Guardian

• 
  The Guardian World News

• The discounted of Monte Cristo

  Lizzy Davies

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Scholars clash over Auguste Maquet's role in creating masterpieces such as The Three MusketeersHe spent his life in the shadow of one of France's most celebrated authors and in death has become a mere footnote in literary history. Despite having co-written some of the most popular tales in the French language, Auguste Maquet has been forgotten by all but the most erudite of scholars.Now, however, the quietly creative ghostwriter whose crucial role in the production of some of Alexandre Dumas's most famous novels has gone unacknowledged for more than 150 years is finally having his moment in…

• Chinese farms 'worse than factories'

  Jonathan Watts

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Groundbreaking government survey pinpoints fertilisers and pesticides as greater source of water contaminationFarmers' fields are a far bigger source of water contamination in China than factory effluent, the Chinese government revealed today in its first census on pollution.Senior officials said the disclosure, after a two-year study involving 570,000 people, would require a partial realignment of environmental policy from smoke stacks to chicken coops, cow sheds and fruit orchards.Despite the sharp upward revision of figures on rural contamination, the government suggested the country's…

• Ainsworth: Taliban leaders don't want peace

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  Defence secretary says the Taliban will only negotiate if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continues to make progressThe Taliban leadership has no desire to seek peace with the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, warned today.Giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, he said the Taliban would only be brought to the negotiating table if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continued to make progress.Ainsworth defended the controversial "reintegration and reconciliation"…

• Ulster and Irish police act against republicans

  Henry McDonald

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

  Officers in Northern Ireland detain three people, while their counterparts in the republic mount raids in County CorkPolice on both sides of the Irish border have launched separate operations against dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.Police in Northern Ireland arrested two men and a woman today in connection with the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll, the first PSNI officer killed by terrorists in the province. A 40-year-old man was detained in Lurgan, while a 36-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman were detained in Craigavon. Detectives are questioning all three.The…

• Student freed after terror conviction quashed

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:16 am

  Scottish prosecutors will not oppose appeal court ruling that Mohammed Atif Siddique was victim of miscarriage of justiceA student accused of being a "wannabe suicide bomber" will be freed early from prison after prosecutors in Scotland decided not to seek his retrial for plotting terrorist attacks.Mohammed Atif Siddique, 24, from Alva near Stirling, is expected to be released today after the crown office said it would not oppose an appeal court's ruling that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice after being wrongly convicted of preparing to commit or instigate Islamist terror…

• 
  Technology: Apple | guardian.co.uk

• Six great mobile games of the month

  Keith Stuart

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:21 am

  Some miniature marvels to get you through the last of the winter weeks...It's been a while since our last dip into mobile gaming, so here's a selection of recent iPhone and Java titles for your transportable gaming pleasure. I've been helped by Jon Mundy over on Pocket Gamer, who's suggested his own favourites from the last four weeks. You may have already sampled these, but just in case...Oh and feel free to make your own suggestions in the comments section!Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iPhone)"The same open world crime masterpiece that graced the PSP and DS last year, but for a mere…

• Breakfast briefing: Is Google going social? Plus Macworld and EA's struggles

  Bobbie Johnson

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:30 pm

  • Google has been slowly trying to improve its social web offerings - recently introducing search results from your contacts and real-time updates, for example. But the company's now planning to push even harder in this arena, with an event on Tuesday set to unveil some new features - reports suggest it's adding more feature to Gmail - but whatever it is, I'll be at the press conference in Mountain View tomorrow to see what they've got up their sleeve.• Another event on Tuesday is the start of this year's Macworld Expo, notable for being pushed back to February and the absence of an…

• iPad tweet lands editor in hot water with Apple

  Bobbie Johnson

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:16 pm

  Apple has spent years fine-tuning its incredible reputation for secrecy - doing everything from investigating its own employees when information is leaked to the media to silencing teenage bloggers who appear to know too much. The latest individual on the receiving end of the company's appears to be Alan Murray, a senior Wall Street Journal executive who mysteriously deleted a Twitter message he had apparently sent from an iPad during a secret meeting with Steve Jobs.A juicy report from Valleywag points out that Murray hastily deleted a message he sent to Twitter last week, at exactly the…

• The iPhone is the new Internet Explorer 6, says mobile developer

  Charles Arthur

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:21 am

  On the flip side of the debate about whether Flash is ill, in rude health, or simply untroubled by Apple's wilful refusal to countenance it on the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, we have an analysis from Peter-Paul Koch, a "mobile platform strategist, consultant and trainer" who says (with plenty of swearing to boot, if you're in filter territory) that the iPhone is the Internet Explorer 6 de nos jours.Yes. That's right. He's saying: don't develop for it. Or rather, don't develop exclusively for it to the exclusion of other mobile browsers, and certainly don't give it special status.The long,…

• Google's phone faces cut-price challenger

  Richard Wray

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:02 pm

  Several mobile phone companies plan to sell cheaper version within weeks of Nexus One device going on saleGoogle's plans to take on the iPhone are running into problems in Europe as several mobile phone companies plan to sell a cheaper version within weeks of the internet company's Nexus One device going on sale.Even Vodafone, which Google has signed up to provide network access for the Nexus One, is expected to sell the cheaper device online and through its own stores.The rival device, codenamed the Bravo, is made by Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC, which also makes the Nexus One. Both…

• 
  Technology: Microsoft | guardian.co.uk

• Safer Internet Day targets 5-7 year olds and Microsoft's web browser

  Jack Schofield

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:06 pm

  On Safer Internet Day, the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is promoting a cartoon to help children stay safe online, and making information and advice available via Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8It's the EU's annual Safer Internet Day today and CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, is using it to raise awareness among children and parents. In particular, it's promoting a new animated film, Lee and Kim's Adventures, which aims to help children aged from 5-7 to understand "the concepts of personal information and trust" and thus stay safer online.

• Bioshock 2 for PS3 and Xbox 360 | Game review

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am

  PS3/Xbox 360; £49.99; cert 18+; 2K GamesIt is difficult to know where to start with a game this perfect, so let's go straight to the headline act: the storyline.Much has been made of Bioshock 2's narrative, and for good reason: it's glorious. You could watch someone else playing and enjoy it as a movie. At its centre is the ideological battle between free-market individualist Andrew Ryan and proto-Stalinist collectivist Sofia Lamb, and this philosophical conflict affects everything you do. You are moving through the wasteland that they created, trying to find the girl you were charged with…

• Microsoft's Office 2010 review | Technophile

  Kate Bevan

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:50 am

  The latest version of Office has lots of new bells and whistles – none of which will make either Adobe or Google happyI'm writing this using the beta of Microsoft Word 2010, part of the Office 2010 suite due to hit the shelves later this year. You can try out the whole suite for free, too – the beta is available for download.So what's new in Office 2010? A hell of a lot: the reviewer's guide that Microsoft helpfully provides for the likes of me runs to 174 pages, covering everything from the extension of the ribbon interface to Outlook 2010 to how to drill down and display data in Excel…

• UK top 10 video games chart | Week ending 6 February 2010

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 am

  Mass Effect 2 holds on to to top spot this week. But with Bioshock 2 waiting in the wings, how long can it cling on?Leisure software charts compiled by GfK Chart Track© 2009 ELSPA (UK) LtdGamesNintendoSonyMicrosoftWiiPlayStationXboxHandheldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Two futures of the internet: next cold war or up in the clouds

  John Naughton

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Will the future be cyber-attacks and an uneasy balance of terror or cultural collaboration hosted by Google's servers?"THE FUTURE", WROTE the novelist William Gibson in a justifiably famous aphorism, "is already here: it's just not evenly distributed".The challenge is to spot those uneven­ly distributed peeks into our future. The Apple iPad launch provoked a storm of peeking: optimists saw it as a sign that the computer industry had finally got the message that most people can't be bothered with the mysteries of operating systems and software updates and want an information appliance that…

• 
  Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

• Healthcare summit view will be bleak | Sahil Kapur

  Sahil Kapur

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  Barack Obama's noble goal to work with Republicans has failed. Bipartisanship is now the problem, not the solutionIn an attempt to counter growing speculation that healthcare reform might be dead, President Obama plans to hold a televised bipartisan summit this month with Republicans to hash out their differences on the legislation. While there's value to challenging his opponents in a public forum, it seems safe to expect that this event will yield zero Republican support.Obama's goal of bipartisan governance – noble as its intent may be – is failing remarkably. Yet his rhetoric in…

• The importance of co-operatives | Peter Lazenby

  Peter Lazenby

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am

  If Labour honours its pledge to support the co-operative movement, the resulting social change could be significantThe announcement that Labour will pump resources into the development of the co-operative movement if it is returned to power in the general election is to be welcomed. If the pledge is honoured the potential is enormous.To appreciate the significance, we can learn from the history of co-ops in Britain over the last 170 years. It reveals not only the emergence of an unprecedented force for social change through worker ownership and control, but also the extent to which capitalist…

• An address to the General Synod | Rowan Williams

  Rowan Williams

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  In the last few weeks we've seen a number of topics coming up in public discussion, all centring on one set of questions – a set of questions which I think reflects painfully accurately some of the problems we face in our church, locally and internationally. The heated debates around the equality bill brought this out in one way, some of the renewed flurries of pressure and anxiety about euthanasia and assisted dying in other ways. And as we look forward to our own debates later in the year on women bishops and on the Anglican Covenant, we may see the parallels. And in the middle of all the…

• Resilient, but still not radical | Michael Macdonnell

  Michael Macdonnell

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Gordon Brown may be holding on while the Tory poll lead lessens, but Labour needs to push forward a reforming agendaGordon Brown's resilience is astonishing. Just weeks ago a politically insane leadership challenge seemed to promise electoral annihilation. But like one of those clown punching bags, each devastating blow only energises the rebound of the prime minister's weirdly grinning face. Not that this resilience is purely down to him. The Tories have amateurishly led with their chins, losing points in an election fight with confused and ill-defined messages. Single-digit poll leads at…

• Winter Olympics? Oh, the horror | Sean Patrick Sullivan

  Sean Patrick Sullivan

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Contrary to what you may have heard, Vancouver isn't gripped by dread – Canada is embracing this opportunity to celebrateNo matter the situation, there's always someone intent on spoiling other people's fun. Such is the case with Vancouver's Olympic games, where a cadre of loudmouth, red-in-the-face activists and hyperbolic critics have unleashed opinion pieces that blame the games for the closure of local schools and stoke fears of an impending police state. What nonsense. While playing host to the Olympics may have its shortcomings, the massive, games-led public investment in Vancouver's…

• 
  Culture | guardian.co.uk

• The powerful cynicism of parenting TV

  Zoe Williams

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  As Jo Frost moves on from naughty children to troubled ones, parenting telly is definitely getting bigger – but no more grown-upIt's starting to look like parent season on the telly, but only if you looked at the schedules for less than two seconds, or if you're not a parent and everything featuring children appears to spring from the same genus (you have a point: it's hard, even as a dog-owner, to make a substantive distinction between Dog Borstal and Dog Whisperer, short of actually watching them).Tonight, it's Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance, on Channel 4. It takes on one incredibly…

• Cambodia's beat goes on

  Tim Etchells

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am

  Can Cambodia begin to rebuild its shattered cultural heritage? Tim Etchells wonders if the answer lies with a team of Khmer dancers ... and a specially modified laptopI've recently returned from two weeks in Cambodia, travelling with 18 other artists, dancers, choreographers and performance-makers at the invitation of Ong Keng Sen's Flying Circus Project. Based in Singapore, Keng Sen's Theatre Works outfit has been running these exchanges – predominantly Asian in focus, but with routes out in all directions – for something like 10 years. The intention varies with each…

• Film reignites literary debate over Alexandre Dumas's ghostwriter

  Lizzy Davies

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Scholars clash over Auguste Maquet's role in creating masterpieces such as The Three MusketeersHe spent his life in the shadow of one of France's most celebrated authors and in death has become a mere footnote in literary history. Despite having co-written some of the most popular tales in the French language, Auguste Maquet has been forgotten by all but the most erudite of scholars.Now, however, the quietly creative ghostwriter whose crucial role in the production of some of Alexandre Dumas's most famous novels has gone unacknowledged for more than 150 years is finally having his moment in…

• A real blockbuster ... in Iceland | Stuart Heritage

  Stuart Heritage

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  The eccentric Icelandic comedy Mr Bjarnfredarson has swept the country's movie awards and reached 20% of the population. But will the outside world care?If Avatar has taught us anything, it's that making a film that's both critically acclaimed and commercially successful takes years of work, hundreds of millions of dollars, cutting-edge technology and a script about a Jesusy blue chap who rides around on a flying pike and gets off with sexy aliens whenever he can.Although maybe that's just applicable to America. Iceland, on the other hand, appears to prefer downbeat comedies about…

• Shutter Island trailer: thrilling chiller or shocking horror?

  Anna Pickard

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:20 am

  Despite featuring Leonardo DiCaprio's full range of 'mental anguish' faces, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island doesn't look bad. So why is the trailer so … iffy?Though it would seem wrong to start a trailer column without the trailer in question, this is one week in which it would be tempting to do so. It isn't that it's a bad trailer – it's just that even the most casual cinema attendee has probably seen it three times.While the more regular film fan might have seen it anywhere up to eleventy-jillion times, since they've been trailing it since June, 1576. Or, more accurately, June last…

• 
  Business | guardian.co.uk

• The importance of co-operatives | Peter Lazenby

  Peter Lazenby

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am

  If Labour honours its pledge to support the co-operative movement, the resulting social change could be significantThe announcement that Labour will pump resources into the development of the co-operative movement if it is returned to power in the general election is to be welcomed. If the pledge is honoured the potential is enormous.To appreciate the significance, we can learn from the history of co-ops in Britain over the last 170 years. It reveals not only the emergence of an unprecedented force for social change through worker ownership and control, but also the extent to which capitalist…

• TV product placement plan confirmed

  Chris Tryhorn

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:48 am

  UK was only EU country besides Denmark where placement not either legal or about to be, culture secretary Ben Bradshaw saysThe culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, has today confirmed that the government will allow product placement in television programmes for the first time.In a written ministerial statement, Bradshaw said the new regime would "provide meaningful commercial benefits to commercial television companies and programme-makers while taking account of the legitimate concerns that have been expressed".He said that, apart from Denmark, the UK was the only European Union member state…

• Toyota recalls across the world: full list so far

  Roger Browning

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Toyota's recall of millions of cars around the world - including the Prius - is unprecedented. Find out where the recalls have been and what for• Get the data• Interactive guide to the pedal problemWhen Toyota took over from General Motors as the world largest producer of motor vehicles in 2007 it was largely thanks to a reputation for durability that had been forged over decades. Toyota's brand values have little to do with excitement or driving pleasure and everything to do with the comforting knowledge that this car will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and bother.Now of…

• International Power dips as GDF Suez denies talks

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:27 am

  Doubts about whether France's GDF Suez wanted to reopen talks about a link-up with International Power seem to have been confirmed.The French group has said there are no talks in progress and no change to the previous situation, which is that discussions ended in January. International Power, up earlier, is now down 2.6p at 318p.Overall the FTSE 100 has maintained its positive trend, thanks to an opening rise on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has jumped nearly 150 points to climb back above the key 10,000 level it breached last night, powered by talk of a bailout for Greece at…

• Toyota Prius recall: an owner's verdict

  Matthew Weaver

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am

  As Toyota issues a global recall on four hybrid models, a UK Prius owner tells of his joy in the car but not its makerBen Howard, a television editor from London, is delighted with his new black Prius, but he's disgusted with Toyota.He put a deposit on the £24,000 car early last month, but then began reading reports in the press and on Toyota owners' forums about a problem with the brakes.Before he picked up the vehicle last week Howard first checked with his Toyota dealers. He wanted to know if it would be better to delay collection to allow the car to be checked for a potential brake…

• Photostream from Daylife
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
  Personal Finance | guardian.co.uk

• Toyota recalls across the world: full list so far

  Roger Browning

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Toyota's recall of millions of cars around the world - including the Prius - is unprecedented. Find out where the recalls have been and what for• Get the data• Interactive guide to the pedal problemWhen Toyota took over from General Motors as the world largest producer of motor vehicles in 2007 it was largely thanks to a reputation for durability that had been forged over decades. Toyota's brand values have little to do with excitement or driving pleasure and everything to do with the comforting knowledge that this car will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and bother.Now of…

• Toyota Prius recall: an owner's verdict

  Matthew Weaver

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am

  As Toyota issues a global recall on four hybrid models, a UK Prius owner tells of his joy in the car but not its makerBen Howard, a television editor from London, is delighted with his new black Prius, but he's disgusted with Toyota.He put a deposit on the £24,000 car early last month, but then began reading reports in the press and on Toyota owners' forums about a problem with the brakes.Before he picked up the vehicle last week Howard first checked with his Toyota dealers. He wanted to know if it would be better to delay collection to allow the car to be checked for a potential brake…

• A snitch in time | Open thread

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

  Labour is considering the idea of rewarding people who inform on benefit cheats. Would you tell on your neighbour for cash?Under proposals being examined by Labour's manifesto team, people who inform on benefit cheats could be given a share of the resulting savings. Proponents of the idea believe it would appeal to traditional Labour voters who resent it when others don't play by the rules. Opponents are concerned that whole plan is impractical and dangerously divisive.As every £1bn of fraud and error is estimated to cost each taxpayer £35, are the risks worth taking for the potential money…

• Ofgem's green energy label helps empower the consumer | Bryony Worthington

  Bryony Worthington

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:48 am

  Ofgem's green energy label helps empower the consumer and is a step forward to real action on pollutionDoing something good for the environment is no longer the preserve of tie-dye-wearing hippies. It's becoming mainstream, as a new Ofgem badge launched today to help consumers identify green electricity tariffs reminds us.Increasingly, it is becoming a legal requirement too. This is obviously a good thing but increasing obligations on companies to address the environmental harm they are causing can lead to confusion for consumers. Take, for example, electricity: the most adaptable, flexible…

• Disability tests in need of overhaul | Guy Parckar

  Guy Parckar

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  The tough Work Capability Assessment is stopping disabled people get the support they need for a return to employmentThe Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which came into operation nearly a year and half ago, is the test that is meant to determine whether people are eligible to receive the new employment and support allowance, which offers support for disabled people and people with long-term conditions to get in to work. But as more figures become available showing just how tough this new test is, and as more claimants report bad experiences, have we reached the point where we need to ask…

• 
  Life and style | guardian.co.uk

• Are the Olivier awards star-struck? | Lyn Gardner

  Lyn Gardner

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  With nominations for Jude Law, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy this year, have the Oliviers sold out to the cult of celebrity?Maureen Lipman once observed that acting awards are like piles: sooner or later every bum gets one. Now she's be nominated for an Olivier for her performance in A Little Night Music, she may want to eat her words. But here's the funny thing: with the Olivier award nominations, it seems mainly to be celebrity bums that are on display. Jude Law, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and James McAvoy feature prominently on the shortlist, alongside more experienced theatrical…

• Fashion: Buy of the day

  Kate Carter

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am

  Kate Carter recommends a little something to brighten up every day of the week. Check back each day for the next suggestionTuesdaySmall frame purse, £25, by Liberty of LondonDo not, under any circumstances, buy this for anyone else - that would just be too cutesy. Instead, get it for yourself, then scowl at anyone who even mentions the word Valentine. Cute print/grumpy attitude is the look you want.MondaySerif tote bag, $24, The Little FactoryTypography fans (and who isn't a typography fan?) will be excited by this serif tote bag by Little Factory celebrating the eponymous typeface. Perfect…

• Jennifer Aniston: saving the world one margarita at a time

  Marina Hyde

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  Marina Hyde on another selfless celebrity humanitarian missionOur Quote of the Day comes from Jennifer Aniston, who is currently sojourning in a $9,000-a-night villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Jennifer is on holiday with close friends, close Friends, and "close friends" - including Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox and Gerard Butler. Actually, I say holiday, but it would help if you saw it as more of a humanitarian mission.As Jennifer tells Access Hollywood: "[Gerard Butler] said to me, 'You come to Mexico all the time and Mexico is really hurting right now because of the swine flu and the drug…

• When a slap on the wrist is better than a slap on the bonnet | Peter Walker

  Peter Walker

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

  Getting into a shouting match with an abusive or dangerous driver may make you feel better but not actually achieve anything. A formal complaint may be a better way of making the streets a little saferIt's a shameful thing to admit but there can occasionally be something quite cathartic, even soothing, about shouting at a driver who's just cut you up dangerously. In extreme circumstances a loud but non-damaging slap to a car bonnet or door can do the same trick.But an email I received this morning reminded me that however tempting such a response might be, retribution is, as the cliche goes,…

• Coca Cola, Standard Chartered and the oil industry - a force for good?

  Sarah Boseley

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Could Coca Cola heal the world? Or Standard Chartered Bank or Chevron oil, for that matter? These giant corporations have money and skills. They do business in difficult, hard-to-reach places. They make things happen. So how much could be achieved if they put their efforts into global health? John Tedstrom, president and CEO of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, spends his time urging and helping them to do just that. Tedstrom, a former adviser to Bill Clinton, is so enthusiastic about the work that he turned down a job with the Obama administration, even…

• 
  Travel | guardian.co.uk

• Around the world in seven gestures

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Here is a sneak preview of our exclusive phrasebooks, in the form of a guide to common gestures from around the world

• The last horse fishermen of Belgium

  Alex Healey, Michael Tait

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:01 am

  Oostduinkerke is the only place in the world where you will still see the 500-year-old tradition of fishing with horsesAlex HealeyMichael Tait

• Alternative Seattle guide

  Benji Lanyado

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:35 am

  Explore our map of Seattle's best off-the-beaten-track destinations, from late-night tattoo parlours to red velvet gig venuesBenji Lanyado

• Getting a grip

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  A new manmade wall of ice has opened in Wyoming, giving enthusiasts the chance to try rock climbing's winter sibling

• Full-body scanners already in use at Heathrow airport

  Dan Milmo

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

  Staff have been trained to spot passengers acting suspiciously and refer them to police or security guardsA new security regime is operational at Heathrow airport in which travellers are being taken for full-body scanning if they are judged to be acting in a suspicious manner, BAA said today.Britain's biggest airport operator said the system aimed to halt terrorist reconnaissance as well as attackers, and teamed new hi-tech equipment with traditional security measures such as sniffer dogs.Staff have been trained in behavioural profiling and terminal entrances could be closed for short periods…

• 
  Environment | guardian.co.uk

• Part two: How the 'climategate' scandal is bogus and based on climate sceptics' lies

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  Claims based on email soundbites are demonstrably false – there is manifestly no evidence of clandestine data manipulationIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us in…

• Chinese farms 'cause more pollution than factories'

  Jonathan Watts

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Groundbreaking government survey pinpoints fertilisers and pesticides as greater source of water contaminationFarmers' fields are a far bigger source of water contamination in China than factory effluent, the Chinese government revealed today in its first census on pollution.Senior officials said the disclosure, after a two-year study involving 570,000 people, would require a partial realignment of environmental policy from smoke stacks to chicken coops, cow sheds and fruit orchards.Despite the sharp upward revision of figures on rural contamination, the government suggested the country's…

• When a slap on the wrist is better than a slap on the bonnet | Peter Walker

  Peter Walker

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

  Getting into a shouting match with an abusive or dangerous driver may make you feel better but not actually achieve anything. A formal complaint may be a better way of making the streets a little saferIt's a shameful thing to admit but there can occasionally be something quite cathartic, even soothing, about shouting at a driver who's just cut you up dangerously. In extreme circumstances a loud but non-damaging slap to a car bonnet or door can do the same trick.But an email I received this morning reminded me that however tempting such a response might be, retribution is, as the cliche goes,…

• Help write the full story

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:01 am

  Just weeks before the Guardian publishes its major investigation into the hacked climate science emails, we give you exclusive access to the book that gives the most comprehensive account of the scandal

• Part eight: Climate scientists contradicted spirit of openness by rejecting information requests

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Hacked emails reveal systematic attempts to block requests from sceptics — and deep frustration at anti-global warming agendaIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us…

• 
  Blogposts | guardian.co.uk

• Not letting Rowetta sing her own song at the Brits is an insult

  John Robb

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:43 am

  Editing out the singer to make Cheryl Cole's performance look better is not in the spirit of celebrating British talentThe multimedia pop bulldozer was halted briefly in its tracks this week as Manchester-based singer and songwriter Rowetta put the kibosh on the upcoming Brits attempting to utilise one of her tunes.Pop behemoth Cheryl Cole wanted to use a sample from Rowetta's song, Be, as part of her performance for Fight For This Love at the awards ceremony, taking place on 16 February. Nothing wrong with that, you might think. However, in typically clumsy music-biz style, the forces that…

• MasterChef takes on the big boys | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  Prepare for a ratings showdown next Thursday night. In the blue corner is MasterChef, which is returning to BBC1 for a new series with a 90-minute special at 8.30pm. In the red corner is ITV1 soaperstar Coronation Street, followed by an hour of The Bill at 9pm. Cooking up the schedules doesn't get tougher than this. Monkey's question is, how will John Torode and Gregg Wallace manage to shout for 90 minutes without losing their voices?Television industryMasterChefCoronation StreetTelevisionMonkeyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our…

• Thompson bites back at MPs | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  It may have been snowing outside but there were some heated exchanges at yesterday's public accounts select committee on BBC events spending. BBC boss Mark Thompson came in for a severe grilling from the Labour MP for Streatham, Keith Hill, over why the National Audit Office should not audit the corporation's accounts. After the Streatham terrier had finished with Thommo, the BBC big cheese was then asked by Tory Douglas Carswell, the MP for Harwich and Clacton, for a list of politicians and regulators who have been guests of the Beeb at events such as the Proms and Wimbledon. Hill…

• Are the Olivier awards star-struck? | Lyn Gardner

  Lyn Gardner

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  With nominations for Jude Law, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy this year, have the Oliviers sold out to the cult of celebrity?Maureen Lipman once observed that acting awards are like piles: sooner or later every bum gets one. Now she's be nominated for an Olivier for her performance in A Little Night Music, she may want to eat her words. But here's the funny thing: with the Olivier award nominations, it seems mainly to be celebrity bums that are on display. Jude Law, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and James McAvoy feature prominently on the shortlist, alongside more experienced theatrical…

• Can Ghost Recon: Future Soldier re-energise the squad-based shooter?

  Keith Stuart

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:25 am

  Ubisoft's well-received series is back, but can we return to the days of ordering men about?Several years ago, you couldn't wander into your local game shop without being visually assaulted by rows of squad-based military shooters, all promising a highly strategic approach to, well, shooting people in the face with guns. It all started in the late nineties with two defining titles: Ubisoft's Rainbow Six and Hidden & Dangerous from Czech developer Illusion Softworks. Both featured small squads of differently skilled operatives, usually sneaking about carrying out fiddly missions behind enemy…

• 
  Sports

• Manchester United 'have to win' every game from now on, says Wes Brown

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

  • Defender believes champions cannot afford another slip-up• Travel to Aston Villa tomorrowWes Brown claims Manchester United have reached the stage of the season where they "have to win" if they have intentions of holding on to the Premier League title.United head to Aston Villa tomorrow night needing three points to keep pace with, or even overtake, Chelsea, depending on how the Premier League leaders fare against Everton at Goodison Park on the same night."Once we get to this stage of the season it is no longer about wanting to win, we have to win" said Brown. "We have to play well and…

• Scots rely on a wing and a prayer for Euan Murray's Six Nations return | Eddie Butler

  Eddie Butler

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

  France's demolition job of Andy Robinson's side at Murrayfield will live longer in the memory than Trip-gateWith their Sunday fixture behind them, Scotland can offer a little prayer of thanks that Euan Murray, having said his big ones, is back at tighthead prop against Wales. If they continue to be shoved around as they were by the French then this is going to be one long, horrid Six Nations for them.France looked very organised in their demolition of the Scottish scrum, with all their members of the front row – Nicolas Mas, Luc Ducalcon and Thomas Domingo the three props used, and William…

• The Fiver | Scurrilous News-Spewers; and The One Where Margot Dresses As A Nun | Paul Doyle and Scott Murray

  Paul Doyle, Scott Murray

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:59 am

  Want the Fiver delivered direct to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish)? Then sign up today and forward it to your friendsIT IS WISE AND GOOD TO EMAIL YOUR BANK DETAILS TO FACELESS HACKSFootball managers never say anything, because they are all hysterical children who can only "rant", "blast" and "slam". Shades of grey? Not for these people, it's all about the red mist with them. Permanently picking fights, the whole unhinged lot of them. Thank be to Rupert that the good gentlemen of the press are on hand to hold them to account and prevent things from getting really stupid.That, at any rate,…

• BCCI wary over Royals' franchise plan

  Sachin Nakrani

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am

  • Royals want to establish first global sport alliance • 'Rajasthan have not sought permission on this' – BCCI chiefThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reacted wearily to the plans announced by the Rajasthan Royals to create the first global sport alliance.Rajasthan revealed yesterday that they had tied up with Hampshire, Cape Cobras, Trinidad and Tobago and an Australian domestic team to form a worldwide Twenty20 brand, but, according to Cricinfo, the Indian board's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said they had "not sought permission" to take such a…

• Ronan O'Gara keeps Ireland place and No6 left open for Stephen Ferris

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:37 am

  • Blindside flanker vacant in hope Ferris will be fit for France• Leo Cullen stays in second row for trip to ParisRonan O'Gara will continue as Ireland's fly-half for the crucial Six Nations match with France and could be joined in the side by Stephen Ferris.O'Gara starts with Jonathan Sexton, his younger rival for the No10 jersey, included among the substitutes after recovering from the dead leg that ruled him out against Italy.With Saturday's game in Paris likely to have a major impact on the eventual winners of the Six Nations, the Ireland head coach, Declan Kidney, is hoping to…

• 
  Most viewed | guardian.co.uk

• Veteran congressman's death adds to Barack Obama's woes

  Ewen MacAskill

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:18 pm

  • Democrats fear Republicans will win seat held since 1974• President's poll ratings fall further amid health care impasseThe Democratic party faces another election test after the death yesterday of John Murtha, a congressman dubbed by his colleagues the "king of pork".Murtha, aged 77, had been in the House of Representatives since being elected to his Pennsylvania district in 1974.The fear in the party is that Republicans will notch up another victory when a special election is held, probably May.The Democrats have been panicking since losing Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts Senate seat to…

• Sarah Palin's old-fashioned Palm Pilot

  Tim Dowling

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Sarah Palin had the notes for her speech in the palm of her hand - literallyWe have all had occasion to write on our hand, either because no paper was available or because we knew we'd probably forget the bit of ­paper along with the thing we'd written on it (although if your memory's in that sort of shape, you probably won't be able to find a pen).There is a big difference, however, between scrawling "bin liners" on the back of your hand before you go to the shops and reading off your palm on tele­vision, as ­Sarah Palin did during the Tea Party Convention at the weekend. Photographs of…

• Bioshock 2 for PS3 and Xbox 360 | Game review

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am

  PS3/Xbox 360; £49.99; cert 18+; 2K GamesIt is difficult to know where to start with a game this perfect, so let's go straight to the headline act: the storyline.Much has been made of Bioshock 2's narrative, and for good reason: it's glorious. You could watch someone else playing and enjoy it as a movie. At its centre is the ideological battle between free-market individualist Andrew Ryan and proto-Stalinist collectivist Sofia Lamb, and this philosophical conflict affects everything you do. You are moving through the wasteland that they created, trying to find the girl you were charged with…

• Ali Dizaei, Metropolitan police commander, jailed for four years

  Vikram Dodd

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:31 am

  Scotland Yard commander who falsely arrested man is jailed for misconduct and attempting to pervert course of justiceThe case against Commander Ali DizaeiThe Metropolitan police commander Ali Dizaei was jailed for four years today after being convicted of falsely arresting a man and making up an account that he had been assaulted and threatened.A jury at Southwark crown court today found the 47-year-old guilty of misconduct in public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Dizaei, a controversial and high-profile officer, faces being sacked from the force in disgrace.The jury…

• Body found in plane landing gear hatch

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am

  Tokyo airport mechanic finds apparent stowaway after Delta Airlines flight arrives from New YorkJapanese authorities are trying to identify a body found inside one of the landing gear compartments on a Delta Airlines plane flight that arrived in Tokyo from New York.The body of the apparent stowaway, identified only as that of a male with dark skin, was clad in a long-sleeved plaid shirt and jeans, said police at the Narita international airport.A mechanic found the body lying inside the landing gear compartment of the Boeing 777-200 during maintenance after Delta Flight 59 from New York…

• 
  Education: 14 - 19 education | guardian.co.uk

• What an apprenticeship can do for you

  Huma Qureshi

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Apprenticeships are a vital part of the government's scheme to help under-25s into work. And they're good for employers too, says Huma QureshiWhen 19-year-old Craig Knight joined Sainsbury's as an apprentice two years ago, he was months away from finishing college. "It was a choice between 'do I stay at college and learn?', or 'do I join Sainsbury's and learn and earn at the same time'," he says. "I knew I wanted to start working."Knight, who started off as a Saturday butcher boy, is about to gain a national qualification in food retail, paid for by the government, as part of his…

• Top marks for Manchester Academy – addressing the class divide

  Polly Curtis

  31 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  A formerly failing school in Moss Side is leading the way in teaching how education can workTen years ago the classrooms at Ducie high school in Manchester looked like bus shelters and visitors were scared to walk the corridors alone. Its academic high point was when 13% of pupils got five GCSEs above a C grade. At 16, the vast majority dropped out with few expectations – except of joining their older siblings on the dole in Moss Side."This school was like a badly run youth club of the late 60s, early 70s. Only 50% of year 11 were attending. The Ofsted inspector said he could find nothing…

• Darling offers more support for young unemployed

  Heather Stewart

  9 Dec 2009 | 7:00 am

  • Windfall tax on bonuses to help young unemployed• Younger jobseekers offered work or training after six monthsYoung jobseekers will be guaranteed work or training after six months, Alistair Darling announced today, as part of a package of anti-unemployment measures, paid for by the windfall tax on bankers' bonuses.In his budget in April, the chancellor had already promised out-of-work 18 to 24-year-olds a job or a place on a training scheme after a year. Today he said: "I don't want them to wait that long, so I am bringing it forward."He also extended the government's pledge to provide…

• A million young people not earning or learning

  Jessica Shepherd

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:41 am

  Number of school-leavers not in education, work or training tops a million for the first time, figures showThe number of school-leavers not in education, work or training has topped a million, the highest total on record, government figures reveal today, prompting accusations that ministers are failing to help young people during the recession.Almost one in five 16- to 24-year-olds in England are "neets" (not in education, employment or training), statistics from July to September show.This is the equivalent of 1.08m young people, or 18% of all 16- to 24-year-olds, the figures from the…

• Will council funding bring a new wealth to colleges?

  Louise Tickle

  16 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Central control of 16-18 funding is over and colleges must look to their local authorities for cash. Will the change improve education?He who pays the piper, calls the tune … it's an adage well understood by colleges. Since 1991, when funding was taken away from local authorities, further education has been paid for by central government, and colleges up and down the country have ever since been scrambling to create courses that meet nationally set strategies.The paymaster, however, is about to change. The single pot of money that has funded all post-16 education – disbursed by the…

• 
  Education: Access to university | guardian.co.uk

• University applications reach record levels for fourth year in a row

  Warwick Mansell, Anna Bawden

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  • Hundreds of thousands could miss out on a place • Graduates face 'double whammy' in jobs marketMore than 200,000 would-be students are likely to be left without a place at a UK university this year as undergraduate applications reach record levels for the fourth year running.Applications are almost a fifth up on last year, according to the latest figures from the university admissions service, Ucas. So far, more than 570,000 students have applied for a place at university this autumn, an increase of more than 100,000 on the same time in 2009. Applications close in June.There was also…

• University applications up a fifth on last year

  Anna Bawden

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:58 am

  Hundreds of thousands will be disappointed after a cut in the number of undergraduate placesHundreds of thousands of would-be students are likely to be left without a place at a UK university this year, as undergraduate applications reach record levels for the fourth year running.Applications for university are almost a fifth up on last year, according to the latest figures from the university admissions system Ucas. So far, over 570,000 students have applied for a place at university this autumn, an increase of more than 100,000 on the same time in 2009. Applications close in June.Last year,…

• Education letters

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Fears abound that cuts to education budgets will hit students from the poorest backgrounds hardestHigher hurdlesLast week, Lucy Tobin talked to students who had got into university via special access schemes, sometimes without A-levels, amid fears that such programmes could be at risk from funding cuts. And a report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England said that teenagers from the poorest homes in England are 50% more likely to go to university than they were 15 years ago:The stories are inspirational and highlight the need for universities to be flexible in their admissions…

• University teaching budgets slashed

  Jessica Shepherd

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am

  Funding council announces first cuts in a decade despite unprecedented demand for university placesEnglish universities' teaching budgets were slashed today for the first time in a decade as part of savage government cuts to higher education.The cuts come amid unprecedented demand for places, with an expected seven applications for every place at a top university.Some £215m will be shaved off universities' teaching budgets in the academic year 2010-11, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), which funds universities on behalf of the government, said in a letter to…

• Cuts will deprive thousands of university place, academics warn

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:06 am

  Universities await announcement from funding body to find out where the axe will fallThousands of young people will be stripped of the chance to study for a degree because of savage government cuts to higher education in England, universities warned today.University funders at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) will outline where the cuts of nearly £315m will be made today. They are expected to announce that teaching budgets will be reduced for the first time since Labour came to power.Before Christmas, Lord Mandelson, the business secretary who is in charge of…

• 
  Education: A-levels | guardian.co.uk

• Mobile phones drive increase in exam cheating

  Rachel Williams

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:41 am

  The number of pupils cheating in GCSEs and A-levels has shot up, with many smuggling their mobile phone into the exam hallA leap in the number of pupils trying to cheat in their GCSEs and A-levels by smuggling mobile phones and MP3 players into exams saw penalties issued for malpractice rise by 6% in one year, according to official statistics out today.Students received more than 4,400 penalties in 2009, and there was a jump of 29% in the number handed out to staff at exam centres.Penalties to staff were up from 68 to 88, according to exams regulator Ofqual, with those for helping students…

• Crib sheet 02.02.10

  Judy Friedberg

  2 Feb 2010 | 3:28 am

  Pimples, tobacco, envy and incontinence pantsTo get Crib sheet as an email, sign up hereDo you know how long it took me,To learn how things respire?If you're not even going to ask about itWhy did I try?These are the questions put to the exam board AQA by a musical threesome who call themselves MattxMan91 in their hastily penned but rather eloquent composition The AQA Biology Unit 4 Exam Song, now available on YouTube. Webland is all a-tremble with an outpouring of student anger directed at both AQA and OCR over questions in the recent A-level biology exams, and furious Facebook groups are…

• Thousands of A-level students launch protest over 'unfair' exam

  Jessica Shepherd

  26 Jan 2010 | 8:36 am

  Biology exam for new curriculum bore no relevance to specimen papers, pupils sayFacebook protests about A-level biology exams are growing. Thousands of teenagers launched an online protest yesterday about a biology A-level exam paper they say was unfair.And today another protest on the social networking website is raising concerns about an OCR A-level biology taken on Monday.More than 3,000 students have sent furious messages to a Facebook group about the AQA exam sat on Monday.The exam board which devised the paper, AQA, said it would take students' worries into account when marking and…

• Letters: The hard subject of 'worthless' qualifications

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The fact that Barnaby Lenon speaks from the perspective of a public school does not mean, alas, that he is wrong (Harrow head warns of "soft subjects" con, 23 January). It is true that the creation of GCSE seriously compromised standards in schools. This is particularly the case in modern languages, where coaching in rudimentary formulaic turns of phrase has all but excluded an understanding of how grammatical and syntactical structures work. The Nuffield inquiry on modern languages of 2000 found that too few pupils "leave school with an adequate level of operational competence".Lenon is also…

• University without A-levels

  Lucy Tobin

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  As Mandelson pushes universities to accept promising students without A-levels, Lucy Tobin talks to four young people who got places through less traditional avenuesSuddenly all the politicians are talking about class and inequality. Gordon Brown last week promised to "unleash a wave of social mobility". And Harriet Harman, unveiling a government-commissioned report by Professor John Hills, of the London School of Economics, said that socio-economic background still determined an individual's success.Meanwhile Lord Mandelson, the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, is…

• 
  Media: Advertising | guardian.co.uk

• TV product placement plan confirmed

  Chris Tryhorn

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:48 am

  UK was only EU country besides Denmark where placement not either legal or about to be, culture secretary Ben Bradshaw saysThe culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, has today confirmed that the government will allow product placement in television programmes for the first time.In a written ministerial statement, Bradshaw said the new regime would "provide meaningful commercial benefits to commercial television companies and programme-makers while taking account of the legitimate concerns that have been expressed".He said that, apart from Denmark, the UK was the only European Union member state…

• US magazines' newsstand sales fall 9%

  Mercedes Bunz

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:02 am

  US magazine circulation figures published by the Audit Bureau of Circulations yesterday will make grim reading for the industry. Total circulation for 472 titles was 328.4 million for July to December 2009, down 2.23% compared with the same period the previous year.Newsstand sales totalled 35.7m in July to December, down 9.1% compared with the same period a year earlier. So the downwards trend of the first half of 2009 and the second half of 2008 continues – in the first half of 2009 there was a year-on-year drop of 12%, continuing the 11% downturn in the second half of 2008. Paid…

• Research shows that the internet has eaten newspaper ads

  Robert Andrews, paidContent

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:11 am

  In 2009, the internet's share of UK ad spend rose by the amount that newspapers lost. Coincidence?Hark, the herald angels sing! Total UK ad spend will rise this autumn, after nine consecutive quarters of annual decline, according to an Advertising Association and WARC forecast.The rise is modest – Q3 2010 is predicted to be 2.8% up from the year before. But it's heartening after last year, when total ad spend fell 12.7% from 2008 in the worst ad recession since 1982, according to the AA and WARC. Internet ad spend finished the year to September up (4.2%) – but far less than in previous…

• Super Bowl commercials sell sexism | Daniel Nasaw

  Daniel Nasaw

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Watched by millions, the Super Bowl's commercial breaks were filled with explicit mockery and derision of womenIn between the beer and auto adverts during last night's Super Bowl, CBS television spared 30 seconds to address its female audience, with New York Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez urging female viewers to learn more about the symptoms of heart attacks."You're important to me," he said, as the prerecorded sound of his heart beat in the background. "Especially if you watch football. CBS cares."If CBS cares so much about women, an estimated 40% of the Super Bowl audience, why am I again…

• Facebook leads rise in mobile web use

  Mercedes Bunz

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:17 am

  A new set of audited figures for mobile internet use, the GSMA Mobile Media Metrics, reveal a landscape with one very tall peakMore than 25% of UK's population – some 16 million people – accessed the Internet from mobile phones in December. And what were they looking for? The GSMA Mobile Media Metrics, published for the first time on Friday, provide an insight: on the mobile internet, people want to know what their friends are up to - and perhaps do a bit of flirting.Facebook has a clearly lead in GSMA's top 10 UK mobile internet sites, with 5 million unique users against 4.5 million for…

• 
  World news: Afghanistan | guardian.co.uk

• Taliban do not want to seek peace, says Bob Ainsworth

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  Defence secretary says the Taliban will only negotiate if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continues to make progressThe Taliban leadership has no desire to seek peace with the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, warned today.Giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, he said the Taliban would only be brought to the negotiating table if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continued to make progress.Ainsworth defended the controversial "reintegration and reconciliation"…

• British dead and wounded in Afghanistan, month by month

  Simon Rogers

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  What is the human cost of the war in Afghanistan for British forces? As British troops suffer more losses in 2010, these are the latest figures - including new wounded statistics• Get the data• Afghanistan civilian casualties• Information is Beautiful analysis of the data2009 was the bloodiest year so far for British troops in Afghanistan. As the number of British deaths in Afghanistan passes 250 - now much higher than Iraq and even the Falklands conflict - these are the numbers of British fatalities for Afghanistan - and Iraq, too - updated as they change. We've broken Afghanistan down…

• Afghanistan death toll exceeds Falklands as three UK soldiers die

  Matthew Weaver, Richard Norton-Taylor

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers and counter-IED task force soldier killed by blasts as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesThree British soldiers have been killed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in the last 24 hours, taking the total of fatalities in the conflict above the death toll of the Falklands war in 1982.Two soldiers, from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, part of the 3 Rifles Battle Group, died in an explosion near Sangin on Sunday evening. The third soldier to be killed was from 36 Engineer regiment, part of the counter-IED taskforce.

• Response: The military do more than fight – they protect our global interests

  Jeremy Greaves

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Aircraft carriers are floating pieces of British real estate, proclaiming us as a serious nationSimon Jenkins's assertion that "the general is right and the admiral is wrong" misinterprets Britain's security needs (Naval nostalgia and edgy kit are no basis for sane defence, 20 January). The general, Sir David Richards, had "implicitly dismissed the navy and air force as strategically obsolete," wrote Jenkins. "He said they were obsessed with 'exotic capability that is rendered irrelevant by advances in technology'."Everyone I meet across government and industry – including serving members…

• Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die

  Steve Bell

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers killed by explosion on foot patrol as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesSteve Bell

• 
  World news : Africa roundup | guardian.co.uk

• Nigerian vice-president to take over from absent premier

  Mark Tran

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:32 am

  Senate votes to give power to Goodluck Jonathan as speculation grows over health of missing presidentThe Nigerian parliament today voted to transfer power to Goodluck Jonathan, the vice-president, in the prolonged absence of the president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who has been receiving hospital treatment in Saudi Arabia.The house of representatives and senate passed motions enabling Jonathan to act as president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces until Yar'Adua, who left Nigeria last November is fit enough to resume his duties."The vice-president … shall henceforth discharge the functions of…

• Kadinya school classrooms finally ready for pupils

  Richard M Kavuma

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:50 am

  After almost 18 months, five new classrooms built at Kadinya school, as part of the Katine project, are ready for useOf the 12 year four pupils who had reported for the second day of the new term at Kadinya community primary school, Teresa Acupo, nine, stood out for her broad smile and the books and pen in her hands, ready to start lessons."This classroom is very nice; it is not like the other one where we would get wet when it rained," said Acupo, who hopes to become a doctor one day.For the first time, Acupo and her schoolmates were able to sit in one of the five new classrooms constructed…

• Israel in Africa | Josh Kron

  Josh Kron

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:10 am

  In Rwanda, 'Jewish' has mysteriously ended up becoming shorthand for 'Tutsi'Much of the world came to learn of Rwanda in 1994, when the majority Hutu people went on a three-month killing spree against the minority Tutsi.The genocide ended with the victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, formed by Tutsi refugees who grew up in Uganda. With the conquest came drastic change. A great many members of the English-speaking diaspora flowed in; mostly from Uganda, but also from Africa, Europe and America. The two words that had seemingly started it all, Hutu and Tutsi, were banned from public use.It…

• Explainer: The education system in Uganda

  Richard M Kavuma

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:16 am

  Richard M Kavuma explains how the education system in Uganda worksNursery/kindergarten (duration: three years)This is the pre-school level of education in Uganda. Children usually start at the age of three and complete nursery school by the age of six. Until recently rural areas like Katine sub-county did not have nursery schools. But more and more villagers, inspired by the early start in the education of children in towns, are wanting nurseries for their children. Katine has at least one nursery, located within the premises of a charitable organisation.Primary school (duration: seven…

• Katine primary schools record small improvement in exam results

  Richard M Kavuma

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

  No Katine pupil achieves top score in national primary leaving exams, but a number of schools register year-on-year improvements in resultsFor the third year running, no pupil in Katine sub-county received a first grade pass in the national primary leaving examinations (PLE), but officials see cause for optimism as other indicators show improvements.According to the 2009 PLE results, released in Kampala at the end of last month, the best performing pupil in Katine was Abraham Oloka from Kadinya community primary school, a school still under construction. Oloka missed out on the top grade by…

• 
  Business: Airline industry | guardian.co.uk

• British Airways plane crash caused by 'unknown' ice buildup

  Haroon Siddique

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:06 am

  Fault that caused BA plane to crash-land at Heathrow two years ago was not covered by safety requirements, report saysThe fault that caused a British Airways plane to crash-land at Heathrow airport two years ago, narrowly missing the perimeter road and nearby buildings, was not covered by aviation safety ­requirements at the time, an official report revealed today.The Boeing 777 lost power because of a restricted fuel flow to both engines, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.It concluded that the crash-landing, which happened on 17 January 2008, was probably caused by a…

• Walsh upbeat about averting strike as BA posts surprise profit

  Dan Milmo

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am

  Chief executive optimistic over staffing deal and hails turning point in British Airways' fortunes despite likely full-year lossBritish Airways chief executive, Willie Walsh, has expressed cautious optimism that a cabin crew strike can be averted after the airline surprised investors with its first operating profit in more than a year.Walsh said he was "sure" that an agreement would be reached with the Unite union over a cost-cutting drive including cuts in staffing levels on flights. The BA boss said the airline appeared to have turned the corner after it reported an operating profit of…

• Survivors of the Hudson River plane crash

  Ed Pilkington

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  One year on, the passengers of Flight 1549 are coming to terms with their miraculous escape from an emergency landing on water, in the middle of New York – the 'miracle on the Hudson'Last month Pam Seagle found herself for the second time in a year bobbing up and down in the middle of the Hudson river as it flows past New York. As if experiencing deja vu, she saw her breath emerge in clouds in the crisp cold air. She watched transfixed from the ferry, as the setting sun bathed the Manhattan skyline in an ­orange glow.Her first experience of being in the middle of the Hudson, exactly a year…

• Concorde crash: what happened to Flight AF 4590

  Paddy Allen

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

  On 25 July 2000 a Concorde took off in flames from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and crashed minutes later, killing 113 peoplePaddy Allen

• Airline and five individuals to stand trial over Concorde crash

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:21 am

  Ten years after crash that killed 113 people, five individuals and Continental Airlines will stand trial for manslaughter in ParisAlmost a decade after the crash that marked the end of the Concorde legend, a French court will tomorrow begin the marathon task of establishing how and why it happened and, crucially, who was to blame.A four-month trial based in Paris will be faced with 90 volumes of investigations, 534 pieces of evidence and several conflicting explanations of the crash, which happened in July 2000 as an Air France Concorde took off from Charles de Gaulle airport.The plane, which…

• 
  World news: al-Qaida | guardian.co.uk

• Taliban do not want to seek peace, says Bob Ainsworth

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  Defence secretary says the Taliban will only negotiate if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continues to make progressThe Taliban leadership has no desire to seek peace with the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, warned today.Giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, he said the Taliban would only be brought to the negotiating table if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continued to make progress.Ainsworth defended the controversial "reintegration and reconciliation"…

• Opportunity knocks for Sarah Palin | Lola Adesioye

  Lola Adesioye

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  Individually ridiculed as devoid of substance, together Sarah Palin and the Tea Party could be a powerful Republican forceSarah Palin may not know that Africa is a continent, but if there is knowledge that she is not lacking, it's a canny ability to spot, and seize, any opportunity that will propel her into the spotlight.Palin's delivery of the keynote speech at this weekend's Tea Party convention in Tennessee was a reminder that it was not, and is not likely to ever be, substance nor innovative ideas that characterise her mainstream political career. What gets Palin ahead is her way of…

• Why does al-Qaida target planes? | Diego Gambetta

  Diego Gambetta

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  With so many more vulnerable western targets to choose from, why do terrorists choose international flights?Amid all the discussion about terrorism, one obvious question is rarely asked: why does al-Qaida have a predilection for targeting aircraft when there is a wealth of vulnerable western targets from which to choose?We have no access to the reasoning of the perpetrators, but it seems safe to suppose that they want to cause as much havoc as possible to as many people and "infidel" countries as possible by the cheapest of means. Crashing a plane fits this double aim very well. International…

• Terror and academic freedom | Rizwaan Sabir

  Rizwaan Sabir

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  Draconian anti-terror laws are blocking the serious study of terrorism and counter-terrorism at UK universitiesSince my arrest under the Terrorism Act in May 2008 at the University of Nottingham for possession of the so-called Al-Qaida Training Manual, I have been following the increasing pressure faced by lecturers regarding the teaching of terrorism. One example is the pressure to submit reading lists to research ethics committees for vetting purposes in case they contain material that may be deemed "illegal" or that "may incite violence".The latest fiasco to have hit Nottingham involves my…

• Pakistan denounces conviction of neuroscientist in US court

  Declan Walsh

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:02 am

  Dr Aafia Siddiqui found guilty in New York of attempting to shoot a team of US soldiers in Afghanistan in July 2008Pakistanis were united in anger today after an American court convicted Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a US-educated neuroscientist previously accused of al-Qaida links, on charges of assault and attempted murder.A New York court found Siddiqui guilty of attempting to shoot a team of American soldiers and FBI agents in an Afghan police station in July 2008. She faces up to 60 years in prison.A foreign office spokesman said he was "dismayed" by the verdict, adding that Pakistan's president,…

• 
  World news : Americas roundup | guardian.co.uk

• Winter Olympics? Oh, the horror | Sean Patrick Sullivan

  Sean Patrick Sullivan

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Contrary to what you may have heard, Vancouver isn't gripped by dread – Canada is embracing this opportunity to celebrateNo matter the situation, there's always someone intent on spoiling other people's fun. Such is the case with Vancouver's Olympic games, where a cadre of loudmouth, red-in-the-face activists and hyperbolic critics have unleashed opinion pieces that blame the games for the closure of local schools and stoke fears of an impending police state. What nonsense. While playing host to the Olympics may have its shortcomings, the massive, games-led public investment in Vancouver's…

• Haiti man rescued 'after surviving 27 days in rubble'

