UK news archive

28.01.2004 Seven of Britain’s richest men collectively earn over £2m* a year in farm payouts from the European Union, according to figures released by Oxfam. In the month that the UK government will announce their decision on how to allocate future payments, Oxfam’s research reveals how great a need there is for reform.

27.01.2004 A new poll shows 69 percent of the British public believe that the computer is the electronic device with the biggest impact on their lives in the last decade. Yet few seem to be aware of the dire working conditions in computer production in the developing world.

27.01.2004 UK banks are among a number of major international banks threatening to undermine the credibility of the Equator Principles, the banking sector's green guidelines, launched less than a year ago.

22.01.2004 A strong case arguing the illegality of the invasion of Iraq will be handed soon to the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The case was put together by eight international lawyers and law professors, and has been funded largely from shows put on by British comedian Mark Thomas.

21.01.2004 The government has become the first in Europe to announce limits to the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted by industry, as part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

20.01.2004 From today, the police will have a host of new powers to stop, search and detain suspects. The Home Office says that new powers are necessary to fight terrorism, but recently released "stop and search" figures suggest existing powers are being abused.

15.01.2004 The government has come under fire from the country's top scientific organisation for failing to make proper use of science in its development aid programmes.

14.01.2004 The government's GM advisor has refused to rule out the commercial development of GM beet and oil seed rape despite acknowledging that GM crop trials showed they would cause "adverse environmental effects".

13.01.2004 Suspended BBC TV presenter, Robert Kilroy-Silk’s criticism of Arabs is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to articles risking incitement to racial hatred, reports Lester Holloway of Blink.

12.01.2004 The government has published the Civil Contingencies Bill – Britain’s "Patriot Act". The controversial clause on human rights has been dropped but the overall powers of the bill remain a great danger to democracy, warns Statewatch.