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New credit rules help clarify loans New rules to make it easier for consumers to shop around and compare different loans came into force today. (Guardian, 31 May 2005) ‘Sati is now seen as a source of strength’ says tourism minister As the Uttar Pradesh government tries to put behind its embarrassment over the Banda Sati incident, the Rajasthan Tourism Development has made Sati the state’s USP. ...In the book, titled Popular Deities of Rajasthan, the department describes the state as ‘‘best-known for various Sati Matas’’ and goes on to extol the virtues of women who are remembered and revered for sacrificing their lives on their husbands’ funeral pyre. (Indian Express, 31 May 2005) ! New-style academy condemned as failure The first of the new-style academy schools was branded a failure by the government's education watchdog yesterday less than three years after opening. Unity academy in Middlesbrough required "special measures" after Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, found it was failing to give "an acceptable standard of education". (Guardian, 28 May 2005) Bonuses fuel 36% jump in houses worth £1m The number of houses worth more than £1m jumped by 36% last year, driven mainly by the return of large bonuses for City bankers. (Guardian, 28 May 2005) UN chief visits Darfur refugees Tens of thousands of people have greeted UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the largest refugee camp in the western Sudanese state of Darfur. (BBC, 28 May 2005) Soaring house prices make 47,500 property millionaires The number of property millionaires has risen almost 14 times over the past decade as house prices have soared to levels that many fear are unsustainable. (Telegraph, 28 May 2005) Logging ban protects Brazil tribe A Brazilian judge has reinstated an order banning loggers from land inhabited by a remote Amazonian tribe. It was obtained to protect the Rio Pardo Indians, a group so isolated that their existence has been hard to confirm. (BBC, 27 May 2005) Peculiarly British identity cards Tony Blair's government, re-elected this month with a sharply reduced majority, is making a new attempt to get one of its most controversial pieces of legislation through parliament: the introduction of a national identity card. (BBC, 25 May 2005) A spent force? The sprawling shopping complex, surrounded by thousands of cars on endless fields of asphalt, giant retail sheds, fast food outlets and yet more superstores, was all too familiar to Stacy Mitchell. (Guardian, 25 May 2005) How Labour used its election troops to fake popular support In America, they call it 'astroturfing': the faking of grassroots support for a politician or a product whose popularity is on the slide. Now it emerges that a tactic invented by US pharmaceutical firms to promote drugs - and promptly adopted by the Republicans to shore up George Bush after 9/11 - was imported to Britain to help get Tony Blair re-elected. (Guardian, 22 May 2005) Football needs 'root and branch reform' As Manchester United and Arsenal prepare for battle in today's FA Cup final, an influential group of administrators, supporters and politicians has called for root and branch reform to save the professional game from abuse by commercial interests. Letter Room for all (Guardian, 21 May 2005) Measuring the reality of climate change Scientists have reported worrying signs that the vast ice sheet over Greenland is melting. If the whole mass of ice disappeared, the world's sea level would rise by about 20 feet. David Shukman meets the Nasa team who study the effects of climate change on the ground. (BBC, 21 May 2005) Karzai shock at US Afghan 'abuse' Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded action from the US after new details emerged of alleged abuse of prisoners by US troops in Afghanistan. (BBC, 21 May 2005) I was wrong about porn ... When I published a book seven years ago about where young women were heading, I believed that as men and women became more equal the visual language of our culture would handle women's sexuality in a subtler and richer way. I imagined that soon young women would no longer feel that the only way to gain men's approval was by making themselves into simulacra of pornographic images. (Guardian, 21 May 2005) Independent corner shops decline The number of independent corner shops in the UK is on the wane as more stores link up with larger retailers, a report by retail think tank IDG suggested. (BBC, 21 May 2005) Rainforest loss shocks Brazil Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest last year was the second worst ever, figures released by the Brazilian government have shown. (Guardian, 20 May 2005) Greens quit over Amazon destruction Members of Parliament for Brazil's small Green Party quit the Government today to protest against its failure to prevent a near-record rise in destruction of the Amazon rainforest. (Melbourne Herald Sun, 19 May 2005) Half of humanity set to go urban More than half of all humans will soon be living in cities, according to a prediction by the United Nations. (BBC, 19 May 2005) Row erupts over council homes sell-off Northampton council has become the latest battleground in the government's troubled programme to switch homes away from municipal control. (Guardian, 18 May 2005) Aboriginal outcry over noose case Australian indigenous leaders have reacted angrily after two