Six jailed for supporting terror

Six men convicted of supporting terrorism through speeches at a London mosque have been handed jail terms.

Among them is Muslim preacher Abu Izzadeen, who was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

The speeches, on 9 November 2004, came as US and British forces fought fierce battles in Falluja, Iraq.

The sentencing was delayed after one of the guilty men, who had jumped bail for 10 days, turned himself in.

Shah Jalal Hussain, 25, surrendered at Kingston Crown Court after he went missing when the jury began deliberations on 8 April, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest.

He was convicted of terrorist fundraising and breaking his bail conditions and jailed for two years and three months.

Full Article

Looks like terrorism can be found even in one of the most precautious country on earth.

Grade this.

Pair 'tried to blackmail royal'

Two men tried to blackmail a member of the Royal Family with a sound recording containing claims he had performed a gay sex act, a court has heard.

The Old Bailey was told that Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan demanded £50,000 from the unidentified Royal Family member, called Witness A.

The recordings featured a man who had been employed by the royal.

Mr Strachan, 31, of Fulham, and Mr McGuigan, 41, of Battersea, both London, deny blackmail charges.

Click me

I wonder how Parliament will handle this.

Grade this.

Male rapist prowled city streets

A security guard has been convicted of raping two men and indecently assaulting two others in Glasgow.
Hissein Atie prowled the city's streets looking for men to attack, the High Court in Glasgow heard.
The 30-year-old, who was caught by DNA evidence, committed the offences between January and June last year. Sentence was deferred for reports and Atie, who arrived in the UK from Chad in 2000, was placed on the sex offenders' register.

Judge Ian Peebles QC said he would consider deporting Atie to the Central African country. At the time of the last attack, he had been granted bail for police assault and alleged indecency. He was also being sought by the Home Office, who wanted to remove him from the country after his asylum application failed.

Full Story

This story shows how the law system in the U. K. works so well , and that the United Kingdom does not mess around with Rape.

BA managers leave after T5 fiasco

British Airways has said that two of its senior executives will leave the company after the opening of its Terminal 5 was dogged by problems.
BA said Gareth Kirkwood, director of operations, and David Noyes, director of customer services, would be leaving

The company said it would now look to appoint one person to cover both roles. The opening of Terminal 5 was beset by a catalogue of problems, with staff not able to get into work, thousands of bags mislaid, and flights cancelled.

Full Story.

When mistakes are made at British Airways , you will have to compensate with your job.

Diana inquiry costs exceed £12m

The cost of the investigation into the death of Princess Diana has topped £12.5m, new figures show.

The coroner's inquest reached £4.5m, with a further £8m spent on the Metropolitan Police investigation.

The inquest into the deaths of Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, who died in a 1997 Paris car crash, lasted more than three months and heard from 250 witnesses.

The jury returned verdicts of unlawful killing. A BBC poll found 78% of people thought the inquest a waste of money.

Further insanity

Does Great Britain have no better use of their money? I mean yes, Princess Diana died, but does it mean that £12.5m needs to be spent just so everyone can be sure that she wasn't murdered? Come on people...

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

Human rights 'apply to UK troops'

Human rights laws can be applied to British troops on active service, a High Court judge has ruled.

The landmark judgement came in a test case relating to the death of Scottish soldier Pte Jason Smith in Iraq.

Mr Justice Collins said sending soldiers into action without proper kit could breach human rights. Ministers are appealing against the ruling.

The court also ruled families of those killed in conflict should get legal aid and access to military documents.

The judgement came during a request for military inquest guidelines in the case of Pte Smith, 32, from Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, who died of heatstroke in Iraq in 2003.

Full Story

Why weren't soldiers being granted their human rights before now? If an individual is willing to give their life for the protection of his or her country, then the least the country can do is compensate them or compensate the family of lost soldier.

Grade this.

Gordon Brown , Missile fraud

Gordon Brown is coming under pressure to reopen the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into the multi-billion pound arms deal between BAE and Saudi Arabia. Liberal Democrat leader Nick

Clegg said the investigation, which was suspended in 2006, must be allowed to continue.

The High Court ruled that the SFO acted unlawfully by dropping the corruption inquiry into the £43bn deal. BAE was accused of illegal payments to Saudi officials, but the defence company maintains it acted lawfully. The High Court said the decision to halt the inquiry represented an "abject surrender" to pressure from a foreign government.

Click Here

Gordon Brown seems to be running pretty thin in the U.K. This over an arms investigation.

Politcal Cartoon

Political Cartoons Circa 1775 , Ponder at your own risk.

Grade this.

Gordon Brown's Olympic visit

Let's start on 18 January in Beijing. Gordon Brown is in China for an official visit.
He is invited to a question and answer session at the Renmin University of China.
The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is with him.

A student asks Mr Brown whether or not he will come to the Olympics.
The prime minister says he will "definitely come to the Olympics, if invited."
Wen Jiabao immediately extends the invitation: "On behalf of the Chinese Government, I would like to extend the invitation again to Prime Minister Brown and Mrs Brown to China for the Olympic Games."