  Adam Gabbatt

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:41 am

  Family says 28-year-old had been trapped in market wreckage since 12 January earthquakeA man rescued in Haiti may have spent the past 27 days trapped in rubble, it was reported today.The news came 11 days after the last survivor was rescued, following the devastating 12 January earthquake, which killed as many as 200,000 people.The family of Evan Muncie reportedly told doctors at a Port-au-Prince hospital yesterday that the 28-year-old had been trapped in the wreckage of a market since the quake.His apparent recovery is all the more remarkable as the Haitian government declared an end to…

• Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die

  Steve Bell

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers killed by explosion on foot patrol as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesSteve Bell

• Inside Cuba's dance factory

  Judith Mackrell

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  Cuba has produced some of the world's most explosive dancers – but its cultural isolation comes at a cost. On the eve of two major UK tours, Judith Mackrell visits HavanaVirtually blind and wearing Jackie Onassis sunglasses that might have been bought when Jackie O was still alive, Alicia Alonso has her ballerina face painted on every morning: a wide slash of scarlet lipstick, thick found-ation, flaring black eyebrows. She may be approaching her 90th birthday, but she is still the head of the Ballet ­Nacional de Cuba, still the island's ­revolutionary prima ballerina assoluta. Talking to…

• US must be Haiti's watchdog | Mark Weisbrot

  Mark Weisbrot

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:01 pm

  Ahead of the rainy season there are huge concerns over shelter, sanitation and human rights. The US has a responsibility to helpLast month actors and human rights advocates Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, along with the Reverend Jesse Jackson sent a letter to Congress and the Obama administration calling attention to "serious mistakes that have unnecessarily delayed the delivery of medical supplies, water, and other life-saving materials." The letter was also signed by some 90 scholars and Haiti advocates. (Disclosure: I also added my signature).The letter asked for, among other things, "A…

• 
  World news: Anglicanism | guardian.co.uk

• An address to the General Synod | Rowan Williams

  Rowan Williams

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  In the last few weeks we've seen a number of topics coming up in public discussion, all centring on one set of questions – a set of questions which I think reflects painfully accurately some of the problems we face in our church, locally and internationally. The heated debates around the equality bill brought this out in one way, some of the renewed flurries of pressure and anxiety about euthanasia and assisted dying in other ways. And as we look forward to our own debates later in the year on women bishops and on the Anglican Covenant, we may see the parallels. And in the middle of all the…

• New split in Church of England over women bishops

  Stephen Bates

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

  Conservative evangelicals tell General Synod they will train their own clergy outside the church if proposals go aheadConservative evangelicals in the Church of England today became the latest group to threaten to split the church if it decides to consecrate women bishops.At the start of this week's meeting of the General Synod, the church's parliament, in London, they warned that their clergy would in future be trained outside the Church of England if the proposals go ahead later this year.The pressure group Reform, which claims to represent 350 ordained clergy and which has a track record…

• Anglo-Catholics on the brink, again | Andrew Brown

  Andrew Brown

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:09 am

  Opponents of women priests must finally make up their minds which church they belong to. Neither much wants themThe majority of the Church of England has lost patience with the opponents of women priests. Such priests may stay in the church after it has women bishops, but they will be unable to pretend that they don't exist. The opponents must apply to women bishops, or their supporters, for permission to have services taken by bishops more to their own taste. They had wanted a legal guarantee, sent through parliament, that they were entitled to this. But a speech leaked to the Times…

• The politics of inconsequence | Harriet Baber

  Harriet Baber

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  My experience with the episcopal church shows how meaningless efforts towards democracy can beThe question: Can religion be democratic?Here in the US, the Episcopal Church (ECUSA) is run on strictly democratic lines. Each parish is a private corporation with a vestry, consisting of lay members of the congregation, as its board of directors. The governing body of the national church is General Convention, which includes House of Bishops and House of Deputies consisting of elected lay and clergy representatives from each diocese.Of course it makes not one whit of difference. Priests run their…

• Can religion be democratic? | The question

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  How much sense does it make as a system of church organisation?As the General Synod meets in London, the obvious question is "why"? It has an elaborate and cumbersome machinery for ensuring that decisions are taken as democratically as possible, without overruling any minority. But is this possible? Is it even Christian? Other churches, and other religions, get on perfectly well without democracy; so how much sense does it make as a system of church government or organisation?Monday's responseHarriet Baber: My experience with the episcopal church shows how meaningless efforts towards…

• 
  World news: Animals | guardian.co.uk

• Earlier springs could destroy delicate balance of UK wildlife, study shows

  David Adam

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Global warming could be changing seasonal timing with profound consequences, according to analysis of 726 species of plants and animalsIn pictures: Reader photos of springAs snow flurries continued to cause disruption across the country today, spring may feel further away than ever. But recent winters have been ending earlier than ever before, according to a new assessment of Britain's wildlife that reveals global warming could be disrupting the delicate balance of nature.The analysis confirms that spring and summer are occurring earlier, but also shows that this trend appears to be…

• Cold noses at the pearly gates? | Heather McDougall

  Heather McDougall

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  The status of animals in Christianity is unclear. But Augustine gives pet owners hopeSeveral weeks ago Cif belief ran a series of articles on the question of whether animals have souls. I initially thought it was a joke, or that maybe somehow, somebody had found out about my embarrassing incident with the local vicar and the dead dog. Then I realised that many people have pets they love and treat like one of the family, and others work tirelessly for the welfare of animals. Maybe the idea that animals have souls, is an idea these people would agree with.My embarrassing incident with the dead…

• Cat and dog population up by 4m

  Steven Morris

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  About 10.3m cats and 10.5m dogs live in UK, a total of 4m more than pet food manufacturers had estimated, study findsLittle wonder that songbirds seem to be vanishing and dog mess continues to be a sticky problem. A report published today reveals there are believed to be many more dogs and cats than had been thought.According to the figures, there are around 10.3m cats and 10.5m dogs in the UK, a total of 4m more than pet food manufacturers had estimated.The report, the first published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal for more than 20 years, also reaches what may be a controversial…

• In pictures: The week in wildlife

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  From gamboling deer to relaxed sea otters, here are the pick of this week's wildlife snaps from across the globe

• Animals come to rescue of biography market

  Alison Flood

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:03 am

  The biography of Casper the commuting cat is just one of a spate of 'animalit' titles being snapped upThe story of Casper the commuting cat, set to be published this autumn, is the latest in a slew of animal memoirs which are being heralded as the saviours of a beleaguered biography market.The much-loved Casper, who used to ride the Number Three bus around Plymouth, died last month in a road accident - and the publishing world was quick to pounce, with Simon & Schuster snapping up world rights in his story late last week. "His story is unique and [Casper's owner] Susan has received emails and…

• 
  Science: Archaeology | guardian.co.uk

• Writing off the UK's last palaeographer

  John Crace

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The decision by a London university to axe the UK's only chair in palaeography has been met by outrage from the world's most eminent classicists. John Crace on why the study of ancient writings matters – and why history will be lost without itDry, dusty and shortly to be dead. Palaeographers are used to making sense of fragments of ancient manuscripts, but King's College London couldn't have been plainer when it announced recently that it was to close the UK's only chair of palaeography. From ­September, the current holder of the chair, Professor David Ganz, will be out of a job, and the…

• Ben Hur in Colchester? Race is on to save UK's only Roman chariot racetrack

  Maev Kennedy

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am

  Residents need to find nearly £1m to safeguard unique find and build visitor centre for 2nd century racetrackWhen the white handkerchief dropped, the Ben Hurs of Colchester would have set off down Circular Road North, past the banked tiers of seats, turning left at Napier Road, their iron tyres gouging a deep rut in the track,and back up past St John's gatehouse towards the water-spouting dolphin marking the end of the first lap.Colchester, it seems, was the Formula One track of Roman Britain, with the only chariot racing circus ever found on the island, and the first found in northern…

• Vrooms with a view: Europe's most scenic drives

  Niall Griffiths

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Ten stunning journeys on the open roadAtlantic Highway, EnglandStart Abandon the M5 at Bridgwater (J23) amid watercolour landscapes of the Somerset Levels heading west on the A39, my favourite UK driving road.Route (135 miles) It's easy: follow the A39, ignore your map/satnav and concentrate on stupendous views instead. On one side of the road are increasingly wild hills, on the other, some of Britain's best coastline.End Bude's muddle of windy dunes, Victoriana and surfing marks the first seaside town in Cornwall but stay on the A39 for foodie Padstow or Newquay, the surfers' party town.Look…

• Driving the Welsh coast

  Niall Griffiths

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Small country, massive landscape – this remote stretch of coastline is big on sweeping vistasWales isn't big – you could touch both north and south coasts in half a day or so – but it is huge in diversity of landscape: mountain, moor, marsh, lake, waterfall, village, town, hill, valley can all be seen on a two-hour drive. Best advice is to come over all zen, and recognise that the journey is as important as the destination. Which is why, whenever I need to go to the far north – which, for my sanity, is often – I don't turn right at Machynlleth, on to the A470 (the closest thing…

• Stonehenge's secret: archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges

  Maev Kennedy

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am

  Survey of landscape suggests prehistoric monument was surrounded by two circular hedgesThe Monty Python knights who craved a shrubbery were not so far off the historical mark: archaeologists have uncovered startling evidence of The Great Stonehenge Hedge.Inevitably dubbed Stonehedge, the evidence from a new survey of the Stonehenge landscape suggests that 4,000 years ago the world's most famous prehistoric monument was surrounded by two circular hedges, planted on low concentricbanks. The best guess of the archaeologists from English Heritage, who carried out the first detailed survey of the…

• 
  Art and design: Architecture | guardian.co.uk

• Mystery as Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building, shuts to public

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

  Electrical problems blamed for closure of viewing platform but unknown if rest of tower is affectedThe world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.Electrical problems are partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform, the only part of the half-mile high tower that has so far opened. But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the…

• Luke Harding on Moscow's plan to demolish artists' village

  Luke Harding

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:35 am

  Luke Harding on Moscow's plan to demolish artists' villageLuke Harding

• Take the next exit for the green motorway service station

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  A new motorway service station being designed in the Cotswolds will lead the way environmentallyMotorway services and green design are ­awkward bedfellows. It's not simply the petrol, the ­shopping and the fast food, but ­service stations take up a lot of space. And of course, they're dispiriting to look at.But the challenge of building new services in the Cotswolds between junctions 11 and 12 of the M5 persuaded the developers to hold a competition. It was won by Glenn Howells, whose Savill Building in Windsor Park was shortlisted for the Stirling prize three years ago.Designed to "knit"…

• 'Stonehenge? It's more like a city garden'

  Caroline Davies

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pm

  Design watchdog hits out at plans for £20m visitor centre at megalithic jewel in England's cultural crownIts footpaths are "tortuous", the roof likely to "channel wind and rain" and its myriad columns – meant to evoke a forest – are incongruous with the vast landscape surrounding it.So says the government's design ­watchdog over plans for a controversial £20m visitor centre at Stonehenge, the megalithic jewel in England's cultural crown. CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, has criticised the design of the proposed centre, claiming the futuristic building by…

• Design Museum Holon | Architecture

  Deyan Sudjic

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Ron Arad has finally got round to making a building – Design Museum Holon, in his native Israel – and it is a remarkable success, writes Deyan SudjicThirty one years after Ron Arad walked out of the architect's studio in Hampstead where he had just set about learning the finer points of professional practice to go for lunch, and decided never to go back, he has finally completed an authentic piece of architecture. He has done the occasional interior; in Belgium he worked on a shopping centre with a roof like a lava flow; there is his own studio in London; and an unbuilt house, that was…

• 
  World news: Argentina | guardian.co.uk

• Tomás Eloy Martínez obituary

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:06 am

  Acclaimed Argentinian journalist and writer who was exiled after the 1976 military coupThe Argentinian writer Tomás Eloy Martínez, who has died aged 75 of cancer, was one of the most innovative journalists and novelists of his generation. He belonged to the group of writers who renewed Argentinian journalism in the early 1970s, challenging authority as well as freeing it from old-fashioned rhetorical formulas. Forced into exile after the 1976 military coup, Eloy ­Martínez took his skills to Venezuela, where he founded a groundbreaking newspaper. He later published several highly regarded…

• Falklands oil prospects stir Anglo-Argentinian tensions

  Rory Carroll, Annie Kelly

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm

  Four British firms set to drill for oil north of Falkland Islands, in move Argentina calls a 'violation of sovereignty'It does not look like much: a jumble of pipes, containers and drilling equipment sitting on a windswept jetty at Port Stanley.The hardware, however, signals an imminent search for oil and gas that could turn the Falkland Islanders into south Atlantic oil barons, a prospect that has already triggered a dispute between Britain and Argentina.A rig, the Ocean Guardian, is due to arrive by mid-February and will almost immediately begin drilling for hydrocarbon deposits 100 miles…

• South America: Media has become a political battleground

  Rory Carroll

  3 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  From Argentina to Venezuela, governments have identified the media as a political obstacleTelevision networks, radio stations and newspapers have become political battlegrounds pitting media owners and journalists against governments in South America. Charismatic presidents in the Andean states, and in Argentina, have identified the media as a principal obstacle to their efforts to transform the region. The subjects of clashes range from Caribbean slums, where journalists are accused of exaggerating crime, to icy Patagonian resorts, where they are accused of confecting corruption…

• Argentina's authorities order DNA tests in search for stolen babies of dirty war

  Rory Carroll

  30 Dec 2009 | 12:04 pm

  Children adopted by regime backers checked against bodies of those who 'disappeared' in the 70s and 80sIn an era of state terror, it was perhaps the most chilling of all crimes: babies stolen from mothers who were condemned to "disappear".Argentina's military dictatorship wrenched an estimated 500 children from doomed political prisoners and gave them for adoption to regime supporters during the so-called dirty war in the 70s and 80s.Decades later, the babies are adults and now they – and the rest of Argentina – are finally discovering the truth about their origins. Compelled by a new…

• Two gay weddings on two continents, but only one happy ending

  David Smith, Rory Carroll

  29 Dec 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Argentinians celebrate first same-sex marriage, while couple in Malawi are arrested and chargedIt was a tale of two weddings continents apart, but there was to be only one happy ending.In Argentina, Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre made history as the first same-sex couple to marry in Latin America. Thousands of miles away, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza became the first gay men to tie the knot in Malawi.The different reactions to the two ceremonies, however, suggested that while gay rights in Latin America are advancing, in Africa they are going into reverse.Although Di Bello and…

• 
  Art and design: Art | guardian.co.uk

• Dryden Goodwin's art stands out from the crowd | Jonathan Jones

  Jonathan Jones

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Goodwin's quietly powerful portraits of London Underground staff capture the mystery and melancholy of life in the capitalOrdinary faces look back at you from posters at London Underground stations, drawn in intense black lines, almost like forests of wiring. There is a hum of represssed energy, as if you were approaching power lines on a wasteland. There is also a solitude, a silence in the portraits that reach out, with their eyes, to you the stranger ... and then you've moved on, carried by the crowd, the connection is lost.Dryden Goodwin's portraits of London Transport staff are the…

• New Topographics: changing the landscape of photography

  Sean O'Hagan

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  With shots of disused warehouses and eerily empty streets, the New Topographics photographers trained their cameras on the creeping urbanisation and industry of 1970s America. A new book published by Steidl, featuring artists such as Frank Gohlke, Robert Adams and Benrd and Hilla Becher, chronicles the enduring influence of their visionSean O'Hagan

• Afro Modern | Art review

  Laura Cumming

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Tate LiverpoolThere is a work of such coruscating brilliance in this show that it overshadows most of the rest. No wonder it is saved until last. In a darkened gallery, preceded by a warning against explicit sexual content, what appears to be a silent movie unfolds to a score of speakeasy blues except that instead of actors there are shadow puppets performing in mordant black and white.The film opens with a ship riding stormy waters from which bound slaves are being thrown. They drift to a desert island that turns into a gigantic head, swallowing and disgorging them in the American south.

• This week's exhibitions previews

  Skye Sherwin, Robert Clark

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva/Clare Rojas, BirminghamA first and very welcome UK exhibition of the work of renowned Lisbon-based duo João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva. Gusmão and Paiva present silent films which come across as strange poetic ponderings; austere landscapes are stage sets for distinctly absurd rituals. Elsewhere, deserts are focused in disorientating slow motion or multiple exposure; a man observes the sky through a hole in his shoe; and a stone skimming across a lake takes on the slow grace of planetary movement. Influenced by the "recreational metaphysics" of the…

• Inga Moore, illustrator of The Wind in the Willows

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Joanna Carey talks to Inga Moore about her determination to illustrate a classic of children's literatureNew children's books come and go like the wind these days, but the old classics, all safely out of copyright, get wheeled out year after year. Abridged, reillustrated and adapted for stage, screen and wallpaper, they tend to be familiar even to those who have never read them.When The Wind in the Willows was first published in 1908, it came with nothing more than a frontispiece by Graham Roberts. Since then almost 50 artists have illustrated it, EH Shepard and Arthur Rackham being the best…

• 
  Art and Design | guardian.co.uk

• Written off

  John Crace

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The decision by a London university to axe the UK's only chair in palaeography has been met by outrage from the world's most eminent classicists. John Crace on why the study of ancient writings matters – and why history will be lost without itDry, dusty and shortly to be dead. Palaeographers are used to making sense of fragments of ancient manuscripts, but King's College London couldn't have been plainer when it announced recently that it was to close the UK's only chair of palaeography. From ­September, the current holder of the chair, Professor David Ganz, will be out of a job, and the…

• Mystery as Burj Khalifa shuts

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

  Electrical problems blamed for closure of viewing platform but unknown if rest of tower is affectedThe world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.Electrical problems are partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform, the only part of the half-mile high tower that has so far opened. But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the…

• Betty Tadman obituary

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:12 am

  My friend Betty Tadman, who has died aged 88, was a gifted artist and inspirational teacher. Her career was largely spent in two posts: first as a class teacher at Queen's House school in Hampstead, north London, where many of her pupils were the daughters of Holocaust survivors, and then at Kingsway College, where she set up and ran the textile department in the 1970s and 80s. Her students there included the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, with whom she got on well – her anarchic streak was every bit as strong as theirs.She possessed a true talent for drawing out strengths that…

• Standing out from the crowd

  Jonathan Jones

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Goodwin's quietly powerful portraits of London Underground staff capture the mystery and melancholy of life in the capitalOrdinary faces look back at you from posters at London Underground stations, drawn in intense black lines, almost like forests of wiring. There is a hum of represssed energy, as if you were approaching power lines on a wasteland. There is also a solitude, a silence in the portraits that reach out, with their eyes, to you the stranger ... and then you've moved on, carried by the crowd, the connection is lost.Dryden Goodwin's portraits of London Transport staff are the…

• Concrete poetry

  Sean O'Hagan

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:08 am

  With its stark yet oddly romantic images of American factories, intersections and trailer parks, William Jenkins's 1975 exhibition rewrote the rules of landscape photography. Does it have the same impact today?It is 35 years since the term "new topographics" was coined by William Jenkins, curator of a group show of American landscape photography held at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. The show consisted of 168 rigorously formal, black-and-white prints of streets, warehouses, city centres, industrial sites and suburban houses. Taken collectively, they seemed to posit an aesthetic…

• 
  Business: Asda | guardian.co.uk

• George Davies, the man behind Per Una, has further designs on women

  Zoe Wood

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  The man who invented Next and George at Asda is launching a spring collection with a brand new labelHe's no company doctor, but fashion grandee George Davies says he knows what Marks & Spencer's problem is: chronic constipation.The inventor of Next, George at Asda and M&S's Per Una range is not talking about a side-effect of M&S's food, but about the corporate culture. "The biggest challenge for anybody coming into M&S is to free it from its constipated culture," says Davies as he stares intently at the day's newspaper, taking in the details of new boss Marc Bolland's £15m pay deal for the…

• Tesco opens its first zero carbon store

  Julia Finch

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am

  • New store cost 30% more to build but uses 50% less energy• Tesco to spend £100m among green technology businessesSupermarket group Tesco, which pumps out some four million tonnes of carbon a year, today opened its first zero carbon store as part of its bid to be a carbon ­neutral company by 2050.The shop, in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, is timber-framed rather than steel, and uses skylights and sun pipes to cut lighting costs. It also has a combined heat and power plant powered by renewable bio-fuels, exporting extra electricity back to the national grid. In addition the refrigerators –…

• Leighton's Martians, aka the Past Marsters, have together led a business revolution

  Julia Finch

  28 Jan 2010 | 2:55 pm

  Allan Leighton built his reputation at Mars, and then, with Archie Norman, at Asda, where in the 1990s they masterminded one of the most impressive British corporate turnaroundsTwo of Britain's best-known businesses have new bosses whose decisions will affect millions of shoppers and television viewers. One, Dalton Philips, now chief executive of Morrisons, is an unknown; while the other, Adam Crozier, is making a completely unexpected move from chief executive of the Royal Mail to the same job at ITV.At first glance, the two appointments have little in common. But both men are part of a…

• Morrisons' surprise choice for top job

  Nils Pratley

  27 Jan 2010 | 12:49 pm

  Morrisons has chosen a relative unknown for the top jobBritish firms are among the best at running supermarkets, right? Tesco makes mincemeat of most competitors it runs up against in foreign fields. Asda has given lessons in retailing to its US ­parent, Wal-Mart. Sainsbury's provides stiff competition for both at home.So you would assume an experienced executive from within the national bank of supermarket talent would be a shoo-in for the top job at Morrisons. Wrong. The Bradford-based group appointed an Irishman who has worked in retailing in New Zealand, Spain, Germany and, lately,…

• Morrisons appoints Irishman Dalton Philips as new chief executive

  Zoe Wood

  27 Jan 2010 | 11:41 am

  New man at the top of Morrisons is relative unknown in UKMorrisons has appointed the chief operating officer of Canada's largest retailer, Loblaw, as the new chief executive of Britain's fourth-largest supermarket chain.Dalton Philips, who is the son of a County Wicklow egg farmer, will succeed Marc Bolland in March. He has previously worked at Wal-Mart, the owner of Asda.The choice surprised analysts as Philips had not been previously linked to the job and is relatively unknown in the British retail world.However Allan Leighton, the former Asda boss who is president and deputy chairman of…

• 
  World news : Asia Pacific roundup | guardian.co.uk

• Tim Etchells on performance: Cambodia's art steps into the future

  Tim Etchells

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am

  Can Cambodia begin to rebuild its shattered cultural heritage? Tim Etchells wonders if the answer lies with a team of Khmer dancers ... and a specially modified laptopI've recently returned from two weeks in Cambodia, travelling with 18 other artists, dancers, choreographers and performance-makers at the invitation of Ong Keng Sen's Flying Circus Project. Based in Singapore, Keng Sen's Theatre Works outfit has been running these exchanges – predominantly Asian in focus, but with routes out in all directions – for something like 10 years. The intention varies with each…

• Toyota recalls across the world: full list so far

  Roger Browning

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Toyota's recall of millions of cars around the world - including the Prius - is unprecedented. Find out where the recalls have been and what for• Get the data• Interactive guide to the pedal problemWhen Toyota took over from General Motors as the world largest producer of motor vehicles in 2007 it was largely thanks to a reputation for durability that had been forged over decades. Toyota's brand values have little to do with excitement or driving pleasure and everything to do with the comforting knowledge that this car will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and bother.Now of…

• Chinese farms 'cause more pollution than factories'

  Jonathan Watts

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Groundbreaking government survey pinpoints fertilisers and pesticides as greater source of water contaminationFarmers' fields are a far bigger source of water contamination in China than factory effluent, the Chinese government revealed today in its first census on pollution.Senior officials said the disclosure, after a two-year study involving 570,000 people, would require a partial realignment of environmental policy from smoke stacks to chicken coops, cow sheds and fruit orchards.Despite the sharp upward revision of figures on rural contamination, the government suggested the country's…

• Google tells creators of Chinese website to drop logo

  Tania Branigan

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:26 am

  • Lookalike infringes trademark rights, says US search firm• Goojje launches after row with Beijing over censoringGoogle has warned the creators of a lookalike Chinese site to scrap their logo because it infringes trademark rights.Goojje appeared shortly after the US internet company said it was no longer willing to censor its Chinese service and its home page included what appeared to be a plea to the firm to remain in China. The Chinese doppelganger offers search and social networking services.Today one of its college student creators said Google had sent them a letter from its lawyers…

• China increases hold over car market

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:40 am

  • Government stimulus and tax cuts spur sales to 1.32m• China world's largest auto market as gap with US widensChina widened its lead over the US as the world's biggest auto market in January, with passenger car sales almost doubling to 1.32m vehicles, an industry group reported today.Spurred by tax cuts and other government stimulus measures, vehicle sales soared from the 735,000 models reported in January 2009 – when sales in the Chinese market first overtook those in the US.January's passenger car sales were up 18% from December's 1.1m vehicles sold.Total vehicle sales, including…

• 
  Global: Audio | guardian.co.uk

• Severin Carrell on test failure in Scotland of first amphibious bus

  Severin Carrell

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:40 am

  Severin Carrell on test failure in Scotland of first amphibious busSeverin Carrell

• David Adam on internecine war in IPCC over glacier error

  David Adam

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:20 am

  David Adam on the internecine war in the Intergovernmental panel on climate change, IPCC, over the melting glaciers errorDavid Adam

• Dr.Stephen Thackeray on spring coming 11 days early in UK

  Andy Duckworth

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am

  Stephen Thackeray tells Andy Duckworth that spring is coming 11 days early in UK and discusses whether it will make a big change to the ecosystemAndy Duckworth

• Vikram Dodd on the jailing of policeman Ali Dizaei

  Vikram Dodd

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:12 am

  Vikram Dodd on the jailing of policeman Ali DizaeiVikram Dodd

• Guardian Daily podcast: Britain's highest ranking police officer to be convicted of a crime begins a jail term; plus Scotland's floating bus makes waves

  Andy Duckworth, Phil Maynard, Tim Maby

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:19 pm

  Scotland Yard commander Ali Dizaei, who falsely arrested a man, has been sentenced to four years in jail for misconduct and attempting to pervert course of justice. We hear the original emergency 999 calls and crime correspondent Vikram Dodd explains why this isn't the first time Dizaei has been in trouble with the law.Scientists have found that spring in the UK is arriving 11 days earlier than usual. Dr Stephen Thackeray tells us how this fits in with climate change.Environment correspondent David Adam reveals more infighting between climate scientists. This centres on the Intergovernmental…

• 
  World news: The BAE files | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Banks, tax havens and corruption

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I was both fascinated and disgusted by reports about BAE (6 February) but was not sure what shocked me most. Was it the bribery? Or the fact that BAE was and is peddling the tools of death? Or the fact that some of the systems they sold went to poor countries who had absolutely no need for such hi-tech equipment.However, one aspect of your report especially clicked with me: that much of the illicit cash had been passing through intermediaries and bank accounts in various tax havens. If you want to tackle corruption, both in commercial fields and in governmental fields (eg the ministers of…

• BAE chiefs 'linked to bribes conspiracy'

  David Leigh, Rob Evans

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Serious Fraud Office lawyers told magistrates of key agent's role in 'sophisticated' operationAllegations that "very senior BAE executives" were implicated in bribery conspiracies by the company, were revealed last week. The detailed allegations were spelled out in obscure magistrates' courts that only now can be reported by the Observer.Because the arms giant signed up on Friday to a plea bargain, under which the company pays almost £300m in fines for accounting irregularities, there will now never be a full trial at which these claims can be tested.Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, BAE's key…

• BAE admits guilt over corrupt arms deals

  David Leigh, Rob Evans

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:16 pm

  Arms firm pays out £300m after long-running Guardian investigationThe arms giant BAE yesterday agreed to pay out almost £300m in penalties, as it finally admitted guilt over its worldwide conduct, in the face of long-running corruption investigations.For 20 years, the firm refused to accept any wrongdoing, despite mounting evidence of alleged bribes and kickbacks, much of it uncovered by the Guardian.But BAE yesterday said it would plead guilty to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements, in simultaneous settlement deals with the Serious Fraud Office in the UK and the…

• BAE deal with Tanzania: Military air traffic control – for country with no airforce

  Rob Evans, Paul Lewis

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of a hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken TanzaniansTony Blair was at the centre of controversy over BAE's arms deal with Tanzania, just as he was in the Saudi contracts.Cabinet ministers Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of the hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken Tanzanians. But, as prime minister, he overruled them and insisted that the deal had to go through.It left Cook ruefully muttering that it seemed that Dick Evans, BAE's then chairman, seemed to have "the key to the garden door of No…

• Profile: Sir Dick Evans, BAE chairman

  Terry Macalister

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:28 pm

  Said by some to have secured the biggest arms deal in British history by his ability to swallow sheep's eyeballsSir Dick Evans was said by some to have secured the biggest arms deal in British history by his ability to swallow sheep's eyeballs as though they were cocktail canapes at banquets.He knew how to shmooze Middle East clients and his al-Yamamah deal - under which jets were sold to Saudi Arabia - was the mid-1980s contract which secured his later position as executive chairman at BAE Systems.The bluff Evans always denied any wrongdoing though he was interviewed by the Serious Fraud…

• 
  Film: Baftas | guardian.co.uk

• Oscar nominations: All the major award nominees and winners for the 2009 film season

  Katy Stoddard

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:13 am

  The film industry is building up to the Academy Awards, with the Golden Globes out of the way and the Oscar nominations announced. Track all the key nominees and winners here• Get the data• Oscar nominations: the full listThe 2009 Oscars ceremony on 7 March is edging closer. The Oscar nominations, announced today by actor Anne Hathaway and Academy president Tom Sherak, follow on the heels of the Bafta nominations and the Directors' Guild Awards, which gave the best director nod to Kathryn Bigelow at the weekend.Here at the Datablog we're tracking film award nominations and winners in all…

• Win two tickets to the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:36 am

  Win two tickets to the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards

• Trailer Trash

  Jason Solomons

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Why hasn't Bafta done more to give back the British film industry its self-esteem?The Brits aren't comingAs Avatar nudges box office history, British films are having a tough time at home. Despite warm reviews and wide media coverage, films such as Me and Orson Welles, Nowhere Boy, Fish Tank and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll have returned frankly rubbish UK audience figures. But is this any surprise when our own awards body relegates British film to its own sub-ghetto? Don't last week's Bafta nominations basically suggest that British film is a weedy cousin to Hollywood, not worthy of playing…

• Baftas 2010: the key nominations

  21 Jan 2010 | 7:11 am

  Romola Garai and Matthew Goode introduce the nominees in the main categories. The winners will be revealed on 21 February

• Bafta's Carl Foreman award jury must do better | Adam Dawtrey

  Adam Dawtrey

  21 Jan 2010 | 5:34 am

  The prize is supposed to reward outstanding work by a first-time British writer, director or producer. However, it's been too focused on directorsForget such baubles as best film and best actor - the Bafta that really matters, for people who care about UK cinema, is the one for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.It's not part of the Oscar race, so it gets overshadowed by the hoopla around the big prizes. But it's the award that says most about the present health and future hopes of British film. Ironically, it's given in honour of an American, the Oscar-winning…

• 
  World news: Bangladesh | guardian.co.uk

• Family planning in Bangladesh | Fred Pearce

  Fred Pearce

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:03 am

  Women in Bangladesh are contributing to the population decrease by choosing to have fewer childrenAkhi is a sweatshop worker, employed in one of the thousands of garment factories in Dhaka, the capital of ­Bangladesh. I met her one evening in her one-room corrugated iron shack, down an alleyway in a slum called Mohakhali. Sitting beside her on a bed beneath a whirring fan were fellow workers Aisha and Miriam, who were sisters-in-law. The three shared the room with two other women who were still at work – two beds between the five of them.The young women in their cheap saris told me about…

• Delivering aid is an inexact science | Delwar Hussain

  Delwar Hussain

  28 Jan 2010 | 12:30 am

  Recent scenes from Haiti remind me of relief work in Bangladesh, where there was never enough to go aroundAs news channels beam images of aid distribution in Haiti, I am reminded of a post-emergency relief that I witnessed last year in a remote part of Bangladesh where a flood in 2007 had destroyed large areas of paddy and numerous homes. The people affected were some of the most marginal in the country, what development experts call "the extreme poor".The devastation caused by the flood was far-reaching and continued to be so, in particular because the destroyed fields left thousands hungry.

• A new start for India and Bangladesh? | Asif Saleh

  Asif Saleh

  19 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  The Bangladeshi prime minister's visit to India won only vague promises. It is time to demand a more equal relationshipThere was a sense of history at the Bangladeshi prime minister's office on Saturday. Sheikh Hasina, in a show of strength, flanked by the top members of her government, was addressing the country's editors and reporters. In an unprecedented White House-style press conference broadcast live on all the TV channels and radio stations, her mood was combative. She was defending the agreements she had signed in India the previous week. "Are we to let our resources remain unused…

• In pictures: Sinking Sundarbans - An exhibition of photographs by Peter Caton

  14 Jan 2010 | 4:11 am

  The Sundarbans - a network of islands that spans the mouth of the Ganges delta from eastern India to Bangladesh - are sinking rapidly, and 4.3 million residents are under threat from rising sea levels and cyclones. Photographer Peter Caton documents the situation in a new exhibition

• Capturing dreams: photography from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

  7 Jan 2010 | 2:49 am

  Preview a new exhibition of photography, opening at London's Whitechapel Gallery later this month, which paints a colourful yet often disturbing picture of the past 150 years in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

• 
  Business: Barclays | guardian.co.uk

• Barclays' John Varley: 'Obama reforms won't prevent banking crisis'

  Jill Treanor

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:22 am

  • Barclays chief tells Treasury select committee that proprietary trading ban is 'completely irrelevant'• Rules to increase capital ratios will increase cost of credit to customers, says VarleyBarack Obama's plans to stop banks engaging in risky trading activities will not stop another banking crisis, John Varley, chief executive of Barclays, said today.Speaking before the Treasury select committee, Varley also tried to calm concerns that the crack down on proprietary trading, known as the Volcker rule, would knock Barclays' profits."This initiative [Volcker] on its own will not lead to a…

• FTSE finishes higher as miners outweigh sovereign debt fears

  Nick Fletcher

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:06 am

  Leading shares have been caught in a tug of war, with miners pulling the market higher but financial shares sinking on fears about European sovereign debt.In the end the optimists won the day, and the FTSE 100 finished 31.41 points higher at 5092.33.Randgold Resources led the way, up 271p to £44.80 as the West African gold miner announced a 79% jump in full year profits. It is also bringing forward the target date for the first production from its recently acquired Kibali project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to January 2014.Xstrata added 33.8p to 983.8p after it restarted dividend…

• European debt concerns send Wall Street and London lower

  Nick Fletcher

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  An opening fall on Wall Street has taken some of the shine of the UK market, but the root cause of the malaise is across the channel.The growing financial worries about European countries such as Greece, Spain and Portugal - and the fear of Lehman-like contagion spreading across the continent - have unnerved US investors despite last week's better than expected American non-farm payrolls. So with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 60 points in early trading, the FTSE 100 has reversed its earlier gains and has now slipped 8.03 points to 5052.89.Financials are under pressure,…

• G7 close to accord on banks paying for global recession

  Larry Elliott

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm

  Finance ministers from G7 industrial nations insist financial ­institutions should bear cost of taxpayers' bailoutsAlistair Darling believes plans for a new global levy or tax on banks could be agreed within 18 months after finance ministers from the G7 industrial nations insisted at the weekend that financial ­institutions should bear the cost of taxpayers' bailouts.The chancellor is confident that a series of summits this year will narrow down the options to just one by the end of the year, with the Treasury currently seeing an insurance levy as the likeliest option.G7 ministers are now…

• FTSE falls again amid US jobs fears

  Dan Milmo, Elena Moya, Ashley Seager

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:21 am

  FTSE is down in early trading as investors worry over US unemployment and rising government deficits in southern EuropeThe FTSE sell-off continued this morning, tracking losses in Asian stock markets overnight on European economic worries, while US jobs data due later today has investors bracing for more bad news.The FTSE was down more than 1% at 5083 in early trading after a 2.2% decline yesterday. British Airways was one of the strongest climbers, however, as a surprise third-quarter operating profit pushed its shares up by 1.5% to 214.5p.The overall tone was gloomy across Europe. The…

• 
  Media: BBC | guardian.co.uk

• Thompson bites back at MPs | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  It may have been snowing outside but there were some heated exchanges at yesterday's public accounts select committee on BBC events spending. BBC boss Mark Thompson came in for a severe grilling from the Labour MP for Streatham, Keith Hill, over why the National Audit Office should not audit the corporation's accounts. After the Streatham terrier had finished with Thommo, the BBC big cheese was then asked by Tory Douglas Carswell, the MP for Harwich and Clacton, for a list of politicians and regulators who have been guests of the Beeb at events such as the Proms and Wimbledon. Hill…

• BBC spent £54m on top-earning stars

  Jason Deans

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:39 am

  Corporation reveals that more than £50m of the £229m a year spent on talent went to presenters earning more than £150,000BBC expenses: details as they emergeThe BBC spent £54m on presenters earning £150,000 or more in the 12 months to the end of March 2009, the corporation revealed today.This group, which accounted for 1.55% of total BBC licence fee income during that year, is understood to include big-name stars including Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce and Graham Norton.However, the BBC stuck to its guns and refused to reveal what individual talent is paid, having previously…

• BBC expenses: details here

  John Plunkett

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:37 am

  Which will be the eyecatching, or even extravagant, BBC expenses claims? Follow them here – and pitch in yourself2.40pm update: Dominic Coles, the chief operating officer of journalism, claimed £27.20 to cover his mileage costs to watch motor racing on 21 June, giving as his reason: "British GP – Bernie et al".He also claimed for a £5.60 tube ride to see Hugh Robertson, the Tory MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, on 14 July. Peter Horrocks, the director of the World Service, put in a claim for £3.00 for a "charge on cash withdrawal" on 24 May, adding as his reason "3.00 buy back…

• BBC 'pays presenters £230m a year'

  Chris Tryhorn

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:21 am

  Corporation to reveal how much on-screen talent earns for the first time alongside executives' expenses claimsThe BBC is to reveal today that it pays its presenters and contributors about £230m a year.The corporation's "top talent", the elite band of presenters that include stars such as Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce and Graham Norton, are believed to be paid £70m between them.Details of the BBC's overall talent costs will be revealed for the first time in this way along with the quarterly survey of the salaries and expenses paid to more than 100 top executives. Gifts and…

• BBC hits back over events spending

  Tara Conlan

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

  Director general tells MPs that NAO's claim that Euro 2008 studio cost an extra £250,000 is misleadingThe BBC and the National Audit Office clashed today in front of MPs over BBC events spending, with director general Mark Thompson disputing the NAO's claim that a Euro 2008 studio cost an extra £250,000.A National Audit Office report into the corporation's spending on major sporting and music events published last month said the studio provided at the International Broadcasting Centre in Vienna for Euro 2008 was deemed by the BBC not to have an "editorially suitable camera shot of key…

• 
  Life and style: Beauty | guardian.co.uk

• Are Vaseline and other petroleum products environmentally sound? | Leo Hickman

  Leo Hickman

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:59 am

  What are the environmental merits, or otherwise, of petroleum-based cosmetic products?I find Vaseline and similar petroleum products, including many sold for use in eczema, make for good, cheap moisturisers. But are these products environmentally sound? If I thought using them was contributing to excessive use of oil reserves I would try to find alternatives. What do you think?Jane Green on emailJane, thanks for the question. I must say that I'm a little concerned about how much of these products you apply to yourself that leads you to wonder whether you might be helping to deplete the…

• Video: Makeup guide - false eyelashes and mascara

  Jim Powell, Jo Jones

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pm

  Makeup artist Alex Byrne shows four ballet dancers the secret to applying the perfect false eyelashes. Plus: how to apply mascaraJim PowellJo Jones

• Lauren Luke's beauty buys: moisturisers

  Lauren Luke

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  The best are put to the testLauren Luke

• What I see in the mirror: Hugh Dennis

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  'I'd like to say the receding of my hair is glacial but, since climate change, it doesn't mean the same thing any more'I don't mind what I see. Most men look in the mirror and go, "Yeah, looking good." That's where they differ from women. There are bits I'd change – I'd make my chin and nose slightly smaller. I always have a check on the hairline. I would like to say that the receding of my hair is glacial but, since climate change, it doesn't mean the same thing any more. My hair is an inconsequential mousy brown – it was very blond when I was younger. Now it is grey round the temples,…

• What I see in the mirror: Benjamin Zephaniah

  Benjamin Zephaniah

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:10 pm

  'I am 51, but look younger. My doctor thinks it is my veganism'I get up, look in the mirror, pout my lips, raise my eyebrows, wink and think, "Wow, it all works!" Then I go for a run, in celebration of being alive.My dreads are part of the Rasta­-farian idea. Rastafarianism was a backlash against black people who felt the need to copy white ­people, to lighten up and straighten their hair. We have white and ­Japanese people with dreadlocks now – it's a bit of a style thing. People ask, "Do you care about this?" Religious and n­onreligious historians can identify when the comb was…

• 
  Politics: Tony Blair | guardian.co.uk

• God and the prime ministers | Antonio Weiss

  Antonio Weiss

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

  Far from 'not doing God', every British prime minister since the 60s has been a self-professed ChristianGiven the ease with which political commentators have accepted Alastair Campbell's dictum regarding faith and the Blair government, it is perhaps unsurprising that God made few appearances in accounts of the former prime minister's appearance at the Chilcot Inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq. This was a great missed opportunity. Campbell's edict – made in the fear that the British population can only associate religious faith with the crude stereotype of dogmatic,…

• Maya by Alastair Campbell | John Crace

  John Crace

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Hutchinson, £18.99It was typical of Vanessa to get up at 6.30 on a Monday morning to do the test. "It's positive, Steve," she yelled excitedly. "We're going to have a baby.""Wonderful news," I said, kissing her. "Now can you belt up as there's something about Maya on the radio.""It's lucky for you this book has been written by a moron who treats me like an airhead," she laughed. "Otherwise I'd have given you a right slapping for your pathetic Maya obsession by now."Maya. The most beautiful film star on the planet. And my bezzie. We'd known each other since school and even though she was now…

• Cabinet did not need to hear legal doubts over Iraq invasion, says Straw

  Richard Norton-Taylor

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pm

  Chilcot inquiry told that the 'problem of leaks' was used to stop attorney general Lord Goldsmith addressing ministersJack Straw made clear in evidence to the Iraq inquiry today that he believed there was absolutely no need for the cabinet to be told of the attorney general's doubts about the legality of the invasion.The inquiry has heard that a week before the invasion, on 13 March 2003, Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, told Straw that he might need to tell the cabinet that "the legal issues were finely balanced", documents released by the inquiry today reveal. Straw, then foreign…

• After 1929 a generation leapt leftward. Not today. Socialism has been buried | Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Europe has witnessed a tectonic shift to the right since the war. No wonder the Tories might feel short of breathing spaceLooking back over the last 50 or 60 years, what have been the most ­important changes, and the most surprising? The fact that Europe has been at peace, outside the ­Balkans, since 1945 would have been a surprise and relief to those ­living in the shadow of the two great wars. On the other hand, enlightened ­people would have been shocked by the ­recrudescence of religion as a ­public force, from ­militant Islam to American evangelicalism.But for Europeans,…

• Jack Straw at the Iraq war inquiry - as it happened

  Andrew Sparrow

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:38 am

  • Straw denies ignoring Foreign Office legal advice• Suggests Blair wrong to blame Iran for postwar problems• Says Goldsmith should have provided legal advice sooner1.33pm: Jack Straw, the justice secretary, has already given evidence to the Iraq inquiry about the foreign policy aspects of the decision to go to war. But, as foreign secretary in 2003, he also took a close interest in the legality of the conflict and today he is appearing to discuss the legal issues. The Liberal Democrats have accused him of trying to "hide the truth" about the legal advice he received, and Ed Davey, the…

• 
  World news: Joe Biden | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Rethink needed on defence

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  It is now clear to all that there is a major hole in the UK's defence equipment budget (Top heavy: MoD plans cuts in senior army and civilian posts, 4 February). It is equally clear that the UK urgently needs a searching strategic defence review – one that identifies the real threats this country faces and how best to counter them. It is essential that this is done before it is decided how our finite defence budget is allocated.Labour's attempt to exclude the question of whether to spend £130bn on new nuclear weapons and building and equipping the UK's largest ever aircraft carriers from…

• Barack Obama pledges $8bn to upgrade aged US rail network

  Suzanne Goldenberg

  28 Jan 2010 | 2:46 pm

  US president and Amtrak devotee Joe Biden take jobs pledge to FloridaBarack Obama announced $8bn in grants to upgrade America's slow and aged passenger rail network today, taking his state of the union promise to build America's clean energy economy to Florida.Obama was touting his efforts to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and less polluting technology.He was accompanied by his vice-president, Joe Biden, an Amtrak devotee, who told the audience that over his years in Washington he had made more than 7,900 round trips by rail to his home state of Delaware.Obama said the 13 projects…

• Couple 'gatecrash' Barack Obama's White House dinner

  Adam Gabbatt

  26 Nov 2009 | 3:03 am

  Secret Service investigating reports that US reality TV hopefuls breached White House security to attend state dinnerThe step up from socialite to celebrity can be a tricky one. In the UK this is usually achieved through a romantic tryst with a famous person, swiftly followed by an appearance on a reality TV show.Americans Tareq and Michaele Salahi appear to have taken a more direct route to fame, however, by allegedly gatecrashing President Obama's first White House dinner on Tuesday night.The US Secret Service is investigating how the couple, who its spokesman, Ed Donovan, confirmed were…

• Nato chief promises Afghanistan will get 'substantially more forces'

  Julian Borger

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:59 am

  Nato and its allies will order "substantially more forces" into battle in Afghanistan over the next few weeks, the alliance's secretary general said today.Speaking in Edinburgh at a Nato parliamentary assembly meeting, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said: "In a few weeks, I expect we will decide, in Nato, on the approach, and troop levels needed, to take our mission forward."Barack Obama is expected to make a long-awaited declaration on US troop levels and strategy in the next few days. But Rasmussen pre-empted the president by predicting the alliance as a whole would pursue a broad…

• Can Joe Biden revive Poland's love affair with the US? | Kris Kotarski

  Kris Kotarski

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am

  Can Joe Biden breathe life into Poland's waning love affair with the United States?When confronted with a troubled relationship, Joe Biden may not be the first person one turns to to set things right. Yet that is what Barack Obama did last week dispatching his vice-president to Warsaw, Prague and Bucharest to comfort and reassure eastern Europe after the US "reset" its relations with Moscow and cancelled its planned missile shield deployments in the Czech Republic and Poland.Although Biden lacks the charm and star power of the therapist-in-chief, he did put in a grand effort. Sporting a broad…

• 
  UK news: Black History Month | guardian.co.uk

• Black history month | Richard Adams

  Richard Adams

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Fifty years ago today, lunch counter sit-ins in North Carolina started a movement that changed AmericaIt's February so it's black history month here in the US (while the UK has to wait until October for its Black History Month). To mark the 50th anniversary of the lunch-counter sit-ins that launched the modern civil rights movement, a new international museum of civil rights opens in North Carolina, on the site the former department store where the sit-ins began in 1960.Fifty years ago, four black university students entered the Woolworths in Greensboro, sat down at the "whites only" lunch…

• Hideously diverse Britain: Black History Month – in Kent

  Hugh Muir

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:05 pm

  It makes sense in inner-city schools, with a multicultural intake - but how does learning about Martin Luther King and Mary Seacole go down in Rochester?'Martin Luther King gave a speech," says the girl, slightly embarrassed, her brown hair nestling on a brown school sweater. "He said black and white people should be friends and shouldn't be nasty to each other." She halts, adjusts the roll of paper that has his photograph bold in the middle, handwritten text either side. "I think he was a really special person."They learn about Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mary Seacole at this time…

• Malcolm X was bisexual. Get over it | Peter Tatchell

  Peter Tatchell

  20 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm

  Black History Month should help break down homophobia by celebrating the sexuality of black heroes such as Malcolm XOctober is Black History Month in Britain – a wonderful celebration of the huge, important and valuable contribution that black people have made to humanity and to popular culture.It is also worth celebrating that many leading black icons have been lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), most notably the US black liberation hero Malcolm X. Other prominent black LGBTs include jazz singer Billie Holiday, author and civil rights activist James Baldwin, soul…

• Review: The Oxford Companion to Black British History

  Ian Pindar

  7 Nov 2008 | 4:01 pm

  Don't be put off by the textbook format. This is really a collection of punchy, argumentative and thought-provoking essays that would make a perfect bedside book. The entry on British sport, for instance, detects an "animalising trope", which attributes a black athlete's success to natural ability (with sinister "echoes of the race-IQ debate") rather than skill or practice. (It also examines the racist reaction of British football fans to black players in the early 1980s.) The entry on multiculturalism deftly debates the pros and cons, while an entry on Roman Britain reminds us that black…

• 'I'm ambitious, dedicated and vain'

  Chrissy Iley

  4 Nov 2008 | 4:01 pm

  She's won a Tony, been nominated for an Oscar and was the first black woman to have her own US sitcom. Diahann Carroll talks to Chrissy Iley about Dynasty, discrimination and why she didn't marry David FrostDiahann Carroll says that she has always loved to over-think an outfit, to analyse what she wears to an exacting degree. When auditioning for the 1968 TV show Julia, for instance - the first US sitcom ever to centre on a black woman - Carroll decided to wear an ordinary-looking shift, which was actually by Givenchy. She landed the part. And in honour of this instinct, I over-think the…

• 
  Books: Books blog | guardian.co.uk

• Guardian book club: Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

  Sam Jordison

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:53 am

  Returning to this modern classic, I like it more than ever. Has it grown on you folks also?Oscar and Lucinda, this month's book club choice, presents a small problem for this web column, because I've already reviewed the book here. But then again, it's an excellent opportunity to talk about how the passage of time can change one's view of literature – for better or for worse.This theme is especially relevant to Oscar and Lucinda since it's one of those books that resonates long after the first reading. At this month's book club event, members of the audience repeatedly mentioned how…

• Does literature of the homeless exist?

  Ben Myers

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:09 am

  Writing in a warm room is hard enough, let alone when you've no food or money. No wonder there is so little authentic literature of the homelessI used to see a homeless man perched on a curb out the back of Safeway in Camberwell. Although it looked as if he hadn't had a bath or a square meal in a while, I'm ashamed to say the thing that always elicited the most sympathy from me was that he was a passionate reader. His head was always buried in a book. Any book. Horror, science fiction, romance – he was always reading.Writing while homeless, however, may be tougher to sustain. Doing it at a…

• Radical reading at the Israeli-Arab book club

  Chris Cox

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  A groundbreaking new literary event offers new paths to understanding in what often seems an intractable conflictThe Middle East generates huge amounts of news coverage, but as the New Yorker pointed out last month, only recently has literature documenting people's daily lives in the region started winning western readers. In the case of the Israel-Palestine conflict, while some writers (Amos Oz and David Grossman spring to mind) are closely associated with it, many more authors don't make it onto the radar. A new public book club recently took some small but heroic steps towards addressing…

• In theory: Mimetic desire

  Andrew Gallix

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Nearly 50 years on, René Girard's theory remains a powerfully illuminating insight into both literature and the worldMany thanks for your insightful comments on "The Death of the Author" and interesting suggestions concerning future discussion topics – please keep them coming. All this feedback confirms the utility of a debate on the purpose of literary theory at a time when critics have all too often retreated into academia or become appendages of publishers' marketing departments. Talented critics can do so much more than just test-drive the latest products for consumers. They can shape…

• Take your seats for the great Station Bookswap

  Nancy Groves

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am

  An enterprising soul has started a scheme that could enliven the journey into work for thousands of freesheet-weary commutersGod bless South West Trains. Not a phrase you'll often hear in London's leafier southern suburbs – but without one of their seasonal delays in service last week, I wouldn't have stumbled into the waiting room at Wimbledon Station and discovered, joy of joys, the Station Bookswap.It was the poster pinned to the door that pulled me in. "Never be bored on a train journey again!" And there, propped up on the window sills, a smattering of books, their covers tantalisingly…

• 
  Books news, reviews and author interviews | guardian.co.uk

• Film reignites literary debate over Alexandre Dumas's ghostwriter

  Lizzy Davies

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Scholars clash over Auguste Maquet's role in creating masterpieces such as The Three MusketeersHe spent his life in the shadow of one of France's most celebrated authors and in death has become a mere footnote in literary history. Despite having co-written some of the most popular tales in the French language, Auguste Maquet has been forgotten by all but the most erudite of scholars.Now, however, the quietly creative ghostwriter whose crucial role in the production of some of Alexandre Dumas's most famous novels has gone unacknowledged for more than 150 years is finally having his moment in…

• Guardian book club: Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

  Sam Jordison

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:53 am

  Returning to this modern classic, I like it more than ever. Has it grown on you folks also?Oscar and Lucinda, this month's book club choice, presents a small problem for this web column, because I've already reviewed the book here. But then again, it's an excellent opportunity to talk about how the passage of time can change one's view of literature – for better or for worse.This theme is especially relevant to Oscar and Lucinda since it's one of those books that resonates long after the first reading. At this month's book club event, members of the audience repeatedly mentioned how…

• Does literature of the homeless exist?

