the political centre stage with his Budget statement tomorrow. (Times, 15 Mar 2005) ! (Times, 15 Mar 2005) Paris bans cars to make way for central pedestrian zone The traffic-choked heart of Paris is to become a car-free oasis under a radical scheme drawn up by Bertrand Delanoë, the city's flamboyant Socialist Mayor. (Times, 15 Mar 2005) Courageous young cyber-dissident dies of heart attack Reporters Without Borders offers its condolences to Zouhair Yahyaoui's family Reporters Without Borders voiced its deep regret today at the death of the young Tunisian cyber-dissident, Zouhair Yahyaoui, 36, the founder and editor of the online newspaper TUNeZINE, who died yesterday of a heart attack. (Reporters without borders, 14 Mar 2005) Army 'fails recruits on bullying' The Army has been accused of failing in its handling of new recruits and allowing bullying to go unreported, in a report by MPs. (BBC, 14 Mar 2005) > UN's Darfur death estimate soars At least 180,000 people may have died in Sudan's Darfur region over the past 18 months, according to the United Nations' top emergency relief official. (BBC, 14 Mar 2005) > UN ultimatum to DRC congo rebels The United Nations has given rebel militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo's north-eastern Ituri region two weeks to give up their weapons. (BBC, 14 Mar 2005) Referees undeterred by criticism The Referees Association (RA) believes match officials do face rising levels of criticism - but that is not stopping more people becoming referees. (BBC, 14 Mar 2005) Anti-terrorism law row rumbles on Ten terror suspects have been subjected to interim control orders as the war of words over the battle to introduce the new anti-terrorism powers continues. (BBC, 12 Mar 2005) Gandhi's 1930 march re-enacted The famous 1930 "salt march" by India's independence hero Mahatma Gandhi to defy British colonial rule is being re-enacted for its 75th anniversary. (BBC, 12 Mar 2005) In 75 yrs, Dandi goes Disneyland While the Congress wants to re-enact the Dandi march to revive its political fortunes in Gujarat, a construction company is looking at the commercial potential of the place where Gandhi first defied the salt law, 75 years ago. (BBC, 12 Mar 2005) US pays out for looting Nazi gold The US is to pay $25.5m (£13.2m) to families of Hungarian Holocaust victims as compensation for the plundering of family treasures in World War II. (BBC, 12 Mar 2005) Eight terror detainees given bail The last eight foreign terror suspects detained in UK jails without charge or trial have been granted bail. (BBC, 11 Mar 2005) See Detained without charge, UK Vietnam fury at Agent Orange case Vietnamese plaintiffs have condemned a US court's decision to dismiss their legal action against manufacturers of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. (BBC, 11 Mar 2005) Gypsy groups lodge complaints against the Sun Formal complaints have been made to Hampshire and Sussex police about articles and headlines printed in the Sun newspaper declaring 'war' on Gypsies. Complaints have also been lodged with the Press Complaints Commission. (Guardian, 10 Mar 2005) Black police officers still face racial abuse A substantial number of Black and Minority Ethnic police officers still suffer serious racist abuse from colleagues, according to a Commission for Racial Equality report. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) Government's terror bill passed The marathon debate over new anti-terror proposals has finally ended after more than 30 hours with the government's bill being passed. (BBC, 11 Mar 2005) Ban on plugging products could end A 50-year ban on plugs in TV shows for commercial products ranging from beers in Coronation Street's Rovers Return to cars in The Bill could be swept away by TV regulators, it emerged yesterday. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) Black police still abused at work, CRE study finds A substantial number of ethnic minority police officers still suffer serious racist abuse from colleagues which they are too frightened to report, while their bosses are failing to handle racial discrimination complaints effectively, a report out yesterday revealed. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) Anti-Asbo alliance formed Politicians may love antisocial behaviour orders. But not all frontline professionals have been so enamoured with them, and a new campaigning organisation hopes to tap into that scepticism. Asbo Concern is to be launched next month. Coordinator Matt Foot, a criminal defence solicitor, explains: "The government is irresponsible promoting Asbos - which often criminalise people for behaviour that is not criminal - when there is no evidence that they work. We have serious concerns about the way they are used and want to organise the broadest possible coalition to put pressure on the government for a full review." (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) Clash of ideals Against the odds, a Hull cooperative set up 20 years ago by a group of 'green anarchists' is still providing quality, affordable housing. That's precisely what ministers want - so why are the authorities now preparing to knock them down? They learned a few tricks of the building trade, taught themselves rudimentary joinery, plastering and plumbing, and used their first property as collateral for another house. Then they acquired another. Giroscope workers' cooperative was born. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) A brief history of habeas corpus Habeas corpus is under attack, say critics of the government's anti-terror bill. But what is it and why is it so cherished? (BBC, 9 Mar 2005) Prison Service 'in denial' over racism claims Prison staff systematically reported inmates for complaining about racism rather than investigating potentially racist incidents including serious assaults, a public inquiry heard today. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) Beat team for every neighbourhood Every neighbourhood will have a dedicated team of beat officers within three years, under a Home Office scheme that will recruit 19,000 more police community support officers at a cost of £340m. (Guardian, 9 Mar 2005) South Africa's capital to be renamed Tshwane The capital of South Africa is to be called Tshwane in an attempt to draw a line under the country's colonial past. (Telegraph, 9 Mar 2005) Postal vote open to fraud, says judge The postal voting system is open to widespread corruption because the authorities are powerless to tackle fraud, a judge said yesterday. Richard Mawrey, the deputy High Court judge overseeing a hearing into alleged election fraud by six Labour councillors, said that the function of returning officers in such elections was "nil" because they had no authority or resources to investigate suspected wrongdoing. (Telegraph, 9 Mar 2005) £82,000 award for humiliated council 'whistleblower' A Labour council has been ordered to pay £82,000 to one of its housing officers for racial discrimination after she blew the whistle on improper practices. Caroline Duncan complained that a white family was given a vacant house instead of an Asian family who were higher up the housing list. (Telegraph, 9 Mar 2005) Police anti-racism training 'can do more harm than good' Sir David Calvert-Smith, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, has said in his report for the Commission for Racial Equality that diversity training designed to root out racism from the police does 'more harm than good'. (Guardian, 8 Mar 2005) Racist crime rate in London revealed Statisticians at Scotland Yard and the Greater London Authority have calculated that, in London last year, Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were thirteen times more likely to be the victim of a racial crime than White Europeans. (Guardian, 7 Mar 2005) Make climate change a policy principle - or drown in debt There are many environments of great concern to the chancellor. But the one made up of land, air, water and living systems has not been chief among them - something that's clear to anyone who has dealt with the Treasury since Labour came to power in 1997. (Guardian, 7 Mar 2005) Train disaster yields more bodies Police have discovered another 28 bodies at the site in southern Sri Lanka of what is believed to be the world's worst train disaster. More than 800 bodies have now been identified but it is feared twice that number may have died when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit the train. ...Work at the train disaster site at Telwatta, 75 miles (110km) south of the capital, Colombo, continues to yield victims. (BBC, 7 Mar 2005) World 'failing' on dumped weapons Most of the world's governments are making light of problems caused by unexploded munitions, the UK-based agency Landmine Action has said. (BBC, 7 Mar 2005) Nicola Calipari: An 'extraordinary hero' On Friday, Nicola Calipari was an unknown Italian secret agent, close to completing another successful mission for his country. (BBC, 6 Mar 2005) Asian locked up with racist as part of staff's 'gladiator' game An Asian teenager was killed by his racist white cellmate after they were placed together as part of a “gladiator” game in which prison officers laid bets on fights, an inquiry was told yesterday. (Times, 4 Mar 2005) UN denies killing Congo civilians A United Nations commander has denied claims that civilians were killed in an offensive by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (BBC, 3 Mar 2005) Limited choice The London borough of Camden never set out to foul up the government's housing policy. But a year ago its tenants revealed an awkward contradiction in ministerial rhetoric about providing choice and improvements in public services by voting against government plans to hive off their homes to new management. (Guardian, 3 Mar 2005) UK attempt to eradicate Afghan opium fails Afghanistan is on the verge of becoming a "narcotic state" with its biggest annual crop of opium since the overthrow of the Taliban, the United Nations drug control board warns today. (Guardian, 2 Mar 2005) Local food 'greener than organic' Food should come from within your area, the report says Local food is usually more "green" than organic food, according to a report published in the journal Food Policy. (BBC, 2 Mar 2005) Benn to end link between aid and privatisation Britain is to announce that it will no longer urge poor countries to privatise large swaths of industry or open their markets to foreign trade overnight as a condition for receiving development aid. The international development secretary, Hilary Benn, will announce the policy change at a high-level forum of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris today on aid effectiveness. (Guardian, 2 Mar 2005) UK must 'invest or risk power cuts' The UK could face power cuts in the coming years unless it acts now to encourage companies to invest in more generating capacity, according to a leading industry executive. (Guardian, 2 Mar 2005) US court bans juvenile executions The US Supreme Court has abolished the death penalty for those who commit murder when under the age of 18. (BBC, 1 Mar 2005) Return of Axum obelisk 'imminent' Ethiopia's government has said Italy is to return the first piece of a historic obelisk from Rome to its home in Axum by the end of March. (BBC, 1 Mar 2005) Cruel and usual The outrages at Camp Breadbasket are consistent with British colonial rule - brutal, oppressive and racist. (Guardian, 1 Mar 2005) Schools 'in fear of gang culture' A fifth of England's secondary schools believe they have a problem with "gang culture", an Ofsted report suggests. (BBC, 1 Mar 2005) Turkmen leader closes hospitals By Monica Whitlock Reports from Turkmenistan say President Niyazov has ordered the closure of all the hospitals in the country except those in the capital, Ashgabat. (BBC, 1 Mar 2005) |
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updated:
14 Feb
2006