So there we go - Gordon Brown is going to the Olympics.
The question then becomes this: Which bit of the Olympics is he going to?

Click Here

Later in the article it was confirmed that no part of the games would be boycotted by the British.

grade this.

PM not attending Olympics opening

Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Downing Street says.

However, he will be at the closing ceremony when the Olympic baton will be passed to London.

A spokeswoman said Mr Brown had never planned to attend the ceremony and was not boycotting the Games.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown "seems to do the right thing late in the day when he is forced to do so because of public opinion".

Mr Clegg, speaking to Channel Four News, branded the move a "last-minute U-turn".

The Olympics minister Tessa Jowell will represent the UK at the opening in Beijing in August.

Full Article

This could potentially harm the U.K.'s foreign relations around the world.

Grade this

Terrorism convict released early

A man convicted of a terrorism offence has been released 17 days early under the scheme to reduce jail overcrowding, the government has confirmed.

Yassin Nassari left Wakefield Prison on 11 February 2008, after being jailed last summer for three and a half years.

He was arrested in May 2006 at Luton Airport carrying what police said were blueprints for a rocket in his luggage.

The Ministry of Justice said Nassari had met the release criteria because he was not guilty of serious violence.

Under the terms of the government's early release scheme, prisoners are eligible to leave prison 18 days earlier than normally expected, if they had been jailed for less than four years and not committed a serious violent offence.

Nassari, 28, from Ealing in west London, was convicted in July 2007 of having articles of use to terrorists.

Full Article

I do not understand how a potential terroristic threat cannot be considered a serious offense. Although he did not commit any violent acts, he was still in the process of conspiracy.

Grade this.

Watchdog admits failure over Rock

The UK financial watchdog, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), has admitted that it failed to regulate Northern Rock adequately.

The FSA said there had been "a lack of adequate oversight and review" by the agency of the troubled bank.

It said too few regulators were assigned to monitor Northern Rock, which ran into trouble in August.

The FSA said it would be overhauling its procedures as a result of the weaknesses identified.

Newcastle-based Northern Rock was nationalised in February after the credit crisis forced it to seek a Bank of England lifeline to fund its mortgage loan book.

Last week it said it would cut about 2,000 jobs by 2011 and reduce its residential mortgage lending by half under plans to turn around its fortunes.

Northern Rock must also pay back Bank of England loans worth about £25bn.

Full Story

It appears that the few regulations that Parliament set on Northern Rock Bank have failed. This may cause Parliament to reform their policies on foreign companies.

UK will fight turbulence - Brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has promised that the UK and other EU countries will "lead the way" in fighting "global financial turbulence".

He told MPs that an EU summit at the weekend had agreed "co-ordinated action at a European and global level".

Tory leader David Cameron said the UK was suffering from not "putting money aside in the good years".

It came as an ICM poll suggested the Tories had a 13-point lead over Labour and were trusted more on the economy.

Markets have recorded heavy losses in reaction to the emergency bailout of US investment bank Bear Stearns.

Full Story

The U.K. to the rescue!

Grade this.

Burrell 'removed ring from Diana'

Former royal butler Paul Burrell claimed he had removed an engagement ring from Princess Diana's body, his former bodyguard has told her inquest.

Michael Faux said Mr Burrell had told him he had taken the ring, with blood on it, from her body, in Paris after her fatal car crash in August 1997.

Mr Faux also said he had seen Mr Burrell burning documents, some with Buckingham Palace letterheads.

Mr Burrell denied he had ever spoken of such a ring or burnt important papers.

BBC News royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the ring discussed in Monday's evidence could not be the one described throughout the inquest as an engagement ring bought by Dodi Al Fayed, as that ring was on public display at Harrods department store.

The ring Mr Burrell referred to "could only have been a friendship ring, a Bulgari friendship ring," he said.

Full Story

And Burnell's back.

Grade this.

Darling bumps car and beer tax up

Big increases in duty on alcohol and high-polluting cars have been announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling.

In his first Budget he put 4p on a pint of beer, 14p on a bottle of wine and 55p on a bottle of spirits. Duty on a packet of cigarettes is up 11p.

He announced a one-off £950 tax on the most polluting new cars but put a 2p rise in fuel duty back six months.

Mr Darling, who insisted the UK could "weather economic storms", also increased winter fuel payments.

But Conservative leader David Cameron dismissed his Budget statement as a "a dire list of reviews and reannouncements".

Full Story

Pubs are unhappy.

Grade this.

U.K. All Wet

Fourteen flood warnings are in place across England as a powerful storm moves across the UK, causing widespread travel disruption and power cuts.

On Monday, gale force winds and heavy rain affected roads, rail and air travel, while almost 12,000 homes are without power.

More bad weather is expected in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Environment Agency say the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and the Somerset coast are most at risk.

High tides along the south west, southern and west coasts will peak by midnight GMT.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "The situation has now improved along parts of the south west and southern coasts."

Full Story

This storm is one of the strongest the U.K. has seen in the past several years. The picture really explains it all.

Grade this.