white men found guilty of assaulting an Aboriginal boy were fined A$800 ($605). (BBC, 18 May 2005) The NHS goes global The numbers are hard to believe. Six years on from the health service's ethical recruitment code, more than a third of new nurses (11,500) and two-thirds of new doctors recruited last year were overseas trained, many of them poached from poor states. (Guardian, 18 May 2005) Deliberately demoralising Michael Howard swept through the Aylesbury Estate in south London on a crisp, spring day with his retinue behind him and a camera crew in tow. (Guardian, 18 May 2005) A voice in the crowd Focusing on the role Britain played in the slave trade, which Beckford describes as "one of the major scars on British history", The Empire Pays Back calculates how much money African-Caribbeans would be owed if they were compensated for slavery. (Guardian, 17 May 2005) Council 'duped BBC' over homes for votes whistleblower Westminster council duped the BBC into revealing evidence against a councillor who had blown the whistle on its slow progress in recovering money from its disgraced former leader Dame Shirley Porter, an adjudication panel heard today. Labour councillor Paul Dimoldenberg faces charges of bringing the council into disrepute for leaking information to the BBC's Today programme in the summer of 2003. (Guardian, 17 May 2005) Government to replace housing benefit The government pledged today to go ahead with a controversial plan to replace housing benefit with a new flat-rate allowance aimed at encouraging tenants to shop around for cheaper housing. (Guardian, 17 May 2005) Detox our racist culture Have you ever thought about what Britain would look like if the effects of postwar migration were suddenly reversed? Tellingly, most of parliament, our corporate boardrooms and newspaper editorial meetings would look much the same. (Guardian, 16 May 2005) Fighting guns with words in Birmingham Leroy McKoy has a novel way of getting young gang members' attention. He asks them to list the children and babies of friends whose funerals they have attended. All can write down several names. Then he asks if they are prepared to add their own children's names. (Guardian, 16 May 2005) Pakistan police brutality claim Pakistani rights activists have accused the police of brutality after they used force to break up a rally in support of a mixed sex road race in Lahore. (BBC, 15 May 2005) The riddle of 300 young boys missing from London schools Thousands of young African children are going missing from schools in Britain every year, child welfare experts have said. (BBC, 14 May 2005) Room helps shoppers improve homes Shoppers were able to take a break in a living room and find out about a government scheme to improve housing. Lewisham Council launched the "Home from Home" event to inform people about the Decent Homes Standard (DHS). (BBC, 14 May 2005) Snack attack as Cadbury wolfs down organic chocolate firm As an organic chocolate company set up to support the Mayan Indians of Belize, Green & Black's became a byword for ethical and enterprising business. (Times, 13 May 2005) Early humans 'followed coast' The first humans who left Africa to populate the world headed south along the coast of the Indian Ocean, Science magazine reports. (BBC, 13 May 2005) Aceh to return to civilian rule Indonesia plans to return the restive province of Aceh to civilian rule once a state of emergency expires next week. (BBC, 12 May 2005) Brazilian chief calls for tools to help save land from 'white man' The chief of an Indian village in a remote area of Brazil yesterday unveiled the shopping list of basic equipment that could help him save a traditional way of life almost destroyed by agribusiness and forest clearance. "We are fighting for the survival of our people and our language and culture," said Kuissi, of the Kisedje people, during a visit to the University of Manchester. "We can't say what the future is going to be like." (Guardian, 11 May 2005) Israeli doctors experimented on children A leading Israeli doctor and medical ethicist has called for the prosecution of doctors responsible for thousands of unauthorised and often illegal experiments on small children and geriatric and psychiatric patients in Israeli hospitals. (Guardian, 11 May 2005) Unions and CBI in new sick leave row The CBI and TUC were locked in a fresh row over the issue of sick leave yesterday as the employer's organisation claimed many British workers were happy to take the odd day off sick to extend a weekend rather than use up valuable leave. (Guardian, 11 May 2005) Euro-MPs back tighter work hours The European Parliament has voted to scrap an opt-out rule limiting the working week in the EU to an average of 48 hours. (BBC, 11 May 2005) Cuba 'plane bomber' was CIA agent Declassified US government documents show that a man suspected of involvement in the bombing of a Cuban passenger plane worked for the CIA. Luis Posada Carriles, a Cuban-born Venezuelan and anti-Castro dissident, was an agent and informer. (BBC, 11 May 2005) Millions 'live in modern slavery' Some 12.3 million people are enslaved worldwide, according to a major report. (BBC, 11 May 2005) Aceh restoration 'close to zero' The Indonesian official co-ordinating the recovery of tsunami-hit Aceh has said reconstruction there has hardly begun, five months after the disaster. (BBC, 9 May 2005) Pasolini death inquiry 'reopened' Investigators in Rome