  Ben Myers

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:09 am

  Writing in a warm room is hard enough, let alone when you've no food or money. No wonder there is so little authentic literature of the homelessI used to see a homeless man perched on a curb out the back of Safeway in Camberwell. Although it looked as if he hadn't had a bath or a square meal in a while, I'm ashamed to say the thing that always elicited the most sympathy from me was that he was a passionate reader. His head was always buried in a book. Any book. Horror, science fiction, romance – he was always reading.Writing while homeless, however, may be tougher to sustain. Doing it at a…

• McSweeney's inspiration dies

  Alison Flood

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  The eccentric whose name adorns Dave Eggers's literary quarterly has died aged 67The man after whom Dave Eggers named his literary quarterly McSweeney's has died, the journal has announced.Eggers decided to call the journal, which has published work by writers including Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Lethem and Michael Chabon, after a man who used to write "strange mail" to him and his mother – whose maiden name was McSweeney – when he was a child. "The messages were confusing, but generally seemed to be written by a man named Timothy McSweeney, who thought he was related to my mother, and…

• Independent bookshops 'closing at rate of two a week'

  Alison Flood

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:23 am

  Figures from the Booksellers Association show 102 shops closed in 2009, leaving just 1,289 left in businessThe UK's only specialist crime bookshop, Murder One, shut up shop at the beginning of last year, Lancashire's award-winning Kaydee Bookshop was forced out of business after making a loss for five years running and 2009 also saw the closure of popular south London independent Crockatt & Powell. Independent booksellers are struggling, with official figures revealing that shops closed at a rate of almost two every week over the past year.With independents blaming increased competition from…

• 
  Business: BP | guardian.co.uk

• BP's Sun King Lord Browne reveals his darker side

  Tim Webb

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

  Former oil chief admits to obsession and loneliness during his 12-year reign at BPLord Browne has admitted he stayed at BP too long because he had become obsessed with running the oil group. He has also suggested in his revealing memoirs published this week that his arrogance and a culture of complacency contributed to BP's failure to prevent a huge oil spill in Alaska.Lord Browne quit suddenly as chief executive of the company in May 2007 after a newspaper revealed he had lied about how he had met his boyfriend, Jeff Chevalier. The board, then led by chairman Peter Sutherland, had already…

• Lord Browne former BP chief publishes his memoirs

  Dan Roberts

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm

  Candid books about ­business life are rare. BP's Lord Browne ­deserves praise for ­making a brave start.His memoir, published yesterday, explores territory of a deeply personal nature. From the death of his mother, to the intolerable strains of life in the public gaze, this extremely private man is prepared to return to some painful periods in his life with refreshing honesty.Undoubtedly the toughest few weeks came around Christmas 2006 when three events co-incided with devastating timing. First was a report commissioned by Browne himself into what he calls 'the saddest and probably worst…

• BP missed chance of mega-merger with Shell, reveals Browne

  Terry Macalister

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:24 am

  • BP board in Williamsburg squashed proposals in 2004• Ex chief claims merger could have been worth $9bn a year• Tie-up with Yukos rejected after 'untoward' encounter with KhodorkovskyLord Browne took BP to the brink of a mega-merger with Royal Dutch Shell six years ago only to be thwarted at the last minute by opposition from a handful of his own board members, the former chief executive has claimed."We missed the boat" argues Browne in his autobiography, which is published on Monday.The Shell deal would have involved selling off the whole of BP's downstream refining business – an…

• Tony Hayward: BP's straight-talking chief on evolution not revolution

  Terry Macalister

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:09 am

  Despite share price worries, BP's chief executive Tony Hayward remains focused on a positive futureWith £5bn being wiped off the share value of his company overnight, a difficult future trading environment ahead and his beloved West Ham football club close to the relegation zone, BP chief executive Tony Hayward might have been in tetchy mood.But he bounces into the boardroom with his habitual shy smile in place, an affable greeting, and no hesitation in discussing potentially prickly issues such as tar sands, Iraq and the role of his former boss, Lord Browne.Judging by the body language of…

• Shell to axe another 1,000 jobs and sell last UK refinery

  Terry Macalister

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:21 am

  Oil firm will sell 15% of refinery operations and slow down tar sands projects as fourth-quarter profits fall by 75%Shell is to sell off 15% of its refinery capacity in Europe and the Americas after reporting a 75% collapse in final-quarter profits and a slump in annual results.Peter Voser, the chief executive, said four previous years of increased profits had allowed the company to "to eat too much and get fat".Shell, which is cutting 1,000 jobs on top of 5,000 already announced, said it was looking at $3bn (£1.89bn) worth of divestments and was slowing down investment in higher-cost oil…

• 
  Global: Charlie Brooker | guardian.co.uk

• Charlie Brooker | iPad therefore iWant? Probably. Why? iDunno

  Charlie Brooker

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Apple pretends it will make your life more efficient. Come off it. It's an oblong box that lights upA star appears over San Francisco and a new gizmo is born. The iPad! At first glance it resembles an iPhone in unhandy, non-pocket-sized form. But look a little longer, and . . Nope. You were right first time.Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Apple excels at taking existing concepts – computers, MP3 players, conceit – and carefully streamlining them into glistening ergonomic chunks of concentrated aspiration. It took the laptop and the coffee table book and created the MacBook. Now…

• Charlie Brooker | Britain tastes better when it's swaddled in Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate

  Charlie Brooker

  24 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Charlie Brooker: The thought of the Americans meddling with the Cadbury formula is too much for many of us to bearI'm not especially patriotic – I find the union flag a tad garish, and the white cliffs of Dover a touch bland – but the news that the US company Kraft had bought Cadbury came as a bitter blow. It's a very British thing, Cadbury. We've all got a great deal of fondness for it. It's one of the few home comforts you miss while you're abroad, like the BBC or Marmite or self-deprecatory humour.Considering how much imagination the Americans have, and how much they like food, it's…

• The politics of sharing a bed

  Simon Callow, Charlie Brooker, Jon Ronson, Lucy Mangan, Michele Hanson, Sam Wollaston, Tanya Gold, Zoe Williams, Sharon Horgan

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:10 pm

  Does the way we sleep reveal the true nature of our relationships, wonders Tim Dowling, while writers and celebrities reveal their bedroom secrets• In pictures: which position do you sleep in?It's one of the first things to go in the war of ­attrition between romance and pragmatism – the idea of spending all night nose to nose, tightly entwined in a lover's embrace. The arrangement represents a commitment to passion that simply cannot be maintained for more than a few days before someone says, "I love you and everything, baby, but I really need some sleep."According to Evany Thomas,…

• Charlie Brooker's Screen burn

  Charlie Brooker

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  'Take Me Out is a cross between Blind Date and Boots' Here Come The Girls campaign'Anticipation is everything. If someone tells you to close your eyes and open your mouth while they feed you a slice of the most delicious chocolate gateau you'll ever encounter, only to spoon a pawful of dead mashed mouldering cat on to your tongue, chances are you'll vomit. You'd vomit anyway, of course, but the contrast between what you were expecting and what you actually got would make you spew hard enough to bring up your own kidneys.This also works in reverse. Over the past few weeks, several people have…

• Charlie Brooker | Batten down the hatches. Augmented reality is on its way

  Charlie Brooker

  17 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Who wants to see poor people? Soon, technology will allow us to airbrush them outAccording to technophiles, experts, and that whispering voice in your head, 2010 will be the year that augmented reality makes a breakthrough. In case you don't know, "augmented reality" is the rather quotidian title given to a smart, gizmo-specific type of software that takes a live camera feed from the real world and superimposes stuff on to it in real time.Being a gadget designed for people who'd rather look at a screen than the real world, the iPhone inevitably plays host to several examples of this sort of…

• 
  Politics: Gordon Brown | guardian.co.uk

• Resilient, but still not radical | Michael Macdonnell

  Michael Macdonnell

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Gordon Brown may be holding on while the Tory poll lead lessens, but Labour needs to push forward a reforming agendaGordon Brown's resilience is astonishing. Just weeks ago a politically insane leadership challenge seemed to promise electoral annihilation. But like one of those clown punching bags, each devastating blow only energises the rebound of the prime minister's weirdly grinning face. Not that this resilience is purely down to him. The Tories have amateurishly led with their chins, losing points in an election fight with confused and ill-defined messages. Single-digit poll leads at…

• Taliban do not want to seek peace, says Bob Ainsworth

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  Defence secretary says the Taliban will only negotiate if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continues to make progressThe Taliban leadership has no desire to seek peace with the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, warned today.Giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, he said the Taliban would only be brought to the negotiating table if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continued to make progress.Ainsworth defended the controversial "reintegration and reconciliation"…

• Public ticket ballot for Brown's Iraq inquiry appearance

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  Seats to see PM give evidence next month will be allocated due to expected high demandAudience seats for Gordon Brown's appearance before the Iraq inquiry will be allocated by public ballot, it was announced today.Brown will be questioned about his role in the planning and conduct of the war both as chancellor and as prime minister when he gives evidence early next month.A third of the 60 seats available in the inquiry's hearing room at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in central London have been set aside for relatives of servicemen and women who died in Iraq.Places at the session…

• Constitutional crumbs are not enough | Anthony Barnett

  Anthony Barnett

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  Gordon Brown's plans for a 'sovereignty of the people' and electoral reform should not be taken at face valueWhat should we make of the prime minister's call on the morning of 2 February for a constitutional revolution, replacing parliamentary sovereignty with the "sovereignty of the people"? With the first step a referendum on replacing first-past-the-post system with alternative vote?Peter Facey, the director of Unlock Democracy, says in Comment is Free that we should "welcome any sign that Labour is at last rediscovering its radical zeal"."Dismissing Brown's statement of intent out of…

• Was Gordon Brown right to talk about his daughter's death? | Tanya Gold

  Tanya Gold

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  I can't believe it was Gordon Brown's idea to talk about his daughter's death. Did somebody guilt-trip him into it?It has been bubbling up for a long time and now it is here. The ­professional humanisation of ­Gordon Brown is in progress, in time for the election. He is being Hello!-ified. It began last year at Labour party conference when Sarah Brown took to the stage to talk of her love for her husband. "He's messy," she said, as if it were in any way ­relevant. "He's noisy," she continued, as my ­admiration for the Browns ­shrivelled a little.And now, in an interview with his friend…

• 
  Education: Education + Bullying | guardian.co.uk

• Schools to screen film about homophobic bullying

  Jessica Shepherd

  21 Jan 2010 | 7:57 am

  Stonewall film aims to persuade pupils not to use 'gay' in a derogatory wayA film on homophobic bullying is to be screened in all UK secondary schools next month.The film – the first of its kind to be sent to all schools – will try to stop pupils using the word "gay" in a derogatory way.It tells the story of six teenagers – who are gay, straight or not yet sure of their sexuality – and are taking classes in hip hop dancing at a college in south London.Some come out and are bullied for it, others conceal their sexuality out of fear.The film's director, Rikki Beadle-Blair, who wrote and…

• Heads reject plan to report bullies

  Jessica Shepherd

  10 Dec 2009 | 4:59 am

  Logging and reporting cases of bullying to local authories would be a waste of time and effort, say school leadersHeadteachers would be allowed to force their naughtiest pupils off their premises for anger management classes under proposals announced by government yesterday.The consultation document, published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, states that from next year, schools could require pupils to be sent off site to improve their behaviour and that this could include courses in anger management.The courses are likely to take place in pupil referral units – or "sin…

• A red light to anti-ginger abuse | Douglas Haddow

  Douglas Haddow

  8 Dec 2009 | 5:30 am

  Prejudice against redheads now reaches a violent intensity every year on 'Kick a Ginger Day'. It's gone way beyond a jokeAfter a rash of schoolyard attacks left scores of red-headed children beaten and bruised, parents in the US, Canada and the UK are shocked and appalled by the rising tide of anti-ginger violence.The attacks were said to have originally been inspired by an episode of South Park that aired in November of 2005, but have since mutated into a global phenomenon. In the episode, the character Eric Cartman claims that "gingers" are diseased and inhuman. But after his friends bleach…

• Zip it, block it, flag it: code for online safety

  8 Dec 2009 | 2:44 am

  Children from five will be taught how to steer clear of bullies and paedophiles onlineChildren will be taught to "zip it, block it and flag it," under a new code for internet safety to be taught in every primary school in England from the age of five.For the first time, web safety skills will be a compulsory part of the curriculum to help tackle the problem of cyber-bullying and online grooming by paedophiles.The plans, launched by the prime minister in London today, come after a major review of online safety by the child psychologist Tanya Byron, and were drawn up by the UK Council for Child…

• Teenage bullies guilty of killing vicar's daughter who jumped from window

  Haroon Siddique

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am

  Rosimeiri Boxall, 19, leapt to death after girls attacked herTwo teenage girls were found guilty today of causing the death of a vicar's daughter who jumped from a window to escape after they beat and bullied her.Kemi Ajose, 19, and Hatice Can, 15, both from south-east London, slapped and punched Rosimeiri Boxall just before she died in May last year.They blamed each other for telling Boxall, 19, to jump when she climbed up to the third floor kitchen window . Can shouted "serves you right, bitch" at Boxall as she lay dying.The pair, aged 17 and 13 at the time of Boxall's death, were convicted…

• 
  World news: Burma | guardian.co.uk

• Junta stuck in a Burmese daze | Andrew Ryvern

  23 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am

  Although Burma's leader has pledged to hold the country's first elections since 1990, there still seems little hope of democracyWith imagination and willpower, ordinary Burmese have managed to survive an oppressive military government that openly condemns them to poverty and isolation.Yangon, Burma's commercial hub and until recently its capital, is a case in point. With its boulevards lined with fading colonial buildings and streets filled with vintage automobiles, the city once known as Rangoon looks like it belongs in the previous century. But these are not the only things out of…

• Burma's leader announces first elections since 1990

  Justin McCurry

  4 Jan 2010 | 6:45 am

  General Than Shwe urges country to make 'correct choices', seen by many as warning not to vote for Aung San Suu KyiBurma's military leader confirmed today that the country would hold its first elections in two decades this year but warned voters to make the "correct choices" when they go to the polls.The long-awaited election would be Burma's first since 1990, when the main opposition party, led by the democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, won by a landslide. The junta ignored the result.In an occasionally cryptic message to mark the anniversary of Burma's independence from Britain in 1948,…

• Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets NLD party leaders

  16 Dec 2009 | 12:06 am

  Detained democracy leader allowed to hold talks with senior officials of her National League for Democracy partyBurma's detained opposition leader was allowed out of her home today to meet three ailing elders of her political party, with whom she discussed a reorganisation of its leadership.Reporters were not allowed to observe the meeting, but witnessed cars driving Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, and her National League for Democracy colleagues to a state guest house usually used for meetings with the detained opposition leader.The Nobel Peace prize laureate, 64, spent about 45…

• Burmese attackers jailed for murdering British yachtsman

  James Meikle

  29 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am

  Widow welcomes long sentences for three fishermenThe widow of a British yachtsman murdered by three Burmese fishermen today welcomed prison sentences for their "heinous" crime.Two men have been jailed for 25 years and a 17-year-old boy must remain in custody until he is 24 after pleading guilty to the attack on Malcolm Robertson, 64, who was bludgeoned and thrown overboard after they boarded the vessel he had been sailing with his wife Linda, 59, in March.She survived the ordeal but was tied up for about 10 hours during the raid that prompted an intensive week-long search for her husband's…

• Burmese trio sentenced for British sailor's murder off Thai coast

  29 Nov 2009 | 2:23 am

  Two men sentenced to 25 years in prison and youth detained until age of 24 for murder of Malcolm Robertson in MarchTwo Burmese fishermen have each been sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering a British yachtsman off the coast of Thailand.Malcolm Robertson, 64, was bludgeoned and thrown overboard off the Andaman coast after the men boarded his vessel in March. His wife, Linda, feared for her life as the attackers kept her tied up for 10 hours before they fled.Thai fishermen found the body of Robertson, a businessman from Hastings, East Sussex, 10 nautical miles north of Satun's Lipeh…

• 
  Politics: Vince Cable | guardian.co.uk

• Tories accused of muddled thinking over spending cuts

  Patrick Wintour

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:36 pm

  • Tories confirm shift over deficit by limiting spending cuts• Lord Mandelson says Cameron 'wobbling around' over policyDavid Cameron and George Osborne today confirmed a shift in Tory thinking on tackling the deficit, suggesting they would be able to make only limited spending cuts this summer, and only by acting in conjunction with the Bank of England.Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, immediately accused Cameron of "wobbling around" under pressure. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, claimed the Tories were in a muddle and retreating from their previous…

• Election 2010: Sound and fury

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Yesterday was just another day in the longest election. David Cameron held a press conference to champion his debt reduction plan, and rubbish Labour's. Gordon Brown also held a press conference, and did the opposite. At the Demos thinktank, Vincent Cable spoke about the need to scale back state spending to levels that the taxpayer can afford. Everyone stuck to the script. Everyone was critical of everyone else. No one said anything new. No wonder ­voters are unimpressed.Today's Guardian/ICM poll is the latest to suggest that hyperactivity among politicians has a converse relationship to…

• Vince Cable is right on concert party rules in Mitchells & Butlers wrangle

  Nils Pratley

  18 Jan 2010 | 12:55 pm

  Takeover Panel rules are drawn too narrowly, as M&B takeover saga suggestsStrictly speaking, Vince Cable has written to the wrong folk. The Takeover Panel does not answer to the Financial Services Authority, so complaining to the latter about the former's rules on concert parties may not be a fruitful exercise. Never mind. Cable's point is essentially correct: the panel seems to have a very narrow definition of what constitutes a concert party and Mitchells & Butlers is a case in point.The rules appear designed for cases in which two big institutional shareholders, perhaps each owning 15% of…

• Politicians call time on Mitchells and Butlers boardroom brawl

  Ruth Sunderland

  16 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Vince Cable letter and early day motion highlight dispute over control of pub group sharesPoliticians from all three major parties will tomorrow stage a dramatic intervention in the boardroom brawl at Mitchells & Butlers.Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor, is writing to Adair Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority, expressing his worries about the influence exercised over M&B by a group of shareholders. He is also backing an early day motion to be tabled by Labour MP John Grogan, chair of the all-party beer group, in the House of Commons tomorrow. It will also…

• Lib Dems back away from Tories with attack on Cameron's deficit proposals

  Patrick Wintour

  10 Jan 2010 | 3:06 pm

  Issue could assume critical importance if hung parliament emerges at this year's general electionThe chances of the Liberal Democrats ­supporting a Tory emergency budget this summer to cut public spending fell today after Vince Cable, the party's economics spokesman, said he backed Labour's belief that cuts this year would damage the recovery.David Cameron, the Tory leader, said on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today that he remained committed to starting to cut the £178bn deficit this year and intended to reduce it by more than Labour's plan to bring it down to £96bn by 2013-14.The issue has…

• 
  Politics: David Cameron | guardian.co.uk

• Indecision is evident across the board in Europe | Michael White

  Michael White

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:47 am

  The EU has had its successes - not least 50 years of peace and widespread prosperity – but it has also been too weak on the things that matter mostHey there, Eurosceptic. Yes, I'm talking to you, the one with the loud voice and the scowl. Spare five minutes in the course of your busy day to read Ian Traynor's lengthy zeitgeist (sorry about the German) report in today's Guardian on the demoralised state of the European Union.Smart chap and highly-experienced correspondent that he is, Traynor is right on the money. If anything, it's worse than he says. You can't pack everything into one…

• Steve Bell's If ... Sizzling with anger

  Steve Bell

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:18 am

  Steve Bell's If ...Steve Bell

• Was Gordon Brown right to talk about his daughter's death? | Tanya Gold

  Tanya Gold

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  I can't believe it was Gordon Brown's idea to talk about his daughter's death. Did somebody guilt-trip him into it?It has been bubbling up for a long time and now it is here. The ­professional humanisation of ­Gordon Brown is in progress, in time for the election. He is being Hello!-ified. It began last year at Labour party conference when Sarah Brown took to the stage to talk of her love for her husband. "He's messy," she said, as if it were in any way ­relevant. "He's noisy," she continued, as my ­admiration for the Browns ­shrivelled a little.And now, in an interview with his friend…

• David Miliband proposes 'reset referendum' on constitutional reform measures

  Andrew Sparrow, Polly Curtis

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:52 am

  Foreign secretary says he would favour a referendum that would allow voters to express a verdict on a series of constitutional reform proposals on the same dayDavid Miliband today said that he favoured a wide-ranging "reset" referendum that would allow voters to express a verdict on a series of constitutional reform proposals on the same day.The foreign secretary stressed that he was expressing a personal view when he proposed the idea hours before MPs vote on a plan to hold a referendum on abandoning the first-past-the-post voting system after the general election.Miliband told a press…

• Tory cuts pave the way for a return to 80s dole queues | Polly Toynbee

  Polly Toynbee

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Conservative plans to axe longer term support suggest they still think unemployment is a price worth paying for ideologyAs certain as death and taxes are the deep cuts to come. Whoever is in power, the axe will fall. But where, how soon and how cruelly will depend on who wins the election. Labour, unwisely, is ­giving a premature foretaste with Peter ­Mandelson's university cuts. But David Cameron and George Osborne, whatever their jittery differences in pre-election language, are pledged to consign ­considerably more public employees to the dole than ­Labour is, tipping yet more…

• 
  Global: Cartoon | guardian.co.uk

• Steve Bell's If ... Sizzling with anger

  Steve Bell

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:18 am

  Steve Bell's If ...Steve Bell

• Kipper Williams: poor retail sales

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:22 am

  Icy weather sends chill through high street sales

• Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die

  Steve Bell

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers killed by explosion on foot patrol as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesSteve Bell

• Ros Asquith | Exam cheats

  Ros Asquith

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pm

  Ros Asquith on the rise in cheating in examsRos Asquith

• Steve Bell: Because I'm worth it!

  Steve Bell

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:38 am

  Steve Bell's If ...Steve Bell

• 
  Politics: Cash-for-honours inquiry | guardian.co.uk

• Police wary of entering political minefield

  Sandra Laville

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  After coming off badly in the cash for honours and Damian Green inquiries, the Met was happy to come out of the MPs' expenses affair unscathedIn the last four years Scotland Yard has been dragged into the affairs of the Palace of Westminster three times and each time senior officers have done so with private misgivings and a heavy heart.From cash for honours, through the Damian Green leaks inquiry, and now the investigation into MPs' expenses, senior police officers have intensely disliked being involved in inquiries into the activities of parliamentarians.Every time detectives are called in…

• A new politics: Clean up party funding | Seumas Milne

  Seumas Milne

  20 May 2009 | 12:05 am

  Union funding provides an open, regulated and democratically accountable model for money in politicsBefore it was cash for MPs' moats and flatscreen TVs, there was cash for questions and cash for honours. The growing conviction that influence can be bought by party handouts from maverick billionaires and corporate donors has been at the heart of the collapse in confidence in mainstream politics over two decades. Any move to reform the system has to include action to bring party funding and spending under control.That means much tighter caps on national and local expenditure during and between…

• Profile: John Yates

  Peter Walker

  29 Jan 2009 | 5:57 am

  Meeting with Lady Royall over Lords allegations is latest in line of controversial jobs for Met assistant commissionerJohn Yates, who has met Lady Royall, the leader of the House of Lords, over claims that four peers considered cash inducements to amend legislation, has enjoyed a high-profile career at the Metropolitan police, but not one that could be described as consistently easy or straightforward.Now one of the force's assistant commissioners, Yates, during 27 years with the Met, has faced the public glare over a series of high-profile operations, most notably the tortuous – and…

• Editorial: Cash for changes in the law charges against Labour peers are far worse than cash-for-questions under the Tories

  25 Jan 2009 | 11:31 am

  Cash for changes in the law charges against Labour peers are far worse than cash-for-questions under the ToriesThe code of conduct for members of the House of Lords is clear. Members of the house, says paragraph four, "must never accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence". Later on, the code gets even more specific. Members "must not vote on any bill or motion, or ask any question in the house or a committee, or promote any matter, in return for payment or any other material benefit." Strictly speaking, the four Labour lords who were…

• MPs call for reform of honours process

  David Hencke

  19 Jan 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Committee issues report after signs government will renege on commitment to reforms in wake of 'cash for honours' affairA powerful parliamentary committee calls today for immediate reforms to the appointment of future peers in the wake of the "cash for honours" scandal.The Commons public administration committee issues its report after signs the government is reneging on its commitment to reforms promised last year, after the Crown Prosecution Service decided that no criminal proceedings would be bought against anyone over the offer of peerages by Tony Blair to Labour donors who had not…

• 
  World news: Catholicism | guardian.co.uk

• Anglo-Catholics on the brink, again | Andrew Brown

  Andrew Brown

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:09 am

  Opponents of women priests must finally make up their minds which church they belong to. Neither much wants themThe majority of the Church of England has lost patience with the opponents of women priests. Such priests may stay in the church after it has women bishops, but they will be unable to pretend that they don't exist. The opponents must apply to women bishops, or their supporters, for permission to have services taken by bishops more to their own taste. They had wanted a legal guarantee, sent through parliament, that they were entitled to this. But a speech leaked to the Times…

• Our vital contribution in Zimbabwe | Rowan Williams and John Sentamu

  Rowan Williams, John Sentamu

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  The Anglican church in Zimbabwe has an uneven record. But now we are leading reconstructionAt the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Morgan Tsvangirai, former opposition leader, was one of those present to represent Zimbabwe – a reminder that the fragile power-sharing arrangement brokered just a year ago still survives. But it would be a brave person who took this as a sign that Zimbabwe was moving steadily towards anything like political normality or full economic recovery. Some urgent humanitarian matters have been addressed, especially in relation to the freedom of NGOs to deliver…

• More Catholic than the pope | Riazat Butt

  Riazat Butt

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  The real fighting over the equality bill was done by the CofE, with Anglican bishops at the forefrontThere is still much anger over the pope's comments about UK equality laws. Part of me wonders why people are surprised by the nature of his observations – they are exactly what one would expect – and part of me also wonders why people are focusing on the equality bill, which was more about Anglicans than Catholics. The Catholic bishops did not turn a blind eye to the proposed legislation, but it was the Lords Spiritual who went to war over it. They won. Well done them. That the established…

• Letters: Equality and the freedoms of religious communities

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Simon Jenkins (I'm with Pope Benedict on this one, 3 February) is wrong to suggest that the equality bill is a threat to liberal values or intolerant of religious belief. Our legislation goes a long way to accommodate religious organisations. Churches will not be forced to appoint gay priests or vicars. But, where a job is not closely tied to the religious purposes of the organisation – for example, cleaners or cooks – most people would agree that a "no gays" policy is pretty difficult to justify. At stake here are crucial boundaries between church and state, the private and the public.

• Harman retreats | Andrew Brown

  Andrew Brown

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  The churches seem to have protected their exemptionsunder the equality bill successfully, despite secularist outrageIt looks as if the bishops have won their fight against the equality bill. Two papers are reporting that Harriet Harman will not bring back to the commons the clause that the House of Lords struck out which appeared to narrow the definition of jobs which would be exempt from the equality legislation. So the bill, if it passes at all before the election, will not change the present law at all in that area. Reading at least some of the hundreds of comments about all this on the…

• 
  Life and style: Celebrity | guardian.co.uk

• Are the Olivier awards star-struck? | Lyn Gardner

  Lyn Gardner

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  With nominations for Jude Law, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy this year, have the Oliviers sold out to the cult of celebrity?Maureen Lipman once observed that acting awards are like piles: sooner or later every bum gets one. Now she's be nominated for an Olivier for her performance in A Little Night Music, she may want to eat her words. But here's the funny thing: with the Olivier award nominations, it seems mainly to be celebrity bums that are on display. Jude Law, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and James McAvoy feature prominently on the shortlist, alongside more experienced theatrical…

• Jennifer Aniston: saving the world one margarita at a time

  Marina Hyde

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  Marina Hyde on another selfless celebrity humanitarian missionOur Quote of the Day comes from Jennifer Aniston, who is currently sojourning in a $9,000-a-night villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Jennifer is on holiday with close friends, close Friends, and "close friends" - including Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox and Gerard Butler. Actually, I say holiday, but it would help if you saw it as more of a humanitarian mission.As Jennifer tells Access Hollywood: "[Gerard Butler] said to me, 'You come to Mexico all the time and Mexico is really hurting right now because of the swine flu and the drug…

• Video: Michael Jackson's doctor charged

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:35 am

  Appearing at an LA courthouse to protests from the late singer's fans, Dr Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of $75,000

• Pitt and Jolie to sue News of the World over 'split' story

  Stephen Brook, Helen Pidd

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:05 pm

  Claim of separation 'false as well as intrusive', say lawyers, as Pitt and Jolie begin action in London high courtAs Hollywood's most famous power ­couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are used to every aspect of their life together being dissected in the world's media, whether it's rumours over yet another adoption, the meaning of a new tattoo, or their feelings about the other's exes.But when the News of the World ran a front page story last month declaring the couple were splitting up after six years and as many children, and dividing their £205m joint fortune, the pair decided enough…

• Why BBC news anchors are the television hosts with the most

  John Dugdale

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  From Paxman to Dimbleby, the BBC is using its trusted news anchors to give gravitas – and a dash of celebrity – to its showsUntil surprisingly recently, Jeremy Paxman was the only BBC news anchor regularly moonlighting for another department. Last Monday he was part of a BBC2 evening line-up that shows how things have changed: Fiona Bruce at 6.30pm, David Dimbleby at 7pm, Paxman at 8pm, Kirsty Young at 9pm, all in non-news shows.Between them, this quartet represent most of the plethora of succulent possibilities open to multitasking news presenters, and it's the patrician Question Time…

• 
  Society: Child protection | guardian.co.uk

• Safer Internet Day targets 5-7 year olds and Microsoft's web browser

  Jack Schofield

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:06 pm

  On Safer Internet Day, the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is promoting a cartoon to help children stay safe online, and making information and advice available via Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8It's the EU's annual Safer Internet Day today and CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, is using it to raise awareness among children and parents. In particular, it's promoting a new animated film, Lee and Kim's Adventures, which aims to help children aged from 5-7 to understand "the concepts of personal information and trust" and thus stay safer online.

• This vetting system is unfit for purpose | Tim Gill

  Tim Gill

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  A zero-risk childhood is impossible. Any vetting scheme must be proportionate and not pander to fearThe sorry mess of the government's Vetting and Barring Scheme, which aims to stop unsuitable people from gaining access to children and vulnerable adults, is a textbook case of where we reach when judgment gets clouded by emotion.In asking what we should do in the wake of a terrible abuse tragedy, we find it all too easy to take the perspective of the victims and their loved ones: to ask ourselves the question: "How would I feel if it were my child?" The media has a vested interest in keeping…

• Death of a child | Tiffany Wright

  Adrian Levy, Cathy Scott-Clark

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:11 pm

  What does the death of three-year-old Tiffany Wright reveal about the growing problem of child neglect?The 999 call came in just after ­midnight. With ­Saturday sliding into ­Sunday, the streets of Sheffield ricocheted with the sounds of boozy ­bravado. On the line was the landlady of the Scarbrough Arms, a quiet pub in Upperthorpe, a nondescript suburb off the inner ring road. Her name was Sabrina Hirst and she was calling about Tiffany, her three-year-old daughter, who had ­collapsed and was not breathing. The operator coached her in basic CPR, hoping the child would live long enough…

• Violent deaths of children 'down 40%'

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:56 am

  Researchers say child death rate has plummeted in the last 30 years, thanks to 'improvements in social care systems'The number of violent deaths among children in England and Wales has fallen by almost 40% in the past 30 years, according to a report by researchers from Bournemouth University.Between 1974 and 2006, the number of children aged 14 and under who are killed annually fell from 136 to 84, says the study, which was shown to the BBC ahead of publication later this year.As a proportion of the child population, the death rate nearly halved from 32 to 17 per million children.Prof Colin…

• Slideshow: EveryChild in Cambodia

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Photographer Matt Writtle travelled to Cambodia with the charity EveryChild and gained unique access to some of the country's provincial prisons and children incarcerated there

• 
  Film | guardian.co.uk

• Are the Olivier awards star-struck? | Lyn Gardner

  Lyn Gardner

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  With nominations for Jude Law, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy this year, have the Oliviers sold out to the cult of celebrity?Maureen Lipman once observed that acting awards are like piles: sooner or later every bum gets one. Now she's be nominated for an Olivier for her performance in A Little Night Music, she may want to eat her words. But here's the funny thing: with the Olivier award nominations, it seems mainly to be celebrity bums that are on display. Jude Law, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and James McAvoy feature prominently on the shortlist, alongside more experienced theatrical…

• Film reignites literary debate over Alexandre Dumas's ghostwriter

  Lizzy Davies

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Scholars clash over Auguste Maquet's role in creating masterpieces such as The Three MusketeersHe spent his life in the shadow of one of France's most celebrated authors and in death has become a mere footnote in literary history. Despite having co-written some of the most popular tales in the French language, Auguste Maquet has been forgotten by all but the most erudite of scholars.Now, however, the quietly creative ghostwriter whose crucial role in the production of some of Alexandre Dumas's most famous novels has gone unacknowledged for more than 150 years is finally having his moment in…

• A real blockbuster ... in Iceland

  Stuart Heritage

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  The eccentric Icelandic comedy Mr Bjarnfredarson has swept the country's movie awards and reached 20% of the population. But will the outside world care?If Avatar has taught us anything, it's that making a film that's both critically acclaimed and commercially successful takes years of work, hundreds of millions of dollars, cutting-edge technology and a script about a Jesusy blue chap who rides around on a flying pike and gets off with sexy aliens whenever he can.Although maybe that's just applicable to America. Iceland, on the other hand, appears to prefer downbeat comedies about…

• Shutter Island trailer: thrilling chiller or shocking horror?

  Anna Pickard

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:20 am

  Despite featuring Leonardo DiCaprio's full range of 'mental anguish' faces, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island doesn't look bad. So why is the trailer so … iffy?Though it would seem wrong to start a trailer column without the trailer in question, this is one week in which it would be tempting to do so. It isn't that it's a bad trailer – it's just that even the most casual cinema attendee has probably seen it three times.While the more regular film fan might have seen it anywhere up to eleventy-jillion times, since they've been trailing it since June, 1576. Or, more accurately, June last…

• Jennifer Aniston: saving the world one margarita at a time

  Marina Hyde

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  Marina Hyde on another selfless celebrity humanitarian missionOur Quote of the Day comes from Jennifer Aniston, who is currently sojourning in a $9,000-a-night villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Jennifer is on holiday with close friends, close Friends, and "close friends" - including Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox and Gerard Butler. Actually, I say holiday, but it would help if you saw it as more of a humanitarian mission.As Jennifer tells Access Hollywood: "[Gerard Butler] said to me, 'You come to Mexico all the time and Mexico is really hurting right now because of the swine flu and the drug…

• 
  Music: Classical music | guardian.co.uk

• In praise of… Sir John and Lady Dankworth

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  In the distant days when the Sir and Lady tags were first applied to musician Johnny Dankworth and his wife, the singer Cleo Laine, the intention was ironic. Sure, the pair were the first family of postwar British jazz, but that boho scene was no place for picking up honorifics. As young John discovered at the Royal Academy, even the most musical element of the elite thought jazz an eccentricity. But spool forward five decades from the couple's 1958 wedding and the pair jointly boasted a clutch of honorary degrees, a CBE, an OBE and then ultimately a knight- and damehood – Cleo first…

• LPO/Vänskä | Classical review

  Andrew Clements

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pm

  Royal Festival Hall, LondonThe second half of Osmo ­Vänskä's ­Sibelius ­cycle with the London ­Philharmonic followed the plan of the first two ­concerts, interleaving the ­symphonies with more or less ­contemporary works. So the Fourth and Fifth were prefaced by one of Sibelius's supreme ­achievements, Luonnotar – the setting (half song, half miniature tone poem) of a section of the Kalevala dealing with the creation of the world, which was sung with deceptive power by soprano Helena Juntunen. Around the Sixth and Seventh came the final tone poem, the majestically chilly Tapiola,…

• Don't leave Men at Work to face the music | Tom Service

  Tom Service

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:24 am

  The Aussie band is being sued for plagiarising a three-second riff. But musicians have always borrowed from one another – just ask MozartPoor old Men at Work. The ludicrous decision by an Australian court to make them pay up to 60% of the royalties of Down Under to Larrikin Music because of the similarity of band member Greg Ham's flute riff – which plays precisely three times in the song – to a 1934 ditty written for the Aussie Girl Guides, should strike fear into all musicians. If that kind of micro-sampling is to become the subject of court cases the world over, no song that has ever…

• Show must go on: jazz concert ends with news of Dankworth death

  Damien Pearse

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:07 pm

  • Audience shaken as Cleo Laine tells how hours earlier husband Johnny insisted on 'celebration'• Star performers were told before going on stage for 40th anniversary gig at couple's homeAs finales go, it was unconventional to say the least. Dame Cleo Laine, wife of jazz legend Sir John Dankworth, had returned from King Edward VII hospital in London, where hours earlier her husband of 50 years had died.Star names were waiting to entertain a 400-strong crowd at The Stables in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire, the venue set up by Sir John and Dame Cleo 40 years earlier. The stars – including…

• Maciejewski's Requiem | Classical review

  Andrew Clements

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:15 pm

  Westminster Cathedral, LondonMuch admired in his youth by ­Szymanowski, and a contemporary at the Warsaw Conservatory of Lutoslawski, Roman Maciejewski (1910-1998) is claimed by some as the forgotten genius of 20th-century Polish music, with his huge Requiem, on which he spent 14 years, as his masterpiece.It could be that Maciejewski's ­Requiem has not been heard in Britain until now because of the daunting scale of the forces it requires – with soloists, chorus and a vast orchestra, the list stretches to nearly 300 performers. But as this performance – conducted by Michał Dworzy´…

• 
  Politics: Nick Clegg | guardian.co.uk

• MPs' expenses: Legg report condemns 'deeply flawed' system

  Polly Curtis

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:55 pm

  MPs were collectively overpaid by more than £1m amid a 'culture of deference'MPs and Commons officials colluded in a "deeply flawed" expenses system that allowed politicians to decorate their homes for free, spend thousands on luxury furniture and claim taxpayers' cash without even providing receipts, the final official inquiry reported today.Sir Thomas Legg, the former civil servant charged with investigating every single Commons expense claimed between 2004 and 2009, concludes that MPs were collectively overpaid by more than £1m amid a "culture of deference" that routinely put their…

• Prime minister's questions - live

  Andrew Sparrow

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:41 am

  Minute-by-minute coverage of Gordon Brown's weekly parliamentary grilling11.36am: It's hard to see where PMQs is going to go today. Yesterday Gordon Brown delivered a speech attacking the Tories for resisting constitutional reform, but he is very vulnerable to the charge that he is proposing legislation on electoral reform three months before an election he seems likely to lose knowing that his plan has not got a hope of going through parliament. Cameron may be tempted to exploit some of the anti-Brown claims about MoD funding that have emerged from the Iraq inquiry, but there is a defence…

• Letters: Brown's voting reform game-changer

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I welcome the voting reform announced by Gordon Brown (Report, 2 February), which could turn out to be an election game-changer. Though how our MPs are elected is much less important than what they can do when they get to parliament. We have an unwritten constitution that gives the government as much power as our monarchs had in the time of divine rule and hogties our MPs when it comes to holding the government to account. Reform of our parliamentary system is long overdue, but I don't believe any government can be trusted to carry it out because its thinking will be dominated by party and…

• Steve Bell: Tories retreat on pledges to tear up Labour spending plans

  Steve Bell

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:20 pm

  Just £1.5bn of possible cuts found despite £80bn target as Osborne shifts debate with 'green bank' announcementSteve Bell

• Gina Ford ready to put party leaders on the naughty step

  Matthew Weaver

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:06 am

  Parenting guru's blog to focus on leaders' family policies in run-up to electionGina Ford, the controversially bossy parenting guru, is to turn her disciplinarian gaze from babies to politicians.Her tussle with Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, appears to have given Ford a taste for tuning in her baby monitor to the screams and wails from Westminster. In the run-up to the election her popular blog, Contentedbaby.com, has announced it will publish a weekly assessment of the policies and pronouncements on family issues by the main parties.It's tempting to imagine Ford applying her rigid…

• 
  Stage: Comedy | guardian.co.uk

• This week's comedy previews

  James Kettle

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  James Mullinger Is The Bad Boy Of Feminism, LeicesterIt's hard to find distinctive comic territory when you're a young, laddish male comic telling variations on unsuccessful dates, post-pub misadventures and stag nights gone wrong. Yet James Mullinger's story is an unusual one that keeps an audience attentively amused. In this debut full-length show, Mullinger explains how he became almost certainly the only male comedian on the circuit with a degree in women's studies, and how this enthusiastically right-on start ended with him securing a position on upmarket lads' mag GQ. The tensions…

• What do comedians Bill Hicks, Stewart Lee and Tommy Cooper have in common? | James Kettle

  James Kettle

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:11 am

  Er, not much – though they're Britain's three favourite comedians, according to the Leicester Comedy festival. Do you agree?In order to drum up publicity for the Leicester Comedy festival (a jewel among the many shindigs increasingly filling the comic calendar), the organisers have staged an impromptu survey among their online punters to find out who they think is the greatest standup ever.Such surveys crop up pretty regularly – although not, it has to be said, quite as frequently as new comedy festivals – but it's always interesting to see who sits at the top of public opinion. The…

• Sean Hughes | Comedy review

  Brian Logan

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:55 am

  The Capitol, Horsham"I'm not saying I'm perfect," says Sean Hughes, as he mocks all the things the rest of us do wrong. But part of Hughes's charm is that he does claim to be, if not perfect, then at least right. It's an audacious trick, which involves first presenting himself as a paunchy, ageing singleton, then recasting that persona – not as failing at life, but a principled opt-out. He has sacrificed everything for his dignity. Now he's here to gloat at how we've squandered ours.Hughes is not alone among comics in expressing dismay at the onset of middle age, and there's plenty of…

• Laura Solon | Comedy review

  Brian Logan

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:05 pm

  Junction, CambridgeIn Edinburgh last year, Laura Solon's ­delightful comic play Rabbit-Faced Story Soup cried out to be developed ­beyond its 50-minute time slot. Its UK tour ­provides that opportunity, but Solon has yet fully to capitalise. A ­superfluous preface has been added and the story's dramatic deficiencies, easy to overlook on first viewing, stand ­exposed. And yet, at the evening's heart, Solon's prodigious character-comedy talent is intact in this dotty ­publishing industry picaresque.Solon admits that the first act has been added to fulfil venues' interval requirements. It…

• Safety first at the Loaded Lafta comedy awards

  Hazel Davis

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

  While British comedy is edgier than ever, Loaded readers prefer their laughter reassuringly middle-of-the-roadThe shortlist seemed bizarre: from million-selling comic Michael McIntyre to Beccy Huxtable, Radio 1 DJ Sott Mills's sidekick (their word, not ours). But the 2010 Laftas, unveiled at the end of last week, weren't quite your average comedy awards. Though maybe they were: average in every sense. Voted for entirely online by Loaded readers, from a list of nominations, the roll call was a fascinating snapshot of what the average Brit finds funny.The first thing that's striking is how…

• 
  Society: Communities | guardian.co.uk

• We will defend the state | Douglas Alexander and Ed Miliband

  Douglas Alexander, Ed Miliband

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  While Osborne nudges, our manifesto is being built on equality and an empowering governmentThe TV series Faking It made compelling viewing because people were trained for high-flying jobs and either got away with it or got rumbled. Anyone watching the shadow chancellor over the last week would recognise that sense of a contestant being found out.His spending strategy is unravelling against the backdrop of a global consensus that we must sustain recovery, not undermine it. This came hot on the heels of his effort last week in these pages in which he answered the question "What have we learned…

• NHS 'could save £15bn' treating more patients at home

  Denis Campbell

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:10 am

  CBI report fuels debate about what role hospitals would have if community services were significantly expandedThe NHS could save £15bn by treating far more patients at home and in new high street walk-in centres, according to a new report from the CBI.Too much medical care is delivered in hospitals because there are not enough alternatives in the community, says the business group, which is urging a rapid expansion of "smarter care".Controversially, the report recommends that private companies should be allowed to provide the new services and that the NHS should not necessarily have a…

• Residents in parish of Martin join forces to feed themselves

  John Carvel

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pm

  With two fields, some pigs, chickens and community spirit, a Hampshire village is organising to defy supermarkets and become self-sufficientA village on the western fringes of Hampshire is well on the way to becoming the first in England to defy the power of the supermarkets by achieving communal self-sufficiency in food.The parish of Martin lies on good agricultural land beneath the chalk downs of Cranborne Chase. In past centuries, its 164 households would have been sustained by the output of local farms and dairies. But, over the last 60 years, the dairies closed and the farmers directed…

• Is small government best for society?

  Gwladys Fouché

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  David Cameron says rolling back big government would allow society to work better. But Sweden offers a different view. Gwladys Fouché reports from MalmöIt is a busy afternoon for the 20 or so teenagers gathered at the offices of Spiritus Mundi in Malmö, Sweden. Some are singing in the recording studio while others are writing lyrics. In the spring, they will ­perform their own musical, a play on how children take over their school.Most of the 16- to 19-year-olds didn't know one another before the project started. They come from different parts of town – some richer, some…

• What Cadbury meant to Birmingham | Charlie Smith

  Charlie Smith

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  The sale of Cadbury to Kraft marks the sad end of a long tradition of shared civic pride and sense of place"The past is a foreign country," wrote LP Hartley; "they do things differently there." Indeed they do, as we've seen with the kerfuffle over the ownership of Cadbury. Today, Brummies descend on the capital to protest against the sale of the company to the American food giant, Kraft. It is the last rage against the dying of the light for an industry – and indeed, a way of life.I grew up a mile or two from the Cadbury Bourneville factory. In the 1960s, Cadbury loomed large over our young…

• 
  Politics: Conservatives | guardian.co.uk

• Resilient, but still not radical | Michael Macdonnell

  Michael Macdonnell

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Gordon Brown may be holding on while the Tory poll lead lessens, but Labour needs to push forward a reforming agendaGordon Brown's resilience is astonishing. Just weeks ago a politically insane leadership challenge seemed to promise electoral annihilation. But like one of those clown punching bags, each devastating blow only energises the rebound of the prime minister's weirdly grinning face. Not that this resilience is purely down to him. The Tories have amateurishly led with their chins, losing points in an election fight with confused and ill-defined messages. Single-digit poll leads at…

• Swedish-style 'free schools won't improve standards'

  Jessica Shepherd

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:59 am

  The Conservatives' flagship education policy was last night dealt a blow by the man who runs Sweden's schoolsThe Tories' flagship education policy to create thousands of Swedish-style "free schools" will not improve standards, the man who runs Sweden's schools said last night.Hundreds of parent groups have expressed interest in setting up the schools, which are funded by the state but are independent of town hall control and run by independent organisations.But Per Thulberg, director general of the Swedish National Agency for Education, said the schools had "not led to better results" in…

• Hector Sants resigns as FSA boss

  Jill Treanor

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:45 am

  • City regulator thrown into chaos as chief executive quits• Conservatives have said they will close the watchdogThe City regulator faced further uncertainty this morning as chief executive Hector Sants announced his resignation just months before a general election that could result in the disbandment of the Financial Services Authority.Sants, a former banker, is stepping down from the FSA in the summer. He has tendered his resignation ahead of the election, which has cast uncertainty over the FSA's future because the Conservatives have a policy to close down the watchdog.Concerns will…

• Indecision is evident across the board in Europe | Michael White

  Michael White

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:47 am

  The EU has had its successes - not least 50 years of peace and widespread prosperity – but it has also been too weak on the things that matter mostHey there, Eurosceptic. Yes, I'm talking to you, the one with the loud voice and the scowl. Spare five minutes in the course of your busy day to read Ian Traynor's lengthy zeitgeist (sorry about the German) report in today's Guardian on the demoralised state of the European Union.Smart chap and highly-experienced correspondent that he is, Traynor is right on the money. If anything, it's worse than he says. You can't pack everything into one…

• Steve Bell's If ... Sizzling with anger

  Steve Bell

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:18 am

  Steve Bell's If ...Steve Bell

• 
  Books: Costa book awards | guardian.co.uk

• Turns, by Christopher Reid

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:08 pm

  From A Scattering, which won the Costa book award this weekI know it's impossible, but several timesI've heard her calling a greetingjust as she used to, pitching it upwith her own distinctive spin of enquiryfrom the first turn of the stairs, as she arrived home.Once or twice I've been to check; mostly I haven't.I know she's dead and I don't believe in ghosts,nor that the house has been saving upold echoes as rationed treats and rewards.It's my brain, that's all, turned whimsically ventriloquist.I'm still taken in by its craftiness, its know-how.With its psychotechnological sleight-of-sound,…

• My heroes in Postman's Park, by Christopher Reid

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:08 pm

  I find it difficult to nominate any one person as my hero. Heroism seems to me a more common, if hidden, quality than is widely supposed. It may even be a defining characteristic of humanity, although instances of its opposites – cowardice, selfishness – flourish around us.When I contemplate the word "hero", no particular face or figure, no documented life – with its compromising flaws and peccadilloes – comes to mind. I do, however, have a topographical focus. This is the patch of green in the City of London that has come to be known as Postman's Park, from its proximity to what was…

• The Books Podcast: JD Salinger, the Apple iPad and Barbara Ehrenreich

  Barbara Ehrenreich, Claire Armitstead, Sarah Crown, Charles Arthur, Lindesay Irvine, Xan Brooks, Scott Cawley

  29 Jan 2010 | 6:37 am

  Reading listThe Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (Hamish Hamilton)For Esme - With Love and Squalor by JD Salinger (Hamish Hamilton)Smile Or Die by Barbara Ehrenreich (Granta)A Scattering by Christopher Reid (Arete Books)Barbara EhrenreichClaire ArmitsteadSarah CrownCharles ArthurLindesay IrvineXan BrooksScott Cawley

• Poet Christopher Reid talks about winning the Costa book of the year

  Stuart Jeffries

  28 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Christopher Reid on how he turned the death of his wife into a prize-winning poetry collectionDo you feel a kinship with grieving elephants, I ask Christopher Reid? "Absolutely. I'm empathetic with anything that's clumsy or inarticulate." This isn't quite as daft a question as it sounds: on Tuesday evening, the 60-year-old poet won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year prize with a heart-breaking volume called A Scattering, which is a tribute to his wife, the actor Lucinda Gane, who died from brain cancer in 2005. And the scattering Reid has in mind isn't so much the scattering of ashes, but…

• Christopher Reid's quiet Costa triumph

  Claire Armitstead

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:29 pm

  Coup for low-profile collection of poems exploring the author's grief for his wifeChristopher Reid's Costa win could be seen in several ways: as a triumph for poetry in a prosaic world, as evidence that bereavement inspires some of the greatest literature, or as a coup for a rather rarefied literary salon based in north Oxford.What is undoubtedly true is that it is the first poetry collection to win this avowedly populist prize (in either its Whitbread or Costa incarnations) that does not bring with it the force of an "event", in the way that Ted Hughes's Birthday Letters or Seamus Heaney's…

• 
  Environment: Country diary | guardian.co.uk

• Country diary: Somerset

  John Vallins

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  SomersetThe Mendip foothills north of Bruton can be steep and sudden. When I first went that way, I had to engage first gear in an elderly Austin to grind painfully up the last gradient to Batcombe. But down below lies Batcombe Vale and at its heart, largely unnoticed, the isolated hamlet of Spargrove – mill, farm, ancient tithe-barn and manor – beside the river Alham. I went back there after many years, and, as before, there was no sound until I got close enough to hear the roar of the water through the empty mill chamber, and no other creature, man or beast, to be seen. It felt like a…

• Country diary: Claxton, Norfolk

  Mark Cocker

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Claxton, NorfolkA pair of peregrines, almost resident now in our neighbourhood, have made things lively for the last week. Twice I've watched the male hunting with real intent. It came down first among a flock of wigeon duck. The powerful regularity of a falcon's usual overhead patrolling flight was exchanged for movements of extraordinary purpose. The wings were indrawn, the beat was intermittent and almost flickering. At such a long range, this newly acquired profile reminded me rather of a swallow's when hawking insects. Simultaneously the compression of the wings against the body made it…

• Country diary: Bala

  Jim Perrin

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  BalaA cold morning, hill ridges cloud-obscured, temperature risen barely enough to make the ice of the preceding week's freeze glisten with moisture. From Pennant-Lliw I head into a dark spruce plantation on the path leading to Waun y Griafolen. A flock of gregarious bramblings, stripes across the females' crowns a rich cinnamon, flit around the edge of the trees. Owl ­pellets litter the pine needles. Old fallen boundaries radiate into the shadows. Climbing swiftly to keep the cold at bay, I reach the gate from which you look across Waun y Griafolen. There are few lonelier places in the…

• Country diary: Chapelthorpe

  Andrew Spacey

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  ChapelthorpeThis morning there is just a hint of sun above the treeline as I set off from the old barn heading for the far field, momentary golden orange highlighted by tree and dry-stone wall, and the novelty of shadow on spongey earth. The cows are embedded in mud but seem content enough with a breakfast of our own hay. When they are hungry again they will start the bellowing which carries easily across the acres beyond Wood Lane.The relatively mild weather in West Yorkshire following all that snow and ice has given the birds a new lease of life. As I hop over the stile, next to the ranging…

• Country diary: The Burren, Ireland

  Sarah Poyntz

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The Burren, IrelandI walked by the sea towards Ballyvaughan village. The day was quite mild, fine and sunny. A few gulls were foraging near the slipway by Stephen Doolin's house. It is here each autumn that Stephen ventures out to gather the seaweed, binding it together and then floating it in while standing on it, using a pole to power it. It is called the climín (pronounced climeen). It is a very ancient custom here in the Burren and along the west coast, and Stephen is one of the last to continue it.Further on, the resident swans were gliding on the water near the Weathercock, that…

• 
  Business: Credit crunch | guardian.co.uk

• Merrill Lynch's John Thain lands new job with CIT

  Andrew Clark

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  • Thain was criticised over expensive office refurbishment • Role as head of the troubled US lender could net him $6mThe former Merrill Lynch boss John Thain, who was ousted a year ago amid a furore over lavish office expenditure, has won a chance to rehabilitate his career by landing a $6m-a-year (£3.8m) job as chief executive of a struggling US lender to small businesses, CIT.Thain will seek to turn around the fortunes of CIT – one of America's biggest providers of credit to shops, restaurants and clothing companies – which recently emerged from bankruptcy protection after…