Trivia Question Results

The answer to last week's trivia question was Bo Diddley. Congratulations to those of you who answered correctly! Kritesh is currently leading by 9 points.

Assessment Complete

Trivia Question

Kritesh is ahead by 9 points now. Next week the question will be worth 10 points and only the first answer will be accepted.

Trivia Results

The answer to the special question was Noel Fielding.

Kritesh is currently 4 points ahead of Camp . If anyone reads this 5 points will be given to the first person to tell me Noel Fielding's Birth City.

Behind camp are Sean and Courtney both by one point. Lauren has 0 points.

Burrell refuses return to inquest

Former royal butler Paul Burrell has refused to return to the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

He had been asked to explain discrepancies between his evidence and comments reported in the Sun newspaper.

In a video recording obtained by the Sun, Mr Burrell apparently claims he introduced "red herrings" during his evidence and held back facts.

The coroner said he cannot compel him to give evidence because he is outside the court's jurisdiction in the US.

Lord Justice Scott Baker said in a statement: "The coroner asked him to give further evidence either in person or via videolink from abroad.

"Mr Burrell has refused to do this and, as he is outside the court jurisdiction, the coroner has no power to compel him to give evidence."

Full Story

Once again Burrell is back. One innocent testimony must not be enough for the British courts.

Grade this.

Migrants challenge rule changes

The government's decision to change the rules for highly skilled immigrants is facing a challenge in the High Court.

It is claimed retrospective changes to the Highly Skilled Migration Programme (HSMP) in 2006 will mean thousands of non-EU migrants have to leave the UK.

The HSMP Forum, which is seeking the judicial review, says 90% - 44,000 people - who entered under the HSMP no longer qualified.

They claim the decision was unfair and in breach of their human rights.

Full Article

Parliament tries to create strict imigration policies and the immigrants reject them.

Grade this

Tories planning new prison places

Conservative leader David Cameron says his party would build 5,000 more prison places in England and Wales - taking capacity in jails to more than 100,000.

Under the plans, older inner-city jails would be sold off to pay for more new prisons on cheaper land elsewhere.

Mr Cameron also wants new "min-max" sentences - with no chance of parole until the minimum term has been served.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw accused him of copying Labour plans, saying the rest of the scheme was "uncosted".

The 5,000 extra spaces would be on top of the 15,000 new prison spaces being created by the government over the next five years.

Inside Look

This new policy could very well be England's solution to their problem of overcrowded prisons.

Grade this.

Man is found dead in city street.

Police believed the man lived locallyPolice are investigating the "unexplained death" of a man, whose body was found in a Swansea street. The unidentified man, who was aged between 40 and 55, was found in Llangyfelach Road, close to Brynhyfryd Square, near the Landore district.
South Wales Police said he was found at 0031 GMT on Sunday.

The man, who was believed to be local, was white, slim, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins tall, with short brown, straight, tidily-kept hair and a brown moustache. He was wearing a green Barbour-style jacket, blue jeans and white trainers. A post mortem examination will take place on Monday.

Full Story

This is an interesting story for two reasons, one is that the man should have been caught on camera dying and number two is that this small of a story would not make national news in the U.S. but Britain is so much more close knit.

Fatal wartime Tube crush marked

It was one of Britain's worst civilian disasters during World War II. On the evening of 3 March, 1943, a crowd of people were descending the steps into Bethnal Green underground station to take shelter from an impending air-raid. Suddenly, they surged forward and in the crush 173 people were killed and more than 90 injured.

A high proportion of the victims were women and children, some younger ones babes-in-arms or holding hands, as they made their way down the stairs. The disaster happened on one small stairwell, in the capital city, as people followed their routine to take cover from the coming bombs.

Full Story

During WWII 173 people died in a crushing. All of this happened on one small stairwell. this awful event took a long time to unfold because of the wartime attitude.

UK prisons now 'over-capacity'

Prison officers accuse ministers of "total mismanagement"The prison population in England and Wales has exceeded its highest normal level for the first time. The Ministry of Justice said that as of Friday morning there were 82,068 inmates in jails - 96 over the Prison Service's "operational capacity". Justice Secretary Jack Straw has asked magistrates to jail fewer people while officials attempt to manage the crisis.

Some 358 inmates are in police or court cells to ease pressure on a system with current capacity of 81,972. Ministry of Justice figures reveal that the population breached that capacity on Thursday evening. The breach comes despite a year of efforts to reduce pressures by releasing more prisoners and building more cell. The figures mean that for the first time the Prison Service has almost 100 more inmates in jail than the numbers governors want to hold to ensure a controlled and secure regime.

Full Story

The U.K. is now officially over capacity in their prisons. Maybe we can house some inmates to ease our debt. Oh wait we are more over capacity than they are.

Assessment Complete

Immigration points system begins

A long-expected overhaul of the UK's immigration system has come into force with the launch of a point-based system for foreign workers.

The first stage of the system becomes operational on Friday - and will apply fully by the end of the summer.

Ministers say the changes are the biggest for a generation - and will allow the UK to better control migrants from outside EU.

But the Conservatives say they want an annual cap on the numbers allowed in.

