UK news archive

27.05.2005 Technology for producing national identity cards fails to treat white and black people equally, the results for the latter being less reliable. The pilot scheme continues to create a headache for the government, anxious to push ahead with the enabling legislation.

27.05.2005 Big Brother values of egotism and exclusion represent the antithesis of citizenship needs of the modern world. If this is not for your children, then try the new game from Christian Aid which shows kids that true survival skills depend on teamwork.

25.05.2005 If you are in a position to make charity donations of over £100 but want to have a much better idea of the project and people you are supporting, The Funding Network offers an innovative and entertaining approach. Try the next London meeting on June 9th.

24.05.2005 Cyclists and joggers in London will be alarmed to discover that air particle pollution has already exceeded legal limits for the whole of 2005. Not very good timing for the Olympic bid.

24.05.2005 Did you know that there is a national DNA police database and that it already holds 3 million profiles? 32% of all black men in the UK are included, leading to concerns about potential misuse of the database for wider purposes.

24.05.2005 Civil rights organisations are concerned about the increase in deaths occurring in police and institutional custody, and the absence of adequate explanation or accountability. A new campaign will be launched by families of victims in Birmingham later this week.

20.05.2005 Why does a professional athlete have lower levels of toxic chemicals in her blood than a property developer? These celebrities tested by WWF-UK express their frustration that not even they can do anything to prevent the invasion of DDT and PCB pollutants into their bodies.

20.05.2005 The success of the tsunami appeal has created difficulty in finding prompt and effective ways of spending the funds - less than half of the £350 million has been allocated. Who better to get things moving than the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Bill Clinton.

20.05.2005 The One World Broadcasting Trust has published the shortlist for each category of its annual awards for media coverage of international development issues. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 9th.

18.05.2005 We associate electro-shock weapons with campaigns to block exports to regimes of dubious reputation. Now the police are debating whether to introduce the devices here.

18.05.2005 You may find it difficult to get close to Gleneagles for the G8 summit now that police have announced an obsessively cautious security cordon. But the Edinburgh rally and events over the preceding week will make enough noise to compensate. People & Planet have lined up some great speakers for their G8 summer festival.

18.05.2005 With the Queen's speech out of the way, Tony Blair intends to fast track the legislation for ID cards. Civil liberties groups and race campaigners are ready with their opposition.

18.05.2005 Home Office figures published yesterday showing that the rate of deportation of asylum-seekers is below the government's target may draw attention to a recent distressing ruling by the Law Lords. A rape victim now receiving anti-retroviral drugs must be deported to Uganda where such treatment is almost certainly unavailable.

13.05.2005 The impact of WTO trading rules such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is not limited to developing countries. Free trade in public services could result in global corporations buying up your local library, according to a new book.

12.05.2005 Does anyone know what DPEI stands for, literally or maybe even politically? Who is Alan Johnson? Ignorance of the new Minister and his Department of Productivity, Energy and Industry will shortly be remedied in the fierce debate about nuclear power. Friends of the Earth fires off some opening salvos.

12.05.2005 If you thought that the election would bring an end to coverage of the exploits of George Galloway, prepare for disappointment. Whilst this article applauds the new Respect MP for his achievement in the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, his controversial connections with Iraq look likely to be revived as a US Senate investigative committee has accused Galloway of receiving oil allocations from Saddam Hussein.

11.05.2005 Bulldozers made by Caterpillar are used by Israeli forces to destroy Palestinian settlements. As this short film shows, many employees of a subsidiary company in Manchester were unaware of the connection until protesters gathered at the factory gate.

09.05.2005 Next week is Christian Aid Week and the charity is promising a positive and even humorous tone to its fundraising advertisements, breaking away from the conventional imagery of poverty as wretched and without hope.

09.05.2005 A new forum of charity and business leaders has been set up to explore how the spirit of the tsunami appeal can be recaptured for mainstream charity giving in the UK which is in decline.

06.05.2005 The United Nations Association has wasted no time in briefing its supporters on questions to establish the attitude of new MPs to key world issues, most of which were sidelined in the election campaign.