• Bankruptcies and insolvencies since 1960

  Simon Rogers

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  How much have the insolvency figures gone up by? The full dataThe recession is hitting home, according to the latest figures from the Insolvency Service:The number of people entering into insolvency in England and Wales rose to a record total of 134,142 last year, official figures from the Insolvency Service showed today, and experts say the figure is likely to rise further in 2010Well, these are the raw numbers, with Scotland in a separate sheet because its insolvency laws are different to England and Wales. The Insolvency Service has more tables on corporate insolvencies, too. What do they…

• 15% fall in share dividends leaves pensions exposed

  Terry Macalister

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:32 pm

  Sector left dangerously dependent on oil, tobacco and drugs firms as banks slumpBritish companies paid out £10bn less in dividends in 2009 compared with the previous year leaving pension and other investment funds dangerously dependent on carbon-heavy oil groups, BP and Shell, for a quarter of all such income, new research shows.A total of £57bn was handed out to shareholders last year, 15% less than in the previous 12-month period, with 202 firms cutting their dividends and 74 paying nothing at all, according to Capita Registrars Research.The data shows the financial crisis led to a £6bn…

• Taxpayer to make £5bn profit from protecting RBS loans

  Jill Treanor

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Asset protection scheme likely to make £5bn in less than three years, according to new projectionsThe taxpayer could make a £5bn profit on the asset protection scheme in as little as two and half years, according to draft projections being drawn up by the managers of the scheme.Set up at the end of last year to oversee the £282bn of troubled Royal Bank of Scotland loans being insured by the taxpayer, the Asset Protection Agency is thought to be confident that it will generate a profit for the taxpayer.Until now, ministers have only forecast that the taxpayer will not lose out from the…

• Debt crisis leaves private equity to bite the bullet

  Simon Bowers, Julia Finch

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:36 am

  Private equity exit strategies from leveraged buyouts are being blocked by the credit crunchEMI is the latest in a long line of businesses bought with junk-rated debt where the owners face pressure to surrender much or all of their investment to banks and other debt holders, according to private equity experts.Terra Firma, the buyout owner behind the troubled music group home to Coldplay and Kylie Minogue, is asking fund investors to stump up an additional £105m to shore up this ill-fated business. Without this so-called "equity cure", buyout bosses will find themselves at the mercy of EMI's…

• 
  Sport: Cricket | guardian.co.uk

• Rajasthan Royals have not run franchise plan by us, claims BCCI

  Sachin Nakrani

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am

  • Royals want to establish first global sport alliance • 'Rajasthan have not sought permission on this' – BCCI chiefThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reacted wearily to the plans announced by the Rajasthan Royals to create the first global sport alliance.Rajasthan revealed yesterday that they had tied up with Hampshire, Cape Cobras, Trinidad and Tobago and an Australian domestic team to form a worldwide Twenty20 brand, but, according to Cricinfo, the Indian board's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said they had "not sought permission" to take such a…

• What the Royals' franchise concept could mean for cricket | Andy Bull

  Andy Bull

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

  The Royals' plan to establish a global franchise shows that cricket's permanent revolution is not yet at an endThe times they are a-changin'. If you hadn't noticed yet, the latest clue came at Lord's yesterday. There, over the course of five long hours of PowerPoint presentations and other PR shenanigans, the Rajasthan Royals launched their new global franchise, Royals2020.There are at least nine words in that last sentence that will be so soul-wearying to many cricket fans that they may well have stopped reading already. I sympathise. The state of the sport has been in perpetual revolution…

• Australia cruise to one-day victory over West Indies

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:39 am

  • Ponting and Clarke shine as hosts chase down 171-run target• Now lead 2-0 in five match seriesAustralia have cruised to another comfortable one-day international victory over the West Indies. The hosts now lead 2-0 following an eight-wicket win in Adelaide with three matches remaining.Set a target of 171, Australia cantered to victory in the 27th over with captain Ricky Ponting (57 not out off 55 balls) and his deputy Michael Clarke (27 not out off 28) leading the side home.A belligerent 53 off 50 balls from opener Shane Watson ensured the run chase was going to be comfortable while…

• South Africa stroll to innings and six runs victory over India

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:09 am

  • Two more wickets for Steyn as hosts are bowled out for 319• India's first Test defeat for more than two yearsSouth Africa completed a comprehensive innings and six-run victory over India with a full day to spare in the first Test in Nagpur to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.Following on after conceding a first-innings lead of 325, India were bowled out for 319 in their second knock despite a century from Sachin Tendulkar.Spinner Paul Harris set up the victory with a three-wicket haul, including the wickets of Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while Dale Steyn claimed two tail-end…

• Rajasthan Royals' tie-up with Hamsphire has ECB hot under collar

  Andy Bull, David Hopps

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:10 pm

  • Plans for annual Twenty20 festivals may fall foul of ECB• Rajasthan link-up with Hampshire and Cape CobrasGrand plans announced yesterday by the Rajasthan Royals to stage a Twenty20 cricket festival in England this July will be met with stiff resistance from the England and Wales Cricket Board. Rajasthan, who won the first Indian Premier League, launched their franchise concept at Lord's yesterday with their captain and former Hampshire player Shane Warne.Rajasthan are entering into partnership with four teams from around the world, including Hampshire. The South African side Cape…

• 
  UK news: Crime | guardian.co.uk

• Student freed from jail after terror conviction is quashed

  Severin Carrell

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:16 am

  Scottish prosecutors will not oppose appeal court ruling that Mohammed Atif Siddique was wrongly convictedA Muslim student accused of being a "wannabe suicide bomber" was released early from prison today after he was cleared of plotting terror attacks by the court of appeal, and claimed he had been persecuted for "thought crimes".Mohammed Atif Siddique, 24, from Alva, near Stirling, was released part-way through an eight-year prison sentence after the Crown Office said it would not oppose an appeal court ruling that he had been wrongly convicted of preparing to commit or instigate Islamist…

• Discovery of woman's skeleton sparks murder inquiry

  Helen Carter

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:06 am

  Examination of bones found wrapped in carpet on Manchester building site reveal fractured neck, jaw and collarboneA murder inquiry has been launched after a woman's skeleton was found wrapped in carpet on a building site in Manchester.The bones were unearthed after a skull was spotted by workmen at a site near the CIS Tower in the city centre on 25 January.The find was not treated as suspicious until a postmortem examination revealed that the white woman, aged between 16 and 30, had a fractured neck, jaw and collarbone.Greater Manchester police said it was unclear how long the skeleton has…

• Ali Dizaei disciplinary charges dropped 'due to politics'

  Haroon Siddique

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:26 am

  Former Met deputy commissioner Brian Paddick says charges dropped as politicians wary of offending black police bodyDisciplinary charges against Ali Dizaei, the Scotland Yard commander convicted of falsely arresting and attempting to frame a man in a dispute over money, could have been proved in the past but were dropped because politicians were wary of offending the black police association, a former Met deputy commissioner said today.Brian Paddick, who was the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor in 2008, said Dizaei's reinstatement after being acquitted in 2003 of charges including…

• Macho and excessive armed policing | Henry Porter

  Henry Porter

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:02 am

  Although violent crime is down, the police are increasingly using guns to make bungled, inaccurate and potentially deadly raidsVictoria Coren asked in the Observer last week why we need a police force that has become "a tooled up army of Schwarzeneggers" if, as Tony Blair claimed at the Iraq inquiry, the invasion of Iraq has made Britain a safer place. It was a good point made in an unhysterical column written after she encountered an armed policeman in a peaceful London street. You ponder the same question after Gordon Brown's claim on crime figures made by in parliament last week: if…

• Video: CPS welcomes Ali Dizaei conviction

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:18 am

  Dizaei's corruption was all the more deplorable given his rank, says Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Gaon Hart outside court

• 
  Stage: Dance | guardian.co.uk

• Tim Etchells on performance: Cambodia's art steps into the future

  Tim Etchells

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am

  Can Cambodia begin to rebuild its shattered cultural heritage? Tim Etchells wonders if the answer lies with a team of Khmer dancers ... and a specially modified laptopI've recently returned from two weeks in Cambodia, travelling with 18 other artists, dancers, choreographers and performance-makers at the invitation of Ong Keng Sen's Flying Circus Project. Based in Singapore, Keng Sen's Theatre Works outfit has been running these exchanges – predominantly Asian in focus, but with routes out in all directions – for something like 10 years. The intention varies with each…

• Step-by-step guide to dance: Eva Yerbabuena

  Sanjoy Roy

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:46 am

  By injecting traditional moves with bold theatrical flair, this Spanish dancer and choreographer brings flamenco thrillingly up to dateIn shortA small performer with a big presence – she's just 5ft tall – Eva Yerbabuena embodies the conflicts of flamenco itself: an innovator who admires tradition, an individualist who reveres formal discipline, an introverted person with an expressive persona.BackstoryEva María Garrido García (the name Yerbabuena – "mint" – was given much later by a guitarist friend) was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1970, but just two weeks later she returned to…

• Inside Cuba's dance factory

  Judith Mackrell

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  Cuba has produced some of the world's most explosive dancers – but its cultural isolation comes at a cost. On the eve of two major UK tours, Judith Mackrell visits HavanaVirtually blind and wearing Jackie Onassis sunglasses that might have been bought when Jackie O was still alive, Alicia Alonso has her ballerina face painted on every morning: a wide slash of scarlet lipstick, thick found-ation, flaring black eyebrows. She may be approaching her 90th birthday, but she is still the head of the Ballet ­Nacional de Cuba, still the island's ­revolutionary prima ballerina assoluta. Talking to…

• God's Garden | Dance review

  Luke Jennings

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Birmingham Repertory Theatre Arthur Pita's evocative new work shows off the ever-adaptable Nuno Silva, writes Luke JenningsIs there no end to Nuno Silva's talents? We saw him as an eloquent dancer with Henri Oguike Dance Company, and as the strutting gym Nazi in Protein Dance's Dear Body he delivered the funniest movement-theatre performance of 2009. Now, in Arthur Pita's new full-length work God's Garden, Silva reveals himself as a fine singer of fado, the melancholy song-poetry of Portugal.His role, we discover, is that of a prodigal son figure. A traditionally-dressed bride (Valentina…

• This week's dance previews

  Judith Mackrell

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Havana Rakatan, LondonNilda Guerra's Cuban dance spectacle returns for a fourth London season, bringing with it a blast of Havana rhythm and heat. The format of the production is pretty standard, taking a chronological route through the history of Cuban dance and music from its Spanish and African roots to its current extrovert forms: salsa, mambo, jazz, bolero, son, cha-cha-cha and rumba. Some of the action can be hard to follow without programme notes – especially the first half, which focuses on the African folk heritage – but the history lesson is told by dancers who have, mostly,…

• 
  Science: Charles Darwin | guardian.co.uk

• What Darwin Got Wrong | Book review

  Mary Midgley

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Darwin is under fire again, but Mary Midgley feels that his ideas have been misrepresentedCharles Darwin complained quite crossly in his autobiography that, despite many denials, people still kept saying he thought natural selection was the sole cause of evolutionary development. "Great is the force of misrepresentation," he grumbled. Had he known that, a century later, his alleged followers would be promoting that very doctrine as central to his teaching, and extending it into the wilder reaches of psychology and physics, he might have got even crosser. Darwin's objection was surely not…

• Science Weekly podcast: Our Evolutionary Agony Aunt, and aliens

  Alok Jha, Andy Duckworth, Ian Sample, Robin McKie, Carole Jahme

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:13 pm

  Carole Jahme, the Guardian's evolutionary agony aunt who writes the weekly Ask Carole column, joins us in the studio to help us with our relationship troubles. In a debate on mountaintop mining that highlights America's deep political and environmental divide, Bobby Kennedy Jr took on coal baron Don Blankenship. Let us know what you make of some of the outrageous comments. A longer version of the debate is available in our latest Science Weekly Extra podcast. In the newsjam we look at Barack Obama's latest pledge on the environment, ginger dinosaurs, a climate warning from the UK government's…

• DVD review: Creation

  28 Jan 2010 | 3:45 pm

  Icon, rental and retailWe may be suffering from Darwin ­fatigue after all those 200th ­anniversary TV programmes last year, but Jon Amiel's sombre film is made with care and delicacy. It transcends costume drama with the hallucinations and ­delusions of the sick scientist (Paul ­Bettany) with an illness that also kills his favourite child. At times, it ­resembles The Singing Detective, also directed by Amiel all those years ago. The nature footage and the illustrated tales he tells the kids are brilliantly pulled off. This adds a layer of meaning to the central, well known science v God…

• New music: The Knife – Colouring of Pigeons

  guardian.co.uk/music

  6 Jan 2010 | 4:13 am

  The Knife's operatic take on Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Yes, reallyRemember when Fever Ray, your favourite solo artist of 2009, discussed working on an opera about Charles Darwin? Well, her band the Knife teamed up with Mt Sims and Planningtorock for the forthcoming production Tomorrow, in a Year. The fruits of their labour can be heard on the band's website.The song they are streaming (you can download it in exchange for an email address) is called Colouring of Pigeons and is just over 11 minutes. We're not sure how much it tells you about Darwin's work, because, frankly, we…

• Letters: Scientific approach to Darwin and the origin of natural selection

  15 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Such generalisations (Letters, 11 December) only serve to fuel the Darwin myth. Let's be specific. Darwin's claim that he had understood the concept of natural selection for 20 years was dishonest. Darwin's use of the term natural selection in his essay of 1844 bears no relation to the way it is used in The Origin of Species. The difference is crucial and has been known for 30 years. The scholar Dov Ospovat realised, after going through all Darwin's notes and papers, that in 1844 Darwin saw natural selection as a force operating only as an organic response to changed (geological) conditions…

• 
  World news: Debt relief | guardian.co.uk

• The west owes Haiti a bailout. And it would be a hand-back, not a handout | Gary Younge

  Gary Younge

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:30 pm

  The Caribbean nation should be reimbursed for centuries of punitive treatment and brutality by the outside worldLast week started with a conference in Montreal, called by a group of governments and international agencies calling themselves Friends of Haiti, to discuss the long and short term needs of the recently devastated Caribbean nation. Even as corpses remained under the earthquake's rubble and the government operated out of a police station, the assembled "friends" would not commit to cancelling Haiti's $1bn debt. Instead they agreed to a 10-year plan with no details, and a…

• Haiti heads for debt crisis as emergency loans pile up after earthquake

  Heather Stewart

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  • IMF's new $102m loan is criticised by charities• UN trade and development body calls for debt write-offHaiti is sleepwalking towards a debt crisis because international help for the earthquake-hit country is being given in the form of new loans, anti-poverty campaigners are warning.Unctad, the United Nations' trade and development body, which is leading international calls for the island state's debts to be forgiven, said this weekend: "Considering the large direct costs of the earthquake, in the absence of further international action a new debt crisis is all but assured."Donors are…

• Haiti: Waiting for Washington

  19 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Almost everything that could have gone wrong in Haiti over the past week has gone wrong. The airport is jammed – there is just one runway and one ramp for over 100 aircraft a day. The port is broken. The dead have overwhelmed the cemeteries – and even mass graves – and the living began quitting the devastated capital of Port-au-Prince in their thousands in an uncertain hunt for shelter, water and stability. There was better co-ordination yesterday between the US, which runs the airport, the UN, which distributes food and provides security, and what remains of the Haitian government, but…

• UK urges Haiti creditors to cancel debts

  Mark Tran

  19 Jan 2010 | 10:33 am

  Main creditors Taiwan and Venezuela under increasing pressure after earthquake devastates western hemisphere's poorest nationTaiwan and Venezuela, Haiti's main bilateral creditors, are under intensifying pressure to cancel the impoverished Caribbean country's debts after last week's catastrophic earthquake.Haiti owes $167m (£102m) to Venezuela and $91m to Taiwan. The Paris Club – an informal group of 19 creditor governments from industrialised countries, including Britain – agreed last July to cancel their claims on Haiti, totalling $214m, pending individual bilateral agreements.Britain…

• Copenhagen is a disaster for Africa | William Gumede

  William Gumede

  23 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am

  African countries, worst hit by the effects of climate change, were bullied into a deal that does little to help themClimate change is frequently a matter of life and death for many Africans. From whatever angle you look at it, the climate change "deal" that was bulldozed through by rich nations at the Copenhagen climate conference was a disaster for Africa.Compared with rich nations who dictated the terms of the "deal", African countries contribute the least to greenhouse emissions. However, they suffer the consequences the most. African nations will again disproportionally feel the pinch of…

• 
  Politics: Guardian diary | guardian.co.uk

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  Slush fund or no, BAE tries to be nice to people, and no mistake• Nothing tangible yet from BAE's attempt to offer its ­military-style spy planes to the Kent police force – which considered they might be useful, not least for patrolling the Channel. But that's not for the want of trying by Britain's favourite arms manufacturer. Through the wonder of freedom of information, we see that BAE did what it could to smooth the deal. After obtaining, for one top cop, tickets for a gala dinner at an aviation conference in Holland, BAE sought to have an officer watch a…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  Some believe in God. Some don't. So long as they all believe in Gordon, that's fine• What can we make of Gordon's reported decision to sit down for an hour-long grilling by Piers Morgan? Insanity? Tiredness? Desperation? All would be understandable. But what it probably reflects is the truth that the polls are tight. Best to win over the waverers in their ones and twos. Grind out a result. Not natural territory for a man of grand gestures and high principle, but needs must. And so it was that on the same day that the son of the manse was sending messages of welcome to the pope (the…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:34 am

  Who's who at the department for children? They weren't sure, but it's OK now• In the civil service, they have to keep tabs on who's there and the tasks they perform, but that very task can cause problems. There was some juggling with data late last year within the Department for ­Children, Schools and Families. Things could have gone better. When data was migrated, "all members of staff who had ­previously indicated their ethnic background as 'white' were transferred on to the system as 'other ethnic background'," employees learned in an email this week. "Therefore over the next few weeks…

• Hugh Muir's Diary

  Hugh Muir

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:10 pm

  Where there is discord, will Geert Wilders bring harmony? That would certainly be a first• So here we go again, with the Dutch Muslim-baiter Geert Wilders – having bested the government's entry ban last year – apparently preparing for a second visit. His host once again would be the otherwise anonymous Ukip leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch, who seems determined to hear what Wilders will tell us. The Dutchman certainly has an interesting take on things. Thanks to the website Liberal Conspiracy we see his 10-point plan to save western civilisation, with highlights that include: "Stop…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  A high-profile event to garland our boys in Afghanistan. If only the BNP man had been sober• The gloves are off again in Barking, where the boxing promoter Frank Maloney, Ukip's talisman for the general election, has been rebuffed in his attempts to settle the issue in the boxing ring. Nick Griffin said no, ­citing a historical eye injury. Margaret Hodge was never going to make the weight. And so each will rely on their high-calibre local supporters in east London. In Griffin's case, this will mean a prominent role for Bob Bailey, the leader of the opposition on Barking and Dagenham…

• 
  Media: Digital media | guardian.co.uk

• US magazines' newsstand sales fall 9%

  Mercedes Bunz

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:02 am

  US magazine circulation figures published by the Audit Bureau of Circulations yesterday will make grim reading for the industry. Total circulation for 472 titles was 328.4 million for July to December 2009, down 2.23% compared with the same period the previous year.Newsstand sales totalled 35.7m in July to December, down 9.1% compared with the same period a year earlier. So the downwards trend of the first half of 2009 and the second half of 2008 continues – in the first half of 2009 there was a year-on-year drop of 12%, continuing the 11% downturn in the second half of 2008. Paid…

• Facebook is the new threat to Google

  Charles Arthur

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:05 am

  In the past year, the proportion of traffic to US news sites from Facebook has tripled while that of Google News stayed staticMore people are coming to US news sites via Facebook and other social networking sites such as Twitter – supplanting Google News, which had been one of the primary sources of readers, according to research by the metrics company Hitwise.During the past year, the proportion of traffic that Facebook sends to US media sites has tripled from around 1.2% to 3.52%, while that sent by Google News has remained roughly static, at around 1.4%, says Heather Hopkins, North…

• Research shows that the internet has eaten newspaper ads

  Robert Andrews, paidContent

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:11 am

  In 2009, the internet's share of UK ad spend rose by the amount that newspapers lost. Coincidence?Hark, the herald angels sing! Total UK ad spend will rise this autumn, after nine consecutive quarters of annual decline, according to an Advertising Association and WARC forecast.The rise is modest – Q3 2010 is predicted to be 2.8% up from the year before. But it's heartening after last year, when total ad spend fell 12.7% from 2008 in the worst ad recession since 1982, according to the AA and WARC. Internet ad spend finished the year to September up (4.2%) – but far less than in previous…

• Letters: Resist Google's siren calls on book deal

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Google's lawyer David Drummond is quite right (Bring books back to life, 6 February), the majority of books are out of print but in copyright. But whose fault is that? Publishers have for centuries been extending copyright in their own interests. Copyright must be reformed. As James Boyle points out in the Financial Times: "Once upon a time, three things held true. Copyrights were relatively short. You had to renew them (most people did not). You didn't get one unless you asked. Now none of those holds true. Copyright can last for over 100 years." So get back to Switzerland and reverse the…

• US media sites' traffic shows that Facebook is the new threat to Google

  Charles Arthur

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:08 am

  The proportion of traffic to US news media from Facebook tripled over the past year - while that of Google News stayed static. Is this the real threat to Google?Perhaps Google's biggest threat doesn't come from Microsoft: perhaps it comes from Facebook. That might explain why it just splurged pots of money on an advert during the US Superbowl (a traditional piece of traditional media willy-waving): because it's worried about people using Facebook and other social networks instead of its product.Update: the below struck-out paragraphs aren't right - but the overall point is. Scroll on to the…

• 
  Global: Tim Dowling | guardian.co.uk

• Sarah Palin's old-fashioned Palm Pilot

  Tim Dowling

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Sarah Palin had the notes for her speech in the palm of her hand - literallyWe have all had occasion to write on our hand, either because no paper was available or because we knew we'd probably forget the bit of ­paper along with the thing we'd written on it (although if your memory's in that sort of shape, you probably won't be able to find a pen).There is a big difference, however, between scrawling "bin liners" on the back of your hand before you go to the shops and reading off your palm on tele­vision, as ­Sarah Palin did during the Tea Party Convention at the weekend. Photographs of…

• Tim Dowling: driven to drink

  Tim Dowling

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:11 pm

  'With the benefit of alcohol, I was able to negotiate the showbizzy party with ease'Lying on a blue mat in the gym, partly if not entirely asleep, I overhear someone state his intention to "play his joker" later that evening. Through further eavesdropping I learn that this person, though he has forsworn alcohol for January, is granting himself ­permission to get hammered by ­citing an obscure clause in the ­contract he has made with himself.By some coincidence I had played my joker the previous evening, though I didn't have a term for the prearranged lapse, and if I had I wouldn't…

• Mo and The Virtual Revolution | TV Review

  Tim Dowling

  31 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pm

  Julie Walters as a dying Mo Mowlam could have brought peace to Ireland in an instantAt first, it was hard to get beyond the fact that Julie Walters doesn't look anything like Mo Mowlam. It's not just that there is very little physical ­resemblance; the problem is that we were in 1996 or thereabouts (big ­mobiles, someone singing Wonderwall at a karaoke night), when Mowlam didn't look much like the woman who became Northern Ireland Secretary ­after the 1997 election. The Mo the public came to know was by that stage suffering from the effects of a brain ­tumour and the treatment she…

• Tim Dowling: A pet too far

  Tim Dowling

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  'What with the hamster, snake, tortoise, dog and fish, pets, I am constantly ­reminded, are improbable survivors. Except for the hamster. The hamster is dead''I think Pepper is dead," the oldest one says, ­peering into the hamster cage. This is a common worry. "I'm afraid the snake is ­probably dead," my wife says when the snake disappears, but it turns up again. "I think the tortoise is dead," the youngest says, nudging the lifeless creature with his toe, whereupon its lolling head snaps into its shell with a hiss. Pets, I am constantly ­reminded, are improbable…

• Greetings in a post-handshake world

  Tim Dowling

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The handshake is dying out, but what could replace it? The salute? Or how about the heart punch?The handshake, apparently, is dying. According to a survey by a brand of handwash, it is on the decline among younger people, who view it as either too formal or, thanks to a fashionable paranoia that a certain brand of handwash might just have reason to perpetuate, too unhygienic.The handshake has long been a barometer of ­personality – ­bullies grip too hard; the ­devious deploy weak, clammy hands; the insincere put a hand on your shoulder in an imitation of intimacy. If it is to go, we'll…

• 
  Education: Early years education | guardian.co.uk

• At five, a third of poor boys cannot write their names, report says

  28 Jan 2010 | 5:35 am

  Almost three-quarters of boys on free school meals are failing to keep pace with their peers, official figures showAt five, nearly a third of boys from disadvantaged families cannot write their own names, figures released today show.After a year of primary school, almost three-quarters are failing to grasp the basics in English and maths, statistics published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) show.The figures, based on teacher observations, show how many five-year-olds attain specific early learning goals in areas such as social skills, literacy and numeracy.They…

• Childcare: when play becomes work

  Huma Qureshi

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  With government backing for graduates who want to work in childcare, the children are not the only ones to get a great startSpending his days surrounded by building blocks and overexcited toddlers wasn't exactly what David Yates had in mind while studying for his English degree. But the Sheffield University graduate says he hasn't looked back since deciding to work as an early years professional in a nursery."When I graduated, I was looking at regular office jobs and IT jobs – but none of them stood out," he says. "I'd done voluntary work with young children before in holidays, and thought…

• Sure Start centres fail to help neediest families

  Rachel Williams

  13 Jan 2010 | 8:56 am

  Despite extra funding, a "low level" of outreach work means parents and children in the poorest areas are not getting the services they needThe government's Sure Start children's centres are still struggling to reach the disadvantaged families they are meant to help, a government spending watchdog has found.The National Audit Office (NAO) said that despite extra funding intended to help the centres reach out to the neediest parents and children, a "low level" of such work was taking place.Ministers agreed to spend an extra £79m a year on hiring outreach workers after a 2006 NAO study found…

• Use sand to help young boys write, says government

  Rachel Williams

  29 Dec 2009 | 3:55 am

  Guidance will include advice to set up role-play activities specially designed to interest the youngest boys, such as builders taking phone messagesNurseries and childminders are to be told to encourage three- and four-year-old boys to write using materials such as chocolate powder and coloured sand in a bid to stop them falling behind girls, it emerged today.Government guidance being sent out next month will include advice to set up role-play activities specially designed to interest the youngest boys, such as builders taking phone messages and writing up instructions, post office workers…

• Ros Asquith's Christmas in the Classroom

  Ros Asquith

  17 Dec 2009 | 11:05 pm

  Ros Asquith has been doing a weekly cartoon for EducationGuardian for pretty much the whole millenium. This is how she's seen school Christmases over the yearsRos Asquith

• 
  Culture: Edinburgh festival | guardian.co.uk

• Ruth Mackenzie to become Cultural Olympiad director | Chalrotte Higgins

  Charlotte Higgins

  13 Jan 2010 | 7:00 am

  The Manchester festival's former general director is bringing several old chums with her – but she's not everyone's cup of teaNews just announced: Ruth Mackenzie, currently an adviser on cultural policy to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is to become the director of the Cultural Olympiad. She has also been general director of the Manchester International Festival (MIF) and the artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre.Various former colleagues of hers are to become artistic associates, in what is clearly destined to be a team effort. These are Alex Poots, who is…

• A London fringe festival? I don't think so

  Veronica Lee

  24 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am

  Plans for a London fringe festival to coincide with Edinburgh next year are impractical and ill-mannered, but a one-off event around the 2012 Olympics might work wellA number of London venues are in talks to organise a fringe festival for the city to take place next year at the same time as the Edinburgh festival. One has to admire their ambition, I suppose, but this is an incredibly wrong-headed idea.Let's start with some facts: the Edinburgh Fringe is the world's biggest – and best – arts festival. Established in 1947, it has some fabulous (and quirky) venues made available just for the…

• The Dublin theatre festival makes Edinburgh look out of date | Lyn Gardner

  Lyn Gardner

  9 Oct 2009 | 3:45 am

  With its mixture of innovation and inclusivity, Dublin punches well above its weight. The Edinburgh international festival should take noteFor the past few days I've been in Ireland for the Dublin theatre festival. I was taken back to discover that the festival was founded in 1957 by Brendan Smith, a mere 10 years after the Edinburgh international festival. I thought it was way younger. It may be over half a century old – in fact, it's the longest-established theatre festival in Europe – but it still feels like a cheeky and energetic teenager alongside the Edinburgh international…

• Actus Tragicus | Opera review

  Andrew Clements

  7 Sep 2009 | 1:30 pm

  Festival theatre, EdinburghHerbert Wernicke was generally regarded as one of the great European opera directors of the last quarter of a century. Very little of his work made it to the UK, but Stuttgart Opera's visit to the final days of the Edinburgh festival at least began to set the record straight. These two performances, conducted by Martin Hofstetter, of Actus Tragicus, Wernicke's dramatic package of six Bach cantatas, created in 2000 in Basle and revived by Stuttgart four years later, were a remarkable and beautifully realised achievement.With the exception of the funeral cantata that…

• The Fairy Queen; Emerson Quartet | Classical review

  Andrew Clements

  6 Sep 2009 | 2:15 pm

  Usher Hall/Queen's Hall, EdinburghThough purists insist that Purcell's score for The Fairy Queen can only really be appreciated when it's heard in the context of the adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream for which it was conceived, the music alone still makes a satisfying enough concert package. The Edinburgh festival performance – a nod towards this year's 350th anniversary of Purcell's birth – came from Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, who introduced just enough entrances, exits and dramatic byplay to give a frisson of theatricality to these charming masques.It was a pleasant if…

• 
  Education | guardian.co.uk

• Part two: How the 'climategate' scandal is bogus and based on climate sceptics' lies

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  Claims based on email soundbites are demonstrably false – there is manifestly no evidence of clandestine data manipulationIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us in…

• Part eight: Climate scientists contradicted spirit of openness by rejecting information requests

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Hacked emails reveal systematic attempts to block requests from sceptics — and deep frustration at anti-global warming agendaIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us…

• Part nine: Climate scientists withheld Yamal data despite warnings from senior colleagues

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Ancient trees dragged from frozen Siberian bogs do not undermine climate science, despite what the sceptics sayIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us in our aim of…

• Part six: Emails reveal strenuous efforts by climate scientists to 'censor' their critics

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Peer review has been put under strain by conflicts of interest that would not be allowed in most professionsIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us in our aim of…

• Part five: Changing weather posts in China led to accusations of scientific fraud

  Fred Pearce

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Climate emails suggest Phil Jones may have attempted to cover up flawed temperature dataIn a unique experiment, The Guardian has published online the full manuscript of its major investigation into the climate science emails stolen from the University of East Anglia, which revealed apparent attempts to cover up flawed data; moves to prevent access to climate data; and to keep research from climate sceptics out of the scientific literature. As well as including new information about the emails, we will allow web users to annotate the manuscript to help us in our aim of creating the definitive…

• 
  World news: Egypt | guardian.co.uk

• Stagnation in the Middle East | Joseph Mayton

  Joseph Mayton

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  A western journalist writing about the Middle East's problem with apathy and corruption has hit a raw nerve in EgyptLying, cheating and stealing. It is a perception that many foreigners have of the Arab Middle East. In Egypt, Mr White Man is seen as a cash cow – and when so many Egyptians live in poverty, who can blame them? But when Tim Sebastian, the prominent journalist, host of the Doha Debates and former presenter of BBC HARDtalk, talked about Cairo's rip-offs in a New York Times article, Egyptians were infuriated.On Facebook, on Twitter and in other forums, Sebastian was called a…

• Chilcot will change the way Muslims see the west | Karen Armstrong

  Karen Armstrong

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  If there is any hint of whitewash in the Iraq inquiry, it will only exacerbate an already inflamed situationAs we watch the ­unfolding drama of the Chilcot inquiry, we should be aware that this is not simply an act of domestic cleansing. Whatever the implications for our political and judicial institutions, it is crucial that the British people learn how we came to go to war. But Muslims are also waiting for the outcome of the investigation, and this makes the inquiry an opportunity that we can ill afford to lose.It is simply not true that the current tension between the west and the Islamic…

• The Sawiris family: from entrepreneurs to media owners

  Chris Tryhorn

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

  Wealthy Egyptian family linked to Alexander Lebedev's bid for the Independent has strong political and business connectionsEgyptian billionaire poised to join Lebedev in Independent dealThe Sawiris family is the wealthiest in Egypt, running a conglomerate with global interests that stretch from mobile phones in North Korea a new hotel resort in Switzerland.One of the Sawiris brothers is also an investor in a highly influential Egyptian newspaper and the owner of TV interests.The family patriarch, Onsi, was born in 1930, the son of a lawyer in southern Egypt. He started out in agriculture,…

• Egyptian billionaire poised to join Lebedev in Independent deal

  Luke Harding

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:18 am

  London Evening Standard owner understood to be talking to Samih Sawiris about takeover of Independent titlesSawiris denies joining Independent talksRussian tycoon Alexander Lebedev is understood to be attempting to bring a wealthy Egyptian partner into his proposed takeover of the Independent newspapers, MediaGuardian can reveal.Sources close to the deal said the owner of the London Evening Standard was trying to persuade the Sawiris family to join him in his latest UK media venture.Lebedev, a former KGB spy, has told associates that he expects Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris to invest in…

• Egyptian football's pious turn | Osama Diab

  Osama Diab

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:47 am

  The national team is increasingly flaunting its Muslim religiosity. Where does that leave Christian, let alone secular Egyptians?I am a big fan of Egypt's football team, and I have a jersey with six stars sitting in my closet that I take out proudly on days of decisive games to show support for them. The stars symbolise every African cup Egypt has won since 1957, when it claimed its first. I hope that Egypt will be able to add a seventh title to its impressive record by winning the cup in the tournament currently underway.But I'm facing a real moral dilemma here. The national team of Egypt is…

• 
  Global: Barbara Ellen | guardian.co.uk

• We British are such a bunch of drama queens | Barbara Ellen

  Barbara Ellen

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The hysteria over swine flu made me sickIt's probable that you are not reading this wearing a "swine flu" surgical mask, but if you are, please take it off for two reasons. The first is that the "swine flu pandemic" (which cost Britain an estimated £1bn, with fewer fatalities worldwide than regular flu) is now deemed semi-officially "over", with the UK's 24-hour helpline closing this week.The second reason to take the masks off is that people who wore them, even when they weren't at international airports, bound for far-flung destinations, who were merely strolling down ordinary British…

• Lost generation? Our teens are living in clover

  Barbara Ellen

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  JD Salinger's anti-hero has precious little to offer the children of today. It's we parents who need an outlet for our angstSo goodbye, JD Salinger, who's died at the age of 91. An odious, controlling crank by many accounts (daughter, lover, neighbours), one can't help wondering if Salinger hadn't chosen to be a recluse, reclusiveness might have been forced upon him.Then there is The Catcher in the Rye, the book that Mark Chapman said inspired him to shoot John Lennon, maybe because he thought name-checking a novel made cold-blooded murder look classier. Chapman aside, it's surprising to see…

• The grim truth about 'them and us' in British life | Barbara Ellen

  Barbara Ellen

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  What Britain's struggling areas need is support and a sense that they're a part of society tooSo, Dave, what happened to hugging a hoodie? Cameron has already been criticised for making political play of the Edlington case – where two brothers, now 11 and 12, were sentenced to an indefinite period, of a minimum of five years, for the torture (including battery, strangling, and sexual humiliation), of two boys, then nine and 11.I'd stop short of accusing Cameron, as others have, of cynically lunging for a "Tony Blair/James Bulger" moment. It's absurd enough that he appeared to pin such a…

• It's wrong to label young girls as promiscuous | Barbara Ellen

  Barbara Ellen

  16 Jan 2010 | 4:17 pm

  Girls today are as vibrant and complicated, vulnerable and strong as they ever wereThe first extracted chapter of Natasha Walter's new book, Living Dolls, starts by describing a nightclub in Southend holding a Nuts magazine modelling competition – young girls taking it in turns to romp on a bed, flashing breasts, thongs and shaved crotches at the braying audience.Elsewhere, girls from a sixth form talk about being pressured into sex. Other young females talk about how emotions don't count. Others disagree, considering "shagging around" to be about choice and empowerment. An image…

• Letters: Where's the true merit in a meritocracy?

  Gordon Brown, David Mitchell, Barbara Ellen, Annie Kelly, Tracy McVeigh, Will Hutton

  9 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Gordon Brown writes in the Observer of New Labour's distinctive belief in genuine meritocracy (Commentary). In a high-pay, high-stakes society, this is dangerous.Meritocracies go sour. People gain senior positions in society on their merits. They are paid high salaries: the more senior the role, the higher the pay. This conveys many advantages on their children. They go to elite, fee-paying schools, holiday in exotic places, meet socially other meritocrats – and so have the edge when applying to elite universities and for senior posts in industry, business, finance. Society becomes…

• 
  Society: Equality | guardian.co.uk

• Assertiveness is not just for men | Trisha Andres

  Trisha Andres

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  An NYU professor has said that women should behave more like men do to get ahead – so must we all be arrogant jerks?Writer and NYU professor Clay Shirky thinks women should "behave more like men" to get ahead in the world. "Not enough women have what it takes to behave like arrogant, self-aggrandising jerks," he complains in his blog, adding that women are rubbish at "behaving like self-promoting narcissists, anti-social obsessives, or pompous blowhards when it would be in their best interests to do so". This is the reason, he insists, why women are neither as successful nor as famous as…

• Gordon Brown interview: The Tories

  Toby Helm

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  'This is a party that has not changed'The National Equality Panel published a report recently which said Britain is now less equal than in 1997. Were you disappointed? How do you explain it? And could you correct it in a fourth term?What that report was saying is it was very difficult to undo the inequalities that had arisen during the Conservative years, and that wealth inequality in a global economy is quite difficult for governments to affect.But as far as income inequality and social mobility, what I take out of that report is that if you have help for a young person at school with…

• We don't need gay stereotypes | Balaji Ravichandran

  Balaji Ravichandran

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Stereotypes were useful during the struggle for rights – but if we hold on to them we risk dividing the gay community"Gay men needn't be macho" said Omar Kholeif on Cif last week. Indeed. Stereotypes – comic routines notwithstanding – were very important for the gay rights movement, providing a collective identity with which sexual minorities could fight for their rights. They still serve that purpose around the world, and not just for those fighting for gay rights.But the danger is that gay pubs, bars and clubs increasingly expect, and cater for, a series of stereotypical gay "types".

• These amendments should stay | Jonathan Chaplin

  Jonathan Chaplin

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  The equality bill must not be used to undermine the right of religious organisations to govern themselvesThe question: Does faith trump equality?At the beginning of the week Jonathan Bartley argued here – as he routinely does via his Christian think-tank Ekklesia – against recognising churches' legal right to hire staff according to their own beliefs. He didn't frame it in that unflattering way, of course. Instead he tried to justify the significant curtailment of corporate religious freedom his view implies by appealing to an unanswerable claim: that Christian love mandates treating…

• Preventing social vandalism | Joel Edwards

  Joel Edwards

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:34 am

  The pope's intervention was unfortunate. But it stems from fear of a secularism that wants to exclude religion completelyThe question: Does faith trump equality?On balance I don't think it was a very good idea for the pope to have waded into the equalities debate. It's not that he doesn't have the right to do so. The idea that a global spiritual leader should be gagged by geography is plainly ludicrous. And my point has nothing to do with whether his sentiments were right or wrong.It's just that his contribution clouded his own argument. As the African proverb says, "I point you to the moon…

• 
  Environment: Ethical and green living | guardian.co.uk

• When a slap on the wrist is better than a slap on the bonnet | Peter Walker

  Peter Walker

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

  Getting into a shouting match with an abusive or dangerous driver may make you feel better but not actually achieve anything. A formal complaint may be a better way of making the streets a little saferIt's a shameful thing to admit but there can occasionally be something quite cathartic, even soothing, about shouting at a driver who's just cut you up dangerously. In extreme circumstances a loud but non-damaging slap to a car bonnet or door can do the same trick.But an email I received this morning reminded me that however tempting such a response might be, retribution is, as the cliche goes,…

• Fertile soil without fuel: cutting carbon down on the farm

  Joanne Brannan

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:34 am

  Find out why Joanne Brannan's planting this shrub as a windbreak on her low-carbon farmHere at the The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm my aim is to reduce carbon emissions at every stage of growing and delivering produce. I don't use energy-intensive artificial fertilisers, so I am looking for very local sources of organic matter to enrich the soil.This rules out trucking manure in from riding stables, even though they often pay to have it taken away, which strikes me as incredible. Garden centres sell this stuff in small bags for a pretty stiff price, so why aren't local gardeners willingly carting…

• Can Audi's Super Bowl advert steer 'TeaBag America' to the A3 TDI? | Leo Hickman

  Leo Hickman

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am

  Audi's ad shows a satirical vision of a world patrolled by the 'green police'. What does this say about US attitudes?Mmm, I wonder if Will Ferrell and his comedy compatriots at Funnyordie.com saw Audi's Super Bowl ad last night? If they did, then they might have recognised the ad's satirical vision of a world patrolled by the "green police". The reason being that they made virtually the same joke – scoring far more laughs in the process – in their Green Team video a couple of years ago. (Those of a sensitive disposition beware clinking on the link)Audi's ad for its A3 TDI "clean diesel"…

• Are Vaseline and other petroleum products environmentally sound? | Leo Hickman

  Leo Hickman

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:59 am

  What are the environmental merits, or otherwise, of petroleum-based cosmetic products?I find Vaseline and similar petroleum products, including many sold for use in eczema, make for good, cheap moisturisers. But are these products environmentally sound? If I thought using them was contributing to excessive use of oil reserves I would try to find alternatives. What do you think?Jane Green on emailJane, thanks for the question. I must say that I'm a little concerned about how much of these products you apply to yourself that leads you to wonder whether you might be helping to deplete the…

• Is it time to boycott Latin American bananas?

  Lucy Siegle

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The removal of tariffs on Latin American bananas is bad news for small-scale plantation workersA few weeks ago, when I learned that the international banana wars were coming to an end after 16 long years, I put it at the top of the Green Gauge (right) in a celebratory fashion. This prompted many of you to argue that the WTO's ruling was bad – potentially catastrophic, even – for small-scale banana farmers already living in poverty.You were right. I had failed to fully unpeel the world's longest-running international trade dispute over the world's fourth most important crop. Here's another…

• 
  World news: European Union | guardian.co.uk

• Indecision is evident across the board in Europe | Michael White

  Michael White

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:47 am

  The EU has had its successes - not least 50 years of peace and widespread prosperity – but it has also been too weak on the things that matter mostHey there, Eurosceptic. Yes, I'm talking to you, the one with the loud voice and the scowl. Spare five minutes in the course of your busy day to read Ian Traynor's lengthy zeitgeist (sorry about the German) report in today's Guardian on the demoralised state of the European Union.Smart chap and highly-experienced correspondent that he is, Traynor is right on the money. If anything, it's worse than he says. You can't pack everything into one…

• Europe loses seat at top table

  Ian Traynor

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:50 pm

  In Washington they're not sure who's in charge. In Brussels they're squabbling. Ian Traynor reports on the EU's crisis of confidenceSitting in parkland in the shadow of the European parliament, the Bibliothèque Solvay is that rare thing in Brussels's dismal European quarter – a pretty building.But when heads of government or state from 27 countries meet here on Thursday under their new president, Herman Van Rompuy of Belgium, they will have little time for the art nouveau fittings or for the old books lining the wood-panelled walls of the 1902 library.The first EU summit under Van Rompuy's…

• Cost of insuring European national debts hits new high

  Elena Moya

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:58 am

  Worries after G7 failed to produce plan for Greece as Spanish ministers meet investors in LondonThe cost of insuring against a potential default on western Europe's debt hit a new record as officials failed for a third consecutive day to reassure investors about the ability of southern European countries to pay their bills.European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said at the weekend he was confident Greece was able to cut its deficit below 3% by 2012. But that did not stop the Markit Itraxx SovX index of western European sovereign debt reaching a record of 112.5 basis points –…

• FSA warns against heavy-handed EU regulation of hedge funds

  Phillip Inman

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:40 am

  Financial Services Authority says toned-down European Union directive on hedge funds and private equity firms still 'risky'The chief City regulator added its weight today to growing concerns that EU plans for regulating the hedge fund industry will prove chaotic and excessively costly to implement.The Financial Services Authority said a proposed directive still carried "significant risks", even though some stricter rules were toned down during negotiations between member states.The comments followed warnings by a group of City lawyers that the directive could lead to "systemic failure" in…

• An epic task for Greece | Matina Stevis

  Matina Stevis

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am

  The Greek public might just stomach George Papandreou's bold austerity measures – as long as tax evaders are forced to pay upAfter weeks of wild speculation about Greece defaulting or leaving the euro, and dogged assaults on the common currency by pundits and amateur economists alike, the Greek prime minister has chosen to cut the Gordian knot – or at least to announce that he will.In one of the most significant speeches of his political career, George Papandreou addressed the nation last week to outline the harshest economic measures the country has faced in its recent history. He has…

• 
  Global: Competition | guardian.co.uk

• Win tickets to see Seamus Heaney discussing his life and work, and an overnight stay at The Bloomsbury Hotel

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:35 am

  A chance to see the Nobel laureate in conversation in London, with an overnight stay in a fine Bloomsbury hotel

• Win tickets to Tottenham v Everton

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:28 am

  Answer a simple question and you could be on your way to White Hart Lane for some top Premier League action

• Win a trip to the Freeride World Tour final in Verbier

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  Win a VIP weekend for two in Switzerland, to see the elite of the freeride world compete

• Competition: Win an ethical bed and mattress worth over £700

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Enter our giveaway for your chance to win an exclusive handcrafted bed and mattress from Warren Evans

• Win two tickets to the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:36 am

  Win two tickets to the 2010 Orange British Academy Film Awards

• 
  Education: Faith schools | guardian.co.uk

• New award recognises schools teaching both religious and non-religious belief

  Riazat Butt

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Schools that acknowledge that not all pupils come from a faith background - and tailor their religious education classes accordingly - are to be celebratedThe stack of small yellow cards in the centre of the table do not appear to hold much promise. But to the teenagers at Crown Hills community college in Leicester, they are nothing short of a revelation.The school has 1,200 pupils – 94% of whom are Muslim. It accommodates pupils who fast, pupils who pray and pupils who cover themselves – so encouraging them to consider and debate atheist and humanist beliefs might seem impossible.They…

• Letters: Lessons from history for the pope

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I am a "cradle Catholic" who was sent to a monastic boarding school between the ages of nine and 17, and indoctrinated with the depressing fantasies of Catholic dogma. It took 20 years to shake off this miasma of lies; and although I never suffered sexual abuse, there is an abuse of a child's rights inherent in Catholic teaching, which regards all sexual activity as sinful, except when in the cause of procreation. This (apart from being absurd in itself, and revealing of the Vatican's terror of sexually active women) is a ­terrible burden to inflict upon adolescent boys. We were constantly…

• Non-Hindus please apply | Saptarshi Ray

  Saptarshi Ray

  1 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

  The new Hindu state school is welcome – so long as it opens its doors to those of all faiths, and noneI spent my sixth form at an Anglican school that had chapel twice a week, which meant we had to come in half an hour early. One dreary, yawn-filled morning after our dose of some parable or other about leading a better life from the school vicar, a fresh-eyed, fully-rested Sikh classmate asked me: "What are you doing man? You're a Hindu, don't you know if your parents sign a note saying you're not Christian you don't have to go?"Like Buddha under the banyan tree, I felt I had reached total…

• Video: Inside the UK's first state Hindu school

  Sarah Lee

  29 Jan 2010 | 9:41 am

  Sarah Lee takes a look at the Krishna-Avanti Primary School in EdgwareSarah Lee

• First Hindu state school eyes expansion

  Riazat Butt

  29 Jan 2010 | 9:36 am

  Krishna Avanti primary opens its doors to media as founders propose £30m single-faith secondary in London or LeicesterSome of the things that set Krishna Avanti apart from other primary schools are its yoga sessions, green credentials, an exclusively Hindu intake and vegetarian menu. But the most striking difference is at the centre of the building: a temple carved from Makrana marble, the same material used to build the Taj Mahal.Today, Krishna Avanti opened its responsibly sourced doors for the media to take a look around Britain's first state-backed Hindu school, which comes complete with…

• 
  UK news: Falkland Islands | guardian.co.uk

• Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die

  Steve Bell

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers killed by explosion on foot patrol as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesSteve Bell

• Falklands oil prospects stir Anglo-Argentinian tensions

  Rory Carroll, Annie Kelly

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm

  Four British firms set to drill for oil north of Falkland Islands, in move Argentina calls a 'violation of sovereignty'It does not look like much: a jumble of pipes, containers and drilling equipment sitting on a windswept jetty at Port Stanley.The hardware, however, signals an imminent search for oil and gas that could turn the Falkland Islanders into south Atlantic oil barons, a prospect that has already triggered a dispute between Britain and Argentina.A rig, the Ocean Guardian, is due to arrive by mid-February and will almost immediately begin drilling for hydrocarbon deposits 100 miles…

• Rescue of stranded Flyglobespan passengers begins

  Julia Kollewe

  17 Dec 2009 | 7:43 am

  Budget rivals step in with special packages to help people stranded abroadThe difficult task of bringing back passengers stuck abroad following the sudden collapse of Flyglobespan began today, as unions attacked the airline's handling of passengers and staff.About 4,000 passengers were left stranded after Scotland's biggest carrier applied for administration last night and all scheduled flights were cancelled. Budget rival Flybe stepped in with a special one-off rescue fare to fly affected passengers home to Scotland. For £59.99 including all taxes and charges, Flybe will, wherever possible,…

• Rear Admiral 'Sam' Salt obituary

  John Shirley

  10 Dec 2009 | 10:55 am

  He was captain of HMS Sheffield, the first British warship sunk in the Falklands warLong after the Falklands war was over, controversy continued to dog the sinking on 4 May 1982 of HMS Sheffield, whose captain, Sam Salt, has died of lung cancer, aged 69. The loss of 20 of his comrades left him with a deep emotional wound.The ship was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile only three days after hostilities over the disputed sovereignty of the south Atlantic islands began in earnest. On Saturday 1 May, with a 200-mile total exclusion zone declared around the islands, British warships had…

• The army psychiatrist: Second-hand trauma of war

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Dr Jon Bisson is a former military psychiatrist who works at the Community Veterans Mental Health Service in Cardiff, and is a member of the UK Psychological Trauma Society. He is a reader in psychiatry and honorary consultant psychiatrist at Cardiff University.When I was a military psychiatrist I treated people who had seen service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands war and the first Gulf conflict. Today, at the Community Veterans Mental Health Service, I see individuals who have been traumatised in those three conflicts and also the current Iraq conflict.Among the veterans I see now, some…

• 
  Life and style: Fashion | guardian.co.uk

• Fashion: Buy of the day

  Kate Carter

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am

  Kate Carter recommends a little something to brighten up every day of the week. Check back each day for the next suggestionTuesdaySmall frame purse, £25, by Liberty of LondonDo not, under any circumstances, buy this for anyone else - that would just be too cutesy. Instead, get it for yourself, then scowl at anyone who even mentions the word Valentine. Cute print/grumpy attitude is the look you want.MondaySerif tote bag, $24, The Little FactoryTypography fans (and who isn't a typography fan?) will be excited by this serif tote bag by Little Factory celebrating the eponymous typeface. Perfect…

• Valentine’s Day gift ideas: Handmade

  Perri Lewis

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  You could make something for your Valentine this year. Or you could just buy something someone else has made. Perri Lewis picks 12 brilliant handmade giftsPerri Lewis

• Disappearing acts: Making a silk tie

  Jon Henley, Martin Argles

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:03 am

  Michael Drake's classic silk ties produce an 'English look the way the Italians imagine it'. But his is one of the few remaining companies making these items by handJon HenleyMartin Argles

• Valentine's Day gift ideas: Jewellery

  Kate Carter

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Valentine's Day jewellery doesn't have to mean charm bracelets and diamonds. Kate Carter picks the best quirky gift ideasKate Carter

• Never tell a stranger you hate their outfit | Hadley Freeman

  Hadley Freeman

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  It's best just to leave them in ignoranceWhat are the rules about telling a stranger that their outfit is unacceptable? If I went out looking a total state, I would want someone at the bus stop to tell me before I headed into college.Milly, by emailTo quote Lil Wayne, ah Milly, ah Milly, ah Milly. Your desire for honesty is commendable but, my dear fearless correspondent, one aspect of growing up is learning that not everyone sees the world as you do. Some of your fellow college-goers are learning this by lying around in rooms and asking themselves whether everyone sees, like, green as they…

• 
  Features | guardian.co.uk

• Tim Etchells on performance: Cambodia's art steps into the future

  Tim Etchells

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am

  Can Cambodia begin to rebuild its shattered cultural heritage? Tim Etchells wonders if the answer lies with a team of Khmer dancers ... and a specially modified laptopI've recently returned from two weeks in Cambodia, travelling with 18 other artists, dancers, choreographers and performance-makers at the invitation of Ong Keng Sen's Flying Circus Project. Based in Singapore, Keng Sen's Theatre Works outfit has been running these exchanges – predominantly Asian in focus, but with routes out in all directions – for something like 10 years. The intention varies with each…

• Step-by-step guide to dance: Eva Yerbabuena

  Sanjoy Roy

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:46 am

  By injecting traditional moves with bold theatrical flair, this Spanish dancer and choreographer brings flamenco thrillingly up to dateIn shortA small performer with a big presence – she's just 5ft tall – Eva Yerbabuena embodies the conflicts of flamenco itself: an innovator who admires tradition, an individualist who reveres formal discipline, an introverted person with an expressive persona.BackstoryEva María Garrido García (the name Yerbabuena – "mint" – was given much later by a guitarist friend) was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1970, but just two weeks later she returned to…