Under the system, migrant workers will need to show they have sufficient skills under new rules that assess whether or not the economy needs them.

Applicants are given a score based on their abilities, with a special body advising ministers on how many points to award to certain skills to reflect economic conditions.

Full Story

This article shows how important immigration limitations are to the British government. This policy in combination with the new citizenship policy could cause a sharp decrease in the amount of "England-bound" immigrants.

Grade this.

Prince Harry on Afghan front line

Prince Harry has been fighting the Taleban on the front line in Afghanistan, the MoD has confirmed.

Harry, 23, who is third in line to the throne, has spent the last 10 weeks serving in Helmand Province.

The prince joked about his nickname "the bullet magnet", but said: "I finally get the chance to do the soldiering that I want to do."

The deployment was subject to a news blackout deal, which broke down after being leaked by foreign media.

Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt, who is head of the British Army, said he was disappointed the news had leaked.

Full Article

Well, it seems that even the countries with the most strict policies on information security can have leaks.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

Trivia Results

This weeks only correct response came from Kritesh who is now in 1st , followed by Camp behing by one point , Sean , Henry and Courtney are each 2 Points behind.

The answer to this weeks question was a Steel plated alcohol gel dispenser.

Northern Rock bill gets approval

The bill to allow Northern Rock bank to be nationalised has become law after peers backed down in their demands for extra safeguards.

The Banking (Special Provisions) Bill, which cleared the Commons on Tuesday, ran into opposition in the Lords.

But MPs rejected peers' demands for an independent audit, and for the bank to come under Freedom of Information laws.

The Conservatives said it was a matter of "deep regret" that ministers had rejected the amendments "out of hand".

A third amendment requiring the Office of Fair Trading to report annually to Parliament on the impact on competition in the UK's banking market, was rejected without a vote by MPs, after ministers offered a compromise.

Full article

This article is a prime example of how strict the U.K. is about allowing foreign companies to become naturalized within the country.

Grade this.

Judge YouTube

As a man who posted video online of himself speeding at 130mph has been handed a four-month suspended prison term, police are increasingly relying on YouTube as a crime fighting weapon.
When an anonymous e-mail dropped in the inbox of Suffolk Police last autumn the fate of Danny Hyde was sealed.
It drew to the attention of officers a video posted on YouTube of Hyde, 18, driving his Astra one-handed at 130mph along the A14 near Ipswich. He filmed it himself on his mobile phone and the footage included shots of the speedometer and the road ahead as he sped past other vehicles.

It's good evidence as long as you can get some proof that it's the person in the picture
Police managed to identify Hyde and he admitted the offence to magistrates, earning a four-month suspended prison term. It is another instance where police have used video-sharing sites like YouTube to track down bragging criminals.

Full Article

This is just proof of how Great Britain is the most intrusive society on earth , If you put something on Youtube they will find you, This really shows how tight nit most areas of Britain really are

Why Churchill Lost in 1945

Between 1940 and 1945 Winston Churchill was probably the most popular British prime minister of all time. In May 1945 his approval rating in the opinion polls, which had never fallen below 78 per cent, stood at 83 per cent. With few exceptions, politicians and commentators confidently predicted that he would lead the Conservatives to victory at the forthcoming general election. '... it is hard to imagine anyone who could have played the role of national leader with greater success than Churchill ...'

In the event, he led them to one of their greatest ever defeats. It was also one for which he was partly responsible, because the very qualities that had made him a great leader in war were ill-suited to domestic politics in peacetime.Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in completing the almost superhuman task he had taken on in 1940, and in a way this made him redundant.

His first act as prime minister in 1940 was to invite the leaders of the Labour, Liberal and Conservative parties - Attlee, Sinclair and Chamberlain - to serve in a Coalition Government. This became the administration, robustly surviving external shocks and internal quarrels, that mobilised the British for total war, and it is hard to imagine anyone who could have played the role of national leader with greater success than Churchill did at that time.

Full Article

This article is important because it focuses on one of if not Britains most like Prime Ministers and why he was not re-elected after his big World War II victory , this is one of historys biggest mystery. I suggest reading this full article.

Wright guilty of Suffolk murders

Steve Wright has been found guilty of murdering five women in Suffolk. The bodies of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were found in Ipswich over a 10-day period in December 2006.

Wright, 49, of Ipswich, said during his trial that he had sex with four of the five women, who were working as prostitutes, but denied killing them.
Ipswich Crown Court jurors unanimously found him guilty of all five murders and he will be sentenced on Friday. 'Crucifix pose'

The trial heard the bodies of Miss Alderton and Miss Nicholls were found arranged with their arms outstretched in a crucifix pose. The prosecution said Wright "systematically selected and murdered" all five women over a six-and-a-half-week period.

Suffolk police began an inquiry after Miss Nicol, 19, vanished in late October 2006.
Two weeks later, Miss Adams, 25, vanished and detectives began a "major inquiry", saying there were "obvious similarities".
This was followed by the disappearance of Miss Alderton, 24, Miss Clennell, 24, and 29-year-old Miss Nicholls.

