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Small box 'to end digital divide' A pared down "computer" to replace bulky, grey desktop PCs could help close global digital inequalities. (BBC, 29 Apr 2005) At seven storeys high, £6bn to develop and with a wingspan of 80 metres - the A380 makes its maiden flight The cheers and tears of 30,000 spectators all but drowned out the rumble of jet engines yesterday as the world's biggest airliner lumbered smoothly - and remarkably quietly - into the skies for the first time. (Guardian, 28 Apr 2005) 35% leap in court actions to repossess houses The number of court actions to repossess houses has jumped more than 35% in the space of a year to reach the highest level since the end of the last property price crash, according to official figures released yesterday. (Guardian, 28 Apr 2005) Revealed: the government's secret legal advice on Iraq war Tony Blair was told by the government's most senior law officer in a confidential minute less than two weeks before the war that British participation in the American-led invasion of Iraq could be declared illegal. (Guardian, 28 Apr 2005) China rules on Hong Kong leader China ruled that Hong Kong's next leader should serve two years instead of five yesterday, a decision pro-democracy groups said eroded the territory's legal system. (Guardian, 28 Apr 2005) Nato may help AU in Darfur Nato moved closer to its first involvement in an African mission yesterday when it said it would look at providing logistical support to African peacekeepers in Darfur. (Guardian, 28 Apr 2005) Boom for black tourism in Paris Until recently, it was impossible for visitors to the French capital to gain more than a fleeting impression of the city's role in the development of the African-American identity. (BBC, 28 Apr 2005) Iraqi woman MP killed in Baghdad A Iraqi woman MP has been shot dead by suspected insurgents on the doorstep of her home in Baghdad. Lamia Abed Khadouri, a member of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's coalition, is the first MP killed since elections at the end of January. (BBC, 27 Apr 2005) Urban intelligence Fifty years after Michael Young founded the Institute of Community Studies (ICS) it is being "revitalised" by a merger with one of its offshoots, the Mutual Aid Centre, to form a foundation that bears his name. The Hardy bathers win right to swim unsupervised ...Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club won a legal battle at the high court against the Corporation of London, which had claimed that it risked prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive if it allowed unsupervised dips. (Guardian, 27 Apr 2005) Migrants more than paying their way, report says Britain's migrant population is more than paying its way and contributes relatively more to the public purse than everybody else, according to a study published today. (Guardian, 27 Apr 2005) Qatar draws up plan to sell off al-Jazeera The Gulf state of Qatar is considering privatising its satellite TV channel, al-Jazeera, because of pressure from the US and a de facto advertising boycott by Arab countries offended by its critical coverage. (Guardian, 27 Apr 2005) This is our Guernica Ruined, cordoned Falluja is emerging as the decade's monument to brutality. (Guardian, 27 Apr 2005) Protests and cheers as China visit bridges a 60-year gulf Condemned as a traitor by hundreds of protesters as he left home, the Taiwanese opposition leader Lien Chan was given a hero's welcome yesterday as he arrived in China on an historic visit. (Times, 27 Apr 2005) School Head Backs Labour The headmaster of a specialist technology school courted controversy today by endorsing a Labour victory in next week's election. Gary Phillips, head of the Lilian Baylis School, in south London, spoke out as Tony Blair joined Education Secretary Ruth Kelly in opening a new building on the site. (Scotsman, 27 Apr 2005) Chirac calls for swift action on cheap Chinese clothes imports Jacques Chirac turned up the heat in the trade row between China and the European Union yesterday by calling for emergency action to block a flood of Chinese clothing imports. (Times, 27 Apr 2005) Greens put solar panels on Prescott's roof Green protesters have scaled the walls of the Hull home of John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister, and placed solar panels on the roof. (Telegraph, 26 Apr 2005) Witness to Bloody Sunday is found shot Police are investigating the death from gun-shot wounds of a former Army sergeant-major who gave evidence at the Bloody Sunday inquiry. Michael Norman, a 62-year-old former Regimental Sergeant-Major in the Coldstream Guards, who was an experienced marksman, was found in his green BMW car on Sunday, April 17. (Telegraph, 26 Apr 2005) Walk-on rail fares 'are among highest in Europe' Train passengers are being forced to pay some of the highest fares in Europe, it was claimed yesterday. (Telegraph, 26 Apr 2005) Gipsies win battle to live in Green Belt A gipsy family won a significant legal battle yesterday in its attempt to place a mobile home and caravan on a site