• Top 10 Austrian village ski resorts

  Annabelle Thorpe

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  With its precipitous pistes, awesome après-ski and killer cakes, Austria has something for everyone – even those who can't stand skiingHardcore skiers go to Switzerland, groups of mates go to France, the budget-conscious go to Bulgaria or Andorra... so who goes to Austria? Those of us clever enough to realise that the picturesque villages offer wide, quiet runs, fantastic après ski, and a warm, traditional welcome. Oh, and fantastic home-made cakes. Tempted? There are plenty of booking options still available this season, but if you're not sure which village is for you, here are our…

• Crib sheet email 09.02.10

  Judy Friedberg

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:27 am

  All gone! Vanishing students, abolished departments, disappearing names and decapitated headsTo get Crib sheet as an email, sign up hereWhy is the government hell-bent on getting shot of students?It appears to be waging battle on several fronts: visas to keep out the foreign ones, police on campus to pick out the bolshy ones, cuts to close down courses for the non-scientific ones, and of course tuition fees on the way to eliminate the scruffy ones.Furious muttering, of course, from academia – though does one detect, here and there, just a pitter pat of applause?Report cardYou don't know…

• End of tax year is a time to perk up

  Jill Insley

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:26 am

  The end of the tax year is coming early. Make sure your finances are in order to benefit from any available perks and allowances, says Jill InsleyInvestors wanting to make full use of their annual tax breaks have to be quick off the mark this year: the end of the tax year is coming early.Because Easter Monday falls on 5 April (the traditional end of the tax year), and Good Friday falls on 2 April, Thursday 1 April is the last working day of the 2009/10 tax year.And this year could be your last chance to take advantage of some existing allowances, either because the government has already…

• 
  Film: Film blog | guardian.co.uk

• A real blockbuster ... in Iceland | Stuart Heritage

  Stuart Heritage

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  The eccentric Icelandic comedy Mr Bjarnfredarson has swept the country's movie awards and reached 20% of the population. But will the outside world care?If Avatar has taught us anything, it's that making a film that's both critically acclaimed and commercially successful takes years of work, hundreds of millions of dollars, cutting-edge technology and a script about a Jesusy blue chap who rides around on a flying pike and gets off with sexy aliens whenever he can.Although maybe that's just applicable to America. Iceland, on the other hand, appears to prefer downbeat comedies about…

• Avatar conquers the all-time UK chart as The Princess and the Frog steps back in time | Charles Gant

  Charles Gant

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:47 am

  Avatar overtakes Mamma Mia! as the UK's biggest-ever grossing film, while The Princess and the Frog shows traditional animation has survived the onslaught of 3DThe record breakerIt was already the biggest ever hit at the US and global box-offices (beating Titanic in both cases), so Avatar ascending to the top of the all-time UK chart arrives as a slight anti-climax. But it's worth recording the fact: at the weekend, its eighth on release, Avatar overtook Mamma Mia! (£69.17m) to become the biggest-ever grosser at UK cinemas.Mamma Mia! had taken 79% of its eventual total gross after eight…

• It's true money never sleeps, but is it striking enough to merit inclusion in the Wall Street 2 title? | Stuart Heritage

  Stuart Heritage

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:08 am

  Oliver Stone has chosen to stick a blindingly obvious fact on to the end of his Wall Street 2 title. Are post-colon additions, from The Squeakquel to Die Harder, uniformly superfluous?Keeping up with this year's Wall Street sequel has been an exercise in constant expectation-lowering. There's going to be a Wall Street 2? Great – those fat-cat bankers sure do need to be taken down a peg or two after all the mess they've caused everyone. It's going to star Shia LaBeouf? Oh, well, OK, never mind – he might be horrendously overexposed at the moment, but he's shown flashes of promise in the…

• You review: Youth in Revolt

  Ben Child

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:52 am

  Michael Cera's comic turn as a teenage nerd and his suave French alter-ego has convinced the critics he can finally front a film. Do you agree?Michael Cera has always been something of a favoured son in critical circles, despite often finding himself in the shadow of more celebrated co-stars when it comes to awards season. And yet there's a sense that the critics were all set to dismiss Nick Twisp, the central character in Miguel Arteta's nicely judged indie comedy, as just another example of the Juno star's penchant for playing too-bright-for-their-own-good geeky nice guys.Fortunately for…

• Rotterdam film festival - a blueprint of the future

  Ben Walters

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Movies shot on digital still cameras, mobile phones used as projectors – Rotterdam's forward-looking film festival offered intriguing glimpses of the future of movie-makingThere have been times when this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has felt like glimpsing a blueprint for the future – or at least some provisional early sketches. The festival has offered ideas, experiments and proofs of how the digital cinema world might look, from pre-production to shooting to exhibition, as well as some playful reminders of past times when the movie industry has faced challenge and…

• 
  UK news: Firefighters | guardian.co.uk

• Lives are being put at risk by disabled smoke detectors, warns firefighters' union

  Jamie Doward

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  The reason why almost half of all smoke alarms fail is missing or flat batteries, say government studiesThe Fire Brigades Union is demanding to know why householders are not being warned that smoke detectors of the type fitted in millions of UK homes are developing faults.Thousands of people have complained that the alarms, which have been fitted for free by local fire authorities, are beeping for no reason. The detectors, made by a company called Dicon, have sealed batteries that are supposed to last 10 years, but the alarms have been beeping as if they need a replacement battery after only…

• Video: Moss Side Stories: Fighting fire

  Anita Sethi, Laurence Topham, Michael Tait

  20 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  In a disused garage at the Moss Side fire station, volunteers have set up a boxing club in an attempt to engage with young people and keep them away from gang violenceAnita SethiLaurence TophamMichael Tait

• Letters: A thank you for Eurostar's marathon rescue

  22 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  I was on the second of the Eurostar trains that broke down in the tunnel and am most grateful for the way we were looked after (Travel chaos, 22 December). The train manager gave regular information over the tannoy and I settled down to enjoy the two small bottles of red wine and a Christmas pudding I bought from the buffet. My copy of the Guardian circulated among some of the other passengers who weren't asleep, and I read a novel until I went to sleep myself.When we transferred to the rescue train, there were perhaps 50 firemen in yellow uniforms who guided us along the service tunnel,…

• Civil servants to press ahead with strike vote over Whitehall plans

  Phillip Inman

  18 Dec 2009 | 9:58 am

  • Ministers want to save £500m from Civil Service pay reforms • Unions to seek judicial review over plans to cut redundancy payCivil service unions vowed to press ahead with a strike ballot of almost half a million Whitehall staff after the Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell refused to back down over plans to cut redundancy pay and ban generous early retirement packages.Unions said they would continue to prepare the groundwork for a ballot in the new year to fight proposals that reduced the potential payoffs expected by staff made redundant.A meeting this week with Jowell and five…

• Fireworks factory owner jailed over fatal explosion

  16 Dec 2009 | 8:13 am

  Martin Winter and his son Nathan imprisoned for negligence leading to blast that killed two firefightersThe owner of a fireworks company and his son were jailed today after being convicted of the manslaughter of two firemen killed in a huge blast at their family-run company.Martin Winter, 52, was handed a seven-year jail term and his 25-year-old son, Nathan Winter, was sentenced to five years for the deaths of retained firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, and support officer Brian Wembridge, 63.The pair, both long-serving members of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, died in the blast at Festival…

• 
  Environment: Fishing | guardian.co.uk

• Bluefin tuna international trade ban proposal backed by UN agency

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:11 pm

  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species scientific unit says species prized by sushi lovers needed to recover from overfishingA UN scientific agency today backed a proposal to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, saying the species prized by sushi lovers needed to recover from commercial overfishing.Monaco had proposed protecting bluefin tuna, which can fetch up to $100,000 (£64,000) in Japan, by listing it under appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites)."In our opinion, international commercial trade in bluefin tuna should…

• Conservationists urge Gordon Brown to create 'Britain's Great Barrier Reef'

  Jessica Aldred

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  This week the 10,000th person joined a campaign to create the Earth's biggest marine protected area in the Chagos archipelagoA coalition of conservationists is calling on the British public to urge Gordon Brown to create "Britain's Great Barrier Reef" by designating its territory in the Indian Ocean as the biggest protected marine area on Earth.The Chagos archipelago (map here), part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, is a group of 55 tropical islands over half a million square kilometres of Indian Ocean that have belonged to Britain since they were captured from France in 1814 during the…

• Chagos is our chance to preserve a natural wonder | Tony Juniper

  Tony Juniper

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Protecting the Chagos archipelago is a rare opportunity for the UK to create a conservation area as important as the Galapagos islands or Great Barrier ReefIn 1995 the British government published a new biodiversity strategy that was, in many ways, a world-leading document. It set out how the UK would implement the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed three years previously at the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit - not just here in the UK, but also in the few remaining dependent territories, such as Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands. One thing I quickly noticed was how the greatest…

• WWF nets Marks & Spencer commitment to sustainable fishing

  Rebecca Smithers

  26 Jan 2010 | 5:41 am

  The retailer is the first high street name to sign the Seafood Charter, which aims to protect Europe's waters from overfishingMarks & Spencer has become the first major high street name to sign a new charter that aims to protect Europe's waters from overfishing. The retailer, which is already undertaking a £200m green plan, hopes that joining conservation organisation WWF's Seafood Charter (pdf) will underline its commitment to sustainable sourcing of its entire range of fish and shellfish.By backing the new charter, the company has entered a joint commitment with WWF to work towards…

• Piece of cod is becoming a luxury item

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Manufacturers turn to pollock for ready meals and fish fingersCod is becoming a weekend mealtime treat for British families as the cost of traditional fish-and-chip dinners soars.Consumption of cod is falling as prices rise and shoppers no longer see it as an everyday food, according to market research analysts TNS, who found that consumption fell by 1.4% in the year to August 2009. Although sales rose by 4% to £94.4m during the period, due to a rise in prices caused by restrictions on supplies.The trade magazine The Grocer said the fish was being eaten more frequently at the weekend,…

• 
  Life and style: Fitness | guardian.co.uk

• The 72-year-old Scot who's won judo's highest accolade

  Emine Saner

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  George Kerr has been practising judo since he was eight; now he's one of only seven people in the world to have attained 10th Dan'It is a huge achievement, I must admit," says George Kerr when pushed, with a slight note of reticence in his Scottish accent. On Saturday, Kerr was given the status of 10th Dan in judo at a ceremony in Paris – one of only seven living judokas in the world, and only the second Brit, to have achieved the highest level in the sport. (All but five of the 19 people who have won the honour since 1935 have been Japanese.)"I used to read the [judo] books when I was a…

• How I got my body: Armand Traoré

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The Arsenal full-back on faith, sweets and tattoosBorn in Paris to Senegalese parents, Arsenal full-back Armand Traoré was a youth player at French club AS Monaco before joining Arsenal at 15. He made a handful of appearances before being loaned out to Portsmouth last season and is now a regular in Arsenal's starting XI.As a Muslim I believe we have to look after our bodies. It is the body that has been given to you – it is not good to eat too much and get fat.During my first two years in England I got tattoos. One on each wrist and wings on my back. I got my ears pierced. And I went to…

• Roller derby takes Britain's women by storm

  Hilary Osborne

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The fast, aggressive US sport of roller derby is going from strength to strength in the UK. Hilary Osborne finds out why we're so keen to get our skates onAt a school in Chalk Farm the London Rockin' Rollers are holding their second ever training session for new members. Women of all shapes and sizes are whizzing round on roller skates, learning how to pick up speed and how to fall over without doing too much damage. Eventually, if they're good enough, they will take on skate names like Shellfire or Margy Bargy and get the chance to smash into each other while travelling really fast. These…

• Tough Guy challenge 2010

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:20 pm

  The Tough Guy challenge is an endurance race held at Perton in Shropshire which attracts thousands of participants every year

• Who is the fittest former EastEnder?

  Marina Hyde

  28 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Fitness DVD stars Hannah Waterman and Natalie Cassidy disagree over how much weight loss is too muchAs Lost in Showbiz has explained ­before, it is an immutable law that there is only a finite amount of fat in the celebrity universe, which can be neither created nor destroyed. It can merely be transferred from one star to another, and chronicling that endless migration is worth over £38bn annually to the celebrity magazine economy.The exodus of subcutaneous ­lipids from former EastEnders stars is a ­particularly fascinating sight – in fact, it helps to think of it as the industry's…

• 
  Life and style: Word of Mouth blog | guardian.co.uk

• A family affair: Italian sausage-making

  Tim Hayward, Mustafa Khalili, Elliot Smith

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Tim Hayward and the Zoccola family turn some of the pig butchered last week into a variety of sausages, pancetta, coppa and guancialeTim HaywardMustafa KhaliliElliot Smith

• Why wine critics are useful

  Tim Atkin

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:50 am

  In contrast to the views published last week stating that wine criticism was all bunk, critics are actually even more relevant and useful today than they've ever been, says Tim AtkinIt's open season on wine writers at the moment. If you believe people like Oliver Thring and Tim Hanni, we are misguided elitists talking to one another rather than consumers, prejudiced snobs whose evening tipple is more likely to be Château Lafite sipped from a hand blown Riedel glass, than a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. The reality is rather different. As a professional wine writer, educator and…

• Delia Through the Decades: I could watch it for years

  Vicky Frost

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:22 am

  More than just an appreciation of Delia, the BBC2 programme has also shown how food TV has changed - and not always for the better Interactive: four decades of DeliaIn my kitchen I have a row of hardbacks with the odd food-spattered page and well-loved recipe. And then I have my complete Delia – battered, grease-stained, annotated; with a cover where the writing's fading, and a corner that's been ripped clean off. She might not have much glamour – and recently displayed an alarming fondness for tinned mince – but Delia's still the woman to turn to when your mayonnaise starts to…

• How to make salami

  Tim Hayward

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 am

  It's strange that despite the British love of pork we don't have a tradition of dry-curing the meat. Could you be persuaded to make salami?In pictures: how to make salamiI've been forced to the conclusion that, love as we do our hams, bangers, bacons and chops, we Brits are funny about pork. Perfectly sane people who'll happily wolf street food in the most 'authentic' of milieus, who harbour an ambition to try Fugu and will cheerfully eat takeaway sushi from a convenience store will blanch, gag and retch if served pork which is properly pink near the bone.They'll reel off a scad of…

• Allegra McEvedy's spring clickalong

  Rick Peters

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:20 am

  Our live, interactive internet cookery class is back on 18 February, and it's quite literally a spring chickenThe internet's original and best interactive cookery class returns on the evening of 18 February when our resident chef Allegra McEvedy will be guiding the ravenous masses to another delicious dinner from ingredients to greediness in one hour. From now on, clickalong will be a quarterly event, giving Allegra greater scope to focus her recipes on what's in season and what we'll want to see on our dinner plates at a particular time of year, and with talk of an early spring around…

• 
  Life and style: Food & drink | guardian.co.uk

• India halts release of GM aubergine

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:05 am

  India's environment minister has halted the commercial release of its first genetically modified food crop for public health testsIndia halted the release of its first genetically modified food crop today, saying further study needed to be done to guarantee consumer safety.Environment minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters more independent research must be conducted to ensure the hybrid eggplant was safe for human consumption, after a government committee approved the commercial release of the genetically modified, pest-resistant crop in October.Ramesh's announcement came after an outcry from…

• A family affair: Italian sausage-making

  Tim Hayward, Mustafa Khalili, Elliot Smith

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Tim Hayward and the Zoccola family turn some of the pig butchered last week into a variety of sausages, pancetta, coppa and guancialeTim HaywardMustafa KhaliliElliot Smith

• Why wine critics are useful

  Tim Atkin

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:50 am

  In contrast to the views published last week stating that wine criticism was all bunk, critics are actually even more relevant and useful today than they've ever been, says Tim AtkinIt's open season on wine writers at the moment. If you believe people like Oliver Thring and Tim Hanni, we are misguided elitists talking to one another rather than consumers, prejudiced snobs whose evening tipple is more likely to be Château Lafite sipped from a hand blown Riedel glass, than a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. The reality is rather different. As a professional wine writer, educator and…

• I'll help Marcus Wareing get a third Michelin star

  Sam Wollaston

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:49 am

  Sam Wollaston was looking forward to helping out at Marcus Wareing's Michelin-starred restaurant. But even his bread cutting didn't cut the mustardMarcus Wareing is that one who had a tiff with Gordon Ramsay, and their beautiful ­relationship ended ­acrimoniously with lots of cheffy shouting. Marcus went it alone, at his restaurant at the Berkeley hotel, ­imaginatively called Marcus ­Wareing at the Berkeley (just in case you forget who runs it or where it is). And he's ­doing very nicely thank you. Not only has he emerged from his mentor's shadow, some say he's beginning to eclipse the…

• The battle of the prime minister's snacks

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Gordon Brown is now snacking on nine bananas a day instead of KitKats - but has he made the right choice?Gordon Brown is reported to be eating up to nine bananas a day, in a bid to kick his KitKat habit. But has he made the right choice?150g bananaCalories: 95Price: approx 18pFat: 0.3gMineral content: Potassium 358mg (per 100g), magnesium 29mg, phosphorus 27mg, ­calcium 5mg, selenium 1.3mgUpsides: Slow energy release; a meal in a, um, skin.Downsides: Inherent comedy value. A tricky shape to carry in a trouser pocket. ­Unavoidable associations of slip-ups and trips. Can't be dipped in…

• 
  Life and style: Food festivals | guardian.co.uk

• Mixed up con Fusión

  Joe Warwick

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:50 am

  Would a cerebral cheffy conference like Madrid Fusión work here in the UK? Why are all our big food events so overwhelmingly commercial in character?Madrid Fusión is over for another year and, as usual, Ferran Adrià stole the show. Usually when he makes his annual appearance as the headlining act at the highbrow culinary congress, it's to blow away the audience with the latest mind-bending ideas to have come out of his kitchen. When I was last here, in 2007, he demonstrated how to make 'caviar' out of olive oil. This year his presentation was uncharacteristically low-key but he still…

• Wassailing a cider orchard

  Hilary Osborne

  21 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am

  Hilary Osborne helps ensure a good year for cider apples by joining in the annual wassail at the Gaymer Cider Company's orchard in Somerset. Pictures by Bill Bradshaw and Graeme RobertsonHilary Osborne

• Rebuild this city on rock cake and a roll

  Tony Naylor

  21 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am

  Newcastle-Gateshead Eat! festival is asking home bakers to recreate its skyline in cake and puddings. What might you use to make the twin cities' landmarks?Eat! NewcastleGateshead is not like other food festivals. Last year, it featured a search for the region's best bacon butty, opened 10 secret Cuban-style paladres restaurants around the twin cities and staged a bizarre homage to a restaurant that never opened, but which became a legendary white elephant after featuring in the film Get Carter. To recreate the panoramic views this restaurant would have enjoyed (it should have occupied the…

• Happy Thanksgiving: How the US consumes food and drink

  Katy Stoddard

  25 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pm

  America celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday today. See how much turkey, sweet potatoes and beer the average American consumes each year• Get the dataThe United States is celebrating Thanksgiving today, commemorating the feast shared between America's pioneering pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621 and giving thanks for their blessings. One tradition dating back to the 1940s is the official presidential pardoning of a turkey, which President Barack Obama oversaw in the White House Rose Garden yesterday.Thanksgiving is a celebration centred firmly around food, as families and friends gather…

• The best gardens to visit this autumn

  Jane Perrone

  2 Oct 2009 | 4:11 pm

  From spotting wildlife to admiring acers, here are the places to be in OctoberThe following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Friday 09 October 2009A list of autumn gardens to visit below said that the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm in Kent holds more than 200 varieties of apple. In fact Brogdale has more than 2,200 varieties of apple (culinary, dessert and cider), forming part of the 3,500-plus fruit varieties in the collection, including pears, quinces, plums, cherries, nuts, currants, gooseberries, apricots, vines and medlars. Where…

• 
  Football news, match reports and fixtures | guardian.co.uk

• Manchester United 'have to win' every game from now on, says Wes Brown

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

  • Defender believes champions cannot afford another slip-up• Travel to Aston Villa tomorrowWes Brown claims Manchester United have reached the stage of the season where they "have to win" if they have intentions of holding on to the Premier League title.United head to Aston Villa tomorrow night needing three points to keep pace with, or even overtake, Chelsea, depending on how the Premier League leaders fare against Everton at Goodison Park on the same night."Once we get to this stage of the season it is no longer about wanting to win, we have to win" said Brown. "We have to play well and…

• The Fiver's take on Wenger's whinge

  Paul Doyle, Scott Murray

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:59 am

  Want the Fiver delivered direct to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish)? Then sign up today and forward it to your friendsIT IS WISE AND GOOD TO EMAIL YOUR BANK DETAILS TO FACELESS HACKSFootball managers never say anything, because they are all hysterical children who can only "rant", "blast" and "slam". Shades of grey? Not for these people, it's all about the red mist with them. Permanently picking fights, the whole unhinged lot of them. Thank be to Rupert that the good gentlemen of the press are on hand to hold them to account and prevent things from getting really stupid.That, at any rate,…

• Alberto Aquilani out of Liverpool's match with Arsenal due to sickness

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:49 am

  • Italian midfielder too weak to play after vomiting• Skrtel expected to come in for suspended KyrgiakosAlberto Aquilani will miss Liverpool's trip to Arsenal tomorrow because of illness. The Italian has been vomiting over the last day or so and Rafael Benítez has decided he is too weak to feature at the Emirates.The absence is a blow to Aquilani who has struggled to make an impact at Livepool since arriving from Roma for £20m in August. The 25-year-old has made just six starts for the Anfield club.Sotirios Kyrgiakos, meanwhile, is also unavailable as he starts a three-match suspension…

• Marouane Fellaini ruled out of Everton's match with Chelsea

  Andy Hunter, Sachin Nakrani

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:06 am

  • Ankle injury still troubling influential midfielder• Arteta likely to start insteadEverton have been dealt a blow ahead of tomorrow's visit of Chelsea after influential midfielder Marouane Fellaini was ruled out of the match with an ankle injury picked up in Saturday's Merseyside derby.Fellaini had to leave the 1-0 loss to Liverpool after just 35 minutes following a tackle from Sotirios Kyrgiakos for which the Greek defender received a red card.An immediate scan suggested that no serious had been done to Fellaini's joint but it remained heavily swollen and as such, Everton planned to…

• Ticketholders to get free accident insurance at Spanish matches

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  • Bank offers free cover to supporters at Spanish league games• Valid ticket entitles fans to £22,000 in case of deathThe insurance branch of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Spain's second largest bank, and the country's professional football league say they have agreed a scheme to give free accident cover to up to 500,000 fans attending matches each weekend.In order to be eligible for the insurance cover – which proposes to pay €25,000 (£22,000) for an adult in case of death or permanent disablement through injury at a match – fans only need to be in possession of a valid…

• 
  World news: France | guardian.co.uk

• Film reignites literary debate over Alexandre Dumas's ghostwriter

  Lizzy Davies

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Scholars clash over Auguste Maquet's role in creating masterpieces such as The Three MusketeersHe spent his life in the shadow of one of France's most celebrated authors and in death has become a mere footnote in literary history. Despite having co-written some of the most popular tales in the French language, Auguste Maquet has been forgotten by all but the most erudite of scholars.Now, however, the quietly creative ghostwriter whose crucial role in the production of some of Alexandre Dumas's most famous novels has gone unacknowledged for more than 150 years is finally having his moment in…

• France to issue citizens' handbooks to every child

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  • PM unveils new measures following identity debate• All schools will be ordered to fly the French flagFrench children are to be given a "citizen's handbook" to teach them to be better republicans, as part of national identity measures announced by the government today.Schools will be ordered to fly the French flag and to have a copy of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in every classroom.The measures, announced by the French prime minister, François Fillon, are the first to emerge from the country's controversial debate on national identity.Under new rules,…

• My heart refuses to race to this cross-Channel love-in | Martin Kettle

  Martin Kettle

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  Logically, allied Britain and France should tie the military knot and stand as one. Only 900 years of enmity stand in the wayAfter all the grief that this country's military alliance with the United States has got us into lately, it may come as something of a relief to learn from the Labour government's defence green paper that British service chiefs are now looking at whether France may have what it takes to be our new military best friend. Don't hold your breath over this. There is something about the phrase Anglo-French co-operation that is doomed to be forever a contradiction in terms.On…

• Jacques Baratier obituary

  Ronald Bergan

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:28 am

  Idiosyncratic French film director and Cannes prizewinnerAt the Cannes film festival in 1958, the jury prize was awarded to Goha, the first Tunisian film (albeit a co-production with France) to be nominated for the Palme d'Or. There were other important firsts connected with the film. Goha was the first feature directed by Jacques Baratier, who has died aged 91. It featured the 20-year-old Tunisian-born beauty Claudia Cardinale in her screen debut and starred a handsome 25-year-old Egyptian actor billed as Omar Chérif (later Sharif), in the role that launched his international career and…

• Solidarity is not an offence | Rahila Gupta

  Rahila Gupta

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:01 am

  A new self-organising space in Calais is an act of resistance against the brutal measures against asylum seekersFor all those who have been depressed by increasingly harsh measures against asylum seekers by Britain, France and other European countries, here is a glimmer of hope. The transnational No Borders network and SôS Soutien aux Sans Papiers in France have come together to open a centre in Calais, a "self-organising" space to provide practical support, solidarity and information sharing for asylum seekers. Last summer we were subjected to pictures of people being chased like animals in…

• 
  Global: Jonathan Freedland | guardian.co.uk

• Northern Ireland can toast another Good Friday agreement – almost

  Jonathan Freedland

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:24 am

  The early hours deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin reminds us just how far the province has comeGerry Adams called it "another very good Friday" – but he was not the only one eager to evoke the magic of April 1998. Gordon Brown, visibly grateful to have some good news to announce at last, hailed as "momentous" the end of "decades of violence, years of talks and weeks of stalemate". Tony Blair had perhaps his finest hour celebrating a breakthrough in Belfast, so who can blame Brown if he wanted to have his own Good Friday moment?But was today's early hours deal between…

• Cameron wobbles and weaves – but the media barely lays a glove on him | Jonathan Freedland

  Jonathan Freedland

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pm

  Strings of U-turns and revelations put the Tory leader's judgment in doubt. Tough questions aren't yet being askedCredit to the Tories for one thing: they are ­displaying a charmingly original ­approach to ­political choreography. The ­traditional sequence for the U-turn is to promise one thing before the election, only to backtrack afterwards. Call it the Westminster two-step. But here comes David Cameron, always impatient with the old ways of doing business, to speed up the process. He's shown that you can execute a full flip-flop months before, rather than after, polling day. Why wait…

• Tony Blair at the Chilcot inquiry, part II | Jackie Ashley, Jonathan Freedland, Martin Kettle, Seumas Milne and Henry Porter

  Jackie Ashley, Martin Kettle, Seumas Milne, Henry Porter, Jonathan Freedland

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:29 am

  Jackie Ashley, Jonathan Freedland, Martin Kettle, Seumas Milne and Henry Porter look at Tony Blair's Iraq inquiry performanceJackie Ashley The body language said it all. Tony Blair began his day at the Chilcot inquiry visibly strained, even shaking, according to one television channel, which focused on his hands. There was none of the easy charm that we remember from his days as prime minister and he meekly accepted the constant interruptions from the panel, who started off determined not let him drone on for too long.But by the afternoon, the old Blair had resurfaced. His answers became…

• Tony Blair at the Chilcot inquiry | Jackie Ashley, Jonathan Freedland, Martin Kettle and Seumas Milne

  Jackie Ashley, Martin Kettle, Jonathan Freedland, Seumas Milne

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:54 am

  Jackie Ashley, Jonathan Freedland, Martin Kettle and Seumas Milne give their views on Tony Blair's morning at the Iraq inquiryJackie Ashley One thing has become clear from this morning's session of the Chilcot inquiry: Tony Blair was not George Bush's poodle. He was quite convinced, in his own right, that Saddam had to go. A surprisingly tense and nervous Mr Blair has stressed time and again that he believed Saddam should be removed "if there was any possibility" that he had WMD.That's not the same, of course, as saying that "beyond doubt" he had WMD. Tony Blair was evidently more concerned…

• The change we need now is a rougher, more radical Barack Obama | Jonathan Freedland

  Jonathan Freedland

  26 Jan 2010 | 12:30 pm

  A soaring speech will be futile if the US president aims to court the centre. He must instead lay out a series of bold new movesPart of me hopes Barack Obama does not deliver yet another soaring, masterful speech for his maiden state of the ­union address tomorrow. For one thing, that Houdini schtick is getting old: Obama in a hole, his enemies circling and then, with one bound of rhetorical genius, he's free. For another, it's ­possible that a little less of the elegant oratory and a bit more plain speaking might actually help him get his message across. More importantly, we now need to…

• 
  Politics: Freedom of information | guardian.co.uk

• Expenses claims: MPs not above the law, say legal experts

  Afua Hirsch

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am

  Lawyers say bid to test legal immunity in the courts will fail because alleged offences at Westminster are criminal deedsSenior legal figures say there is no basis for MPs and peers to be above the law following the statement by the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, saying the four parliamentarians charged over expenses claims had raised a defence of parliamentary privilege."We have considered that question and concluded that the applicability and extent of any parliamentary privilege claimed should be tested in court," Starmer said when announcing charges today.Hugh Tomlinson…

• Two inquiries, one cheated public | David Hencke

  David Hencke

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  While the Baha Mousa inquiry is being carried out with the right checks in place, Chilcot is keeping information from the publicIn all the media hype, hubris and drama that reached fever pitch with Tony Blair's evidence to the Iraq inquiry, there is one big group involved in this high-profile event that has been cheated of getting access to the facts: the British public.While all the main witnesses and the inquiry team under Sir John Chilcot have unfettered access to the key classified information inside the 40,000 documents so far made available, the public is being rationed with limited…

• The dangers of state surveillance | Henry Porter

  Henry Porter

  1 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Encouraged by terror laws, the authorities are increasingly using surveillance techniques in trivial circumstancesThe abuse of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, Ripa, is by far the largest element in the revelation last August that 500,000 official requests to access phone and email records were made in 2008 – the equivalent of one in 78 adults coming under some form of surveillance by the authorities in the United Kingdom.The issue here is about abuse and proportionality, not whether the law has been broken. Two recent reports suggest that the surveillance of people for…

• Polly Curtis on criticism of Tories over Lord Ashcroft

  Polly Curtis

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:29 am

  Polly Curtis on criticism of Tories by informatioin commissioner over Lord AshcroftPolly Curtis

• Tories evasive over Lord Ashcroft tax status, says watchdog

  Polly Curtis

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  • Ruling by information commissioner criticises Tory secrecy • Ashcroft's domicile tax undertakings to be revealed in 35 daysThe Conservative leadership is today accused of being "evasive and obfuscatory" over the tax status of Lord Ashcroft, the party's deputy chairman and biggest donor, in a ruling by the information commissioner that sharply criticises the secrecy over where he is resident for tax purposes.The Cabinet Office has been ordered to reveal within 35 days the nature of the undertaking Ashcroft made to become domiciled in the UK when he became a peer in 2000. The move follows…

• 
  Education: Further education | guardian.co.uk

• The lost generation of students

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The current situation, says Patrick Ainley, where education is blamed for economic failure, needs to be replaced by reform of the youth labour marketFurther education was forgotten in academic reaction to government-announced university funding cuts. Yet FE has one in 10 of higher education students, not counting those in mixed economy further and higher education colleges, as well as the foundation degree students who graduate to one-year top-ups in local universities. The cut-price, two-year undergraduate degrees Lord Mandelson proposes could shift many of these students out of FE into…

• Stories from the book of life

  Kirsty Scott

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  A new scheme aims to boost learning among older people by persuading them to write their memoirsAfter a lifetime of writing for pleasure, Kate Kinsella knows the trick to getting started. "It's really very easy," says the 87-year-old former nurse. "Get some paper, take the pen in your hand and start at the beginning. It's no use looking round and saying, 'I can't do it'. You have got to make an effort. There's nothing difficult about it because the words come into your head as you write."Kinsella, from London, took a computer course at her local Open Age centre to make it easier for her to…

• School staff could qualify as teachers without formal training

  Rachel Williams

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:23 am

  Government plan risks damaging the integrity of teacher training, says unionIn a bid to increase the quality of teaching, state school staff could qualify as teachers without formal training by demonstrating their skills in the classroom, it was revealed today.Among those likely to be eligible are instructors in subjects such as music or PE in specialist schools, and lecturers from further education colleges who are teaching the new flagship diploma courses.Private school teachers, who may not have had formal teacher training, will also be allowed to apply to gain Qualified Teacher Status…

• Most offenders have low skills and prison is the place to put that right

  Erwin James

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:44 am

  A report out today says education and training programmes should be an integral part of time served in prison and should be included in the sentencing processIn any walk of life skills are the key to economic and social success. Which without any shadow of a doubt is one of the main reasons our prisons are so full. Official statistics show that 52% of male offenders and 72% of female offenders have no qualifications whatsoever. Almost half of all prisoners have literacy skills at or below level 1 and nearly two thirds have the same difficulties with regard to numeracy skills. It also seems…

• Colleges gloomy over cuts to adult education budgets

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:56 am

  Students will have to be turned away following reductions averaging 16%, say college leadersAdult learners will have to be turned away from colleges in England following an average budget cut of 16% for adult courses, according to the Association of Colleges (AoC)."We face the very frightening prospect of many courses having to close and provision being vastly scaled back," the union representing college lecturers says.More than two-fifths of further education colleges face cuts of more than 20%, the AoC says, warning that the total adult education budget could be slashed by close to £200m…

• 
  World news: Georgia | guardian.co.uk

• Link-o-rama, Georgia jaw-jaw edition | Richard Adams

  Richard Adams

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Things we know now that we didn't know yesterdayIf you think things couldn't have been any worse under the presidency of George Bush, then consider this startling news: the White House actually discussed military intervention against Russia during its invasion of Georgia in the summer of 2008. According to a new book, Dick Cheney was up for it. The idea didn't get far, which is just as well:US pondered military use in Georgia, PoliticoBack in 1993, Colin Powell was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the US armed forces. Then he opposed allowing homosexuals to serve in the military. And…

• Video: Georgia's answer to the Simpsons

  15 Jan 2010 | 8:51 am

  The Samsonadzes portrays Georgian life Simpsons-style, with a couple of Russian leaders thrown in for good measure

• The world's most likely trouble spots in 2010

  Simon Tisdall

  4 Jan 2010 | 7:20 am

  From Iran to Yemen, and from Zimbabwe to Italy, we look at the prospects for conflict and include the Guardian's Troublespotometer rating1 IranIran's claim to the number one position on the Guardian's 2010 Troublespotometer is overwhelming. It currently exhibits all the characteristics of a state hell-bent on self-destruction.First, its repressive government is widely seen by its own people as illegitimate, after June's "stolen" elections. Simmering political and social unrest exploded again in December and could yet become uncontainable.Second, the country's economy is in a frightful mess,…

• Tiny Nauru struts world stage by recognising breakaway republics

  Luke Harding

  14 Dec 2009 | 8:58 am

  Pacific atoll once famed for exporting bird droppings is to recognise Russian-backed Abkhazia and South Ossetia for £31m aidIt is 8 square miles in size, home to 11,320 citizens and looks like a small dinner plate dropped into the gleaming South Pacific. But today the tiny atoll nation of Nauru achieved a rare moment in the international spotlight by saying it will recognise the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.According to Kommersant newspaper, Russia is preparing to give hard-up Nauru $50m (£30.74m) in humanitarian aid. In return Nauru will establish relations with the two…

• The Tories' foreign foibles go far beyond just Europe | Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Cameron's volte-face on Lisbon is just the latest example of clumsiness beyond Britain's borders. There is, however, one ray of hopeSince becoming Conservative leader David Cameron has shown considerable skill on the domestic scene, impressing foe as well as friend. He completely outplayed Gordon Brown over the expenses scandal, and although only time will tell whether he really has an answer to the financial crisis, his initial response was politically adroit.But abroad it has been a quite different story – a series of missteps and own goals, culminating in the gruesome embarrassment…

• 
  World news: Germany | guardian.co.uk

• Vauxhall announces job losses at Luton van plant

  Tim Webb

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:39 am

  • 500 UK jobs will be lost in restructuring• Opel/Vauxhall to cut 8,300 jobs across EuropeMore than 500 jobs in the UK will be cut as part of the restructuring plan announced today by Opel/Vauxhall that will see 8,300 job losses across Europe. Most of the UK cuts will be at its Luton van plant, where 369 posts will be lost. In addition, a further 154 sales and admin jobs will go.Opel/Vauxhall also formally applied for €2.7bn (£2.4bn) of loan guarantees from European governments to fund the plan.The company said that in total €11bn will be invested in the business over the next five…

• After 1929 a generation leapt leftward. Not today. Socialism has been buried | Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  Geoffrey Wheatcroft

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Europe has witnessed a tectonic shift to the right since the war. No wonder the Tories might feel short of breathing spaceLooking back over the last 50 or 60 years, what have been the most ­important changes, and the most surprising? The fact that Europe has been at peace, outside the ­Balkans, since 1945 would have been a surprise and relief to those ­living in the shadow of the two great wars. On the other hand, enlightened ­people would have been shocked by the ­recrudescence of religion as a ­public force, from ­militant Islam to American evangelicalism.But for Europeans,…

• German pensioners took financial adviser hostage, court hears

  Kate Connolly

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

  Prosecutors say man was abducted and beaten by group of retirees over lost US investmentsA retired architect and four other pensioners took their financial adviser hostage and held him in a purpose-built prison in Bavaria after their stock market investments failed, a court has heard.The 74-year-old architect, identified only as Roland K, told a court in Traunstein, southern Germany, that he and his accomplices thought their financial adviser had "cheated and taken the piss" out of them after their investments in the US property market evaporated. As a result, he told the court, they had…

• Anthrax-laced heroin batch emerges in London

  Severin Carrell

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am

  Deadly concoction is known to have killed 10 people since its emergence in GlasgowA lethal batch of heroin contaminated by anthrax has emerged in London and Germany, and has now claimed 10 lives, two months after cases emerged in Glasgow.The Health Protection agency said that an unnamed heroin user is being treated in a London hospital after becoming ill last month, in the first known case of anthrax being caught through drug use in England.Investigators also confirmed that the anthrax which killed a drug user in Germany in December was indistinguishable from the strain confirmed to be in 14…

• Taiwanese military orders German helicopters

  Tania Branigan

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:08 am

  Purchase of up to 20 search-and-rescue helicopters could fray already strained European ties with ChinaTaiwan's military will buy up to 20 helicopters from a German manufacturer, it was confirmed today, days after Beijing lashed out at a multibillion-dollar US arms deal with the island.China has yet to respond to news of the agreement, thought to be the first European sale to Taiwan's armed forces since the early 90s.Taiwan's defence ministry spokesman Martin Yu said the island would buy EC-225 search-and-rescue helicopters. The $111m contract with Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS, is for…

• 
  Music: Glastonbury | guardian.co.uk

• Stevie Wonder and Muse to headline Glastonbury 2010?

  Tim Jonze, Rosie Swash

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am

  US soul legend and Muse could be joining U2 as festival's 2010 headliners, Michael Eavis suggestsStevie Wonder and Muse could be joining U2 as Glastonbury 2010 headliners, after festival organiser Michael Eavis appeared to confirm them at an industry function. Speaking at the Event Production Show in Kensington, London, Eavis is reported to have confirmed Muse for one of the headline slots, while admitting that Stevie Wonder's appearance is "probable".Although the Glastonbury festival press office would not confirm these rumours, they admitted that they were in talks with both acts."We would…

• Haiti earthquake: Rock stars donate memorabilia to raise money

  Alexandra Topping

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:37 am

  Blur fans can bid to have Damon Albarn write, perform and record for them, while a Damien Hirst prototype is also on offerIn pictures: the Oxfam auction for HaitiDozens of items donated by the biggest names in rock and pop are up for Oxfam auction on eBay for those struck by the earthquake in Haiti.The organisers of the Glastonbury festival put out a plea to artists last Monday and within 48 hours dozens of items were donated.Music lovers can bid to have former Blur frontman, Damon Albarn, write, perform and record for them, while Coldplay fans can attempt to get their hands on Chris Martin's…

• Oxfam Haiti appeal charity auction on ebay

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:06 am

  Dozens of items donated by big names in rock, pop and art are included in eBay sale for victims of the Haiti earthquake

• Glastonbury and bands auction off goods for Haiti

  guardian.co.uk/music

  22 Jan 2010 | 8:10 am

  Fancy helping Haiti and having a song written for you by Damon Albarn? Then get bidding!Glastonbury festival has joined forces with Oxfam for an online auction of music-related goods. Among the items on offer are VIP tickets to the festival, the Fender Stratocaster played by Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner in the video for I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor and a Technics SL-1200 Mk 2 turntable donated by DJ Shadow. There's also the opportunity to pay for a bespoke piece of music written by Damon Albarn or even a long, hot shower at the Eavis's farmhouse during Glastonbury festival. Which, if…

• Michael Eavis: farmer of the decade

  Caspar Llewellyn Smith

  28 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm

  Festivals proliferated this decade, thanks in large part to the improbable figure of a Somerset farmer who has dealt with travellers and Kate MossIt has been a decade which has seen even the most improbable-looking music fan digging out their camping gear and heading to a festival. Last year, when this madness probably peaked, three million of us went a festival, with over 500 to choose from in the UK alone. (Compare this to 2000 when there were 15.) New festivals sprang up, including Bestival (est 2004) and Latitude (2006), and Jeremy Clarkson and the leader of the opposition were spotted at…

• 
  World news: Globalisation | guardian.co.uk

• US and China: Tetchy twins

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  A year ago, China Daily gushed with upbeat epithets about the co-operation between the US and China. The relationship was already effective and smooth on trade, Taiwan and global warning. With two firm multilateralists, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, now in power, it would be positively strengthened and constructive, the official mouthpiece opined.How different the picture looks today – and how wounded the official tone. China sent a deputy foreign minister to negotiate with Mr Obama in Copenhagen, scuppering the deal that not just the US but many other countries wanted. Next came the…

• Chris Wilkinson | Noises off: Is theatre dead?

  Chris Wilkinson

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:47 am

  The blogging debate this week: if technology really has killed theatre, it's up to you to save itIf you're reading this, you're probably a corpse. Theatre is, apparently, dead. In an article on the Australian website Crikey about the impending death of the book (at the murderous hands of the ebook), Guy Rundle makes a passing comment about how TV and film killed off the theatre. The emergence of this technology, he says, left the theatre "as a mix of largely subsidised, state and philanthropic funded events, non-commercial avant-gardes and occasional large spectacles, most of them musicals…

• Vague solutions to inequality | Gerry Hassan

  Gerry Hassan

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  The Spirit Level argues for an equal society, but the book ignores the impact of economics, culture and neoliberal ideologyRichard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett are right to talk about inequality and do so at length in The Spirit Level, a debate that seems to have captured something about the anxieties and fears we have about modern Britain and life. Yet, despite its popularity and the claims of its authors, The Spirit Level does not offer a new egalitarian credo, and instead leaves crucial areas unexplored.Wilkinson and Pickett pose that inequality hurts and harms all of us and set out to show…

• Making globalisation pay | Khaled Diab

  Khaled Diab

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

  Big corporations are using the banking crisis as an excuse for exploiting cheap labour. Is it time for a global minimum wage?For beer lovers, Belgium is the nearest place to heaven on earth. The country's 125 or so breweries produce an estimated 800 standard beers, each of which is served in its own distinctive glass.Given this ocean of booze, you would expect that the temporary loss of a handful of beers would cause hardly a ripple. In a country where beer receives the kind of appreciation reserved for wine in other cultures, the recent threat to supplies of some of Belgium's favourite…

• Women are more than just consumers | Lindsay Mackie

  Lindsay Mackie

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:30 am

  Davos: A panel on the global gender gap puts up some welcome challenges to the idea of women as shoppersOne of the things the Davos think-in is famous for is a optimistic take on world problems. Get the world leaders together and rethink, re-evaluate, rebalance, restore whatever it is and we should get somewhere. This year the "re-" words are everywhere. The basic belief here is that the current system just has to be re-upped and the future will look much like the recent past, only without the catastrophes.A session on women started from this premise. In an introduction to the Davos Global…

• 
  Education: Graduate | guardian.co.uk

• Networking, not nepotism

  Huma Qureshi

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  While most parents are happy to lend moral and financial support to their jobless offspring, there are often more practical ways they can help them find work, says Huma QureshiThe story of the unemployed graduate living at home with their parents while trying to find a job is no doubt a familiar one, especially with more young adults now living at home than at any time in the past 20 years.Most parents are happy to lend moral and financial support (not to mention somewhere comfortable to stay) while their offspring wait for their big break into the career world, but is there more they can do…

• CV Clinic

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Jenny Adams is looking for a career in urban regenerationJenny Adams is studying for an MSc in urban and regional planning at the University of Birmingham.She wants a career in the regeneration aspect of urban planning. We asked two professionals whether her CV meets their specifications.Presentation Katy Wilson, senior consultant, The CV CentreWhile Jenny's CV is clearly divided into different sections with good use of bullet points throughout, it is too long and could be improved in terms of presentation and content. The use of shading to highlight certain text is a little…

• What to do with a marketing degree

  Graham Snowdon

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Almost every branch of commerce has a need for marketing graduates, not just advertising firms looking for the next Don DraperOver the years, marketing has evolved from being a module of business studies into the strong individual discipline it is today. Most people know it is about creating brands that people want, and understanding why they want them, and the advertising industry­ is a common destination for graduates. But before you dream of becoming­ the modern-day equivalent of Mad Men's Don Draper, be aware there's more to it than dreaming up chocoholic drumming gorillas. In the…

• Universities host family fortunes

  Hazel Davis

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  For many students, the thought of sharing university with a brother or sister can only mean the resumption of childhood hostilities – but, says Hazel Davis, there are often benefits tooIf you have a brother or sister, you might be familiar with the scenario of arriving at school only to find them having seven bells knocked out of them in the playground. You might remember the sinking feeling of knowing­ you are duty-bound to step in and stick up for them, even if you don't like them very much.Imagine that feeling transferred to adulthood, but with the added option of drink, drugs and rock…

• Business schools put ethics high on MBA agenda

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  In the wake of the financial crisis, MBA students are being taught about corporate social responsibilityAs the bodies responsible for teaching so many of the "masters of the universe" who did so much to cause last year's economic meltdown, it is perhaps not surprising that business schools have spent the past year doing some serious soul-searching about their culpability for the recession.Go back to the 1980s and 1990s, when many of today's corporate leaders were studying for their MBAs, and business ethics and sustainability – in other words, issues around corporate governance, social…

• 
  News: Main section | guardian.co.uk

• Asylum failings damage lives, says immigration watchdog

  Sam Jones

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Parliamentary ombudsman says UK Border Agency is not managing its workload or resolving applications in timeThe UK Border Agency's failure to manage its workload is penalising individuals, draining public funds and jeopardising confidence in the asylum and immigration system, according to a report published today.The report, by the parliamentary ombudsman, finds that the UKBA still has "a long way to go" to ensure that its administration, complaints handling procedures and remedy mechanisms are adequate.It gives examples of how the UKBA's failure to resolve applications within a reasonable…

• Speaker warns Commons MPs' trial could be put at risk by careless talk

  Polly Curtis, Nicholas Watt

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Political leaders were warned to choose their words with care when discussing the Labour MPs charged with criminal offencesPolitical leaders were given a pointed warning yesterday to choose their words with care when discussing the three Labour MPs charged with criminal offences, amid fears that a series of interventions over the weekend could damage their chances of a fair trial.As the Labour party withdrew the whip from the MPs, the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, raised the prospect of their trial being abandoned after cross-party attacks on attempts to invoke ancient parliamentary…

• Ian Blair: police 'unaffordable' and Tory plans 'entirely wrong'

  Patrick Wintour

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Former head of Metropolitan police says elected police commissioners will not work and calls for bipartisan inquiryPolicing is becoming unaffordably expensive due to the failure of political parties to back cheaper alternatives to full-time police officers, the former Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair will warn today. He will also call for politicians to put aside party divisions prior to the election and set up an all-party royal commission to agree a new role for the police.Blair will renew his attack on Conservative proposals for elected police commissioners across the…

• Ali Dizaei sentenced to four years in jail

  Vikram Dodd

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The most senior British police officer ever convicted was found guilty of arresting a web designer in a dispute over moneyThe most senior British police officer ever convicted of corruption offences was starting a four-year prison sentence ­yesterday after a jury found he had tried to frame an innocent man and told a series of lies in an attempt to cover up his abuse of office.Ali Dizaei, a commander with Scotland Yard, was convicted of falsely arresting a web designer in a dispute over money and then lying in official statements when he claimed he had been assaulted and threatened by the…

• Mightier than the kirpan | Hardeep Singh Kohli

  Hardeep Singh Kohli

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  I find it hard to justify knives being allowed in schools – be they Sikh ceremonial symbols or otherwiseWhat do you know about Sikhism? The men wear turbans. It comes from the north-west of India. It has at its heart the five "Ks", the kesh (long hair), kara (steel bangle worn on the right hand), kaacha (undergarment), kanga (comb) and kirpan (a ceremonial dagger); all baptised Sikhs are expected to wear the five "Ks" daily. Sikhs are ­regarded as the best dancers in the world. This is all unequivocally true, especially the last part.But I'd like to concentrate on the fact that Sikhism is…

• 
  Politics: Guardian diary | guardian.co.uk

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  Slush fund or no, BAE tries to be nice to people, and no mistake• Nothing tangible yet from BAE's attempt to offer its ­military-style spy planes to the Kent police force – which considered they might be useful, not least for patrolling the Channel. But that's not for the want of trying by Britain's favourite arms manufacturer. Through the wonder of freedom of information, we see that BAE did what it could to smooth the deal. After obtaining, for one top cop, tickets for a gala dinner at an aviation conference in Holland, BAE sought to have an officer watch a…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  Some believe in God. Some don't. So long as they all believe in Gordon, that's fine• What can we make of Gordon's reported decision to sit down for an hour-long grilling by Piers Morgan? Insanity? Tiredness? Desperation? All would be understandable. But what it probably reflects is the truth that the polls are tight. Best to win over the waverers in their ones and twos. Grind out a result. Not natural territory for a man of grand gestures and high principle, but needs must. And so it was that on the same day that the son of the manse was sending messages of welcome to the pope (the…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:34 am

  Who's who at the department for children? They weren't sure, but it's OK now• In the civil service, they have to keep tabs on who's there and the tasks they perform, but that very task can cause problems. There was some juggling with data late last year within the Department for ­Children, Schools and Families. Things could have gone better. When data was migrated, "all members of staff who had ­previously indicated their ethnic background as 'white' were transferred on to the system as 'other ethnic background'," employees learned in an email this week. "Therefore over the next few weeks…

• Hugh Muir's Diary

  Hugh Muir

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:10 pm

  Where there is discord, will Geert Wilders bring harmony? That would certainly be a first• So here we go again, with the Dutch Muslim-baiter Geert Wilders – having bested the government's entry ban last year – apparently preparing for a second visit. His host once again would be the otherwise anonymous Ukip leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch, who seems determined to hear what Wilders will tell us. The Dutchman certainly has an interesting take on things. Thanks to the website Liberal Conspiracy we see his 10-point plan to save western civilisation, with highlights that include: "Stop…

• Hugh Muir's diary

  Hugh Muir

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm

  A high-profile event to garland our boys in Afghanistan. If only the BNP man had been sober• The gloves are off again in Barking, where the boxing promoter Frank Maloney, Ukip's talisman for the general election, has been rebuffed in his attempts to settle the issue in the boxing ring. Nick Griffin said no, ­citing a historical eye injury. Margaret Hodge was never going to make the weight. And so each will rely on their high-calibre local supporters in east London. In Griffin's case, this will mean a prominent role for Bob Bailey, the leader of the opposition on Barking and Dagenham…

• 
  Culture: The Guide | guardian.co.uk

• One last thing... Jedward

  Rich Pelley

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  They divided the nation like the civil war, Mrs Thatcher and Marmite put together. But now, Jedward must meet Rich PelleyHello, Jedward! A Dorset dairy farmer claimed his cows doubled their milk production whenever you came on The X Factor. Was it tricky impressing the judges and encouraging bovines to lactate?John(1): It's probably because our songs are so upbeat. The cows probably listened to us thinking, "Eat more grass, make more milk!"David Cameron said he was a big Jedward fan but Gordon Brown said he wasn't (2). What does this tell us about the current sad state of British…

• Stuart Heritage's Screen burn

  Stuart Heritage

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  This week Stuart has been watching Tool AcademyThe best thing to come out of the recent Tiger Woods scandal – other than the realisation that you're one of maybe only about 12 people worldwide who Tiger didn't allegedly try to shove his sweaty todger up – is the prominence it gave to new US reality TV series Tool Academy (Tue, 9pm, Really). Purported Woods conquest Jaimee Grubbs is a contestant, you see. But although cheap voyeurism might be why you tune in, it won't be why you'll stay.Tool Academy is a gormless reality show in the vein of The Bachelorette or Who Wants To Marry My Dad?,…

• Album sleeve stars: Where are they now?