Click Here

This article is signifigant because it shows how bad crime can be even in countries where people have high amounts of security like in The U.K. No matter how much security you impose there will still be people who will do insane things.

British citizenship tests planned

Immigrants who want to become British and settle permanently in the UK will need to pass more tests to "prove their worth" to the country under new plans.

Some migrants may also have to pay into a fund towards public services and have a period of "probationary citizenship".

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK should expect a "demonstration of commitment" and the process of becoming a citizen should be "more exacting".

The Tories called the plans, which do not cover EU citizens, a "gimmick".

Unveiling the proposals, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said future migrants would need to "earn" citizenship.

This scraps the current system which allows people to apply for naturalisation on the basis of how long they have lived in the UK.

Full Story

Well, I guess the U.K. is going to have a drop in citizenship applications.

Grade this.

Ex-MI6 boss denies killing Diana

MI6's former chief has denied that the intelligence service murdered Diana, Princess of Wales.

At the inquest into her death, Sir Richard Dearlove insisted he had not been aware of MI6 assassinating anyone in his 38-year career there.

He rejected claims by Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed that Diana was killed by MI6 on the orders of Prince Philip.

Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi and driver Henri Paul were also killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

Sir Richard told the inquest that this was a "very personal allegation" given his role at the Secret

Intelligence Service - otherwise known as MI6 - at the time.

He was MI6's director of operations from 1994 to 1999, and served as head of the agency from 1999 to 2004.

He denied that any assassinations took place under his authority.

Full Story

Once again, another conspiracy theory about the death of Princess Diana has been disproven.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

History of the Labour Party

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in the early 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the left in England, Scotland and Wales (but not in Northern Ireland, where the Social Democratic and Labour Party occupies a roughly similar position on the political spectrum). It has formed the national government of the United Kingdom since 1997. It is also the largest party in the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales and the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament. It holds the London mayoralty and is represented in the European Parliament. Its current leader is Gordon Brown.

The Labour Party surpassed the Liberal Party as the main opposition to the Conservatives in the early 1920s. It has had several spells in government, first as minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-31, then as a junior partner in the wartime coalition from 1940-1945, and then as a majority government, under Clement Attlee in 1945-51 and under Harold Wilson in 1964-70. Labour was in government again in 1974-79, under Wilson and then James Callaghan, though with a precarious and declining majority.

New Labour won a landslide 179 seat majority in the 1997 general election under the leadership of Tony Blair, its first general election victory since October 1974 and the first general election since 1970 in which it had exceeded 40% of the popular vote. The Labour Party's large majority in the House of Commons was slightly reduced to 167 in the 2001 general election and more substantially reduced to 66 in 2005.

Read the full article here.

The British Labour party has been one of the single most influential parties in the U.K. It has been the primary political leader in Parliament since its existance.

Grade this.

Brown considers training payments

Gordon Brown wants to see poor families paid extra benefits if they take on work or skills training.

During his first visit to Wales as PM, he will call for a "contract" between government and the worst-off families.

He is examining a New York scheme which offers cash to encourage people back into work and education.

For the Tories, Chris Grayling said Mr Brown was "chasing headlines" after warning last month of benefits cuts for those who refused training.

Later Mr Brown will tell Welsh Labour's Llandudno conference that people must do what they can to take up work and acquire the skills to become employed.

Full Story

If Brown's plan is enacted then it may reduce the crime rate even further than it is now. Also, this plan may help improve the economy as well.

Grade this.

Food and petrol push up inflation

Rising food and petrol prices pushed up UK inflation in January, figures show.
Last month's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation figure rose to 2.2%, up from 2.1% in December. The rate is the highest since June 2007. The Retail Price Index (RPI), which includes mortgage interest payments, rose to 4.1% from 4% in December.

However, while price growth was strong, it was not as quick as many analysts had feared, boosting hopes of further interest rate cuts in the UK this year. Below trend The Bank of England cut UK interest rates last week to 5.25% from 5.5% in an attempt to prevent a major slowdown in the economy.

But the Bank signalled that it was unlikely to cut rates as sharply as the US Federal Reserve - which has slashed borrowing costs to 3% - because of fears over inflationary pressures. "It will be some time yet before the MPC's inflation concerns evaporate," said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics. Many analysts are predicting that the Bank will keep rates on hold in order to get a clearer picture of long-term economic and inflationary trends, and the impact slower growth will have on consumer prices.

Full Story

This article is about the rising inflation in Great Britain. In Britain Their is a direct effect between our economy and theirs . These rates could be cause by our problems right now.

No plan to ban 'anti-teen' device

There are no plans in England to ban the use of devices which emit a high-pitched sound to disperse groups of teenagers, the government has said.

But it stressed the Mosquito devices, which can cause discomfort to youngsters' ears, should be "a last resort" against anti-social behaviour.

The children's commissioner and other critics want a ban, saying the gadget is indiscriminate in who it targets.

Some stores say the devices can be useful against anti-social youths.