in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Henry Smith, 20, was seeking permission to live on a plot at Bethworth, near Dorking, Surrey, with his wife Eileen and two young children. He bought the site from his father and had lived there as a child. ...The appeal inspector had ruled that a shortage of gipsy accommodation and the acute needs of Mr Smith and his family outweighed the harm and justified planning permission. (Telegraph, 26 Apr 2005) Suspects shown 'al-Qaeda lists' The BBC has uncovered evidence that the police and security services have compiled lists - some containing names of innocent people - to show to suspected al-Qaeda terrorists when interrogating them. (BBC, 26 Apr 2005) US closes book on Iraq WMD hunt The US chief weapons inspector, Charles Duelfer, has said inquiries into weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have "gone as far as feasible". (BBC, 26 Apr 2005) Council to consider gum tax call Liverpool City Council says it costs 10p to remove gum from the street Councillors in Liverpool are to vote on whether to officially call for a national tax on chewing gum. (BBC, 26 Apr 2005) Concern over food child marketing Food manufacturers are merging advertising and entertainment to market their products to children, a campaign group warns. (BBC, 26 Apr 2005) Spain paves way for gay marriage Spain's lower house of parliament has approved the right of homosexual couples to marry and adopt children. (BBC, 21 Apr 2005) 'Little progress' in malaria war Little progress has been made in the war on malaria because the global body launched to fight the disease in 1998 is failing, a medical journal says. (BBC, 21 Apr 2005) Britain told by Ethiopia to give back treasures Ethiopia has appealed to Britain to match Italy's gesture by repatriating hundreds of artefacts plundered by the British Army in the 19th century. (Times, 20 Apr 2005) Four charged over 'God's banker' death Four people have been charged with the murder in London of Roberto Calvi, a financier known as "God's banker" because of his close ties to the Vatican. (Times, 19 Apr 2005) Allure of the blank slate From Aceh to Haiti, a predatory form of disaster capitalism is reshaping societies to its own design. (Guardian, 18 Apr 2005) French angry at law to teach glory of colonialism More than 1,000 historians, writers and intellectuals have signed a petition demanding the repeal of a new law requiring school history teachers to stress the "positive aspects" of French colonialism. (Guardian, 15 Apr 2005) Concern over rise in postal vote A dramatic rise in postal votes has raised concerns about potential fraud and logistical problems. (BBC, 15 Apr 2005) China warns against Japan rallies Police in China have warned people not to attend unauthorised anti-Japanese rallies this weekend, amid a mounting dispute over history and oil fields. (BBC, 15 Apr 2005) Briton accused of Iraq oil fraud A British oil trader was accused yesterday of paying millions of dollars in secret bribes to Saddam Hussein's regime as US prosecutors made new disclosures about alleged corruption by high-ranking UN officials in the Oil-for-Food scandal. US authorities said they would request the arrest and extradition of John Irving, the London-based trader, to face charges of fraud and trading with a state sponsor of terrorism. (Times, 15 Apr 2005) 'Cheap drugs could force us out of US' Sir Tom McKillop, chief executive of Astrazeneca, yesterday said that he may move operations from the US to China or India if the threat of drug reimportation becomes a reality. (Telegraph, 15 Apr 2005) Liechtenstein royalty hired death camp inmates for slave labour Liechtenstein's royal house hired Jewish concentration camp inmates from the SS to work as forced labourers on its princely estates in Austria, a probe into the tiny tax haven's wartime past has discovered. (Telegraph, 15 Apr 2005) Hi-tech car is a costly flop, VW admits Volkswagen has abandoned its costly effort to develop a 'super-economy car', admitting that there is no mass market for the product even at current high petrol prices. (Telegraph, 15 Apr 2005) Lawyers outraged at portrayal of men freed in poison trial One of the eight north African men freed after being acquitted in the poison trial that finished at the Old Bailey this week is fearful for his life as a result of the media coverage of the case, his lawyer said yesterday. (Guardian, 15 Apr 2005) A bloody revolt in a tiny village challenges the rulers of China Jonathan Watts reports from Huankantou where protesters angry at corruption and poverty repelled 1,000 riot police. (Guardian, 15 Apr 2005) Chinese village protest turns into riot of thousands Reports that two elderly women were killed during a protest against factory pollution have sparked a bloody riot by thousands of villagers in eastern China. (Guardian, 12 Apr 2005) A vehicle for equality Modern capitalists understand the ideas of the co-op but, as at Rover, they only apply them for profit. (Guardian, 12 Apr 2005) The 2.7m hidden unemployed Labour has made much of its success at reducing unemployment over the seven years it has