  Johnny Dee

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Johnny Dee imagines what happened after the photographer snapped those classic album shotsStefan Gates has a claim to fame that he shares with a woman who covered herself in whipped cream, dozens of babies and several siamese twins: he's appeared nude on a classic album cover. In Stefan's case it was the sleeve to Led Zep's 1973 Houses Of The Holy, which features him aged four, and his sister Samantha, naked and climbing up the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. On Radio 4's Stefan Gates' Cover Story, Gates reveals how the image haunted him, that he's never heard the album, and what…

• Michael Holden's All ears

  Michael Holden

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  "You get off the path and it gets tribal. I've been to weddings barefoot. Drunk blood. Whatever it takes."Listening to people who seem to have been parachuted into one another's company – yet appear to get along perfectly well – a very modern form of cynicism kicks in, at least for me. Like watching the opening scenes of Big Brother, part of me is always thinking, "This won't last. They will soon hate each other." So it was with two young men sitting at near me in a bar, exchanging stories of themselves for reasons that were never clear.Man 1 "Your job sounds pretty relaxed."Man 2 (as…

• This week's internet previews

  Johnny Dee

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Michael John GristIn Japan, Haikyo is a word for abandonment and also a verb to describe the growing hobby of exploring its modern ruins. Photographer and writer Michael John Grist has an excellent gallery of his visits to derelict love hotels, decaying hospitals, factories, sport stadiums and museums. All are oddly fascinating, post-apocalyptical and strangely beautiful, especially the overgrown theme parks with their rusted rollercoasters and water slides that haven't seen action since the mid-80s. There's also fiction, reviews and a great piece on nuclear explosion craters.The Tobolowsky…

• 
  Books: Harry Potter | guardian.co.uk

• Magazine fiction's golden age can never be repeated

  Robert McCrum

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:20 am

  Magazine fiction from the 1890s-1950 gave us some of our most-loved characters from Sherlock Holmes to Hercule Poirot. With magazines in decline, where to now? The Lady?The umpteenth return of the Return (of Sherlock Holmes) and the popular success of Avatar are apt reminders that we're a storytelling species with a dominant narrative gene somewhere in our DNA. We simply cannot get enough of What Happened Next?Avatar, for all its counter-cultural, eco-friendly credentials, is a product of the Hollywood machine, but Holmes and Watson come from somewhere else: the golden age of British magazine…

• Decade in books belongs to JK Rowling, almost literally

  Michelle Pauli

  23 Dec 2009 | 3:53 am

  Selling more than double the number of books shifted by her closest rival Roger Hargreaves, Harry Potter author dominated the tills throughout the noughtiesNo prizes for guessing which writer takes the top spot on the bestselling authors of the decade list – JK Rowling's Harry Potter series sees her out front by a wizarding mile – but some of her companions in the top 10 are less predictable. With the list sorted by volume sold rather than value, Mr Men author Roger Hargreaves is a surprising second, having sold a whopping 14m volumes of his low-cost children's tales. Hargreaves and…

• Harry Potter: Icons of the decade

  Mark Lawson

  21 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  He was the first new global superhero of the 21st century - a character with universal appealThe following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Thursday 24 December 2009According to his creator, JK Rowling, Harry Potter was born in 1980, not 1986 as we said in this article naming him an icon of the decade Both statistically and artistically, it's unlikely, in any given decade, that a new British fictional character will emerge to match the name-recognition, sales and cinematic bankability of Peter Pan, Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. But Harry Potter…

• The Entertainer's Gary Grant: the Christian toyshop entrepreneur

  Zoe Wood

  17 Dec 2009 | 10:15 am

  The retailer on praying for his troubled rivals, banning Harry Potter and expanding his business in the teeth of a recessionMost businessmen pray for their rivals to come a cropper – not hold a prayer meeting when they do. But when Woolworths went bust last year, there was little celebration at the headquarters of toy retailer The Entertainer, which stood to cash in on its demise. Instead, owner Gary Grant called in the local vicar."Last year I prayed more about my business than I have ever done and in October, for the first time, I felt God say to me 'you need to call the staff together,'"…

• Books of the decade: Your best books of 2007

  Richard Lea

  10 Dec 2009 | 3:37 am

  Beyond the Potter hysteria, this year produced some fine writing. My favourite was Sean O'Brien's The Drowned Book – what about you?For anybody finding it a little bracing over on Sam's worst book of the decade post – and I'm still wincing from Sam's sideswipe about The Impressionist – let's get back to where we left off spreading love and take a look back at the best books of 2007.Not too much love, perhaps, because 2007 was, of course, a Harry Potter year. And not just any old Harry Potter year: it was the year of Harry Potter's final appearance between hard covers. Harry Potter and…

• 
  Life and style: Haute couture | guardian.co.uk

• Paris haute couture week: the fashion editor's view

  Jess Cartner-Morley

  28 Jan 2010 | 12:53 am

  Jess Cartner-Morley offers her take on the beautiful creations on display in Paris this weekJess Cartner-Morley

• Paris haute couture week: can fashion be art?

  Jess Cartner-Morley

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The catwalks were dripping in moonshine, spangles and international shoppersVideo: The Christian Dior haute couture showCan clothes ever be art? Paris haute couture week seems a good moment to get to the bottom of this one. (The dresses at haute ­couture start at £20,000, so I can't pass the time shopping, and am thus forced into the highbrow by ­default.) Artistic vision and value is one of the justifications given for the utterly illogical persistence of this ­insanely expensive and unapologetically exclusive branch of fashion – in which elaborate catwalk shows are staged in order to…

• Video: Dior haute couture - whips, bouffants and tiny waists

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:11 am

  Dior designer John Galliano injects an equestrian flavour into his haute couture show

• The Chanel haute couture collection

  26 Jan 2010 | 8:45 am

  A stunning silver and sorbet collection lives up to the high expectations surrounding Karl Lagerfeld's couture line

• Chanel settles for silver at Paris haute couture week

  Jess Cartner-Morley

  26 Jan 2010 | 7:18 am

  A sterling collection from Karl Lagerfeld will keep Chanel's couture arm profitable, reports Jess Cartner-MorleyIn pictures: The Chanel haute couture collectionAs the applause finally died down after today's Chanel haute couture show in Paris, an army of chic young waiters appeared as if by magic, bearing trays crammed with flutes of very good champagne, with which the audience toasted another delicious collection from Karl Lagerfeld. But hovering discreetly just behind Lagerfeld, half hidden behind the melee of starlets and supermodels in the long queue for an air kiss, was one waiter with a…

• 
  Politics: Health policy | guardian.co.uk

• Labour press conference on the NHS - live

  Andrew Sparrow

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:02 am

  • Burnham denies planning £20,000 inheritance levy to fund social care• Claims Labour cancer pledge would save 10,000 lives• Launches anti-Tory internet campaign8.58am: The Labour party is holding another campaign press conference this morning. Douglas Alexander, the general election co-ordinator, and Andy Burnham, the health secretary, have invited journalists to their HQ at Victoria Street to hear them "outline Labour's campaign for the NHS and the threat posed by David Cameron and the Conservative party policy on the NHS". I'm not sure how good it's going to be; Gordon Brown…

• Inheritance levy to fund social care being considered by ministers

  Patrick Wintour, Randeep Ramesh

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:05 pm

  Proposals for a levy, thought to be £20,000, would be deducted from the estates of older people when they dieRadical proposals for a £20,000 compulsory inheritance levy to help pay for Gordon Brown's social care plans may be endorsed by the government before the general election.The health secretary, Andy Burnham, believes he may get the backing for a compulsory plan from Downing Street, but influential cabinet members are still agonising over whether to be explicit about it on the eve of the poll. They fear the proposal may prove to be too bold to sell to the electorate in the heated weeks…

• Brown unveils plan to give over-65s post-hospital home care

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:04 am

  Offering up to six weeks of support means people could stay at home for longer, says PMPeople aged over 65 could be given up to six weeks' support to enable them to remain in their own homes after a stay in hospital or residential care, or a fall or an illness, Gordon Brown said today.The prime minister said the plan forms part of the government's ambition to build a National Care Service, but details of how it might be funded would have to await a forthcoming white paper.It could benefit tens of thousands of people who end up in care when, with the proper support, they could stay at home for…

• Gordon Brown: All cancer patients to get home care

  Toby Helm

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Prime minister promises to make NHS treatment more personalised and of a standard equal to private healthcareAll 1.6 million people who have, or have had, cancer will be offered free one-to-one care in their homes by a specialist personal nurse under plans to be announced tomorrow by Gordon Brown.The proposals will form a centrepiece of Labour's general election manifesto as the party tries to shift from a focus on NHS targets to delivering personalised care tailored to the needs of individuals.The plans, to be unveiled in a speech to the King's Fund, an independent charity set up with the…

• Treating consciousness with caution | Ken Mason

  Ken Mason

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  We should be wary of building ethics around patients in permanent vegetative states, as this is a relatively new scienceProminent among the attitudes to the case that Professor McLean and I share is that it is easy to fall into the trap of making a premature judgment when confronted with a story of such potential ethico-legal significance. It raises issues that merit prolonged analysis not only as to its implications but also as to its factual basis. I would prefer, however, to treat the announcement as a cautionary tale.From time to time, movements are mounted that seek to recognise death in…

• 
  Culture: Heritage | guardian.co.uk

• Tim Etchells on performance: Cambodia's art steps into the future

  Tim Etchells

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am

  Can Cambodia begin to rebuild its shattered cultural heritage? Tim Etchells wonders if the answer lies with a team of Khmer dancers ... and a specially modified laptopI've recently returned from two weeks in Cambodia, travelling with 18 other artists, dancers, choreographers and performance-makers at the invitation of Ong Keng Sen's Flying Circus Project. Based in Singapore, Keng Sen's Theatre Works outfit has been running these exchanges – predominantly Asian in focus, but with routes out in all directions – for something like 10 years. The intention varies with each…

• Writing off the UK's last palaeographer

  John Crace

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The decision by a London university to axe the UK's only chair in palaeography has been met by outrage from the world's most eminent classicists. John Crace on why the study of ancient writings matters – and why history will be lost without itDry, dusty and shortly to be dead. Palaeographers are used to making sense of fragments of ancient manuscripts, but King's College London couldn't have been plainer when it announced recently that it was to close the UK's only chair of palaeography. From ­September, the current holder of the chair, Professor David Ganz, will be out of a job, and the…

• From Beirut to Biafra: Don McCullin's war photographs go on show

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:47 am

  Tour a major new exhibition of Don McCullin's iconic war photography, opening this weekend at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester

• 'Stonehenge? It's more like a city garden'

  Caroline Davies

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pm

  Design watchdog hits out at plans for £20m visitor centre at megalithic jewel in England's cultural crownIts footpaths are "tortuous", the roof likely to "channel wind and rain" and its myriad columns – meant to evoke a forest – are incongruous with the vast landscape surrounding it.So says the government's design ­watchdog over plans for a controversial £20m visitor centre at Stonehenge, the megalithic jewel in England's cultural crown. CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, has criticised the design of the proposed centre, claiming the futuristic building by…

• Stonehenge's secret: archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges

  Maev Kennedy

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am

  Survey of landscape suggests prehistoric monument was surrounded by two circular hedgesThe Monty Python knights who craved a shrubbery were not so far off the historical mark: archaeologists have uncovered startling evidence of The Great Stonehenge Hedge.Inevitably dubbed Stonehedge, the evidence from a new survey of the Stonehenge landscape suggests that 4,000 years ago the world's most famous prehistoric monument was surrounded by two circular hedges, planted on low concentricbanks. The best guess of the archaeologists from English Heritage, who carried out the first detailed survey of the…

• 
  Life and style: Health & wellbeing | guardian.co.uk

• Dr Crippen: Postcode lottery blues

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  If you get a blood clot on the brain your life could depend on where you liveThe Crippen family recently holidayed in Anglesey. It's a long way from the M25 and all therein, and that in itself is a good enough reason for being there. The nearest large shopping centre is two hours away, so retail therapy at the January sales was out of the question, but we consoled ourselves with bracing walks and breathtaking scenery. Proximity to department stores is a trivial matter. Proximity to neurologists is more serious. If you get a blood clot in the brain, irreversible damage starts within minutes.

• Dr Luisa Dillner's guide to . . . Warts

  Luisa Dillner

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Treatments aren't very pleasant – but warts usually go away by themselves within two years✤ Warts are caused by a virus, and verrucas are just warts on the feet.✤ You can spread warts on yourself by picking them. They usually go away within two years, and the treatments can cause blisters and infections, which can be worse than warts.✤ Painting them with salicylic acid (bought from chemists) daily for 12 weeks, will kill two-thirds of warts but requires dedication and precision. Over-the-counter freeze sprays may not make the warts cold enough to kill them, but while cryotherapy…

• Restless Legs Syndrome might sound trivial – but far from it

  Lucy Atkins

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Ekbom's disease is a debilitating disorder and treatment is difficultNeurologists call it the "commonest movement disorder you've never heard of". Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) – or Ekbom's disease – is the uncontrollable urge to move your legs when resting. About 5-10% of adults will develop it (around five million people in the UK), but while some will just experience a sporadic twitchiness at the end of the day, for others the condition is a torment.Symptoms usually begin during the evenings or at night and are variously described as burning, creeping, itching, aching or tugging…

• Drinking beer could help prevent weak bones

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  A new study claims that certain types of beer are a rich source of dietary silicon, and can help prevent osteoporosisBeer is a rich source of a nutrient that can help prevent weak bones – but it depends what type you drink, claim researchers at University of California, Davis, today.As one of the nation's favourite tipples, beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, which can help cut the chance of developing diseases like osteoporosis, they conclude.However, not all beers are the same, with those containing malted barley and hops having higher silicon content than beers made from wheat.Some…

• HRT linked to adult asthma

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Taking oestrogen-only HRT might increase women's short-term risk of developing asthma for the first time, especially for women with allergies, according to a big new study from France. What do we know already? Previous studies have suggested that the hormone oestrogen plays a part in making women susceptible to asthma. Although we tend to think of asthma as a disease that starts in childhood, quite a lot of people first get asthma as an adult. Asthma is more common in girls once they've started their periods, and it tends to become less common after women go through the menopause. However,…

• 
  Education: Higher education | guardian.co.uk

• Britain's forgotten EU students | Ros Coward

  Ros Coward

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  The number of Europeans studying at UK universities has soared, yet they have not figured at all in the debate about cutsRecently, I've been teaching journalism at a British university. It's a popular course already turning students away. But now, with the requirement for universities to trim their sails and cut student numbers coinciding with a hike in applications, it is likely to be turning down an even larger number. This will add to the hordes of disappointed students we have been hearing so much about in the press recently.Given what we've been reading, I can hardly look them in the…

• Crib sheet email 09.02.10

  Judy Friedberg

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:27 am

  All gone! Vanishing students, abolished departments, disappearing names and decapitated headsTo get Crib sheet as an email, sign up hereWhy is the government hell-bent on getting shot of students?It appears to be waging battle on several fronts: visas to keep out the foreign ones, police on campus to pick out the bolshy ones, cuts to close down courses for the non-scientific ones, and of course tuition fees on the way to eliminate the scruffy ones.Furious muttering, of course, from academia – though does one detect, here and there, just a pitter pat of applause?Report cardYou don't know…

• Writing off the UK's last palaeographer

  John Crace

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The decision by a London university to axe the UK's only chair in palaeography has been met by outrage from the world's most eminent classicists. John Crace on why the study of ancient writings matters – and why history will be lost without itDry, dusty and shortly to be dead. Palaeographers are used to making sense of fragments of ancient manuscripts, but King's College London couldn't have been plainer when it announced recently that it was to close the UK's only chair of palaeography. From ­September, the current holder of the chair, Professor David Ganz, will be out of a job, and the…

• University applications reach record levels for fourth year in a row

  Warwick Mansell, Anna Bawden

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  • Hundreds of thousands could miss out on a place • Graduates face 'double whammy' in jobs marketMore than 200,000 would-be students are likely to be left without a place at a UK university this year as undergraduate applications reach record levels for the fourth year running.Applications are almost a fifth up on last year, according to the latest figures from the university admissions service, Ucas. So far, more than 570,000 students have applied for a place at university this autumn, an increase of more than 100,000 on the same time in 2009. Applications close in June.There was also…

• The lost generation of students

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The current situation, says Patrick Ainley, where education is blamed for economic failure, needs to be replaced by reform of the youth labour marketFurther education was forgotten in academic reaction to government-announced university funding cuts. Yet FE has one in 10 of higher education students, not counting those in mixed economy further and higher education colleges, as well as the foundation degree students who graduate to one-year top-ups in local universities. The cut-price, two-year undergraduate degrees Lord Mandelson proposes could shift many of these students out of FE into…

• 
  Politics: Simon Hoggart's sketch | guardian.co.uk

• Simon Hoggart's sketch: Shafted by a smooth operator

  Simon Hoggart

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Jack Straw's lawyerly evasions and the Chilcot inquiry's gracious courtesy made for a perfect couplingThe stenographers at the Iraq inquiry type up a record of everything that is said a few seconds after it's been said. They are brilliantly quick, but mistakes can creep in, such as at the start of today's session when the screen recorded Sir John Chilcot saying, "we had a fist session with Mr Straw last month …"It was no fist session. A gentle stroke session, perhaps. The combination of Jack Straw's lawyerly evasions and the inquiry's gracious courtesy, as smooth as K-Y Jelly, meant…

• Never ignore Parliament - unless you have a very thick skin | Simon Hoggart

  Simon Hoggart

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Piqued MPs of every hue wade in on blameless Treasury minister over EU terror snubAnother lurid expenses day in the House of Commons. Sitting in our office, I could hear chortles and short, sarcastic laughs ­("sarkles"?) from around me and down the corridor. "My God, she's got to pay back nearly £43,000!"Or, "he claimed for membership of the Athenaeum!" and, everyone's favourite, Anthony Steen, who demanded repayment for "a flagpole rope and binding".The fact that it has cost roughly £1m to work out that MPs owe roughly £1m is irrelevant. The public wants to see them suffer, and doesn't…

• Yes but, no but, yes but … Clare Short at the Chilcot inquiry

  Simon Hoggart

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:45 am

  Was it Clare Short, or Vicky Pollard, giving evidence at the Iraq war inquiry?Clare Short, the former development secretary, gave richly entertaining evidence to the Iraq inquiry. It was like watching a highly respected international statesperson whose brain was being taken over by Little Britain's Vicky Pollard. Answers tumbled out at endless length.She would give her overview of the Middle East situation, and then suddenly you could almost hear her saying: "Yes but, no but, that Tracey Blair, she's a liar she is, and that Sharon Bush, she's no better, they was fibbin', they hate me, yes but…

• Severe sanction? Maybe

  Simon Hoggart

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  MP claims £60,000 of public money to which he wasn't entitled. Punishment, he'll now not get a further £60,000 of public moneyThey just don't get it, part XXVII. Today the Commons debated what may be the most egregious example of expenses abuse to date, depending on where you put moat cleaning, duck houses and bell towers on the scale of financial turpitude.Harry Cohen, the Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead, having claimed and received £60,000 of public money to which he was not entitled, has received a terrible and appropriate punishment. He will not now receive a further £60,000 of…

• Regrets? Oh come off it

  Simon Hoggart

  29 Jan 2010 | 11:00 am

  He looked nervous, but not for long. Soon enough the old, masterful Tony Blair was back in charge of proceedingsOkay, Tony Blair was never going to be left speechless, mouth hanging open, desperate to dredge up a reply. Still less would he say, "All right, you've got me bang to rights. Yes, I was lying. Now are you happy?" But even so it was a bravura performance by the maestro of self-justification, the supremo of sincerity, especially as he looked wobbly at the beginning.Usually he likes to take his jacket off, as if to say "look, I've got nothing to hide", then shoot his inquisitors a big…

• 
  Life and style: Homes | guardian.co.uk

• Valentine's Day gift ideas: Homes

  Huma Qureshi

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  The best romantic gifts for stay-at-home Valentines, from prints to paperweights. As chosen by Huma QureshiHuma Qureshi

• Valentine’s Day gift ideas: Handmade

  Perri Lewis

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  You could make something for your Valentine this year. Or you could just buy something someone else has made. Perri Lewis picks 12 brilliant handmade giftsPerri Lewis

• Interiors | Craftivism

  Kate Mikhail

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Inspired by the plight of inmates on death row, the Black Panthers, and the spirituality of the planet, Carrie Reichardt's west London home is a message board in mosaicsYou don't need to know the street number when you go to Carrie Reichardt's house in west London. The orange Tiki Love Truck parked outside will stop you in your tracks. And then there's the jaw-dropping mosaic that's working its way up the front of the building – an intricate show stopper that weaves together skeletons, caterpillars, constellations and flying eyeballs."In the future I'd like to take up the driveway, put in a…

• From Best to Neville: Footballers' grand designs

  Luke Bainbridge

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Footballers are notorious for their lack of architectural taste, and Manchester United players are no exception, south Manchester and Cheshire being awash with multimillion-pound mock Tudor mansions. But not every United player covets a Footballers' Wives-style home, and Gary Neville is the latest Red to have more grand designs in mind...Gary NevilleUnited's club captain recently submitted plans to Bolton Council to build an 8,000 sq foot subterranean Teletubbies-style "earth shelter" boasting a wind turbine, solar panels and ground source heating. Make Architects says Neville was…

• Snooping around: Rural, urban or renovation

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:16 pm

  A bungalow on the Isle of Wight and a Breton wreck feature in this week's property picks

• 
  Life and style: Neil Spencer's horoscopes | guardian.co.uk

• Neil Spencer's horoscopes

  Neil Spencer

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:10 pm

  Astrologist Neil Spencer reads your stars for the coming week★ Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb The happy planetary trio dominating your 'scope (Sun/Venus/Neptune) is the stuff dreams are made of; perfect for lovers, artists, ravers and all stripes of Aquarian idealism. Since the flip side of this combo is wishful thinking, call on a sceptical friend for a reality check. From Wednesday, Mercury opens new lines of communication, not least for a settlement with the irascible character (an ex?) who's recently been bugging you!★ Pisces 20 Feb-20 Mar The first five months of 2010 are about regeneration;…

• Neil Spencer's horoscopes

  Neil Spencer

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Astrologist Neil Spencer reads your stars for the coming week★ Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb "Harmony and understanding" and all that "Age of Aquarius" malarkey is far from most urn-bearers' personal life. Awkward and misunderstood is nearer the mark. In February you can put across your feelings, explain your hurt, and lure lovers into your realm. Don't imagine that rivals are so easily disarmed; they'll be back in springtime. You can, however, sow confusion and misinformation; the battles don't end until June.★ Pisces 20 Feb-20 Mar The temptation to take on more commitments or work than you can…

• Neil Spencer's horoscopes

  Neil Spencer

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Astrologist Neil Spencer reads your stars for the coming week★ Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb During your birthday month you can be forgiven for concentrating on yourself. It's certainly not the time to be settling running disputes with awkward individuals, whether it's a work rivalry or a romantic obsession. Friday's full Moon suggests keeping your head down, while Venus makes your best weapons charm and artistry.★ Pisces 20 Feb-20 Mar These are early but promising days in Jupiter's reign over your 'scope; self-advertisement is the way forward for the next six months, not least among your peer…

• Neil Spencer's Horoscopes

  Neil Spencer

  16 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Astrologist Neil Spencer reads your stars for the coming week★ Capricorn 22 Dec-19 Jan During an unusually intense birthday month you have probably detected the tectonic plates shifting; for you, of all signs, it's a time of major change and readjustment. With last Friday's solar eclipse out of the way, and messenger Mercury in forward gear, a more open, future-orientated six months beckon. Press the "Go" button on all your plans – and if you don't have any, make some big ones pronto.★ Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb With Jupiter out of your skies as of today, the pattern of the last year is now…

• Neil Spencer's Horoscopes |

  Neil Spencer

  9 Jan 2010 | 4:45 pm

  Astrologist Neil Spencer reads your stars for the coming week★ Capricorn 22 Dec-19 Jan If you are keen to make a change, even just a make-over, Friday's eclipse cum new Moon wipes the slate clean and allows you to begin afresh (especially if the 15th is your birthday). Consigning ancient hang-ups, grudges and duff romances to history is part of the scenario, as is completing half-done work. As Venus is pivotal in this lunation, so are pleasure, people and parties. Enjoy.★ Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb Whatever professional deal the last 12 months has served up, try to draw it into some kind of…

• 
  World news: Human rights | guardian.co.uk

• China jails investigator into Sichuan earthquake schools

  Tania Branigan

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:21 am

  Tan Zuoren jailed over Tiananmen Square article but supporters say detention owing to research into death of pupils in quakeA Chinese activist who investigated the deaths of children in schools that collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake was today jailed for five years for subversion, his lawyer said.The court in Chengdu sentenced Tan Zuoren over comments he made in online articles about the violent crackdown on Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. But he and his supporters believe he was detained owing to his research into the deaths of thousands of pupils. Charges related to his investigation…

• Police 'ignore' rights of sex trafficking victims

  Severin Carrell

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Human rights watchdog suspects sexual exploitation of overseas women being wrongly treated as immigration issueThe police and immigration services may be illegally ignoring the human rights of foreign women who have been forced into prostitution, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has alleged.The commission suspects the sexual exploitation of women from overseas is being treated routinely as an immigration issue, with the women often regarded as criminals rather than as victims of coercion, violence and trafficking.It is launching an inquiry today headed by the civil rights lawyer…

• US must be Haiti's watchdog | Mark Weisbrot

  Mark Weisbrot

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:01 pm

  Ahead of the rainy season there are huge concerns over shelter, sanitation and human rights. The US has a responsibility to helpLast month actors and human rights advocates Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, along with the Reverend Jesse Jackson sent a letter to Congress and the Obama administration calling attention to "serious mistakes that have unnecessarily delayed the delivery of medical supplies, water, and other life-saving materials." The letter was also signed by some 90 scholars and Haiti advocates. (Disclosure: I also added my signature).The letter asked for, among other things, "A…

• Hating the human rights act – an English phenomenon | Afua Hirsch

  Afua Hirsch

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:33 am

  Westminster has no right to change the constitutional settlement in other parts of the UK, simply to appease human rights critics in EnglandWhat does it mean to be British? It depends, of course, which part of the United Kingdom you are in when you answer that question. The English stand accused of taking their own sense of identity and list of priorities, and projecting them across the entire UK. The press are number one culprits, said to ignore Scotland and Northern Ireland, unless there is a flare-up in sectarian violence or a significant step towards further devolution. I know how much…

• Let Sikh pupils wear ceremonial daggers, judge says

  Adam Gabbatt

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:50 am

  Britain's first Asian judge Sir Mota Singh says Sikhs should not be banned from wearing kirpans to school or workBritain's first Asian judge has called for Sikhs to be allowed to wear their ceremonial daggers to school.The comments by Sir Mota Singh QC, come after a number of cases of Sikhs being banned from wearing the daggers – known as kirpans – and other religious artefacts in schools or workplaces."Not allowing someone who is baptised to wear a kirpan is not right," Singh told the BBC Asian Network."I see no objection to a young Sikh girl or boy, who's been baptised, being allowed to…

• 
  Politics: Hutton report | guardian.co.uk

• Gagging order on David Kelly records could be lifted

  Afua Hirsch

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:30 pm

  Lord Hutton has responded to reports that a 70-year gagging order he imposed on records and photos relating to the death of the government scientist Dr David Kelly could be challenged by stating that the documents could be revealed to doctors.In a U-turn, Hutton said the information could be released to five doctors who are seeking to reopen the inquest into Kelly's death."I requested that the postmortem report should not be disclosed for 70 years as I was concerned that the publication of that report would cause [Kelly's] daughters and his wife further and unnecessary distress," Hutton…

• Hutton inquiry closed David Kelly medical reports for 70 years

  Afua Hirsch

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:57 am

  • Doctors trying to see files consider legal challenge• Doubt grows over suicide verdict on Iraq expertLord Hutton's decision to classify documents about the death of Dr David Kelly is likely to face a legal challenge amid claims by experts that there are increasing grounds to question the inquiry's verdict of suicide.The Hutton inquiry, which reported in 2004 that Kelly's death was suicide after he cut an artery in his wrist, has come under scrutiny from doctors who claim the medical account is improbable.Five doctors who made an application to the Oxford coroner to have the inquest…

• Campbell: Blair wrote letters to Bush in 2002 saying 'we are with you' on Iraq

  Andrew Sparrow, Haroon Siddique

  12 Jan 2010 | 10:16 am

  Letters raised prospect of British military backing for US, Tony Blair's former director of communications tells Chilcot inquiryTony Blair wrote a series of private letters to George Bush in 2002 assuring him "we are absolutely with you" in making sure Iraq disarmed and raising the prospect of British military backing, Alastair Campbell said today.But the former Downing Street director of communications, giving evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the war, said that the then-prime minister was hopeful of a peaceful resolution until the eve of the 2003 invasion.The Blair-Bush letters have not…

• The decade that reality bit

  Maggie Brown, John Dugdale, Andrew Gilligan, Max Mosley

  13 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  The Noughties began with Big Brother – and ended with Saturday-night showdowns between ITV and the BBC. And when we weren't voting by text, we were using social networks, reading papers online, and wondering how we coped without Google2000 January In the US, America Online merges with Time Warner; and in the UK Greg Dyke becomes 13th BBC director general, ending the eight-year John Birt era. Bolstered by a generous licence fee settlement, Dyke moves main news from 9pm to the 10pm slot vacated by ITV and allocates £115m extra a year to BBC1, a 15% increase.May Radio Authority fines Virgin…

• Open up the Iraq war inquiry | Brian Jones

  Brian Jones

  8 Dec 2009 | 8:00 am

  I published my submissions to the Hutton and Butler hearings in a spirit of openness that I feel is lacking in the Chilcot inquiryI have published all my witness submissions to the Hutton inquiry and Butler review on the Iraq Inquiry Digest website to add to public understanding of the two issues on which I feel best qualified to comment: weapons of mass destruction and intelligence analysis. These are complicated matters, and there is a risk that the Chilcot inquiry will miss significant facts.So far the inquiry has provided precious little documentary evidence as background to its hearings.

• 
  Politics: Identity cards | guardian.co.uk

• Super-rich offered £15,000 fast-track UK visa renewals to avoid delays

  Alan Travis

  20 Jan 2010 | 8:29 am

  Sharp rises in immigration fees almost double the price of bringing in elderly parents and introduce a charge for each childInternational bankers and footballers who want to extend their stay in Britain are to be offered a £15,000 premium visa renewal service as part of a massive increase in immigration fees announced by the Home Office.Ministers are also almost doubling the fees for migrants who apply to bring elderly parents from abroad to live with them to more than £1,900 and are to introduce a separate 10% charge for every child.The immigration minister, Phil Woolas, justified the…

• ID cards now available. Count me out | Dave Page

  Dave Page

  30 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  People in Manchester can now sign up for an ID card. Let's use the occasion to say a firm no to the database stateI will be making a trip to the Identity and Passport Service's registration centre in Manchester at 1pm today. I will not be registering for an identity card. Instead, I will be joining friends from No2ID and other campaigns in demonstrating against the identity scheme. Our message is simple – "Don't be a guinea pig, stop the ID card con!"I expect to see more protesters than volunteers at the registration centre; 96% of respondents in a recent Manchester Evening News online poll…

• ID card scheme launched in Greater Manchester

  30 Nov 2009 | 12:52 am

  Residents who want £30 card can enrol at offices in city centre and at airportIdentity cards will be available to people living in Manchester from today.The scheme's launch was overshadowed by the revelation that the cards are only available to people who already have a passport or whose passport expired this year.Anyone else wanting a £30 card will first have to sign up for a passport at a cost of £77.50.Phil Booth, from the campaign group NO2ID, said: "The government claims that ID cards are a handy alternative to a passport are bogus."You have to have one already, so you will pay…

• Tories warn Mancunians not to fork out for ID cards

  Alan Travis

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am

  The Conservatives have warned Manchester residents not to spend £30 on an identity card when the scheme is launched in the city this month. Meg Hillier, a Home Office minister, said ID cards would be available from 30 November to anyone who lives or works in Greater Manchester, adding that they would prove useful in daily life from opening a bank account to entering a nightclub. But the Tory immigration spokesman, Damian Green, warned Mancunians not to waste their money, saying a Conservative government would scrap "this expensive, intrusive and unworkable scheme".Identity cardsDamian…

• The Home Office's broken biometrics| liberty central

  David Moss

  1 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  The FBI considers facial recognition technology to be inaccurate – so why is our government investing in it?If our last two prime ministers are to be believed, and our last five home secretaries, the solution to all the problems of crime detection, counter-terrorism and the delivery of efficient public services is … biometrics. They're certainly labelling our money into biometrics. But no one ever asks, do biometrics work?Speaking at the Biometrics 2009 conference in London, James A Loudermilk II (the man behind the FBI's automated fingerprint identification system) outlined the plans for…

• 
  Global: Gallery | guardian.co.uk

• Winter Olympics: Memorable moments in the Games' recent history

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:39 am

  A look back at 10 of the most memorable moments in the recent history of the Winter Olympics

• 24 hours in pictures

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:17 am

  A selection of the best images from around the world

• Valentine's Day gift ideas: Homes

  Huma Qureshi

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  The best romantic gifts for stay-at-home Valentines, from prints to paperweights. As chosen by Huma QureshiHuma Qureshi

• Formula One: The new cars for the 2010 F1 Championship

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  A preview of the forthcoming Formula One season

• Hindi gestures

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:17 am

  Express yourself in Hindi by learning a series of hand gestures, from 'Namaste' to 'May you live long'

• 
  World news: India | guardian.co.uk

• India halts release of GM aubergine

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:05 am

  India's environment minister has halted the commercial release of its first genetically modified food crop for public health testsIndia halted the release of its first genetically modified food crop today, saying further study needed to be done to guarantee consumer safety.Environment minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters more independent research must be conducted to ensure the hybrid eggplant was safe for human consumption, after a government committee approved the commercial release of the genetically modified, pest-resistant crop in October.Ramesh's announcement came after an outcry from…

• Nissan returns to profit thanks to China sales

  Justin McCurry

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:11 am

  • Cost cuts and focus on emerging markets help carmaker return to black• Firm predicts full-year profits of ¥35bn after huge losses last yearWhile its rival Toyota struggles to contain the fallout from the recall of millions of defective cars, Nissan today reported a return to profit in the last quarter and said it expected to end the full year in the black thanks to strong sales in China.Japan's third biggest carmaker said its net profit totalled ¥44.9bn (£322m) between October and December, compared with an ¥83.1bn loss a year earlier.It now expects profits of ¥35bn for the year to…

• Amnesty report slams alumina mine run by Vedanta subsidiary in India

  Kathryn Hopkins

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pm

  Mine in Orissa state is causing air and water pollution that threatens the health of local people and their access to water, report findsA report by Amnesty International out today found that an alumina refinery in eastern India operated by a subsidiary of mining company Vedanta is causing air and water pollution that threatens the health of local people and their access to water.Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "People have a right to water and to a healthy environment but Vedanta has failed to respect these rights in Orissa. Villagers were given scant and misleading…

• From the archive: American Diary: Tootsie and Gandhi

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Originally published on 9 February 1983It is Friday night in Philadelphia. The streets are uncomfortably quiet for a New Yorker. A car or two, a man stretched out on the sidewalk fast asleep beneath the watching eye of a bored policeman, ("He's here every night"), hardly a passer-by.On the corner of Market and 12th Streets there is an unexpected crowd of people queueing for the cinema. But what really astonishes the New Yorker is the film for which they are lining up. Across the road, Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie is showing to a deserted house. Here there is Gandhi.In Manhattan, Tootsie is the…

• India to rule on future of aubergine as country's first genetically modified food

  Jason Burke

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:06 am

  • Minister to make key decision on major crop• Broad alliance takes on Monsanto subsidiaryA fierce row over the future of the humble aubergine, staple ingredient of fiery brinjal curries for tens of millions of Indians, will reach a climax on Wednesday with a key government decision on the possible future commercial cultivation of genetically-modified strains of the plant. If permission is given, the aubergine will become the first GM foodstuff to be grown in India.The decision will be taken by the environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, who pledged last year to end the heated argument over…

• 
  World news: Indonesia | guardian.co.uk

• Osama's greenspeak | Nazry Bahrawi

  Nazry Bahrawi

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Bin Laden's apparent support for environmentalism is rooted in an apocalyptic vision of the futureWhen the leader of al-Qaida sought to fashion himself a spokesperson for the climate change cause in a tape sent to the Al-Jazeera network last week, he was not speaking out of character. Osama bin Laden was merely being true to his radical self.As The Guardian's Suzanne Goldenerg perceptively highlighted, the Saudi ideologue is no greenhorn when it comes to speaking up against environmental degradation. In 2002, he had chastised America for destroying nature "more than any other nation in…

• Lucy Wisdom obituary

  18 Jan 2010 | 10:35 am

  Performance artist and founder of the Sumatran Orangutan SocietyLucy Wisdom, who has died aged 53 of cancer, brought colour and passion to everything she did, above all to the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), the charity she founded in 1997, and which became her life's work. She fostered SOS's growth from a one-woman campaign to a small but vital international agency, whose grassroots projects allow the few remaining wild orangutans the chance to survive in the forests of Aceh.Lucy was the eldest of four children born to two doctors in London, and their only daughter. With her parents'…

• Britons among 16 rescued from yacht near Java

  14 Jan 2010 | 1:01 am

  Cork Clipper holed after hitting rocks in Indonesian waters but sailors rescued by rivals in round-the-world raceNine Britons and five Irish sailors were rescued from a sinking racing yacht after it struck rocks in Indonesian waters, the UK coastguard said today.There were 16 people on board the Cork Clipper when it was holed near the island Gosong Mampango in the Java Sea, 200 miles north-east of Jakarta, yesterday. The stranded sailors abandoned the stricken boat in life rafts and headed for nearby rocks. They then waited to be picked up by two of their fellow racing yachts – the…

• Video: Wild Sumatran tiger cubs caught on film

  7 Jan 2010 | 11:31 am

  WWF footage shows two cubs and their mother approaching and sniffing camera before moving on

• Wild Sumatran tiger cubs caught on film for first time

  7 Jan 2010 | 8:34 am

  WWF says the images of Sumatran tiger cubs in the Indonesian jungle show the need for habitat protectionA video camera in the Indonesian jungle has captured the first known footage of Sumatran tiger cubs in the wild, boosting efforts to conserve the endangered species, WWF said today.The video, shot in October on the island of Sumatra, shows two, one-year-old cubs and their mother approaching and sniffing the camera before moving on.WWF's tiger research team set up four video camera traps along known tiger routes that allow the animals to move between two protected areas in central Sumatra -…

• 
  World news: Japan | guardian.co.uk

• Toyota recalls across the world: full list so far

  Roger Browning

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Toyota's recall of millions of cars around the world - including the Prius - is unprecedented. Find out where the recalls have been and what for• Get the data• Interactive guide to the pedal problemWhen Toyota took over from General Motors as the world largest producer of motor vehicles in 2007 it was largely thanks to a reputation for durability that had been forged over decades. Toyota's brand values have little to do with excitement or driving pleasure and everything to do with the comforting knowledge that this car will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and bother.Now of…

• Timeline: Toyota's recall woes

  Katie Allen, James Sturcke

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:31 am

  Japanese carmaker suffers year of headaches as millions of vehicles recalled around the world due to accelerator pedal, brake, seatbelt and exhaust problemsJanuary 2009: Toyota says it will recall 1.3m vehicles worldwide because of seatbelt and exhaust system problems.May 2009: Toyota reports the worst results in its history as it struggles with the global economic crisis.August 2009: Toyota recalls almost 690,000 cars made in China because of faulty window switches – its biggest recall in the country.September 2009: Toyota announces the biggest recall in its history over fears involving…

• Nissan returns to profit thanks to China sales

  Justin McCurry

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:11 am

  • Cost cuts and focus on emerging markets help carmaker return to black• Firm predicts full-year profits of ¥35bn after huge losses last yearWhile its rival Toyota struggles to contain the fallout from the recall of millions of defective cars, Nissan today reported a return to profit in the last quarter and said it expected to end the full year in the black thanks to strong sales in China.Japan's third biggest carmaker said its net profit totalled ¥44.9bn (£322m) between October and December, compared with an ¥83.1bn loss a year earlier.It now expects profits of ¥35bn for the year to…

• Toyota issues global recall of hybrid cars

  Justin McCurry

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  Around 8,500 British Prius owners affected in recall of almost half a million vehicles by carmaker hit by recent safety scares• Datablog: Toyota recalls across the worldToyota is to recall almost half a million hybrid cars worldwide, including 8,500 of its Prius model in the UK, in the latest blow to the carmaker's reputation following a string of safety scares.The recall will begin immediately in Japan and similar measures are being prepared overseas, the firm said today. Toyota GB announced that the recall will apply to 8,500 owners of the third-generation Prius in the UK. It will send…

• Q&A: Does the Toyota recall affect you?

  James Sturcke

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:54 am

  More than 8 million Toyota cars made over the past five years, including seven British models, may have an accelerator fault. A separate braking problem has prompted the recall of four hybrid cars, including the latest Prius modelWhat are the problems?Toyota has issued two product recalls related to accelerator problems, and has announced a third recall due to a braking problem with its latest flagship hybrid Prius model.The largest recall, covering 8 million vehicles worldwide, concerns an accelerator pedal design fault that could cause drivers to lose control of the vehicle.The company…

• 
  Music: Jazz | guardian.co.uk

• Memories of John Dankworth, the great British jazz maestro

  John Fordham

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am

  One of the UK's most impressive jazz exports, the versatile Sir John Dankworth, was deservedly famous – but never a snob"I've never been a purist about jazz, or about any music," Sir John Dankworth told me in an interview for The Guardian in 2007. "It all seems too good to miss anything out." He and his wife, singer Cleo Laine, were celebrating their 80th birthdays at the time, with their usual run of high-profile concerts, educational commitments, and ceaseless globetrotting. Dankworth, who died on Saturday at the age of 82, was driven by that fascination with how good it all was…

• In praise of… Sir John and Lady Dankworth

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  In the distant days when the Sir and Lady tags were first applied to musician Johnny Dankworth and his wife, the singer Cleo Laine, the intention was ironic. Sure, the pair were the first family of postwar British jazz, but that boho scene was no place for picking up honorifics. As young John discovered at the Royal Academy, even the most musical element of the elite thought jazz an eccentricity. But spool forward five decades from the couple's 1958 wedding and the pair jointly boasted a clutch of honorary degrees, a CBE, an OBE and then ultimately a knight- and damehood – Cleo first…

• Johnny Dankworth: The jazz bringer

  Richard Williams

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  When directors wanted their films to ooze cool, they called on Johnny Dankworth. Richard Williams on the man who made British cinema swingThere was a time when jazz and film formed a natural partnership. When a ­director wanted a hectic ­accompaniment to criminal activity, or a splintered melody to echo an on-screen psychodrama, or a cool, lush sound to accompany a cocktail-lounge seduction, jazz was the sound to use. And Johnny Dankworth was one of the men who could provide it, on time and to length.Dankworth, who died at the ­weekend, was a fine musician, although not ­perhaps…

• Sir John Dankworth: A life in pictures

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:59 am

  A look back at the life of Sir John Dankworth, the jazz saxophonist and composer who died this weekend

• Show must go on: jazz concert ends with news of Dankworth death

  Damien Pearse

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:07 pm

  • Audience shaken as Cleo Laine tells how hours earlier husband Johnny insisted on 'celebration'• Star performers were told before going on stage for 40th anniversary gig at couple's homeAs finales go, it was unconventional to say the least. Dame Cleo Laine, wife of jazz legend Sir John Dankworth, had returned from King Edward VII hospital in London, where hours earlier her husband of 50 years had died.Star names were waiting to entertain a 400-strong crowd at The Stables in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire, the venue set up by Sir John and Dame Cleo 40 years earlier. The stars – including…

• 
  Society: Joe Public blog | guardian.co.uk

• Society daily 08.02.10

  Patrick Butler

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:12 am

  Home care for cancer patients, child maintenance agency seizes homes, and complaints of prison racism riseToday's top Society storiesBrown promises all cancer patients will get home careChild maintenance agency seizes homes and freezes bank accountsComplaints of prison racism rise Leader: public spending – battle of the budgetsMadeleine Bunting: the Gilderdale trial was horrific but neccessaryAll today's Society storiesOther news• A study by leading academics says the social care system is "fundamentally broken", reports the Financial Times. The study, commissioned by the government,…

• 'Kay Gilderdale should have been investigated'

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:04 am

  In cases of assisted dying, anyone involved should have to account for their actions, says Phil FriendLike a lot of other people I watched Panorama on Monday evening which focused on the subject of assisted dying. The central issue concerned whether Kay Gilderdale should have been prosecuted for assisting her daughter Lynn to die.The programme used every technique imaginable to ensure the viewer was sympathetic to Kay's terrible plight. What it didn't go into was what kind of support, if any, Kay and her family received. We didn't hear from others with a similar condition. Some of the filming…

• Most offenders have low skills and prison is the place to put that right

  Erwin James

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:44 am

  A report out today says education and training programmes should be an integral part of time served in prison and should be included in the sentencing processIn any walk of life skills are the key to economic and social success. Which without any shadow of a doubt is one of the main reasons our prisons are so full. Official statistics show that 52% of male offenders and 72% of female offenders have no qualifications whatsoever. Almost half of all prisoners have literacy skills at or below level 1 and nearly two thirds have the same difficulties with regard to numeracy skills. It also seems…

• Society daily 03.02.10

  Patrick Butler

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:45 am

  Britain turns its back on dementia – and its young people, Ofsted under fire, and stories of redemptionToday's top society storiesBritain ignoring its dementia crisis, says studyNHS plans "more detailed" performance ratingsPublic sector plans major strikes in run up to electionLabour spending "failed" to improve child healthInterview: Mike Freer, "Mr easyCouncil"All today's Society storiesToday's Society Guardian supplementOther news• One in five police officers – 28,000 – could lose their jobs under costcutting measures contained in a "future scenarios" document drawn up by the…

• An equal start in life is vital for children's health and hopes

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pm

  Audit Commission report shows that the inequalities gap between under-5s from rich and poor families has barely changed over the last decadeChildren who have a healthy start in life, especially the early years, grow up to be healthier adults. However, an Audit Commission report, Giving Children a Healthy Start, says that the health outcomes for under-5s have improved only marginally since 1999. The inequalities gap between under-5s from rich and poor families has barely changed over the last decade, and despite the government investing £10.9bn, some indicators – such as obesity and dental…

• 
  Business: John Lewis | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Industrial strategies and Cadbury sell-off

  21 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Comparison of the UK's industrial strategy with that of France (Brutal game that sells Britain short, 20 January) is almost pointless, given the differences between the capital cities of the two countries, where such matters are decided. Paris is a "­central-place city" which derives its success from the mobilisation of the human and material resources of the territory over which it exercises political control. London is a "network city" whose success requires it to maintain a nodal position on the international trade routes and financial circuit. The only circumstances when London needs…

• Cashback sites: do they deserve any credit?