In a statement issued after the calls for a ban, the government said:

"'Mosquito alarms' are not banned and the government has no plans to do so.
Obviously no-one would want to have to use a device like this, and it should
very much be seen as a last resort. We will continue to tackle the
underlying problems through better neighbourhood policing, giving young
people alternative things to do in their spare time and, where necessary,
using the powers we have put in place to prevent anti-social behaviour."

Full Story

The country with the most complex security system in the world has still found another way to increase their public surveillance.

Grade this.

AP Comparative Government Great Britain Blog 2

This is our temporary title because we didnt want to overshadow our current project.

Questions and Updates.

Anyone with Questions or comments please feel free to ask .

Updates coming soon to blog:

Country Fact Side bar
British Music on Blog
Updated Format Colors
Poll
British Pictures Slideshow



Expect these updates and some surprise updates all completed by next Tuesday February 19, 2008.

*Subject to change

British TV

Britain has a deep culture of Television Broadcasting.Click Here for a list of the top British shows of all time.

Also I apologize for missing Saturdays post , Both Blog members were not able to access the internet that day . If anyone noticed it should not happen again but before it does you will be notified.

Assessment Complete

Trivia Week 2 Results

The answer to this week's trivia question was The Clash. Continue checking out the blog this upcoming week for the new question.

Results So Far:
Henry 2
Camp 2
Sean 2
Kritesh 2
Courtney 2

Arrests after school gas attack

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested after a substance was released in a school, prompting an evacuation. Police said a pepper spray aerosol was set off in the rear stairwell of a classroom block at Christ Church High School, Ashford.

Twenty one pupils were taken to hospital with symptoms including sore eyes, coughing and vomiting. Others were checked by medics at the scene. Two parents were later arrested on suspicion of assaulting police.

Police, fire and ambulance teams attended the scene in the Kingsnorth area at about 1220 GMT, and firefighters using breathing apparatus ventilated the building. Clearly tensions ran quite high Ch Insp Martin Bradley said the gas used was an illegal substance which cannot be bought in shops.

Full Story

This article is interesting because it proves how even with the strict gun control laws in Great Britain there are still ways of attacking . It is scary that the gas was a substance not sold in shops and that it has not been released by name to the public.

Grade this.

Clegg attacks 'surveillance' UK

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has accused Gordon Brown of turning Britain into a "surveillance state" during prime minister's questions in the Commons. He also urged an end to the "scandalous fingerprinting" of children at schools and the removal of more than a million innocent people from the DNA database.

Mr Brown, who earlier promised a quick report on the MP bugging row responded by asking if the Lib Dems backed CCTV. He added: "We are taking the steps to protect the liberties of citizens." Mr Clegg told the prime minister controversy surrounding the bugging of Labour MP Sadiq Khan, on a prison visit to a constituent, "shouldn't come as a surprise to you".

'Urgent' security needs "After all, it is this government that has turned the British public into the most spied upon the planet - 1,000 surveillance requests every day, one million innocent people on the DNA database and 5,000 schools now fingerprinting our children," he said.
"Is that what you meant when you spoke so stirringly a few months ago about the great British tradition of liberty?"

Full Story

This story really shows how in depth the British Surveillance system has reached . It is very interesting to see what our closest ally is up to , and if they could possibly have an affect on security choices made here in the U.S.

Grade This.

Labour MPs to declare family jobs

Gordon Brown has ordered all Labour MPs to declare "as soon as possible" details of any relatives they employ.

In a letter to the Speaker, he says he has told Labour MPs not to wait until April, as recommended by the Commons standards committee earlier.

Conservative leader David Cameron has already told his frontbenchers to declare any employed relatives, plus a range of other expenditure.

The initiatives come after a series of revelations about MPs employing family.

The Commons estimates committee announced on Tuesday it was to hold a review of expenses after claims public money was being misused. It is due to report in October.

In a letter to Speaker Michael Martin, the chairman of the estimates committee, Gordon Brown said he welcomed its review, saying a "root-and-branch overhaul of the current system" was needed.

Full Story

I feel that Brown is implementing this investigation because he is worried about losing his power in Parliament. I think he feels that if members of opposing parties elect family members with similar views, he could very well be voted out of office.

Grade this.

Tories step up bug row pressure

The Conservatives are demanding a fresh Commons statement over the bugging of an MP which they say has made a "liar" of the Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
It followed the revelation Home Office and Ministry of Justice officials were told about the incident in December.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the case made the PM a "liar" as it countered prime ministerial pledges to protect MPs from bugging. Commons leader Harriet Harman said Mr Davis should "apologise" to Mr Brown. She told BBC Radio 4's World at One there was "no justification" for his accusation.

PM's promise 'broken'It follows claims counter-terrorism officers secretly recorded discussions between Tooting MP Sadiq Khan, a government whip, and a constituent he was visiting in jail.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had not been aware of the incident until the Sunday Times reports emerged this weekend.

Full Story

The conservatives are demanding a fresh commons statement. They are demanding this because a bugged mp portrayed British prime Minister Gordon Brown as a liar , this practice is being shown as a li. This article is interesting because it shows how hands on British politics is.

Grade this.