been in power. But admirable as this achievement is, it does not tell the whole story. (Guardian, 11 Apr 2005) UK workers without a pension reach 12.7m The number of Britons with no pensions provision has leapt by more than two million since Labour took office, the Government's own figures have revealed. (Times, 11 Apr 2005) South East Plan is 'unsustainable' That the South East Plan could be presented as a bottom-up exercise merits a simple refutation - my foot! (Times reader's letter, 11 Apr 2005) Labour to pledge tax discount for volunteers Volunteers will receive a discount in their council tax bills as part of a drive to build a new culture of active citizenship and moral responsibility, the Labour manifesto will say this week. (Guardian, 11 Apr 2005) Howard ratchets up immigration rhetoric Michael Howard yesterday sought to put immigration at the heart of the election - despite claims from one of his former Home Office colleagues that Tory plans are "alarmist" and "deceitful". (Guardian, 11 Apr 2005) Ghana pays price for west's rice subsidies Rachia Salifu finds the rice-growing season the most difficult time of year. During the day she works the fields with her baby on her back in temperatures that can reach 43C. In the evening there is not enough food for her five children so she listens to them cry with hunger, unable to help. (Guardian, 11 Apr 2005) Iraq war firm asks for bar on protests An arms components company which makes bomb parts that were used in the Iraq war is taking legal action to stop anti-war protests being held outside its factory. The Forbes-listed US company, EDO MBM, which has a subsidiary at Home Farm Industrial Estate, Brighton, is seeking an injunction under the Harassment Act against 14 people and two groups, Smash EDO and the now defunct Bombs Out of Brighton. (Guardian, 11 Apr 2005) Chinese police injured in protest About 100 police officers and officials are reported to have been injured during an anti-pollution protest in eastern China, hospital sources say. (BBC, 11 Apr 2005) China rally prompts Japan protest Japan has protested to China after stone-throwing protesters attacked Japan's embassy in Beijing on Saturday. (BBC, 10 Apr 2005) Is a flat tax a fairer way to raise revenue? Last week the old tax year ended and the new one began seamlessly. This means that many of us can look forward to the Byzantine delights of completing our tax returns for 2004/5. Although tax will figure prominently in the general election campaign, there is one aspect of it that will not receive enough attention - complexity. Across the world there is a move in favour of simpler tax structures. (Telegraph, 10 Apr 2005) SA apartheid party set to disband Ex-South African President FW de Klerk has called for a new political party to be set up, as the successor to the apartheid-era National Party disbanded. (BBC, 10 Apr 2005) Darfur village rampage shocks UN The UN and African Union have condemned with "disbelief" a village rampage by militiamen in Sudan's Darfur region. (BBC, 9 Apr 2005) Not in my name How dare Tony Blair genuflect on our behalf before the corpse of a man whose edicts killed millions? (Guardian, 8 Apr 2005) More British troops face courts martial The Army is facing other controversial cases in which Iraqi civilians died in incidents allegedly involving British soldiers serving in Operation Telic, the campaign in southern Iraq. (Times, 8 Apr 2005) Labour will give parents power to take over schools Parents would be given more control over their children's education, with the "ultimate sanction" of ousting the management of failing state schools, under plans being unveiled next week in Labour's election manifesto. (Times, 8 Apr 2005) Japan history texts anger E Asia Japan has approved a set of new school history text books whose version of past events has already sparked complaints from South Korea and China. (BBC, 5 Apr 2005) Postal votes 'wide-open to fraud' The judge in a vote-rigging trial says the postal voting system is "wide open to fraud" and has strongly attacked the government's attitude to the problem. (BBC, 4 Apr 2005) UK puts back e-waste law to 2006 The British government has delayed the new law which makes producers of consumer electronics responsible for the recycling and disposal of goods. The European Union directive, Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE), was to become UK law in August. (BBC, 1 Apr 2005) Labour pledges affordable homes for all Gordon Brown took centre stage in Labour's pre-election campaign for the first time today, promising to help a million more people buy their homes by the end of 2009. (Guardian, 1 Apr 2005) CO2 rise forces energy rethink Carbon dioxide emissions are rising rapidly in the UK, forcing the government to consider a range of new measures to keep its pledge to combat climate change. (Guardian, 1 Apr 2005) The party formerly known as Tory The Conservatives no longer wish to be called Tories. If this is an attempt to rebrand themselves, it won't fool the voters. (Guardian, 1 Apr 2005) |
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updated:
8 May
2005