  16 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Websites promising money for online purchases might sound too good to be true but a few clicks can be surprisingly profitableAmong the credit card bills beginning to land on doormats demanding payment for the excesses of Christmas, some consumers will actually be receiving payments for the shopping they have done. An increasing number of UK shoppers last year signed up to one of the many cashback sites promising buyers money when they shop online. But many of us are still sceptical or confused about the sites that seem to be offering something for nothing.The idea of cashback sites is…

• Pets at Home enjoys winter sales boost with dog coats

  Julia Kollewe

  15 Jan 2010 | 4:56 am

  • Sales climb 6.7% over last six weeks with 9.8% rise overall• Buyers warm up as chain may fetch up to £700m• But John Lewis sales suffered in the snowThe big freeze has boosted sales of dog coats and rabbit hutch covers at Pets at Home, with the retailer enjoying bumper trading over the Christmas period and improving its prospects of finding itself a buyer.Like-for-like sales climbed 6.7% in the six weeks and to 7 January Sales were up 9.8% in the 41 weeks to 7 January.The 252-store chain has put itself up for sale and is in talks with several private equity firms but has not ruled…

• The Business podcast: British retail's Christmas bonanza

  Aditya Chakrabortty, Ben Green, Dan Roberts, Deborah Hargreaves, Andrew Clark, Tim Webb

  13 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  On this week's Business podcast, Aditya Chakrabortty is joined by Dan Roberts and Deborah Hargreaves to discuss a bumper Christmas period for many of Britain's retail giants. Our confidence may have returned, but is there a downside to our rampant spending?Also in the podcast, Tim Webb answers our questions about the state of Britain's gas supplies. Crisis? What crisis?Finally, we go downtown in Motown and hear from Andrew Clark at the Detroit Motor Show about the health of the US car industry.We'll have a special programme on bankers' bonuses next week, but in the meantime, have a listen,…

• Tesco enjoys best Christmas in three years

  Zoe Wood

  12 Jan 2010 | 9:11 am

  • Tesco sales up 4.9% as shoppers splash out• Retailer sent out £100m extra Clubcard vouchersTesco romped home with its best Christmas figures in three years today, saying "promiscuous" shoppers were lured back into its stores by extra Clubcard points and vouchers."If Sainsbury's was stonking, then Tesco's update was mega-stonking," said Philip Dorgan, retail analyst at Ambrian stockbroker. Tesco beat City forecasts with UK like-for-like sales growth of 4.9%.Against the backdrop of an intensifying price war, Tesco sent out £100m of extra Clubcard vouchers to the scheme's 16 million…

• 
  Politics: Boris Johnson | guardian.co.uk

• London Assembly Lib Dems propose best of both worlds for policing budget

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:32 am

  The Mayor's 2010/11 budget will, as we know, result in Met borough commanders having less money to spend, partly as a result of his much-trumpeted freeze of his portion of Council Tax precept income. Boris reckons he can compensate in "frontline" terms through measures such as civilianisation and by the Commissioner having more officers patrolling singly, rather than in pairs. But the Assembly's Lib Dems reckon he could have it both ways. Their budget amendment - which you can download in all its detailed fullness via here - proposes a cut in the precept of 2.6%, which they say would be worth…

• Re-branding of London agencies and GLA Group confirmed

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:24 am

  From Marketing Magazine:Following a protracted pitch, led by the Mayor's director of marketing Dan Ritterband, design agency Saffron picked up the brief to create a new all-encompassing brand for the capital.It is now understood that the plain sans-serif typeface introduced by Visit London in 2008, and created by Saffron, will roll out to other promotional bodies such as Think London and Film London.The Greater London Authority (GLA) is also expected to extend the branding to other divisions, such as Transport for London (TfL) and the London Development Agency (LDA).All of which confirms what…

• Boris Johnson photographed in floral mode

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:22 am

  Beat that for boyish.Boris JohnsonLondonLondon politicsConservativesDave Hillguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Media Monkey's Diary

  Monkey

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  ✒Being in prison is no bar to writing a column. At least, not if you are disgraced press baron Conrad Black, who is filling some time at a Florida jail writing for the Canadian paper he founded, the National Post. Black used a recent column to big up a columnist on another paper he once owned, Boris Johnson, "the most interesting politician in Europe". Black dismisses David Cameron as "an Obama emulator" who "cites only leftists as his intellectual inspiration for what he unpromisingly calls 'the Big Society' (please, not again)". The paper's lengthy blurb about its star columnist omits…

• London Conservative Roger Evans AM on Boris and the Assembly

  Dave Hill

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am

  Roger Evans leads the Conservative group on the London Assembly - and does a bit of blogging too. He talks about relationships: between Tory AMs and Boris, the Mayoralty and central government, the boroughs and the GLA.Dave Hill

• 
  Art and design: Jonathan Jones on art | guardian.co.uk

• Dryden Goodwin's art stands out from the crowd | Jonathan Jones

  Jonathan Jones

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am

  Goodwin's quietly powerful portraits of London Underground staff capture the mystery and melancholy of life in the capitalOrdinary faces look back at you from posters at London Underground stations, drawn in intense black lines, almost like forests of wiring. There is a hum of represssed energy, as if you were approaching power lines on a wasteland. There is also a solitude, a silence in the portraits that reach out, with their eyes, to you the stranger ... and then you've moved on, carried by the crowd, the connection is lost.Dryden Goodwin's portraits of London Transport staff are the…

• Pornographic art? Pornographic art? Nothing unusual at the National Gallery | Jonathan Jones

  Jonathan Jones

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am

  Ed Kienholz's Hoerengracht, a grotesque portrayal of Amsterdam's red-light district, seems shocking. Until you compare it to the Caravaggios and Bronzinos nearbyThe prostitutes still sit in their seedy enclosures. The greasy textures of grimed windows and glimpses of old cassettes of sensual music wait wanly among the red lights. And people peer, silently absorbed in the installation The Hoerengracht by Nancy and Ed Kienholz that opened last autumn at the National Gallery and will continue there, free, until 21 February.It has been fascinating to observe responses to this exhibition and the…

• Jonathan Jones | Art v science – at last, the missing link

  Jonathan Jones

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  We need a visionary who can bridge the two cultures in the 21st century. Who cares if he died in 1519?Recently I wrote about art and astronomy, and the other day I wrote about art and mathematics. The sometimes creative, sometimes antagonistic relationship between art and science fascinates me – and I am not alone. You'd be lucky to visit a science museum without seeing an installation by an artist; at the Natural History Museum, a wooden "evolutionary" ceiling by Tania Kovats hangs above the copy of a controversial fossil of what some call a primate missing link.And yet, the results are so…

• Is it time for Climate Change: the Comic? | Jonathan Jones

  Jonathan Jones

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:38 am

  Could graphic novels could be the perfect way to make sense of the recent IPCC controversy?Is there anything comic books can't do? Any subject too big, mature or complex to be encompassed by a graphic novel? This is the question that presents itself after reading Logicomix, a gripping account of the lives and ideas of logicians at the beginning of the 20th century.The creators of Logicomix – writers Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H Papadimitriou, artists Alecos Papadatos and Annie Di Donna – present themselves as characters in their story, showing a comics design studio at work in modern…

• Ryan Mosley: a great artist in the making? | Jonathan Jones

  Jonathan Jones

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am

  With echoes of 18th-century master Watteau, Mosely does something beautifully rare: think, not just paintI like the paintings of Ryan Mosley, currently showing at London's Alison Jacques Gallery, for their marriage of grit and fantasy. Tough, hard-thought, intelligent textures – real painting, in other words – create realms of wilful play. Is it whimsy or is it tragedy? I'm not sure. The ambiguity interests me.Let me put this praise in context. I am not saying Mosley is a genius, but I am saying this 30-year-old's first serious solo show is unusually promising, indeed that some of the…

• 
  Politics: Tessa Jowell | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Fair and efficient public services

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The changes to the civil service redundancy scheme (Report, 3 February) will make necessary reforms to an outdated scheme that was more expensive than almost every other in the public and private sectors. The scheme will give a fair deal to all civil servants who are made redundant. And lower-paid civil servants, people helping the unemployed get work or border staff keeping our country safe will get a better deal than their bosses. From April, payments for higher-earning workers will be capped at two years, just like payments in the wider public sector. But the same rules will not apply to…

• Letters: Cameron and the political legacy of class

  30 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  The major unanswered question about New Labour and the third way is in whose interest they intended to govern. There can be no such doubt about David Cameron's Conservatives. Their inheritance tax policy makes it clear they have the interests of the rich and privileged at heart (Letters, 30 December).The Tories dismiss dissent as class war and the politics of jealousy. Yet an understanding of social class is fundamental to tackling the inequalities of British society. Health inequalities, child poverty, poor education and failed lifetime opportunity are all rooted in an understanding of…

• Class war for votes should not be our election strategy: Tessa Jowell

  Patrick Wintour

  27 Dec 2009 | 12:16 pm

  Jibes over Cameron's Eton days 'a joke not strategy'Denial as cabinet despairs over Brown's performanceDowning Street was forced to insist it would not be running a class war or core-vote strategy at the next election, after the suggestion of it was strongly rejected by Tessa Jowell, the cabinet office minister, and the lord chancellor, Jack Straw, in weekend interviews.Downing Street insisted that Gordon Brown's references to David Cameron's old Etonian background at prime minister's questions were a joke and did not signify any election strategy.In her weekend interview Jowell urged Brown…

• Tessa Jowell urged to give details of inquiries into phone-hacking

  Caroline Davies, Andrew Sparrow

  6 Dec 2009 | 10:28 am

  • Minister said to be target in News of World scandal • MP asks about assistance to Met police investigationThe government is being asked to reveal details of cabinet minister Tessa Jowell's involvement in investigations into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne has tabled a question to Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary, asking exactly what assistance his predecessor gave to the Metropolitan police during their investigation into phone-hacking by the newspaper's disgraced royal editor, Clive Goodman, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.The…

• Civil service pay-offs to be slashed by £500m

  Hélène Mulholland

  4 Dec 2009 | 7:51 am

  Union raises spectre of strikesPay-offs for civil servants are to be slashed in a bid to save up to £500m over the next three years, it was confirmed today, prompting a union leader to warn of industrial unrest over what he described as "an outrageous breach of faith".Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, raised the spectre of strikes weeks before a general election after the Cabinet Office minister, Tessa Jowell, announced that the value of redundancy packages would be capped at a maximum of two years' salary for employees earning £25,000 or…

• 
  UK news: 7 July London attacks | guardian.co.uk

• BNP member given 11 years for making bombs and guns

  15 Jan 2010 | 6:11 am

  Police found 54 explosive devices from nail bombs to a booby-trapped cigarette packet at Terrance Gavan's homeA BNP member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today.Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire.Police discovered 54 improvised bombs including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet, as well as 12 firearms.The former soldier told detectives that he had "a fascination with things that go bang", the Old Bailey…

• Families criticise joint inquest plan for 7/7 bombers and victims

  Sandra Laville

  26 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pm

  Relatives of the 52 people who died in the London suicide bombings on 7 July 2005 have expressed dismay that their inquests will be heard at the same time as the four men who killed them.The families discovered, at a preliminary meeting in London with the coroner, Lady Justice Hallett, that the final moments of the victims' lives will be played out at the same hearing as the four Islamist terrorists who blew themselves up in Britain's first suicide attack.Graham Foulkes, whose son David, 22, was among the victims, said he was "shocked and dismayed" at the plan.Foulkes, whose son was killed in…

• Police pay compensation to family of Jean Charles de Menezes

  23 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am

  Relatives announce they have accepted settlement over shooting of innocent Brazilian at Stockwell in 2005The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have revealed they have agreed a compensation deal with the Metropolitan police.Relatives of the Brazilian have been locked in a legal battle with the force since he was shot dead at Stockwell tube station on 22 July 2005. De Menezes, 27, was mistaken for the failed suicide bomber Hussain Osman by members of the force's CO19 unit.In a statement released today, his family said "all litigation" between them and Scotland Yard had been resolved. The…

• The nervous, noncommittal noughties can't end soon enough | John Harris

  John Harris

  16 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

  In a decade defined by fatalism and impotence, film-makers and writers have been quick to tap into our sense of impending doomJust to make sure filmgoers leave the present decade on a high, this month brings two suitably upbeat blockbusters. The first is 2012, which topped box office takings in the US and Britain at the weekend, and is directed by Roland Emmerich – who also brought us the aliens-blitz-Earth delight Independence Day and the eco-disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow. This time humanity's demise seems to be traceable to the horrors foretold in an ancient Mayan prophecy, though…

• International victims' relatives group aims to curb terrorism

  Sarfraz Manzoor

  8 Nov 2009 | 4:16 pm

  Two relatives of victims of terrorist attacks are launching a support group today which aims to combat extremism by highlighting the universality of losing a loved one in such circumstances.Carie Lemack is an American who lost her mother in the September 11 attacks and Ashraf al-Khaled is a Jordanian who lost his father, father-in-law and mother-in-law when a suicide bomber attacked the hotel where his wedding reception was taking place in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on 9 November 2005.That shared experience of having lost loved ones in terrorist attacks will bring them together in Amman to…

• 
  World news: Kashmir | guardian.co.uk

• Kashmir avalanche kills Indian troops at high-altitude training camp

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:26 am

  At least 17 soldiers die while taking part in training session at high-altitude campA huge avalanche engulfed part of an army training centre in Indian-controlled Kashmir today, killing 17 soldiers and seriously injuring 17 others.The avalanche hit the Indian army's High Altitude Warfare School at about 11am (0530 GMT) as soldiers took part in a training session, according to army spokesman Colonel Vineet Sood. It was the worst avalanche in the area in many years, he said.Seventeen bodies were found and 53 soldiers were rescued about six hours after the avalanche struck, senior police officer…

• Skiing the Himalayas

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:40 am

  Gulmarg in Kashmir is attracting growing numbers of western skiers who are fleeing the crowded pistes of the Alps

• The call of Kashmir

  Tom Robbins

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  How this troubled corner of the Himalayas has gone from war zone to ultimate ski destinationWow, life really can be a bummer. It's 14 January and I'm sitting on the Heathrow Express, reading in the paper that Scotland is buried under snow, its ski resorts rejoicing in the best conditions for a decade. Meanwhile, Scandinavia has epic amounts of powder, the Alps are having a superb month and there's so much of the white stuff in London that people are skiing on Hampstead Heath. And this is the year I choose to go all the way to India, to ski in the Himalayas where, for the first time in 15…

• Kissinger's fantasy is Obama's reality | Pankaj Mishra

  Pankaj Mishra

  11 Dec 2009 | 2:00 pm

  The road to stability runs through Kashmir. With its latest surge, America has taken a terrible diversionMeeting George Bush at the White House to discuss Afghanistan, the Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid once marvelled at how a "US president could live in such an unreal world, where the entire military and intelligence establishments were so gullible, the media so complacent, Congress so unquestioning – all of them involved in feeding half-truths to the American public".The masters of war and delusion are still flourishing. Widening his campaign of extrajudicial execution by drone…

• Kashmir challenges | Basim Usmani

  Basim Usmani

  4 Oct 2009 | 7:00 am

  Kashmiris are worried about Pakistan giving provincial status to Gilgit Baltistan, which overlaps with the disputed regionPakistanis and Kashmiris have received some interesting Eid gifts this year. The US Congress has approved a tripling of non-military aid to Pakistan, in five instalments of $1.5bn, provided the country "helps fight terrorism". And just a day after Eid, the Pakistani government pushed a motion granting provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, a huge swath of land overlapping with disputed Kashmir.This is a region that has long been federally administered by the Pakistani…

• 
  The Guardian and Observer Uganda project | guardian.co.uk

• Coca Cola, Standard Chartered and the oil industry - a force for good?

  Sarah Boseley

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Could Coca Cola heal the world? Or Standard Chartered Bank or Chevron oil, for that matter? These giant corporations have money and skills. They do business in difficult, hard-to-reach places. They make things happen. So how much could be achieved if they put their efforts into global health? John Tedstrom, president and CEO of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, spends his time urging and helping them to do just that. Tedstrom, a former adviser to Bill Clinton, is so enthusiastic about the work that he turned down a job with the Obama administration, even…

• Kadinya classrooms ready for pupils

  Richard M Kavuma

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:50 am

  After almost 18 months, five new classrooms built at Kadinya school, as part of the Katine project, are ready for useOf the 12 year four pupils who had reported for the second day of the new term at Kadinya community primary school, Teresa Acupo, nine, stood out for her broad smile and the books and pen in her hands, ready to start lessons."This classroom is very nice; it is not like the other one where we would get wet when it rained," said Acupo, who hopes to become a doctor one day.For the first time, Acupo and her schoolmates were able to sit in one of the five new classrooms constructed…

• Explainer: The education system in Uganda

  Richard M Kavuma

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:16 am

  Richard M Kavuma explains how the education system in Uganda worksNursery/kindergarten (duration: three years)This is the pre-school level of education in Uganda. Children usually start at the age of three and complete nursery school by the age of six. Until recently rural areas like Katine sub-county did not have nursery schools. But more and more villagers, inspired by the early start in the education of children in towns, are wanting nurseries for their children. Katine has at least one nursery, located within the premises of a charitable organisation.Primary school (duration: seven…

• Schools record better exam results

  Richard M Kavuma

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

  No Katine pupil achieves top score in national primary leaving exams, but a number of schools register year-on-year improvements in resultsFor the third year running, no pupil in Katine sub-county received a first grade pass in the national primary leaving examinations (PLE), but officials see cause for optimism as other indicators show improvements.According to the 2009 PLE results, released in Kampala at the end of last month, the best performing pupil in Katine was Abraham Oloka from Kadinya community primary school, a school still under construction. Oloka missed out on the top grade by…

• Sands shifting for Africa's nomadic herders

  John Vidal

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pm

  Millions of hectares of land used by pastoralists have been lost to sedentary farming and conservationGallery: Africa's nomadic herders under threatNomadic herders who move their cattle ceaselessly across some of the harshest environments in the world in search of grazing land are vital for Africa's economic prosperity, but their way of life is being undermined by governments, conservationists and large-scale farmers, according to a study.Millions of hectares of land traditionally used by pastoralists in Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Chad, Kenya and other sub Saharan countries have been lost to…

• 
  Katine: Katine Chronicles blog | guardian.co.uk

• Preparing for a mobile phone uprising in Africa

  Anne Perkins

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Anne Perkins reviews SMS Uprising: Mobile activism in Africa - a book that will help explain how mobile phones can be used in the field to anyone daunted by technologyThe trouble with people who know about mobile phone technology is that they are a lot better at good ideas than they are at explaining to non-techies what their good ideas are for. So I fell upon SMS Uprising: Mobile activism in Africa, a collection of essays by people who either write mobile applications or transfer them to the field, hoping that at last I would understand not so much what's going on as how.To begin even nearer…

• Providing safe water in Katine

  1 Feb 2010 | 6:33 am

  A recent Katine blog post received a number of comments regarding water coverage in the sub-county. Here, Amref's water and sanitation officer, Leonard Kasule, addresses some of the points madeRead the original blogIn any rural community, the most essential basic need is access to adequate safe water. In Katine the community has done whatever is within their means to address the water shortage, given the circumstances under which these people are currently living. They have dug open and shallow wells and protected them with logs. However, this does not necessarily mean that water from such…

• An evening with Dambisa Moyo

  Liz Ford

  27 Jan 2010 | 10:52 am

  Dambisa Moyo's lecture at LSE gave her the chance to correct some untruths and address her critics, but a year after the publication of her book Dead Aid, she had little new to offerIt seemed that a year after the publication of her book Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo saw her lecture at the London School of Economics last night as a chance to set the record straight on what she believes will end extreme poverty in Africa. It was also a chance for her to rebut some of the criticisms that have been levelled at her over the past 12 months.She began by clearing up a few points. Firstly, she told the…

• Online chat: A conversation with Katine residents

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:50 am

  Come online at 12pm today and discuss the Guardian's Ugandan development project in Katine with those benefiting from itOver the course of the Katine project, a recurring comment on the blog has referred to community involvement in the work being carried out by Amref and Farm-Africa within the sub-county. What do Katine residents really think of it all and how involved are they in deciding what goes on?From 12pm to 1.30pm GMT (3pm to 4.30pm in Uganda) today, 27 January, some Katine residents will be coming online to discuss these issues – and others - with you.Among those from Katine…

• Uganda draws up national irrigation strategy

  Richard M Kavuma

  25 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am

  Master plan on irrigation expected to be presented to cabinet this monthThe Ugandan government is in the advanced stages of developing and promoting irrigation throughout the country in a bid to respond to droughts that have dented the country's food security.For generations, Ugandan farmers have relied, and thrived, on rainfall to water the land, with irrigation mostly associated with large-scale schemes for crops like rice or sugar canes or flowers for export. But the climate is changing and droughts are becoming more frequent; a government meteorologist recently said that Uganda had…

• 
  World news: Kenya | guardian.co.uk

• Modern and mobile: Africa's nomadic herders under threat

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:59 am

  Nomadic herders are vital for Africa's economic prosperity, but their way of life is being undermined by governments, conservationists and large-scale farmers, according to a study by the International Institute for Environment and Development Modern and Mobile, edited by Helen de Jode

• Sands shifting for Africa's nomadic herders

  John Vidal

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pm

  Millions of hectares of land used by pastoralists have been lost to sedentary farming and conservationGallery: Africa's nomadic herders under threatNomadic herders who move their cattle ceaselessly across some of the harshest environments in the world in search of grazing land are vital for Africa's economic prosperity, but their way of life is being undermined by governments, conservationists and large-scale farmers, according to a study.Millions of hectares of land traditionally used by pastoralists in Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Chad, Kenya and other sub Saharan countries have been lost to…

• Britain's duty to Kenya | Waithaka Waihenya

  Waithaka Waihenya

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:30 am

  A case brought by former Mau Mau fighters suggests Britain is shirking its human rights responsibilities in KenyaA case involving Kenyans claiming that they suffered atrocities at the hands of the British colonial authorities is arousing interest among human rights campaigners in Kenya. Most Kenyans are eager to see the outcome of the case, because the treatment of Mau Mau fighters after Kenya became independent is a sensitive subject.The British authorities are said to be using an "obscure" legal principle to throw out the case, arguing that the Kenyan government is now responsible for what…

• UK 'using obscure legal principle' to dismiss torture claims in colonial Kenya

  Afua Hirsch

  24 Jan 2010 | 4:10 pm

  Foreign Office says it is 'not liable for acts and omissions' of administration after alleged abuse of Mau Mau suspectsThe government is invoking an obscure legal principle to dismiss claims of torture and rape by the British colonial administration in Kenya, campaigners claimed.The Foreign Office has said four elderly Kenyans alleging that they suffered serious physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the British during the Kenyan "emergency" of 1952 to 1960 should not be allowed to proceed with their claim because of the law of state succession.The government argues it is "not liable for…

• Kenyan herders to be offered livestock insurance against drought

  Xan Rice

  21 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Pioneering scheme uses satellite imagery which shows when available forage is so scarce that animals are likely to starveHerders in northern Kenya who suffered large cattle losses during recent droughts are to be offered livestock insurance in a pioneering project that uses satellite imagery of available grazing to determine when payouts occur.The scheme, billed as a world first by the International Livestock Research Institute, is being launched today in the arid Marsabit district. Pastoralists in Marsabit keep more than 2m cows, camels, goats and sheep, worth an estimated $67m, but…

• 
  World news: Kosovo | guardian.co.uk

• The legal labyrinth of Kosovo | Ian Bancroft

  Ian Bancroft

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  With the international court of justice's ruling on Kosovo's independence imminent, the wrangling over its status continuesAhead of the international court of justice's ruling on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, which is expected in the coming months, tensions continue to mount as both domestic and international actors reassert their stances. A much-vaunted new strategy for integrating the north into Kosovo's institutions has further distanced Kosovo Serbs, narrowed Belgrade's scope for manoeuvre and re-ignited Kosovo Albanian calls for a tougher stance towards…

• The trouble with independence | Ian Bancroft

  Ian Bancroft

  7 Dec 2009 | 11:30 am

  A ruling in the international court of justice on Kosovo's status has important implications for secessionist regions worldwideWith proceedings at the international court of justice (ICJ) now firmly under way, the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence is once again under the spotlight. With an advisory opinion expected within the next six months, the outcome of the case will have an important impact on Kosovo's status.Should the judgment favour Serbia, the impetus for further negotiations will continue to grow. Should it affirm the legality of Kosovo's declaration,…

• Patriarch Pavle obituary

  3 Dec 2009 | 10:46 am

  Serbian Orthodox leader who guided his church through Yugoslavia's demiseHis Holiness Pavle, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox church – it is a grand title, and in some ways seems at odds with the life of the man who bore it for almost 19 years. As far as possible, Patriarch Pavle, who has died aged 95, lived a life of humble simplicity. In the quiet and gentle way he dealt with everyone he met, it was possible to see the very deep spirituality and personal holiness and wisdom that so many people recognised in him –…

• Tomaz Humar obituary

  Ed Douglas

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:25 am

  Charismatic Slovenian climber who became one of the world's leading mountaineersIn the summer of 1988, the Slovenian mountaineer Tomaž Humar, who has died in a climbing accident in Nepal aged 40, was a Yugoslavian soldier stationed in the Kosovo town of Podujevo. Humar loathed Slobodan Miloševic´'s plans for ethnic Albanians and, when his conscription ended, told his commanding officer that he wanted to go home. Instead, he was detained and maltreated before being abandoned with an unloaded rifle among a community hostile to Yugoslavian soldiers. He never forgot the Albanian who took pity…

• A sigh of relief in Kosovo | Anna Di Lellio

  Anna Di Lellio

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  As Kosovan Serbs defy Belgrade's call for a total boycott of elections, obstructionism is starting to look an outmoded policyKosovo held the first elections after independence without incident, and apparently without any loser. The new state had to choose mayors and local assemblies, and although the turnout was low at 45%, it was higher than the last elections in 2007. With 36 municipalities up for grabs, there have been prizes for all, and revellers from all parties celebrated into the night.More notably, the new municipality of Gracanica elected Bojan Stojanovic, of the Serbian Independent…

• 
  World news: Kurds | guardian.co.uk

• Turkish Kurd, 15, jailed for eight years over 'terror' crimes at protest rally

  Robert Tait

  31 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am

  • Teenager claimed she was mistaken for a protester• Turkey is breaching child rights, campaigners warnA 15-year-old girl who was arrested at a demonstration in support of a banned Kurdish group has been jailed in Turkey for nearly eight years after being convicted of "terrorist" offences, including allegedly throwing stones at police.The case comes amid renewed scrutiny of Turkey's human rights record after it was named as the worst violator of the 47 signatory states to the European convention of human rights.The girl, a Turkish Kurd who has been named only as Berivan, was detained in…

• Ali Hassan al-Majid obituary

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:20 am

  Brutal henchman and cousin of Saddam Hussein known as 'Chemical Ali'General Ali Hassan al-Majid, who has been executed aged 68, earned the macabre nickname "Chemical Ali" from the crime for which he was finally convicted: the poison gas attack in the Kurdish region of Iraq in 1988. As head of the Iraqi Ba'ath party's northern bureau, he presided over the al-Anfal campaign, which devastated most of Kurdistan. More than 120,000 Kurds were killed during a campaign of gassings, mass executions and starvation, including around 5,000 who died in one day when the town of Halabja was saturated with…

• Iraq executes Chemical Ali

  Mark Tran

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:13 am

  Ali Hassan al-Majid was notorious for the gassing of more than 5,000 Kurds in 1988 and other brutal campaignsAli Hassan al-Majid, better known as Chemical Ali, was executed today for crimes against humanity in Iraq's highest profile execution since Saddam Hussein was hanged three years ago."The death sentence against Ali Hassan al-Majid has been carried out," said Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesman.Dabbagh said Majid was not subjected to any abuse during the execution – unlike Saddam, who was taunted on the gallows in December 2006."Everyone abided by the government's…

• 'Chemical Ali' to be hanged within days

  Martin Chulov

  17 Jan 2010 | 11:33 am

  Ali Hassan al-Majid sentenced to death by Iraq's high criminal court for ordering slaughter of Kurds in 1988One of Saddam Hussein's most loathed henchman, Ali Hassan al-Majid, otherwise known as Chemical Ali, will be hanged within days, a senior official said tonight, setting the scene for Iraq's highest profile execution since Saddam himself was put to death more than three years ago.The former spy chief and first cousin of Saddam was today sentenced to death for ordering the slaughter of more than 5,000 Kurds in the northern Iraqi town of Halabja with chemical weapons in 1988.It was the…

• 'Chemical Ali' sentenced to death over Halabja poison gas attack

  17 Jan 2010 | 2:59 am

  Latest conviction of Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid means fourth death sentence for atrocitiesSaddam Hussein's notorious cousin "Chemical Ali" was convicted today of crimes against humanity, receiving a death sentence for his involvement in a poison gas attack on Halabja, Iraq.Families of victims in court cheered when the judge handed down the guilty verdict against Ali Hassan al-Majid in a trial for one of the worst poisonous gas attacks against civilians.He has already received three previous death sentences for atrocities committed during Saddam's rule, particularly in the…

• 
  Politics: Labour | guardian.co.uk

• The importance of co-operatives | Peter Lazenby

  Peter Lazenby

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am

  If Labour honours its pledge to support the co-operative movement, the resulting social change could be significantThe announcement that Labour will pump resources into the development of the co-operative movement if it is returned to power in the general election is to be welcomed. If the pledge is honoured the potential is enormous.To appreciate the significance, we can learn from the history of co-ops in Britain over the last 170 years. It reveals not only the emergence of an unprecedented force for social change through worker ownership and control, but also the extent to which capitalist…

• Resilient, but still not radical | Michael Macdonnell

  Michael Macdonnell

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Gordon Brown may be holding on while the Tory poll lead lessens, but Labour needs to push forward a reforming agendaGordon Brown's resilience is astonishing. Just weeks ago a politically insane leadership challenge seemed to promise electoral annihilation. But like one of those clown punching bags, each devastating blow only energises the rebound of the prime minister's weirdly grinning face. Not that this resilience is purely down to him. The Tories have amateurishly led with their chins, losing points in an election fight with confused and ill-defined messages. Single-digit poll leads at…

• Labour broke rules with automated phone calls

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:35 am

  Information commissioner rules that unsolicited calls featuring a recorded message from Coronation Street actor Liz Dawn breached privacy regulationLabour breached privacy regulations by making unsolicited automated phone calls featuring a recorded message from Coronation Street actor Liz Dawn to almost half a million people, the information commissioner ruled today.The calls were targeted at around 495,000 people in areas with strong Labour support to encourage them to turn out to vote in the local and European elections last June.David Smith, the deputy information commissioner, said calls…

• The alternative vote is not the solution | Chris Huhne

  Chris Huhne

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  Labour has got it wrong. Only the single transferable vote will remedy the unfairness of the present systemGordon Brown is cutting it fine. The government's proposal for the alternative vote system of electing the Commons, subject to a referendum to be held by the autumn of 2011, is so late in this parliament that no one will put serious money on its chances of getting through. We have fewer than 90 days to the general election widely presumed to be held on 6 May, and only two-thirds of those days are available to pass legislation.Yet the proposal is literally historic. Throughout the 19th…

• Constitutional crumbs are not enough | Anthony Barnett

  Anthony Barnett

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  Gordon Brown's plans for a 'sovereignty of the people' and electoral reform should not be taken at face valueWhat should we make of the prime minister's call on the morning of 2 February for a constitutional revolution, replacing parliamentary sovereignty with the "sovereignty of the people"? With the first step a referendum on replacing first-past-the-post system with alternative vote?Peter Facey, the director of Unlock Democracy, says in Comment is Free that we should "welcome any sign that Labour is at last rediscovering its radical zeal"."Dismissing Brown's statement of intent out of…

• 
  Television & radio: Last night's TV | guardian.co.uk

• Coronation Street and Kim Jong-Il's Comedy Club | TV review

  Sam Wollaston

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Splash! Coronation Street is a man down after Joe's plans to fake his own death go awry, says Sam WollastonIt's obvious where Joe in Coronation Street (ITV1) got the inspiration for his own faked death. He admits it. "There is another way," he says to Gail when she tells him she plans to win the lottery to solve their financial woes. "Disappear. Like that canoe guy."He's been hinting at it for a while, talking of clean slates. They – Joe, Gail and Joe's little sailing boat – are in the Lake District, for a romantic break, Gail thinks, but really because the loan shark's been circling (cue…

• Seven Ages of Britain and The Bible: A History | TV Review

  Sam Wollaston

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Forget the Seven Ages of Britain. I want the Seven Ages of David DimblebyThere should be an age after which TV presenters don't have to climb ropes. Sixty-five, I'd suggest. ­Because at 71, David Dimbleby is looking as if he'd much rather have his feet firmly on the ground. He's hanging 40ft above the stone floor of the Holy Trinity Church in Coventry, in Seven Ages of Britain (BBC1, Sunday), looking at a ­terrifying medieval painting of The Last Judgment. He goes up very ­gingerly, and when he swings round so he's facing the wrong way, he kicks out into space with his legs to…

• My Boyfriend the MI5 Hoaxer | TV review

  Sam Wollaston

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

  Would you trust an off licence employee who said he was trying to crack an gang of international jewel thieves? Yes, I probably would, writes Sam WollastonI'm wondering if I would have fallen for it. My new boyfriend has an ­awful lot of money for someone who just works in the off licence up the road. Which is lovely, because he takes me out for very expensive meals and on lovely skiing holidays, buys £300 bottles of champagne. But still, I'd like to know where it comes from. He's an MI5 agent, he tells me, but I should keep it to myself. After that he takes me to work with him, we drive…

• Simon King's Shetland Diaries | TV Review

  Sam Wollaston

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Simon King was having a jolly old time in Shetland. And then the weather turnedShetland is this extraordinary collection of islands (I think collection is the correct ­collective noun). Towering cliffs rise from a boiling ­emerald ocean. Tarka the ­otter frolics in the shallows with Mrs Tarka and the little Tarkettas. A bit ­further out, majestic Free Willy whales cruise up and down (and tear baby seals apart, but look the other way – it's only nature, red in tooth and claw and all that). Overhead, gannets soar ­menacingly, then suddenly fold their wings and plummet, like little Tom…

• Natural World and Embarrassing Bodies | TV review

  Sam Wollaston

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Prairie dogs have good language skills. But I won't be asking them to my dinner parties, says Sam WollastonPrairie dogs, the stars of this Natural World (BBC1), aren't really dogs at all. They look like meerkats to me. Comparetheprairiedog.com, compare . . . no, that doesn't work, not even with a comedy Russian accent. I'm talking about the infuriating advert that appears to have entered the nation's psyche (weirdly, someone has registered the domain name comparetheprairiedog.com, though lord knows what they're going to do with it). Anyway, these North American price-comparison rodents, which…

• 
  Editorials | guardian.co.uk

• Ukraine: Unhappy return

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The presidential election in Ukraine was free, mostly fair, and the Russians kept their hands off the whole proceedings. In those important respects, the orange revolution that shook the nation five years ago has left its mark. But unfortunately for those who like happy endings, the wrong person won. Viktor Yanukovych, whose rigged election in 2004 triggered the mass protests in Kiev, is heading back to power as the duly and fairly elected president. The villain of the piece five years ago is the orange revolution's chief beneficiary.Yanukovych's victory has set off much ­wailing and…

• In praise of… Sir John and Lady Dankworth

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  In the distant days when the Sir and Lady tags were first applied to musician Johnny Dankworth and his wife, the singer Cleo Laine, the intention was ironic. Sure, the pair were the first family of postwar British jazz, but that boho scene was no place for picking up honorifics. As young John discovered at the Royal Academy, even the most musical element of the elite thought jazz an eccentricity. But spool forward five decades from the couple's 1958 wedding and the pair jointly boasted a clutch of honorary degrees, a CBE, an OBE and then ultimately a knight- and damehood – Cleo first…

• Metropolitan police: Failing the test

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Forty years ago, when the most influential British police chief of the postwar era, Robert Mark, took over as the Metropolitan police commissioner, he made a celebrated and shocking remark. "The basic test of a decent police force is that it catches more criminals than it employs," Mark said. Then he added: "And the Met is failing that test."The four-year jail sentence for misconduct and perverting the course of justice that was imposed yesterday on Commander Ali Dizaei is easily the most serious case of corrupt abuse of police power in London since those distant days. Commissioner Paul…

• Public spending: Battle of the budgets

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Question: When is a public spending review not a public spending review? Answer: When it's a public spending round. The problem is that, in Treasuryspeak, there is now no such thing as a public spending round – the old annual "star chamber" battle between the chancellor and the Whitehall departments that was a familiar ministerial ritual of the past. When Gordon Brown became chancellor, riding a tide of economic growth, he scrapped the bloodbath of the annual round in favour of a more strategic two- or three-year spending review. But the three-year cycle is difficult to manage in more…

• US and China: Tetchy twins

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  A year ago, China Daily gushed with upbeat epithets about the co-operation between the US and China. The relationship was already effective and smooth on trade, Taiwan and global warning. With two firm multilateralists, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, now in power, it would be positively strengthened and constructive, the official mouthpiece opined.How different the picture looks today – and how wounded the official tone. China sent a deputy foreign minister to negotiate with Mr Obama in Copenhagen, scuppering the deal that not just the US but many other countries wanted. Next came the…

• 
  The Guardian newspaper: Editorials & reply | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Too nice for Four

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Following the coverage of Miriam O'Reilly's plan to sue the BBC for ageism (Too old for TV?, G2, 5 February), it is important to note that the issue is not restricted to the BBC. I was recently put forward by a production company to be an eco-expert for a new TV series for Channel 4. The response from Channel 4 had me in howls of laughter. They said not only was I too old (I am 50) but I was also too nice! Is this the first instance of niceism, and can I sue?Donnachadh McCarthyLondon• Talking of cliches (Letters, 8 February), I was surprised to see Simon Hoggart join the contest…

• Letters: Steps towards a more representative democracy

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Polly Toynbee criticises the Tories for opposing "people's right to chose their voting system" yet sees Labour's refusal to give the people the chance to vote for PR as "embracing electoral reform" (Comment, 6 February). In truth, the conduct of both parties provides further evidence that our politicians should not be allowed any say in setting the rules by which we elect them, given their inherent and insoluble conflicts of interest. The same is true of constitutional reform in general.The referendum we should be having would be on establishing a citizens' constitutional convention like the…

• Letters: Banks, tax havens and corruption

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I was both fascinated and disgusted by reports about BAE (6 February) but was not sure what shocked me most. Was it the bribery? Or the fact that BAE was and is peddling the tools of death? Or the fact that some of the systems they sold went to poor countries who had absolutely no need for such hi-tech equipment.However, one aspect of your report especially clicked with me: that much of the illicit cash had been passing through intermediaries and bank accounts in various tax havens. If you want to tackle corruption, both in commercial fields and in governmental fields (eg the ministers of…

• Ukraine: Unhappy return

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The presidential election in Ukraine was free, mostly fair, and the Russians kept their hands off the whole proceedings. In those important respects, the orange revolution that shook the nation five years ago has left its mark. But unfortunately for those who like happy endings, the wrong person won. Viktor Yanukovych, whose rigged election in 2004 triggered the mass protests in Kiev, is heading back to power as the duly and fairly elected president. The villain of the piece five years ago is the orange revolution's chief beneficiary.Yanukovych's victory has set off much ­wailing and…

• In praise of… Sir John and Lady Dankworth

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  In the distant days when the Sir and Lady tags were first applied to musician Johnny Dankworth and his wife, the singer Cleo Laine, the intention was ironic. Sure, the pair were the first family of postwar British jazz, but that boho scene was no place for picking up honorifics. As young John discovered at the Royal Academy, even the most musical element of the elite thought jazz an eccentricity. But spool forward five decades from the couple's 1958 wedding and the pair jointly boasted a clutch of honorary degrees, a CBE, an OBE and then ultimately a knight- and damehood – Cleo first…

• 
  World news: Lebanon | guardian.co.uk

• Ethiopian Airlines plane veered off course before sea crash

  26 Jan 2010 | 5:25 am

  Lebanese minister says plane that went down in storm, killing 90, suddenly turned in opposite direction from suggested pathThe pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed into the sea flew in the opposite direction from the path recommended by the control tower after taking off from Beirut in a storm, Lebanon's transport minister said today.All 90 people on board were killed when the plane went down in flames minutes after takeoff at around 2:30am yesterday, during a night of lightning and thunderstorms.The minister, Ghazi Aridi, said the pilot initially followed the tower's guidance,…

• 90 feared dead as Ethiopian Airlines jet plunges into sea off Lebanon

  Hugh Macleod

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:42 am

  • Witnesses saw ball of fire in sky during bad storm• Terrorism not suspected, says Lebanese presidentInvestigators were tonight carrying out DNA tests on severely burned bodies recovered from the sea after an Ethiopian Airlines flight carrying 90 people caught fire during a lightning storm and crashed into the Mediterranean minutes after taking off from Beirut.As darkness fell no survivors had been found in the stormy waters off Lebanon, despite search and rescue efforts by the country's military, UN naval peacekeepers and units from nearby Cyprus who were tonight joined by British and…

• Ethiopian plane crashes into sea off Beirut

  Peter Walker

  25 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am

  All 90 on board – including two Britons – presumed dead after Ethiopian Airlines flight breaks up mid-air shortly after takeoffNinety people, including two British nationals, are presumed dead after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into the sea today minutes after taking off from Beirut during a thunderstorm. Witnesses reported seeing a "ball of fire" plunging into the Mediterranean.Among those on Flight 409, which was heading to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, were two British nationals of Lebanese origin, as well as the wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon, Reuters reported.

• Video: Ethiopian plane crashes into the Mediterranean sea

  25 Jan 2010 | 1:42 am

  Witness saw ball of fire as Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into sea minutes after takeoff. All on board are presumed dead

• Ethiopian plane crashes off Beirut coast

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:12 am

  Ethiopian Airlines plane with 90 people on board crashes into sea just minutes after takeoff from Beirut

• 
  Letters | guardian.co.uk

• Letters: Too nice for Four

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Following the coverage of Miriam O'Reilly's plan to sue the BBC for ageism (Too old for TV?, G2, 5 February), it is important to note that the issue is not restricted to the BBC. I was recently put forward by a production company to be an eco-expert for a new TV series for Channel 4. The response from Channel 4 had me in howls of laughter. They said not only was I too old (I am 50) but I was also too nice! Is this the first instance of niceism, and can I sue?Donnachadh McCarthyLondon• Talking of cliches (Letters, 8 February), I was surprised to see Simon Hoggart join the contest…

• Letters: Steps towards a more representative democracy

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Polly Toynbee criticises the Tories for opposing "people's right to chose their voting system" yet sees Labour's refusal to give the people the chance to vote for PR as "embracing electoral reform" (Comment, 6 February). In truth, the conduct of both parties provides further evidence that our politicians should not be allowed any say in setting the rules by which we elect them, given their inherent and insoluble conflicts of interest. The same is true of constitutional reform in general.The referendum we should be having would be on establishing a citizens' constitutional convention like the…

• Letters: Banks, tax havens and corruption

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I was both fascinated and disgusted by reports about BAE (6 February) but was not sure what shocked me most. Was it the bribery? Or the fact that BAE was and is peddling the tools of death? Or the fact that some of the systems they sold went to poor countries who had absolutely no need for such hi-tech equipment.However, one aspect of your report especially clicked with me: that much of the illicit cash had been passing through intermediaries and bank accounts in various tax havens. If you want to tackle corruption, both in commercial fields and in governmental fields (eg the ministers of…

• Education letters

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The construction industry's comeback, ignoring Britain's talented children, and the costly burden on further education studentsBuilding for the futureThe job market for young people in ­construction is indeed challenging, to say the least (A failure to do the maths, 2 February). However, in the recession of the 1990s, training budgets were slashed and a devastating skills gap appeared in the sector when the economy shifted from stagnant to buoyant. Our latest forecasts demonstrate that although return to growth will be slow in construction, the sector will be out of recession by…

• Letters: Making sure the lights don't go out

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Given the long lead times for building new electricity capacity we should all be concerned that around a quarter of the UK's electricity generating capacity must be replaced in the next 10 years (Only state intervention can keep the lights on, says Ofgem, 4 February). However, it is even more worrying that plans to replace this shortfall are so poorly advanced. Some 20 gigawatts of new capacity are "under way", but only 8GW is actually under construction. It would not take much to go wrong for power cuts to become widespread.However, before politicians start blaming the UK's liberalised…

• 
  Politics: Liberal Democrats | guardian.co.uk

• The alternative vote is not the solution | Chris Huhne

  Chris Huhne

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  Labour has got it wrong. Only the single transferable vote will remedy the unfairness of the present systemGordon Brown is cutting it fine. The government's proposal for the alternative vote system of electing the Commons, subject to a referendum to be held by the autumn of 2011, is so late in this parliament that no one will put serious money on its chances of getting through. We have fewer than 90 days to the general election widely presumed to be held on 6 May, and only two-thirds of those days are available to pass legislation.Yet the proposal is literally historic. Throughout the 19th…

• David Miliband proposes 'reset referendum' on constitutional reform measures

  Andrew Sparrow, Polly Curtis

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:52 am

  Foreign secretary says he would favour a referendum that would allow voters to express a verdict on a series of constitutional reform proposals on the same dayDavid Miliband today said that he favoured a wide-ranging "reset" referendum that would allow voters to express a verdict on a series of constitutional reform proposals on the same day.The foreign secretary stressed that he was expressing a personal view when he proposed the idea hours before MPs vote on a plan to hold a referendum on abandoning the first-past-the-post voting system after the general election.Miliband told a press…

• John Bercow warns MPs' trials are at risk of prejudice

  Nicholas Watt, Andrew Sparrow

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

  Speaker also says 'golden goodbye' payments for the three MPs will be suspended while legal proceedings are ongoingCommons Speaker John Bercow today warned of the danger of prejudicing the trials of three MPs charged with criminal offences relating to their expenses claims.Bercow's intervention came after comments by David Cameron about the cases led to claims he risked prejudicing any criminal trial.David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine are being prosecuted on several counts of false accounting. All were suspended from the Labour party earlier today, prompting the Tory leader to accuse…

• Public spending: Battle of the budgets

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Question: When is a public spending review not a public spending review? Answer: When it's a public spending round. The problem is that, in Treasuryspeak, there is now no such thing as a public spending round – the old annual "star chamber" battle between the chancellor and the Whitehall departments that was a familiar ministerial ritual of the past. When Gordon Brown became chancellor, riding a tide of economic growth, he scrapped the bloodbath of the annual round in favour of a more strategic two- or three-year spending review. But the three-year cycle is difficult to manage in more…

• Lib Dems accuse Jack Straw of hoodwinking public on Iraq

  Nicholas Watt, Richard Norton-Taylor

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:08 pm

  Justice secretary misled parliament and breached ministerial code over handling of legal advice on war, say Lib DemsJack Straw returns to the Iraq inquiry on Monday facing allegations that he misled parliament and breached the ministerial code over his handling of the legal advice about the war in 2003.The Liberal Democrats accuse the justice secretary of "hoodwinking" the British public when he prevented the cabinet from hearing doubts about the legality of the invasion.As the war continues to cast a shadow over Labour, Alastair Campbell almost broke down on television today when questioned…

• 
  World news: Libya | guardian.co.uk

• Holyrood committee splits over handling of Megrahi release

  Severin Carrell

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:32 am

  MSPs on justice committee unable to agree on key questions regarding Lockerbie bomber's return to LibyaAn influential Holyrood committee has failed to reach any firm conclusions about the Scottish government's handling of the Lockerbie affair after it split down party lines.MSPs on the justice committee were unable to agree on key questions at the heart of the release last August of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, despite its becoming the biggest political and legal controversy in the 10-year history of the devolved government.The committee was divided on whether the Libyan government was legally able…

• Tutu presses Libya on jailed activist

  Jamie Doward

  30 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Prominent dissident Jaballa Matar has been missing for nearly two decadesOne of the world's most respected clerics is to put pressure on the Libyan government to reveal what it knows about a political activist who has been missing for almost two decades.Desmond Tutu, the Nobel peace prize winner and former Archbishop of Cape Town, has called on Muammar Gaddafi's regime to "urgently clarify the fate and whereabouts of Jaballa Matar, a prominent political dissident". In a statement to be issued on Monday, Tutu notes that it is almost 20 years since Matar was abducted from Cairo and sent back to…

• How I fought to survive Guantánamo

  Patrick Barkham

  20 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  For nearly six years, British resident Omar Deghayes was imprisoned in Guantánamo and subjected to such brutal torture that he lost the sight in one eye. But far from being broken, he fought back to retain his dignity and his sanityIt is not hot stabbing pain that Omar Deghayes remembers from the day a Guantánamo guard blinded him, but the cool sen­sation of fingers being stabbed deep into his eyeballs. He had joined other prisoners in protesting against a new humiliation – inmates ­being forced to take off their trousers and walk round in their pants – and a group of guards had…

• Ministers press Libya over detentions

  Afua Hirsch

  18 Jan 2010 | 11:49 am

  Government considers freezing relations over unknown fate of Jaballa Matar, an activist kidnapped from Cairo in 1990The government will not support strengthening ties with Libya further unless assurances about the treatment of those held in detention in the country are received, the Guardian has learned.The Foreign Office has said the family of Jaballa Matar – a prominent Libyan activist who was kidnapped from his home in Cairo in 1990 – "need to know" his whereabouts and has already contacted the Libyan government to discuss the treatment of detainees.Human rights campaigners welcomed…

• An obligation to account | Kamila Shamsie and Philippe Sands

  Kamila Shamsie, Philippe Sands

  17 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Britain should act under international law if Libya will not resolve Jaballa Matar's disappearanceIn Saturday's Guardian the novelist Hisham Matar wrote of his ­anguish over the continuing ­disappearance of his father, the Libyan political dissident Jaballa Matar, who was taken from his home in Cairo in March 1990 and imprisoned in Libya. The Libyan government has never acknowledged his imprisonment. The only news his family has received directly from him has been via two letters smuggled out of prison – one written in 1992, one in 1995.Recently the family received word that he was seen…

• 
  Politics: Ken Livingstone | guardian.co.uk

• Can Progressive London build a new politics for the metropolis?

  Dave Hill

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:58 am

  Here's Ken saying "yes" on Queer Question Time: And here's me offering him some advice:Against a possible backdrop of a Cameron government in mid-term and London's floating voters experiencing Boris fatigue, maybe a combination of Labour core votes, second preference Green votes and his personal vote would be enough for him. But among the capital's electorate there's a Ken fatigue factor, too. He needs to refresh his brand and do so by evolving new policies that will not only speak to his bedrock supporters but also persuade those who forsook him last time round that he has listened to them,…

• Let's have less of the past, Ken | Dave Hill

  Dave Hill

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Livingstone has described himself as the once and future mayor of London. But he'll only win in 2012 if he refreshes his politicsA few months after Ken Livingstone was removed from City Hall I suggested to a member of his team that the "once and future mayor" (Livingstone's words) should buy a nice, new notepad and some pens – I recommend the Ball Pentel fine point R50, by the way – take himself away from the political fray and invent a whole new version of himself. In the past he has been a politician of unusual nerve, resourcefulness and imagination, as even some of his enemies concede.

• Progressive London conference; some food for thought

  Dave Hill

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:55 am

  Was Saturday's Progressive London conference a success? Depends how you look at it. Attendance was excellent: a full house of some 700. I enjoyed myself, firstly as a speaker (not something I always relish) and then listening to interesting sessions on housing policy and social media. On the other hand, I have misgivings, some of them very similar to Sunny Hundal's. I'm gestating a Cif piece on that theme. For now, though, a few questions and observations:Bonnie Greer has become a darling of the liberal-left.Her handling of Nick Griffin on Question Time has won her a new audience. At the…

• Boris Johnson will have to run for London mayor again, says Ken Livingstone

  Hélène Mulholland

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:35 am

  Former mayor looks ahead to 2012 rematch with Conservative rival as he prepares to stage Progressive London conferenceKen Livingstone will tomorrow stage his second Progressive London conference as he gears up for a rematch with Boris Johnson for the capital's mayoralty in 2012.Livingstone, who lost power to Johnson in 2008 after two terms in office, believes his Conservative rival "doesn't have any choice" but to stand for the mayoralty again – although Johnson's refusal to commit himself to a second term suggests otherwise."Cameron will insist," Livingstone said. "He will never allow…

• Boris Johnson and Peter Mandelson meet on plan

  Dave Hill

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:07 am

  Paul Waugh, blogging yesterday:When Boris Johnson boarded his BA plane to Davos today for the economic summit, who should greet him but Lord Mandelson of Hartlepool and Foy? The Business Secretary was sitting in first class, sipping champers and eating cake. Boris, doughty guardian of the public purse, was booked into economy and trudged off past Lord M towards his seat. The Mayor then found that the only sustenance for the flight was a measly cereal bar.Ho ho. And now, betting news. The Evil Baron remains at 20/1 with William Hill to become London's next Mayor. The Evil Blond stands at…

• 
  Society: Local government | guardian.co.uk

• Public sector emissions grew by 6.25% in 2008

  Adam Vaughan

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:43 am

  Critics say government lacks credibility as emissions rose 6.25% in 2008 - while overall the UK's fell by 2%Public sector greenhouse gas emissions rose by 6.25% in 2008 despite overall UK emissions falling by almost 2%, analysis of government figures showed today.While sectors such as energy supply, agriculture, transport, businesses and industrial processes saw emissions drop, the public sector saw emissions rise from 9.6m tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) to 10.2 MtCO2e. Housing was the only other sector with growing greenhouse gases, with emissions from domestic heating rising from 81.8…

• London Conservative Roger Evans AM on Boris and the Assembly

  Dave Hill

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am

  Roger Evans leads the Conservative group on the London Assembly - and does a bit of blogging too. He talks about relationships: between Tory AMs and Boris, the Mayoralty and central government, the boroughs and the GLA.Dave Hill

• Audio: Tony Travers on the mayoralty, the Assembly and their limited powers

  Dave Hill

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:43 am

  Tony Travers, director of the LSE Greater London Group, explains the limitations on the powers of the London Mayor and the Assembly, and makes the case for increasing both.Dave Hill

• A dunce's guide to Boris's budget

  Dave Hill

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:21 am

  My own budget is blissfully simple: monthly income is a cheque from the Guardian, monthly outgoings typically comprise items of stationery whose most extravagant component might be a new inkjet cartridge. It's all very straightforward. By contrast, the Mayor's (draft) budget – as opposed to Boris Johnson's personal one, which I'm sure would be far, far more enthralling than mine – is a brain-scramblingly complex thing, which I've made very little progress grappling with. However, thanks to some patient help from City Hall and others I hereby present a list of rudimentary handholds for…

• Scottish parliament approves SNP plan for deep spending cuts

  Severin Carrell

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:55 am

  The Scottish National party minority government's budget includes a freeze on pay for senior staff and the imposition of one-year pay deals for all public sector workersScottish ministers are preparing to make deep cuts in public sector pay and abolish bonuses over at least the next three years as part of swingeing cuts in spending.John Swinney, the Scottish finance secretary, warned there needed to be "serious constraints" on pay, including a freeze next year on the pay for senior staff and the imposition of one-year pay deals for all public sector workers.These "decisive" measures were…

• 
  Politics: London politics | guardian.co.uk

• Guardian seeking closer links with independent London bloggers

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  One of my objectives for this blog is to make and maintain (hyper) links with other London blogs, bloggers and sites whose work I think will be of interest to my readers, especially those published by independent so-called citizen journalists. In an attempt to develop that side of what I do, some of the Guardian's technical wizards have put together a separate page within the mighty Guardian website, whose title they brutally forced on me despite my many desperate displays of self-effacement. Go on, take a look.Done that? As you'll have guessed, the page will list and briefly introduce blogs…

• London Assembly Lib Dems propose best of both worlds for policing budget

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:32 am

  The Mayor's 2010/11 budget will, as we know, result in Met borough commanders having less money to spend, partly as a result of his much-trumpeted freeze of his portion of Council Tax precept income. Boris reckons he can compensate in "frontline" terms through measures such as civilianisation and by the Commissioner having more officers patrolling singly, rather than in pairs. But the Assembly's Lib Dems reckon he could have it both ways. Their budget amendment - which you can download in all its detailed fullness via here - proposes a cut in the precept of 2.6%, which they say would be worth…

• Re-branding of London agencies and GLA Group confirmed

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:24 am

  From Marketing Magazine:Following a protracted pitch, led by the Mayor's director of marketing Dan Ritterband, design agency Saffron picked up the brief to create a new all-encompassing brand for the capital.It is now understood that the plain sans-serif typeface introduced by Visit London in 2008, and created by Saffron, will roll out to other promotional bodies such as Think London and Film London.The Greater London Authority (GLA) is also expected to extend the branding to other divisions, such as Transport for London (TfL) and the London Development Agency (LDA).All of which confirms what…

• London's BNP: plastered and poisonous

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:13 am

  Hugh Muir on Barking and Dagenham Councillor Bob Bailey:Bailey, the BNP's main organiser in the capital, will keep making a fool of himself. He did it again last week. The occasion was a high-profile event to award the freedom of the borough to various worthies. Sir Trevor Brooking, Barking born and bred, was a recipient, as was General Sir John McColl, the deputy supreme allied commander Europe, who accepted the honour on behalf of the borough's adopted regiment, the Royal Anglian, currently deployed to Afghanistan. All received testimonials, and no doubt the Royal Anglian would have been…

• Boris Johnson photographed in floral mode

  Dave Hill

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:22 am

  Beat that for boyish.Boris JohnsonLondonLondon politicsConservativesDave Hillguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• 
  Life and style: Lost in Showbiz blog | guardian.co.uk

• Jennifer Aniston: saving the world one margarita at a time

  Marina Hyde

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  Marina Hyde on another selfless celebrity humanitarian missionOur Quote of the Day comes from Jennifer Aniston, who is currently sojourning in a $9,000-a-night villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Jennifer is on holiday with close friends, close Friends, and "close friends" - including Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox and Gerard Butler. Actually, I say holiday, but it would help if you saw it as more of a humanitarian mission.As Jennifer tells Access Hollywood: "[Gerard Butler] said to me, 'You come to Mexico all the time and Mexico is really hurting right now because of the swine flu and the drug…

• Danny Dyer v Dane Bowers: two no-marks at war

  Marina Hyde

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Why Danny is threatening to bite off Dane's noseIt is much too early to unveil the Lost in Showbiz Spring Collection, but we are very much in the market for a Cruise Collection and, to this end, introduce a new line in the form of Danny Dyer. Yes, yes – I realise he's been "going" for some time. But we do like to get them in when they go out, here at Lost in Showbiz, and so the star of The Football Factory – and any amount of what I suppose you'd have to call Bravo's tentpole programming – is hereby given his debut.I have in my hand this week's Zoo – a magazine Lost in Showbiz…

• Anne Hathaway and the joy of particle physics

  Marina Hyde

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  The thinking person's movie starAnne Hathaway is on a tireless quest to present herself as the thinking person's thinking movie star, as she discourses on particle physics in GQ. You might recall that her previous longterm boyfriend was Raffaello Follieri, who told her he was "the chief financial officer of the Vatican". Back then, interviewers would get the lecture about charity work being "the most untouted aphrodisiac", and Anne sat on the board of his charitable foundation, though never asked to see its accounts, and apparently never wondered why there were monsignor robes in their…

• Jordan and Alex: a marriage made in Vegas

  Marina Hyde

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Jordan has reacted to news of Alex Reid's Celebrity Big Brother win with predatory speedDid you feel it? Last Friday night, did you feel something changing – imperceptible to many, yes, but to others more significant even than a ripple in the very fabric of space and time: the reaching of an event horizon. Once again, we must co-opt Obi-Wan Kenobi's words on the destruction of the planet Alderaan, this being easily as tragic. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force," he says slowly, "as if a million voices cried out in agony and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has…

• Celebrities accessorise for Haiti

  Marina Hyde

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:07 am

  Time now to revisit Awkward Angels, our occasional series on celebrity charity products that somehow don't quite hit the right note. "To help raise funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake," begins a press release, "international actress and face of Mango, Scarlett Johansson has designed an exclusive handbag." Ah."The print on the handbag represents the ancient cartography [sic] of Haiti," it continues, "and contains the message 'Supporting the people of Haiti' written and signed by the actress."Thanking you, Scarlett and Mango, for the opportunity to purchase this exclusive product.