Brown denies knowledge of police bugging of MP

LONDON (AFP) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown has denied receiving a warning about the police secretly bugging a Labour MP during a prison visit.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said he had written to the premier about the matter in December. But Brown denies ever having received such a letter.

Downing Street maintains Brown knew nothing about the bugging allegations.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said Sunday he had launched an inquiry into the secret bugging of Tooting MP Sadiq Khan.

According to a report in The Sunday Times newspaper, Khan was bugged by Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism unit while meeting with a constituent in prison.

Full Story

Events like this could eventually cause other countries around the world to distrust the Great Britain. I wonder how in-depth the U.K. is going to investiate this situation and if the events actually occured.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

British Navy

Click Here for a video about the British Navy.

New Stuff

Hey guys, starting February 2nd we’re going to have new feeds about sports and entertainment in the U.K. We’re going to feature feeds about current soccer scores, rugby scores, and even the music that’s topping the charts in the U.K. Keep checking out our blog to stay updated on the British culture.

Egg customers protest credit move

Angry customers of internet bank Egg have hit out at its decision to cancel their credit cards.

Egg says 161,000 cards belonging to people whose credit profiles have deteriorated since they signed up will stop working in 35 days time.

But people who insist they have good records have been contacting the BBC to say they are on the list.

A Labour MP is asking the banking industry watchdog, the Financial Services Association, to investigate.

Nigel Griffiths, a former deputy leader of the House of Commons, said Egg's action was "unacceptable".

A spokesman for the bank said those affected were customers it no longer wanted to lend to "regardless of their current status".

Full Story

I don't think that the Egg company should have the ability to just cancel their customer's credit cards. I wonder if parliament is going to intervene.

Grade This.

Trivia Week 1 Results

The answer to this weeks question was Harry Vardon .

Correct Answers from: Camp,Courtney,Kritesh,Henry,Sean

Storms batter parts of Britain

Passengers are being airlifted from a ferry in the Irish sea as high winds batter much of the UK, with forecasters warning of blizzards to come. A 45-year-old lorry driver died on the M6 near Tebay, Cumbria, as his lorry overturned in gusts of up to 70mph. The Port of Dover in Kent has reopened after gusts of up to 60mph forced it to close, causing widespread disruption.

In Wales some homes are without power and the Forth Road Bridge, west of Edinburgh, has reopened after a crash. However, it remains closed to high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorcycles after a lorry earlier overturned in high winds. In the Irish Sea, six people have been airlifted off a ferry which is listing to 60 degrees amid fierce storms. Still on board are 17 crew members who are attempting to restart the ship's engines, a spokesman for Lancashire Ambulance Service said.

The River Dance, a roll-on-roll-off ferry, ran into trouble eight miles west of Fleetwood. Sea King helicopters are taking those on board to Blackpool Airport. About 1,000 homes were without power in Gwynedd and two schools, John Beddoes High in Presteigne and Whitton Primary schools in Powys, closed because of a power failure.

Full Article

This Article is about the awful storms that have hit Great Britain Today . This story is also interesting because of how in depth the knowledge is about the storm. News in Great Britain is for the most part all reported like local news

Grade This Post

History of the U.K.'s Political Parties

Prior to the mid-19th century politics in the United Kingdom were dominated by the Whigs and the Tories. These were not political parties in the modern sense but somewhat loose alliances of interests and individuals. The Whigs were associated with the newly emerging moneyed industrial classes, and the Tories were associated with the landed gentry, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

By the mid 19th century the Tories had evolved into the Conservative Party, and the Whigs had evolved into the Liberal Party.

These two parties dominated the political scene until the 1920s, when the Liberal Party declined in popularity and suffered a long stream of resignations. It was replaced as the main left-wing party by the newly emerging Labour Party, who represented an alliance between the trades unions and various socialist societies.

Since then the Conservative and Labour Parties have dominated British politics, and have alternated in government ever since. The UK is nearly but not quite a two-party system however. The Liberals merged with the Social Democrats because they had very similar views and became the Liberal Democrats which are now a sizeable third party whose electoral results have improved in recent years.

Full history

This article provides a brief history on the origin of the U.K.'s political party system.

Grade this.

Lords issue landmark abuse ruling

Victims of sexual abuse may be able to sue their attackers after many years, following a ruling by the Law Lords. They ruled a convicted rapist who later won £7m on the National Lottery could be sued by his victim - even though her claim was outside a six-year deadline.
Iorworth Hoare, 53, was jailed for life in May 1989 for the attempted rape of the 59-year-old woman, Mrs A, in Leeds.

The Lords backed four more appeals; it is thought their decision could allow a number of other cases to be brought. A fair trial can be possible long after the event and sometimes the law has no choice.

Baroness Hale Until now sexual abuse victims have been prevented from bringing a claim more than six years after an attack or, in child abuse cases, more than six years after the victim reaches 18.

Full Story

This story is interesting because it shows some flexibility in the British systems. It is also interesting that the Inmates are allowed to play the lottery and that the case can be brought back up.