have reopened the inquiry into the murder of Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1975, say reports on Italian radio. (BBC, 9 May 2005) 'Vision of the Virgin' vandalised A mark on a tunnel wall in Chicago that attracted hundreds of pilgrims who believed it to be an image of the Virgin Mary has been painted over. (BBC, 7 May 2005) Government's record low share of vote and system's bias fuel reform demands For the first time a majority government in Britain has been elected by fewer people than those who could not be bothered to vote. (Guardian, 7 May 2005) 58 die in car bombing at Iraqi market At least 58 people were killed and 44 wounded yesterday when a suicide attacker exploded a car bomb near a vegetable market in a mostly Shia Muslim town south of Baghdad, hospital officials said. (Guardian, 7 May 2005) Ex-politician escapes action The body which upholds ethical standards in local government has said it will not be taking action against a crooked ex-councillor, the South London Press can reveal. The Standards Board for England confirmed this week it would not be taking disciplinary action against corrupt former Liberal Democrat representative Gabriel Fernandes. (South London Press, 6 May 2005) Welsh classrooms 'need more men' Boy pupils in schools in Wales can reach the age of 11 without ever being taught by a man, according to a report. (BBC, 5 May 2005) Afghan fighting 'leaves 70 dead' Seventy people have been killed over the last three days in two clashes in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan and US authorities say. (BBC, 5 May 2005) Bomb attack kills 60 as Kurds take their place in government A suicide car bomber killed more than 60 people yesterday when he blew himself up outside a Kurdish political office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil. (BBC, 5 May 2005) Council pensions bill to hit £3.75bn The pensions bill for Britain's council workers will leap to £3.75 billion this year as councils struggle to plug a £30 billion black hole in the local authority pension fund, The Times has learnt. (Times, 5 May 2005) Niger anti-slave activist charged An anti-slavery human rights activist in Niger has been charged with attempted fraud after his arrest. Ilguilas Weila is accused of trying to falsely elicit money from foreign donors. He denies any wrongdoing. (BBC, 5 May 2005) Immigration staff let woman die, jury told Immigration officials at Dover ignored repeated pleas for a doctor by a Kurdish asylum seeker from Turkey, who had fallen ill during her eight-day journey to Britain in the back of a lorry, an inquest heard yesterday. Elmas Ozmico, 40, had collapsed but was not taken to hospital until 19 hours after she had arrived at the port. (Guardian, 4 May 2005) Bob Hunter The Canadian journalist Bob Hunter, who has died of prostate cancer aged 63, was one of the co-founders of Greenpeace in 1971. (Guardian, 4 May 2005) Council plans to listen in on street life A local authority is planning to attach 24-hour surveillance microphones to its lamp posts in a move that raises the spectre of George Orwell's Big Brother on Britain's streets. The first microphones, which are linked wirelessly to Westminster council's headquarters, are designed to monitor rowdy bars and nightclubs in central London. They will also be installed in housing estates in an attempt to stop nuisance neighbours. (Telegraph, 4 May 2005) Law finally catches up with clamp cowboys A law curbing the activities of cowboy wheel clampers comes into force in England and Wales today, 13 years after a Scottish court ruled that their activities amounted to extortion. (Telegraph, 3 May 2005) Builders hoist by their poaching of council staff Builders driving through Government plans for tens of thousands of homes in south-east England have poached so many staff from councils that the developers' planning applications are being delayed. (Telegraph, 3 May 2005) White men 'waiting list' for Met White male recruits to the Metropolitan Police are having to wait up to three years to join as ethnic minority and women applicants are being prioritised. (BBC, 8 May 2005) Scientists protest as school chiefs put Darwin on trial Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is facing a new challenge in America from Christians who argue that life shows an "intelligent design". (Times, 7 May 2005) Several events to mark end of indentureship As part of the 170th Anniversary of the commencement of the indentured labour migration scheme, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is hosting a commemorative exhibition under the theme "The Struggle to End Indentureship", which started yesterday and will run until May 31. (Stabroek News, 5 May 2005) Mass migration needs serious attention - tourism association head The government and Guyanese in general should be looking seriously at the reasons why there is a mass migration of people and putting initiatives in place to assist or to encourage people to stay, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, Cathy Hughes says. (Stabroek News, 3 May 2005) Government 'hides' billions wasted in public services The release of official figures that are expected to reveal how ministers have wasted billions of pounds on schools, the police and other key public services have been delayed until after the election. (Times, 1 May 2005) |
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updated:
6 Jun
2005