• 
  Business: Market Forces blog | guardian.co.uk

• International Power dips as GDF Suez denies talks

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:27 am

  Doubts about whether France's GDF Suez wanted to reopen talks about a link-up with International Power seem to have been confirmed.The French group has said there are no talks in progress and no change to the previous situation, which is that discussions ended in January. International Power, up earlier, is now down 2.6p at 318p.Overall the FTSE 100 has maintained its positive trend, thanks to an opening rise on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has jumped nearly 150 points to climb back above the key 10,000 level it breached last night, powered by talk of a bailout for Greece at…

• Xstrata leads the way as FTSE stays in positive territory

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:17 am

  Xstrata is on the rise in the wake of yesterday's figures, helping to lift the mining sector and indeed the whole market.Xstrata has added 31.2p to £10.15, with Morgan Stanley for one making very positive noises. The bank said:We think the risk-reward at Xstrata is compelling and that the pull-back presents a medium-term buying opportunity – our £14.57 price target implies 53% upside. After the rights issue and four quarters of rising commodity prices, net debt/EBITDA is now low at [an estimated] 0.6 times in 2010. At 10.4 times normalised earnings, we think the shares look cheap on…

• Tui Travel says the worst could be over

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:45 am

  Tui Travel, Europe's biggest tour operator, believes the worst could be over as it reported an improvement in trading.The company said second quarter trading was better than the first quarter, and it was confident of meeting expectations for 2010. It made a £107m loss for the first three months of the year, compared to a £35m loss the same time last year - but holiday companies are traditionally loss-making in the first half since this does not included the key summer period. Chief executive Peter Long said:Trading has been difficult, but sustained improvements in demand over a number of…

• Rightmove rises after bumper January

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:12 am

  A profit warning from Rightmove has sent its shares higher - because the property website has warned profits for 2010 will be higher than expected.The company has not even announced its figures for the year to December 31 2009 yet, but it has already upped its expectations for the current twelve months after a strong start to January, despite downbeat comments on the property market from surveyors group Rics.Rightmove said 2009 figures - to be unveiled on February 26 - would be in line with current forecasts but trading in January saw "a substantial increase in average spend per advertiser."…

• BG sparks up on bid talk

  Nick Fletcher

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:59 am

  Bursts of takeover speculation are normally a sign of a bull market and while this is not an accusation which could be leveled at the market at the moment, there are a few tales around.One such is BG, with traders heariing vague talk of possible interest in the gases group from BHP Billiton. BG - which was under pressure yesterday after a downgrade from Barclays Capital - has seen its shares rise 12.5p to £11.07 on the tale, while BHP is 32.5p better at 1889.5p. BHP could probably afford such a deal but whether it wants to is another question. The mining group is still in the middle of…

• 
  Sport: The Masters | guardian.co.uk

• Charl Schwartzel cruises to victory in Joburg Open

  17 Jan 2010 | 4:38 am

  • Charl Schwartzel wins Joburg Open by six shots• Darren Clarke and Keith Horne share second placeSouth Africa's Charl Schwartzel coasted to a second successive European Tour victory in his home city today. The 25-year-old followed his one-shot Africa Open win last Sunday with a six-stroke triumph in the Joburg Open at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington.Darren Clarke, who let slip a chance to apply real pressure midway through the front nine, chipped in for an eagle at the last to tie for second place with another South Africa, Keith Horne, who went around in a best-of-the-day 64.The…

• Golf: Rory McIlroy is a new breed, says Darren Clarke

  Mikey Stafford

  18 Apr 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Darren Clarke says Rory McIlroy represents the first of a new breed of golfer – precocious, dedicated and ready for the professional ranks at an early ageRory McIlroy's precocious success is due to Tiger Woods and the approach the world No1 took to the game from an early age, according to his mentor, Darren Clarke, who said the Ulster teenager has never wanted to do anything but play professional golf and is now reaping the rewards."The path he has chosen to tread was chosen at a very young age," said Clarke, who first met McIlroy when he was12. "That boils down to the whole Tiger thing –…

• Sour grapes threaten bitter Tiger Woods' reputation, writes Lawrence Donegan

  Lawrence Donegan

  13 Apr 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Tiger Woods' disappointment at losing his Masters battle with Phil Mickelson was understandable – his sourness was notNo one ever said major championship golf was fair but sometimes it can be downright brutal, both for those who lose, as Kenny Perry did at Augusta National on Sunday, and for those who win, such as Angel Cabrera who, when the American faltered, took advantage and secured the prized green jacket.For Perry the brutality lay in knowing that, when he needed to produce a couple of decent shots to become the oldest major championship winner, he choked. For Cabrera it was the…

• Move over, Tiger Woods, here come the real big boys of golf

  Gavin Newsham

  13 Apr 2009 | 4:01 pm

  As the US Masters reached its tense conclusion on Sunday night, there must have been blind panic behind the scenes at the Augusta National Golf Club. Here, after all, is an event where, prize-money aside, the players are also competing to win the coveted "green jacket", which is immediately awarded to the winner each year. As the big-boned trio of Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera all staked their claim, it was hard not to wonder whether the organisers actually had a green jacket big enough to fit any of them.On the face of it, the Masters play-off was a case of survival of the…

• Golf: Angel Cabrera takes Masters success in his increasingly-confident stride

  13 Apr 2009 | 1:08 pm

  • 'This win I'm more prepared'• Coach Charlie Epps: 'He's a major winner'Angel Cabrera is unlikely to be fazed by his play-off win in the Masters. His 2007 triumph in the US Open caught him off guard, he says, but he is a bit more worldly wise this time around."I think the US Open win got me by surprise," said the 39-year-old. "But this win I'm more prepared. I know more how things happened. I was happy with my game. I was confident, just enjoying the moments."The Argentine was due home in Cordoba today to see his family andfor a tournament this week but is playing down any talk of him…

• 
  World news: John McCain | guardian.co.uk

• Link-o-rama, straight shooters | Richard Adams

  Richard Adams

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Things we know now that we didn't know yesterdayHaving stared down the Republicans in their own cave (actually a hotel in Baltimore), President Obama today confronts the Democratic congressional rabble this morning at Washington DC's Newseum (a museum designed to show young people what "newspapers" looked like). It's hard to imagine it will be as entertaining as the Republican event.In the meantime, what do we know now that we didn't this time yesterday?We know that John McCain is staunchly opposed to letting gay people be openly gay in the US military – because he said so yesterday at the…

• Race of a Lifetime: How Obama Won the White House by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann | Book review

  Gaby Wood

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  A gossip-filled account of the presidential campaign is most revealing about Obama and his secretary of state, says Gaby WoodWhile David Plouffe's recent The ­Audacity to Win (Viking USA) was the "inside story" only in the most ­literal, ­limited sense (Plouffe was Barack Obama's campaign manager), John Heilemann and Mark Halperin plunge much further inside every candidate's campaign, ­relying on hundreds of "deep background" interviews to produce a book the New York Times described as having "much of Washington cringeing and the rest of the country gasping". (The far less controversial…

• Cindy McCain endorses NOH8 gay marriage campaign

  Matthew Weaver

  21 Jan 2010 | 5:10 am

  Failed presidential candidate John McCain opposes same-sex unions, but his wife and daughter think differentlyJohn McCain's staunch opposition to gay marriage was one of the key parts of his presidential campaign. But it has become clear this was not supported in his own household. His daughter, Meghan, is a vocal advocate of gay rights. Now his wife, Cindy, has appeared in a poster campaign against California's proposition 8 – a law banning same-sex marriage.The move has shocked and delighted gay rights campaigners and led to questions about the state of the McCains' own marriage.Cindy…

• "Yo te quiero, o ma corazon..." | Michael Tomasky

  Michael Tomasky

  13 Jan 2010 | 7:58 am

  I procured (without buying!) a copy of the Halperin-Heilemann book yesterday, and went first to the section about Sarah P.'s tutorials on history, because this idea had bubbled up on cable since Monday that she didn't know exactly what World War I and World War II were. As you might imagine, I'm second to none in my assumptions that she knows basically nothing and doesn't really care that she knows nothing. But this seemed a reach even to me. It turns out it's not quite so, or at least that it's not clear that it is so. I am on a train and don't have the book handy, so I can't quote from it.

• Further decline of John McCain | Michael Tomasky

  Michael Tomasky

  12 Jan 2010 | 12:55 pm

  Hey, notsofanatic: I bet you can already tell what this post is about: it's about the further decline of John McCain! From CNN.com: There has been a "stunning double standard as far as the treatment of Sen. Lott, who also made unfortunate and inopportune remarks, and the treatment of Harry Reid by the liberal left," McCain said on NBC's "Today" show. I won't go over yesterday's arguments. I will now simply make a further point that it's worth remembering. At the time of Lott's comments, Bush and K. Rove were pretty cool toward him. Rove was known to prefer Bill Frist, who came in to the job…

• 
  Media: Media business | guardian.co.uk

• Guardian Media Group sells regional business to Trinity Mirror

  Steve Busfield

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:32 am

  Historic newspaper link to Manchester severed in deal worth £44.8m, £7.4m of it in cash, but excluding Channel M local TVGuardian Media Group severed its historic newspaper link to Manchester today with the sale of its regional media business to Trinity Mirror.The deal is worth £44.8m to Guardian Media Group, with £7.4m in cash and Trinity Mirror releasing GMG from a £37.4m print contract.GMG Regional Media publishes 32 newspapers, including the Manchester Evening News and 21 other titles in the north-west of England, plus 10 titles in the south of England, including the Reading Post and…

• BSkyB sells 10.4% ITV stake for £196m

  John Plunkett

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:42 am

  Satellite broadcaster offloads majority of 17.9% stake following two-year legal battle to retain shares in ITVBSkyB has sold the majority of its controversial stake in ITV for £196m, representing a loss of around £350m.The broadcaster placed 404m shares – representing a 10.4% stake in the company – with Morgan Stanley at 48.5p a share. Sky said it would retain its remaining shareholding of just under 7.5% for the medium term and remained a "committed shareholder".Morgan Stanley sold the shares to institutions, for 49.5p.The sale represented the end of a two-year legal battle by Sky to…

• Sky loses the battle over ITV, but it's already won the war

  Steve Busfield

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am

  James Murdoch's delaying tactics have helped ensure that BSkyB retains its dominance of the pay-TV marketThree years and four rulings later Sky has finally agreed to what everybody has known all along: that it should not be allowed to own a debilitatingly large stake in its biggest UK commercial TV rival.But the fact that it has taken so long for Sky to agree to sell down its stake in ITV means that James Murdoch has achieved what he always wanted.As it was so long ago, it is pertinent to remember that the deal happened in the first place because MediaGuardian.co.uk had revealed that ITV and…

• BSkyB to sell 10% stake in ITV

  Jason Deans, Chris Tryhorn

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am

  Satellite broadcaster gives formal commitment that it will sell part of 17.9% holding at loss of more than £330m over original priceTimeline: Sky's ITV stakeBSkyB is to sell a stake in ITV of about 10.4% after throwing in the towel yesterday in its two-year legal battle to hang on to the shares.This will take Sky's ITV stake to just below 7.5%, as required by the government. It is understood that Sky plans to retain its remaining stake.The investment bank Morgan Stanley is handling the share placement, which is likely to be completed as early as tomorrow and will raise about £207m for BSkyB…

• M4C wins COI media-buying deal

  James Robinson

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:51 am

  Government to consolidate its media-buying business for TV, radio, print and online with Group M subsidiary from AprilThe UK's biggest advertiser, the Central Office of Information, has handed agency M4C the contract to handle all its media buying.Today's decision is a huge boost for M4C, which is part of media-buying network Group M, a subsidiary of WPP, the global advertising conglomerate run by Sir Martin Sorrell.The COI coordinates the government's £540m annual marketing and communications spend and is consolidating its media-buying activity with a single agency in a bid to cut costs.

• 
  Media news, UK and world media comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk

• Super Bowl effect lifts Undercover Boss launch

  Jason Deans

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:06 am

  Show scheduled on CBS after sporting event pulls in 38.6m viewers – a record for the launch of a US reality showThe record audience for Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV – at 106.5m viewers the most-watched show in US TV history, toppling MASH's 27-year-old record – also gave a hefty ratings hike to CBS's new UK-originated reality show, Undercover Boss.Undercover Boss launched immediately after the sports event on Sunday night with 38.6m viewers.This was the largest audience ever for the premiere of a US reality TV show and the third biggest for a post Super Bowl programme.Undercover Boss is…

• TV product placement plan confirmed

  Chris Tryhorn

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:48 am

  UK was only EU country besides Denmark where placement not either legal or about to be, culture secretary Ben Bradshaw saysThe culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, has today confirmed that the government will allow product placement in television programmes for the first time.In a written ministerial statement, Bradshaw said the new regime would "provide meaningful commercial benefits to commercial television companies and programme-makers while taking account of the legitimate concerns that have been expressed".He said that, apart from Denmark, the UK was the only European Union member state…

• The chilling effect of 'lawfare' litigation | Alan Dershowitz and Elizabeth Samson

  Alan Dershowitz, Elizabeth Samson

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am

  Radical Islamic groups in the US are intimidating the media with the cost of defending defamation suits in order to stifle criticismRecognising that British courts have become a prime destination for "libel tourists", the House of Lords has recently established a government panel to look into the possibility of amending its laws to make it tougher for foreigners to bring defamation suits in Britain. The UK is notorious for its plaintiff-friendly libel laws which have been accused of being "contemptuous of free speech" and making a "mockery of British justice" and because they silence writers…

• US magazines' newsstand sales fall 9%

  Mercedes Bunz

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:02 am

  US magazine circulation figures published by the Audit Bureau of Circulations yesterday will make grim reading for the industry. Total circulation for 472 titles was 328.4 million for July to December 2009, down 2.23% compared with the same period the previous year.Newsstand sales totalled 35.7m in July to December, down 9.1% compared with the same period a year earlier. So the downwards trend of the first half of 2009 and the second half of 2008 continues – in the first half of 2009 there was a year-on-year drop of 12%, continuing the 11% downturn in the second half of 2008. Paid…

• Manchester Evening News: intertwined with the Guardian for 142 years

  Chris Tryhorn

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:43 am

  Evening paper's profits were 'safety net' during harsh inter-war period, and sustained Guardian following move to LondonThe 142-year history of the Manchester Evening News is closely intertwined with that of the Guardian.The MEN was founded in 1868 – some 47 years after the Manchester Guardian – by Mitchell Henry and soon afterwards sold to Peter Allen and his brother-in-law John Edward Taylor, the son of the Guardian's founder."From its birth in 1868 until 1905 the Evening News had been under the same ultimate control as the Guardian," wrote the historian David Ayerst in Guardian:…

• 
  Media: Media Monkey | guardian.co.uk

• MasterChef takes on the big boys | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  Prepare for a ratings showdown next Thursday night. In the blue corner is MasterChef, which is returning to BBC1 for a new series with a 90-minute special at 8.30pm. In the red corner is ITV1 soaperstar Coronation Street, followed by an hour of The Bill at 9pm. Cooking up the schedules doesn't get tougher than this. Monkey's question is, how will John Torode and Gregg Wallace manage to shout for 90 minutes without losing their voices?Television industryMasterChefCoronation StreetTelevisionMonkeyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our…

• Thompson bites back at MPs | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  It may have been snowing outside but there were some heated exchanges at yesterday's public accounts select committee on BBC events spending. BBC boss Mark Thompson came in for a severe grilling from the Labour MP for Streatham, Keith Hill, over why the National Audit Office should not audit the corporation's accounts. After the Streatham terrier had finished with Thommo, the BBC big cheese was then asked by Tory Douglas Carswell, the MP for Harwich and Clacton, for a list of politicians and regulators who have been guests of the Beeb at events such as the Proms and Wimbledon. Hill…

• Sky News's cloudy vision | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:38 am

  Most news organisations jumped on Sky's decision late yesterday to offload most of its stake in ITV. With one notable exception. That's right. Sky News's ticker on the bottom of the screen seemed oblivious to the fact for quite some time. Although it was happily running the story that ITV had been fined over a rat being eaten on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Obviously it was of much more interest to Sky News viewers.Sky NewsBSkyBITVTelevision industryMonkeyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• No return for telly Wogan | Media Monkey

  Monkey

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:13 am

  Sir Terry Wogan has been lined up for a new TV chatshow. He's been lined up, but he's not going to do it, according to the Daily Mirror. "I know what I am, I'm lazy," he told the Radio Times. "I've had approaches to do a talk show on TV but I'd hate it – all the research, all the slap, all the stress. Television is a stressed medium. Radio just gently gets inside your head."Terry WoganTelevision industryMonkeyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• David Tennant is hot property, but Richard Bacon fails to sizzle

  Monkey

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:46 am

  Look! The Doctor's got a new assistant! Of course, he hasn't. David Tennant isn't in Doctor Who any more, and Kirsty Young is too busy showing people around a desert island to go time-travelling (my luxury – a sonic screwdriver, please). The Desert Island Discs host was asking the questions last week at a quiz to raise money for the Centrepoint charity for homeless people. Tennant was among the celebrity contestants, who also included Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, James Purefoy, Lisa Maxwell, Shane Richie, Richard Bacon and comedy producer Kenton Allen and his wife, Imogen Edwards-Jones.

• 
  Society: Mental health | guardian.co.uk

• The war on 'cures' for homosexuality | Patrick Strudwick

  Patrick Strudwick

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  My undercover investigation has led to a campaign against those who wreck lives by peddling conversion therapyLast year, in Britain, a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist tried to "cure" me of my homosexuality. What they didn't know was that I was working undercover investigating what happens during so-called conversion therapy. The results of my investigation, published last week in the Independent, have sparked a bushfire of anger and outrage.It's hardly surprising. The psychotherapist told me I had been sexually abused by a member of my family (which I hadn't). The psychiatrist tried to…

• A healthy addiction | John Crace

  John Crace

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  A fixation with Facebook is a far cry from the sort of depression that put me into hospitalThe world through a keyboard. The universe possibly. The relief effort in Haiti. Pictures from Hubble. Shakespeare's sonnets. A share price from Hong Kong. Anything you want in your own home. The internet offers it in milli-seconds. More than we can absorb, more than we can understand, and always the potential to add more. More, more.It's the stuff of Renaissance dreams, the stuff that's meant to make us happy. And yet for some, the internet has become a final circle of hell. Palms sweating, eyes…

• Excessive internet use linked to depression, research shows

  Adam Gabbatt

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:42 am

  Leeds University study finds people classified as internet addicts are more likely to be depressed than non-addicted usersBritish psychologists have found evidence of a link between excessive internet use and depression, research published today has shown.Leeds University researchers, writing in the Psychopathology journal (abstract here – subscription required for full pdf), said a small proportion of internet users were classed as internet addicts and that people in this group were more likely to be depressed than non-addicted users.The article on the relationship between excessive…

• Poor research or an attack on black people?

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pm

  Letter from mental health campaigners on the alleged 'epidemic' of schizophrenia among British African Caribbean groups"A report of a high rate of 'schizophrenia' being diagnosed among British African Caribbeans is nothing new, but conclusions about an 'epidemic' (Causes for controversy, SocietyGuardian, 9 December 2009) are worrying. First, 'research' such as the Aesop study is fundamentally flawed because it uses narrow interpretations of what diagnostic categories represent. Second, the word 'epidemic', implying that black people's 'schizophrenia' may adversely affect others, is indicative…

• There's no place like a council home to damage your health

  Clare Allan

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pm

  I wonder how many social work hours the local authority might free up by sorting out its repairs departmentBy comparison with the population at large, a disproportionate number of people living in social housing suffer from long-term mental health problems. On the face of it, the reason for this is obvious: a diagnosis of serious mental illness gives people priority in accessing social housing, and in many ways this is an excellent thing.The security of a permanent home is not an option in the private rented sector (it may cease to be one in any rented sector if the Conservatives get elected)…

• 
  World news : Middle East roundup | guardian.co.uk

• Public ticket ballot for Brown's Iraq inquiry appearance

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  Seats to see PM give evidence next month will be allocated due to expected high demandAudience seats for Gordon Brown's appearance before the Iraq inquiry will be allocated by public ballot, it was announced today.Brown will be questioned about his role in the planning and conduct of the war both as chancellor and as prime minister when he gives evidence early next month.A third of the 60 seats available in the inquiry's hearing room at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in central London have been set aside for relatives of servicemen and women who died in Iraq.Places at the session…

• British dead and wounded in Afghanistan, month by month

  Simon Rogers

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  What is the human cost of the war in Afghanistan for British forces? As British troops suffer more losses in 2010, these are the latest figures - including new wounded statistics• Get the data• Afghanistan civilian casualties• Information is Beautiful analysis of the data2009 was the bloodiest year so far for British troops in Afghanistan. As the number of British deaths in Afghanistan passes 250 - now much higher than Iraq and even the Falklands conflict - these are the numbers of British fatalities for Afghanistan - and Iraq, too - updated as they change. We've broken Afghanistan down…

• Iran begins enriching higher-grade uranium, says state TV

  Haroon Siddique

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:50 am

  Russia may back further UN sanctions after Tehran announces Natanz plant has begun production of 20% enriched uraniumIran began enrichment of higher grade uranium today, state TV said, ignoring the threat of further UN sanctions by the US and its allies.Iran's Arabic-language television channel, al-Alam, said production of 20% enriched uranium had started at the Natanz plant.Ali Shirzadian, a spokesman for the country's Atomic Energy Organisation, told ­Reuters that "preparatory work" had began at 9:30am in presence of representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).The…

• Tehran's nuclear glue | Meir Javedanfar

  Meir Javedanfar

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  Efforts to boost uranium stockpiles are aimed at internal and external challenges to the regimeIran's nuclear programme was started under the Shah. He wanted the bomb to transform Iran into a Middle East superpower. For many Iranians, however, the real need for nuclear armament was most keenly felt after Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers and civilians during the eight-year war between the two countries in the 1980s. Iranians felt helpless, at the mercy of the Butcher of Baghdad and without any way to deter him – with barely a whimper of criticism heard from the…

• Cabinet did not need to hear legal doubts over Iraq invasion, says Straw

  Richard Norton-Taylor

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pm

  Chilcot inquiry told that the 'problem of leaks' was used to stop attorney general Lord Goldsmith addressing ministersJack Straw made clear in evidence to the Iraq inquiry today that he believed there was absolutely no need for the cabinet to be told of the attorney general's doubts about the legality of the invasion.The inquiry has heard that a week before the invasion, on 13 March 2003, Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, told Straw that he might need to tell the cabinet that "the legal issues were finely balanced", documents released by the inquiry today reveal. Straw, then foreign…

• 
  Life and style: Milan fashion week | guardian.co.uk

• Behind the scenes at Gucci menswear in Milan

  Jim Powell, Helen Seamons

  21 Jan 2010 | 5:46 am

  Helen Seamons goes backstage for a unique view of the Gucci menswear showJim PowellHelen Seamons

• Top 10 Milan menswear shows

  Helen Seamons

  20 Jan 2010 | 8:05 am

  Helen Seamons picks her favourite Milanese moments, from Missoni's al fresco show to Vivienne Westwood's bowHelen Seamons

• Milan menswear: Pictures from the fashion shows

  Rachel Dixon

  20 Jan 2010 | 5:09 am

  As the Milan menswear shows draw to a close, Rachel Dixon picks her highlights, from DSquared's bloodied boxers to Alexander McQueen's masked men in greyRachel Dixon

• Catwalks compared: The world's fashion weeks leave audiences all a-twitter

  Emma Sibbles, Simon Chilvers

  9 Oct 2009 | 10:55 am

  From New York to Milan, designers and audiences embraced technology this seasonThis was the season that the fashion industry embraced technology in all its forms. With many criticising the biannual shows – and the ensuing air miles – as archaic and environmentally unsound, designers explored new ways to reach the masses. Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana all live-screened their shows online, while bloggers were granted front-row status ‑ with accompanying laptop stations ‑ at several brands.Designers were not the only ones embracing technology. Audiences were awash with…

• Milan fashion week: the highs and lows

  Emma Sibbles

  1 Oct 2009 | 4:21 am

  Sign up for the Guardian's weekly fashion email and be in with a chance to win £1,000 worth of designer jewellery!Fashion Statement is sponsored by Astley Clarke Jewellery.THE WEEK IN REVIEWMilan fashion week was a festival of transparency, cutouts, colour, huge heels, sequins and cycling shorts. If that sounds like a curious mix, it was. Designers went back to what they know best and in the case of many that meant short, tight and bright. On the celebrity front, pickings were slim: we noticed Anna Wintour sitting between tennis ace Roger Federer and his wife at the Versace show, and Janet…

• 
  Politics: David Miliband | guardian.co.uk

• Taliban do not want to seek peace, says Bob Ainsworth

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  Defence secretary says the Taliban will only negotiate if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continues to make progressThe Taliban leadership has no desire to seek peace with the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, warned today.Giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, he said the Taliban would only be brought to the negotiating table if the military campaign by the international coalition and the Afghan army continued to make progress.Ainsworth defended the controversial "reintegration and reconciliation"…

• Martin Rowson: Miliband warns of terror threat after 'Bin Laden' tape aired

  Martin Rowson

  24 Jan 2010 | 5:03 pm

  Danger of attack still 'very real' says foreign secretary after tape claims responsibility for Detroit plane bomb attemptMartin Rowson

• David Miliband defends Labour against claims of 'class war' on Tories

  Allegra Stratton

  24 Jan 2010 | 11:32 am

  Foreign secretary defends Labour's line of attack against CameronThe foreign secretary has defended his party against claims it plans a class war against the Conservative party and described the opposition as planning "the biggest redistribution of wealth to the wealthy for two generations".David Miliband today gave his first television interview since the short-lived attempt to get rid of Gordon Brown in early January, when he took seven hours to declare his loyalty to the prime minister.Acknowledging he had heard "rumours" Brown was to face another challenge to his leadership, Miliband…

• David Miliband warns of terror threat after 'Osama Bin Laden' tape aired

  Mark Tran

  24 Jan 2010 | 3:58 am

  Danger of attack still 'very real' says foreign secretary after tape claims responsibility for Detroit plane bomb attemptThe foreign secretary today warned that the danger of a terrorist attack remained "very real", hours after the release of an audio tape purportedly from Osama bin Laden claiming responsibility for the attempted bombing of a plane over Detroit.David Miliband said the Christmas Day bomb scare demonstrated that links could exist between different terrorist groups, but urged caution about the al-Qaida leader's latest message."Let's wait to see what he actually says; we know…

• Sir John Chilcot called Gordon Brown to give evidence early 'as a matter of fairness'

  Patrick Wintour, Andrew Sparrow

  22 Jan 2010 | 7:02 am

  Prime minister will now appear at Iraq inquiry before election, along with David Miliband and Douglas AlexanderSir John Chilcot today said that he had invited Gordon Brown to give evidence to the Iraq inquiry "as a matter of fairness".The inquiry chairman said that Brown, David Miliband, the foreign secretary, and Douglas Alexander, the international development secretary, would be appearing within the next couple of months.Chilcot also repeated his assertion that he wanted the inquiry to stay "outside party politics". This was the reason he gave before Christmas for his original decision not…

• 
  UK news: Military | guardian.co.uk

• British dead and wounded in Afghanistan, month by month

  Simon Rogers

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am

  What is the human cost of the war in Afghanistan for British forces? As British troops suffer more losses in 2010, these are the latest figures - including new wounded statistics• Get the data• Afghanistan civilian casualties• Information is Beautiful analysis of the data2009 was the bloodiest year so far for British troops in Afghanistan. As the number of British deaths in Afghanistan passes 250 - now much higher than Iraq and even the Falklands conflict - these are the numbers of British fatalities for Afghanistan - and Iraq, too - updated as they change. We've broken Afghanistan down…

• Erwin James: why are so many former soldiers in prison?

  Erwin James

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Jimmy Johnson was jailed for murder after leaving the army in 1973. After his release he killed again. But is he just one of thousands who didn't receive help for post traumatic stress disorder?'All I'm trying to do is get the government to acknowledge the truth," says Jimmy Johnson, 63, once a model soldier and now a model prisoner. Johnson, currently in Frankland maximum-security prison in Durham, where for the last 25 years he has been serving his second life sentence for murder, is a man with a mission. "The prison system is awash with ex-servicemen," he says, "and unless the government,…

• Afghanistan death toll exceeds Falklands as three UK soldiers die

  Matthew Weaver, Richard Norton-Taylor

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:07 pm

  Royal Scots Borderers and counter-IED task force soldier killed by blasts as Ministry of Defence warns of more casualtiesThree British soldiers have been killed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in the last 24 hours, taking the total of fatalities in the conflict above the death toll of the Falklands war in 1982.Two soldiers, from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, part of the 3 Rifles Battle Group, died in an explosion near Sangin on Sunday evening. The third soldier to be killed was from 36 Engineer regiment, part of the counter-IED taskforce.

• Response: The military do more than fight – they protect our global interests

  Jeremy Greaves

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Aircraft carriers are floating pieces of British real estate, proclaiming us as a serious nationSimon Jenkins's assertion that "the general is right and the admiral is wrong" misinterprets Britain's security needs (Naval nostalgia and edgy kit are no basis for sane defence, 20 January). The general, Sir David Richards, had "implicitly dismissed the navy and air force as strategically obsolete," wrote Jenkins. "He said they were obsessed with 'exotic capability that is rendered irrelevant by advances in technology'."Everyone I meet across government and industry – including serving members…

• British soldier killed in Afghanistan

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:33 pm

  The latest fatality means the UK death toll in Afghanistan exceeds that of the Falklands warA British soldier was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan today as the UK death toll exceeded that of the Falklands war.Comrades said the soldier, from 36 Engineer regiment, part of the counter-IED Task Force, died as he led a team conducting route clearance operations in the Nad-e-Ali District, in central Helmand province.Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "His indomitable courage and fortitude, the hallmark of his profession, will not be forgotten."Next of…

• 
  UK news: Monarchy | guardian.co.uk

• Unseen photographs reveal the girl who would be Queen

  Vanessa Thorpe

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pm

  Private portraits by society photographer Marcus Adams are set to go on show at Windsor CastlePrivate portraits of Queen Elizabeth II as a toddler that have come from the late Queen Mother's personal collection are to go on public display for the first time at Windsor Castle.Previously unseen shots, which show the princess rocking back on her heels with laughter and sitting cosily with her parents in the photo-grapher's studio, are among the highlights in an exhibition that showcases the work of the pioneering society photographer Marcus Adams.Adams, who died in 1959, had a national…

• The grim truth about 'them and us' in British life | Barbara Ellen

  Barbara Ellen

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm

  What Britain's struggling areas need is support and a sense that they're a part of society tooSo, Dave, what happened to hugging a hoodie? Cameron has already been criticised for making political play of the Edlington case – where two brothers, now 11 and 12, were sentenced to an indefinite period, of a minimum of five years, for the torture (including battery, strangling, and sexual humiliation), of two boys, then nine and 11.I'd stop short of accusing Cameron, as others have, of cynically lunging for a "Tony Blair/James Bulger" moment. It's absurd enough that he appeared to pin such a…

• Prince William in Australia and New Zealand shows he can do the job – but does he want it? | Michael White

  Michael White

  22 Jan 2010 | 3:25 am

  Charles will be a transitional figure. Wills's week in Australia and New Zealand shows he's the one to watchHave you been following the royal tour of Australia and New Zealand? No, nor have I. For me it's a bit like the football. I rarely watch it except on the big occasions, but I like to keep an eye on the score.Arsenal have had a good week, but so has Prince William, who is the touring royal on this occasion. The Guardian's Stephen Bates has a characteristically shrewd assessment in today's G2.It seems the balding boy has scored a hit despite the healthily sceptical view of many young…

• Video: Mission impossible: Prince William

  21 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Prince William flies to Australia and New Zealand to shake hands with people, fire guns and cuddle birds

• How Prince William won over Australia and New Zealand

  Stephen Bates

  21 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Many thousands turned out to see Prince William on his first official tour – and he did not disappoint themIn the end the lure of celebrity proved just too much. The arrival of the diffident 27-year-old Old Etonian, who might conceivably one day become their monarch, provoked sneers in Australia before he touched down on Tuesday. But by last night he had been transformed from Willy the Wombat into – acccording to the tabloid Herald Sun – a Dinkum Aussie Larrikin. You could go a long way through the Outback to find someone less like a larrikin (which usually translates as a bit of a…

• 
  Education: Mortarboard blog | guardian.co.uk

• How to manage behaviour in the classroom

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  Paul Dix offers 10 tips for teachers in managing pupil behaviourBehaviour management tip 1Get in and get out quickly with your dignity intactWe know that to effectively deliver sanctions the message needs to be simple, clear and non-negotiable; in practice it is easy to get caught up in a lengthy argument or confrontation. Focus on moving in, delivering your sanction as discreetly as possible and then moving out quickly. Choose a phrase that you will withdraw on 'I need to see you working as well as you were in yesterday's written task, thank you for listening' or 'I will come back and give…

• One of Labour's great successes

  28 Jan 2010 | 1:47 am

  Today's report shows that after years of effort young people from deprived areas are beginning to get a fairer share of higher education. For the first time, most additional university places have gone to students from poorer neighbourhoods.This will probably be seen as the greatest social achievement of the 1997-2010 Labour governments. It was achieved not at the expense of upper- and middle-class children. It occurred because of the way the whole education system has expanded and as a result of massive increases in funding per child in state secondary schools.Save the Children reported this…

• English or Hinglish - does it matter what Indian students are learning?

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:51 am

  As local words creep into English, some fear that communication between India and the rest of the world could sufferWhat kind of English should Indians be learning? Purists argue that language skills must meet international standards, but experience tells us that local languages will add flavour to the mix. The result may be fine for the street, but when it comes to the workplace, it is just not good enough.India speaks a lot of English, but she is also known for a dozen more languages spoken across the country – including Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati – plus zillions of…

• Making a song and dance about student recruitment

  Judy Friedberg

  20 Jan 2010 | 6:19 am

  Yale University has come up with a Glee-tastic approach to getting students to sign on the dotted line. Would it work here?With a huge hike in tuition fees looming, UK universities will be thinking hard about how they're going to persuade students to cough up the dosh.Glossy brochures? Outreach programmes? Online tours? S-o-o-o-o noughties.Students today want something with a bit more pizazz. Something a bit more High School Musical, a bit more Hannah Montana, a lot more Glee.Who's got it spot on? Yale thinks it has. Its recruitment video That's Why I Chose Yale oozes schmaltz factor and…

• The pre-budget report – good news for students? | Wes Streeting

  Wes Streeting

  10 Dec 2009 | 2:51 am

  Any party seeking the student vote at the next election must make sure we are not forced to pay for a crisis that is not of our makingAlistair Darling clearly hopes that today's pre-budget report will be greeted as good news by young people. It will certainly not be welcomed as such by university vice-chancellors staring a £600m cut in the higher education budget square in the eye.After 12 years of prosperity and rising public spending, today's PBR is a sharp introduction to the new climate of tax rises and spending cuts. During the past 12 years arguments with government have been…

• 
  Society: MRSA and superbugs | guardian.co.uk

• Mary English obituary

  25 Jan 2010 | 10:38 am

  Medical mycologist and writer of an award-winning book on MRSAMary English, who has died aged 90, was one of the leading medical mycologists of her time. Her pioneering work in establishing one of the first and most important medical mycology laboratories in Britain and her own studies of fungal infections earned her a ­considerable reputation. After her retirement in 1980 she embarked on a second career as a writer of scientific and social history, with notable biographies of the eminent ­Victorian naturalists Dr Edwin Lankester and Mordecai Cubitt Cooke, a founder of the British…

• Swine flu was as elusive as WMD. The real threat is mad scientist syndrome | Simon Jenkins

  Simon Jenkins

  14 Jan 2010 | 12:30 pm

  Remember the warnings of 65,000 dead? Health chiefs should admit they were wrong – yet again – about a global pandemicLet me recap. Six months ago I reviewed the latest bit of terrorism to emerge from the government's Cobra bunker, courtesy of Alan Johnson, home secretary. Swine flu was allegedly ravaging the nation. The BBC was intoning nightly statistics on what "could" happen as "the deadly virus" took hold. The chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, bandied about any figure that came into his head, settling on "65,000 could die", peaking at 350 corpses a day.Donaldson knew exactly…

• Scientists develop cheap, quick test for bug deadlier than MRSA

  James Meikle

  1 Jan 2010 | 11:09 am

  • Rival £25 kit copies DNA, but reliability is in doubt• Hospitals spending 'small fortune' testing patientsScientists believe they may have made a big advance in tackling a virulent bug that kills more people than the feared MRSA.Clostridium difficile is the underlying cause of more than 40% of the near 6000 deaths a year in England and Wales with which the infection is associated.But now researchers in London say they have developed a fast, cheap and trustworthy test for the bacterium. The ingredients cost about 50p a test and can deliver results in about 45 minutes.The team developing…

• Pomegranate 'can combat MRSA and other superbugs'

  Anushka Asthana

  26 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Scientists have discovered that the fruit can be combined with vitamin C and metal salts to fight hospital superbugsScientists have discovered the power of fruit as a potential new weapon in the fight against MRSA and other hospital superbugs. A team from the University of Kingston, in Surrey, have shown that pomegranate can be used to create an ointment with the power to tackle the drug-resistant infections.In a series of tests conducted over three years, academics found that mixing the fruit's rind with two other natural products – metal salts and vitamin C – greatly enhanced its…

• Pre-admission MRSA screening may harm patients, says doctor

  Sarah Boseley

  8 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm

  • Microbiologist warns of delays in hospital arrivals • Health officials defend rolling-out of programmeThe government's policy of screening patients for MRSA before they are admitted to hospital breaches ethical guidelines, a senior microbiologist argues today.Screening has been rolled out since April across the NHS on the basis that it will help protect patients from the effects of the superbug they may be carrying on their skin, says Dr Michael Millar, who works at Barts and the London NHS trust, in an article published online today by the British Medical Journal.But there is little…

• 
  Music news, reviews, comment and features | guardian.co.uk

• New band of the day - Family Force 5 (No 722)

  Paul Lester

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am

  Welcome to Christian crunkcore with a robo-rock twist. Or to put it another way, the missing link between Busted and Limp BizkitHometown: Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup: Solomon Olds (vocals, guitar), Jacob Olds (drums, vocals), Joshua Olds (bass, vocals), Derek Mount (guitar), Nathan Currin (keyboards). The background: Family Force 5 have the pristine energy of a band trying ever so hard to prove their rough, bad-boy credentials. Listening to the smooth attack of Keep The Party Alive or forthcoming single Fever, one suspects that beneath the snarly Auto-Tuned vocals and rap-metal assemblage of…

• Lost in music: songs inspired by the series

  Stuart Heritage

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:46 am

  Meet Sonic Weapon Fence, The Oceanic Six and Previously on Lost - but why aren't bands inspired by any other shows?Lost isn't a particularly musical television programme. Although Michael Giacchino's score can be touching at times, the show doesn't even have a proper theme tune. In fact, the nearest thing is probably Charlie Pace's fictional hit You All Everybody – a song so astoundingly cloddish and misshapen that the thought of his band, Drive Shaft, becoming successful in any meaningful way requires more suspension of disbelief than the smoke monster, the time travelling and the nuclear…

• Edwyn Collins releases first song recorded since his stroke

  Rosie Swash

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:26 am

  Singer will release track on tribute album to Mavis Staples five years after brain haemorrage left him unable to walk or talkEdwyn Collins, the Scottish musician, is set to release the first song he has written since suffering a debilitating stroke in 2005. The former Orange Juice singer will release I'm Feeling Lucky, a song written with his son William, as part of a tribute album to soul singer Mavis Staples later this month. His new album, MAVIS, has been produced by Ashley Beedle and Darren Moore and features contributions from Cerys Matthews and Sarah Cracknell. It will be the first new…

• Russell Crowe and Beyoncé to star in remake of A Star Is Born

  Xan Brooks

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:52 am

  The Gladiator star is in talks to appear with Beyoncé in a new version of the classic Hollywood melodrama A Star Is BornIn what may strike cynics as a case of life imitating art, Russell Crowe looks set to take a leading role in A Star Is Born, a remake of the classic Hollywood melodrama about a fading, drunken superstar who finds himself eclipsed by a younger model. The former Gladiator star is reportedly in talks to appear alongside Beyoncé in the Warner Bros production.The original 1937 version starred Fredric March and Janet Gaynor as an aging Hollywood actor and the bright young…

• Did karaoke versions of My Way provoke killings in the Philippines?

  Sean Michaels

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:20 am

  At least half a dozen have reportedly been killed after renditions of the 1967 song, forcing bars to take it off their song listsOver the past decade, the Philippines has been stung by a series of killings all reportedly provoked by karaoke versions of Frank Sinatra's My Way. At least half a dozen people have been murdered after singing the tune at karaoke, according to the New York Times. Local media call them "My Way killings", and they are occurring in some of the Philippines' thousands of karaoke-filled bars, cafés and restaurants. Someone gets up, clears his or her throat, and chooses…

• 
  Music: Music blog | guardian.co.uk

• Not letting Rowetta sing her own song at the Brits is an insult

  John Robb

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:43 am

  Editing out the singer to make Cheryl Cole's performance look better is not in the spirit of celebrating British talentThe multimedia pop bulldozer was halted briefly in its tracks this week as Manchester-based singer and songwriter Rowetta put the kibosh on the upcoming Brits attempting to utilise one of her tunes.Pop behemoth Cheryl Cole wanted to use a sample from Rowetta's song, Be, as part of her performance for Fight For This Love at the awards ceremony, taking place on 16 February. Nothing wrong with that, you might think. However, in typically clumsy music-biz style, the forces that…

• Memories of John Dankworth, the great British jazz maestro

  John Fordham

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am

  One of the UK's most impressive jazz exports, the versatile Sir John Dankworth, was deservedly famous – but never a snob"I've never been a purist about jazz, or about any music," Sir John Dankworth told me in an interview for The Guardian in 2007. "It all seems too good to miss anything out." He and his wife, singer Cleo Laine, were celebrating their 80th birthdays at the time, with their usual run of high-profile concerts, educational commitments, and ceaseless globetrotting. Dankworth, who died on Saturday at the age of 82, was driven by that fascination with how good it all was…

• Blog rock lacks a political edge

  Ben Beaumont-Thomas

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:20 am

  Dream-pop, nature and nostalgia is in, raging against the machine is out. Just when did indie rock get so laidback?The US music blogosphere seems to have been turfed of late. The general terrain has returned to nature: gone are the tacky, post-Justice mirrored surfaces of two years ago and in their place are lo-fidelity hillocks and dream-pop pastures.Just take a look at the names of the buzzy bands of the past few months: from the mountains (Mountain Man, Mount McKinley, Speck Mountain), through to the woods (Tall Firs, Woods), and then down to the sea (Beach House, Wavves, Surfer Blood,…

• Why the Who were perfect Super Bowl material

  Paul Lester

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:18 am

  Stadium rockers with a dash of notoriety? They fit the event like a glove (er, sorry, wrong sport)They had to get the Who to play the Super Bowl – widely touted as "the world's biggest gig", this year. After all, who else is left? They've already had Springsteen and the Stones, Prince and Paul McCartney, Mariah and Beyonce, Aerosmith and U2, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ... I wouldn't like to be on the committee for picking next year's half-time musical entertainment, unless Michael Jackson does a Lazarus job or Led Zep can be coaxed back for one final blow-out. It just wouldn't work…

• Jack White as a svengali? Here's how not to do it

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:44 am

  The White Stripes front man and his latest project, the Black Belles, should beware! Rock history is littered with manager-producers who got a little too hands-onAlongside a wonderful version of Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good by rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, the latest batch of releases from Jack White's Third Man record label contains a minor mystery. Released in shops today on the usual extremely limited seven-inch is a record by The Black Belles, a group about whom little is known except that they were assembled by White, feature Nashville burlesque model Erin Belle and have a…

• 
  Art and design: My best shot | guardian.co.uk

• Photographer Michael Ruetz's best shot

  Andrew Pulver

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pm

  Joseph Beuys was odd all his life; he was outlandish in the pure sense of the word – a man from another planet. It was no surprise to see him boxing, as he was always acting in unusual ways. I took this during the Documenta 5 art exhibition in Kassel in 1972. It was a kind of performance event: Beuys had set up a fight with another artist, Abraham David Christian, at the office of the political party Beuys had founded, the Organisation for Direct Democracy through Referendum. (The posters on the wall are by French artist Ben Vautier, who was also…

• Photographer Rineke Dijkstra's best shot

  Andrew Pulver

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:30 pm

  The family were living out of a suitcase, so the dress was wrinkled, the shoes didn't fit and she wore strange socksIn 1994, I was commissioned to ­photograph the children of asylum seekers as part of an art project, and I went to a refugee centre in Leiden, in the Netherlands. I spent about three days there before starting work.All the kids were wearing tracksuits and T-shirts. I ­suppose they were ­comfortable, but I thought they looked as if they were wearing pyjamas. I felt that, if their ­portraits were to be ­exhibited, they should be able to wear nice clothes. I asked…

• Photographer Elinor Carucci's best shot

  Andrew Pulver

  20 Jan 2010 | 3:05 pm

  My mother was going on about how to get guys, how all they want is sex – and how to wear a push-up braMy mum had just taken a bath and was getting dressed. When I set up the camera, I was simply planning to ­photograph an intimate moment. Then she started talking. They were divorcing at the time, my parents, and she was going on and on about how to get guys, how all they want is sex, and how to wear a push-up bra. It was so funny.I didn't set any artificial lights up – there was a window in the ceiling, so there was ­daylight coming through. I didn't want to lose the ­moment…

• My best shot: Jimi Hendrix by Gered Mankowitz

  Alex Healey, Andrew Pulver, Michael Tait

  22 Dec 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Gered Mankowitz: 'The few photographs taken of him performing dominated the media … I just tried to give him an opportunity to give something to the camera'With thanks to the Little Black GalleryAlex HealeyAndrew PulverMichael Tait

• Rolling with the Stones: Willie Christie's best shot

  Alex Healey, Andrew Pulver, Michael Tait

  16 Dec 2009 | 6:25 am

  Willie Christie revisits his best shot, salvaged from his first photography assignment – photographing the Rolling Stones before their onstage debut with new recruit Mick Taylor in 1969Alex HealeyAndrew PulverMichael Tait

• 
  UK news: National Lottery | guardian.co.uk

• Arts funding cuts proposed by Conservatives

  Charlotte Higgins

  14 Jan 2010 | 7:25 am

  Shadow culture secretary says Tory government would introduce administrative cost limits and encourage US-style philanthropyFierce cuts for cultural quangos and plans for a "US-style culture of philanthropy" will be central to a future Tory government's arts policy, the shadow culture secretary said today.Jeremy Hunt promised a "golden age" for the arts in his most detailed statement yet on the party's policy.He said the Conservatives would introduce a target for the main distributors of arts grants, including the Film Council and Arts Council England (ACE), to reduce administrative costs to…

• Scotland's youngest lottery winner found dead

  Severin Carrell

  7 Jan 2010 | 6:04 am

  Police launch investigation into death of Stuart Donnelly, 29, who won nearly £2m aged 17One of Britain's youngest lottery winners has been found dead at his home after apparently becoming a recluse in his secluded cottage in the countryside.Stuart Donnelly, then a trainee pharmacist, toasted his lottery win of just over £1.9m with Coca-Cola in 1997 because, at 17, he was too young to share his parents' champagne.Donnelly, 29, was found dead on Tuesday by a relative at the bungalow at Buittle Bridge, near Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, which he had bought with his winnings, and had…

• Enlightened age for the arts in Britain is cast into shadow

  Tristram Hunt

  26 Dec 2009 | 4:06 pm

  A decade of unprecedented investment in galleries and museums is ending and a return to the dark days of closures, entry charges and pandering to the familiar loomsIt is a space dedicated to the fruits of patronage. Against whitewashed walls and beneath a startling glass canopy, the Leonardos and Donatellos, the choir screens and sculptures, the tapestries and caskets speak to an age of extraordinary wealth and aesthetic ambition. But the newly opened medieval and renaissance galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum also testify to the fact that our own epoch of remarkable cultural…

• Lottery winners at Christmas

  Charlotte Northedge

  18 Dec 2009 | 4:10 pm

  A year ago, they were like the rest of us: pushing the boat out, and worrying a bit about paying for it. Then their numbers came up… So how will they be celebrating this year?Ted Newton, 69, a retired foreman, and his wife Marilyn, 65, from Amersham, won £7.9m in JulyTed says: "I don't have a clue what to get anyone for Christmas this year. Our children, Darren, Stephen and Sarah, have all left home, and we shared the money between us, so there's nothing they need, and our grandchildren have everything they could possibly want. Darren's got a new house, so we're getting him a patio…

• Royal Mail ready to sell Camelot stake

  Terry Macalister

  3 Dec 2009 | 11:35 am

  • Move could raise £85m for cash-strapped postal business• Royal Mail owns 20% of National Lottery operatorRoyal Mail looks ready to cash in its equity holding in Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, in a move that could raise up to £85m for the cash-strapped postal business.The state-owned company refused to comment but there was feverish speculation in the City that it was joining Camelot's four stakeholders who have already signalled their intention to dispose of their stakes in the lottery business.Royal Mail bought a 20% chunk of the lottery when it was first established…

• 
  World news: Nato | guardian.co.uk

• Don't wait for victory to start talking to the Taliban, Ainsworth tells Nato

  Julian Borger

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, said today that Nato should not seek the Taliban's unconditional surrender and warned against "setting the bar too high" for peace talks. In a debate in Munich about the conduct of the war and potential overtures to the Taliban, he argued it was unrealistic to require insurgents to support western-style democracy before entering dialogue."Afghanistan is a conservative Muslim country. It's never going to be Bavaria or Surrey," Ainsworth said. "Neither must we wait until there has been victory before we try to reconcile and bring in those elements from the…

• Thousands of civilians flee Afghan region as Nato plans onslaught

  Jon Boone

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  Evacuation of most civilians will give commanders leeway to use air-to-ground missiles which have enraged AfghansTen of thousands of Afghan civilians are abandoning an area of central Helmland where UK and US forces are set to launch one of the biggest operations of the year.The evacuation of most civilians from the town of Marjah and surrounding areas will give commanders greater leeway to use mortars-and-air-to ground missiles which have enraged Afghans in the past when responsible for civilian deaths.US generals have unusually made no secret of their plan for a major onslaught against the…

• The secret war in Pakistan | Michael Williams

  Michael Williams

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  US operations – from drone strikes to troops on the ground – in Pakistan are necessary to ensure America's securityYes, there is a secret war going on in Pakistan, and it is one George W Bush should have started nine years ago. After the US abandoned Afghanistan following Soviet withdrawal in 1989, Pakistan supported Islamist groups in a bid to secure a pro-Islamabad government in Kabul. When Bush went into Afghanistan in 2001 with no plan other than to kick out the Taliban, he also threw billions of dollars at Pakistan to help in the "war on terror".Islamabad, however, did nothing to…

• Serbia should not join Nato | Svetozar Stojanović

  Svetozar Stojanović

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Serbia should maintain its military neutrality and build bridges between nations, rather than rushing to join NatoA few years ago, I would have accepted the argument that Serbia should tie itself to Nato as firmly as possible, by full membership if needs be, in order not to find itself surrounded by countries that were all Nato members. However, for some time now, I have not regarded this reason as very convincing. I cannot see which of Serbia's neighbours pose a threat to the country, and I do not think that Nato would attack it only because of its refusal to become a member.I do not…

• Green paper reveals defence plans for future conflicts

  Richard Norton-Taylor

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:59 am

  Report refers to making 'hard choices' and stresses need for co-operation with US and other countriesMore deployable bangs are needed with fewer bucks: that is the message behind the defence green paper, an exercise designed to ask questions, but not answer them.The answers, notably how to rebalance the £37bn annual defence budget to make it more relevant to future conflicts, will be for the post-general election defence review.The green paper mentions just one weapon system – the Trident nuclear missile submarine fleet, which this government and the Tory leadership have pledged to…

• 
  World news: Natural disasters and extreme weather | guardian.co.uk

• Haiti man rescued 'after surviving 27 days in rubble'

  Adam Gabbatt

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:41 am

  Family says 28-year-old had been trapped in market wreckage since 12 January earthquakeA man rescued in Haiti may have spent the past 27 days trapped in rubble, it was reported today.The news came 11 days after the last survivor was rescued, following the devastating 12 January earthquake, which killed as many as 200,000 people.The family of Evan Muncie reportedly told doctors at a Port-au-Prince hospital yesterday that the 28-year-old had been trapped in the wreckage of a market since the quake.His apparent recovery is all the more remarkable as the Haitian government declared an end to…

• US must be Haiti's watchdog | Mark Weisbrot

  Mark Weisbrot

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:01 pm

  Ahead of the rainy season there are huge concerns over shelter, sanitation and human rights. The US has a responsibility to helpLast month actors and human rights advocates Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, along with the Reverend Jesse Jackson sent a letter to Congress and the Obama administration calling attention to "serious mistakes that have unnecessarily delayed the delivery of medical supplies, water, and other life-saving materials." The letter was also signed by some 90 scholars and Haiti advocates. (Disclosure: I also added my signature).The letter asked for, among other things, "A…

• Haiti earthquake aid pledged by country: full data

  Peter Walker

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:45 am

  Haiti's quake has apparently galvanised the world. Find out how much different countries and organisations have pledged to the aid effort - and how much has actually been handed over• Get the data• Information is Beautiful analysisTracking the enormous pledges of financial aid and other assistance for quake-stricken Haiti is a difficult business, but the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is attempting to do just that. The OCHA has the tricky task of trying to orchestrate the efforts of the dozens of aid agencies either in Haiti or on their way there.Its list…

• 'Snowmageddon' brings Washington to a standstill

  David Batty

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:47 am

  Heaviest snowfall on record forecast as second severe blizzard causes deaths and disruption in eastern USA massive blizzard dubbed "Snowmageddon" by president Barack Obama is causing chaos in the eastern US, with parts of the region buried under more than 20in [50cm] of snow.Washington DC has already seen more than 10in settle in what forecasters have warned could be the heaviest snowfall in the American capital since records began, with 2.5ft or more predicted.Parts of Maryland and West Virginia are already buried under more than 20in and forecasters have said up to 2in of snow could fall…

• Haiti charges American missionaries with child kidnapping

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:06 am

  Ten members of Idaho-based charity New Life Children's Refuge are also accused of criminal association