Grade This Post

Growing pangs of Britain's spy agencies

The annual Intelligence and Security Committee report provides one of the few glimpses into the normally secret world of Britain's intelligence agencies. The insights it provides are a mix of the serious, the strange and the more mundane.
Britain's intelligence and security services have been growing fast since 9/11 but that process has not always been straightforward. According to the report, the growth has created concerns "that aspects of key intelligence and security work are suffering as a consequence of the focus on counter-terrorism priorities" and the committee calls for possible separate, additional funding to maintain capabilities in other areas.
MI5 has expanded fast, particularly into the regions. New offices were opened in the South East and Wales in 2006/7 - and by 2008, regional stations will house three times the number of staff originally planned, the report reveals.

Full Article
This article is just a little peak inside a vast wonder of the worlds. Britain is massively expanding their security systems and are working more tightly with the United States . Want to see what the US has been up to that you probably dont know about Click Here. Notice there are no citations on that article.

Grade this post.

Five jailed for £53m cash robbery

Five men found guilty of being involved in the £53m raid on the Securitas depot in Kent have been given minimum jail terms of between 10 and 15 years.

During the raid in Tonbridge in 2006, depot manager Colin Dixon and his family were kidnapped at gunpoint by men posing as police officers.

Since the raid police have recovered £21m of the stolen cash but the remaining £32m is still missing.

The five were convicted on kidnap, robbery and firearms charges.

Those ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years were: Stuart Royle, 49, of Allen Street, Maidstone, Kent; Lea Rusha, 35, of Lambersart Close, Southborough, Kent; Jetmir Bucpapa, 26, of Hadlow Road, Tonbridge; and garage owner Roger Coutts, 30, of The Green, Welling, south-east London.

All four were given indeterminate sentences.

Full Story

Does this mean that Great Britain is going to have to increase their internal security even more in order to protect their citizens?

Grade this.

The British Invasion

In a brief change, the weekly trivia question will now be posted at random during the week. The question will be about any aspect of British history or culture. Our first question will be posted one day this week between now and Thursday at 11:59, so just continue to check out our blog. You can gve us your answers by Friday at the beginning of class. Don't share your answers!! If you do, you'll be disquaified from the competition. The person who answers the most questions correctly by the end of the semester will be awarded a $25 gift card to the place of your choice.Thanks Gene and Ben

Gordon Brown: 'I'm no ditherer'

Gordon Brown has rejected the charge that he dithered over the Peter Hain resignation and other issues and said that it was only the Conservatives who were accusing him of dithering.

He said: "I think the decisions that I've made, the big changes that I've made since I came in, show a level of resolution about the changes we've got to make for Britain as a whole."

Earlier in January, Mr. Brown refused to be drawn on whether he was enjoying the job, but on the Politics Show he told Jon Sopel that being Prime Minister was the best job in the world.

"There's a great deal of satisfaction," he said, "in trying to help people in different ways and not just on the economy as I used to do, but on a whole range of other areas.

"So I would say that I've been fortunate enough to be given the chance to do what I think is the best job in the world."

Click here for the full article and interview.

In respose to Hain's resignation due to financial fraud, PM Brown is now having to defend his reputation against the media's accusations of conspiracy.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

Blair in first official portrait

The oil painting by artist Jonathan Yeo shows the former prime minister wearing a commemorative poppy, to represent his leadership role during the Iraq war.
Yeo said Mr Blair, 54, "came bouncing in" for sittings and described his subject as having "Tigger-like energy".

Mr Blair, who refused previous official portrait requests, agreed to the painting before leaving office. It will be displayed at London's Lincoln's Inn.
Of all the things that people remember him for, the war in Iraq is going to be one of the main things that people discuss
Artist Jonathan Yeo

Yeo, son of the Conservative MP and former minister Timothy Yeo, said the poppy featured in the painting was symbolic, but was not meant to be judgemental.Of all the things that people remember him for, the war in Iraq is going to be one of the main things that people discuss," he said.

"I was thinking that I had to find some kind of representation of that, but that it shouldn't be trite or too judgemental. "It was November and of course when he came in he was wearing a poppy. I thought that was perfect."

Full Story

This story is signifigant because Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the UK during a lively time in British history . He is most notable for his use backing of President Bush in The Iraq War . Him and Bush were very close on international affairs.

Grade this post.

The mystery of flight BA038

Why did a modern airliner, with an experienced crew on board, suddenly lose power in the seconds before landing? It is a question that many in the aviation industry simply can't stop asking.

The mystery of flight BA038 intrigues them in so many ways. The Air Accident Investigation Branch is admired around the world as the gold standard in crash investigation. Its experts are either experienced pilots or engineers.

Their task: to produce a highly detailed report of the crash that explains, rather than blames.
Pulling together information from a variety of sources, including the AAIB's initial reports, it's possible to describe the last minute of the flight. BA038 had been descending gradually into Heathrow, the autopilot and the automatic throttle system controlling the aircraft.

Full Story

This story is signifigant because is shows how serious the British take there national security , maybe even more then us in the United States. This story is yet to be solved and when it is more news will be added

Grade this post.