| Inquiry into girl's sudden death Police are investigating the sudden death of a 12-year-old school girl who her father believes was being bullied bbc.co.uk |
Making peace with the past in Northern Ireland | Kieran McEvoy A holistic approach is the most effective way to deal with the long shadow cast by Northern Ireland's history of conflict"The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past." William FaulknerAs with much of Faulkner's work, the context is a society struggling with a legacy of bigotry, violence and a legal and political system that failed to respect civil rights for long periods. While the parallels with the American south aren't a perfect fit, it's hard to miss Northern Ireland's ongoing struggle with its history of violence, intolerance and rights abuses. Twelve years after the Good Friday agreement, the past continues to cast a long shadow.As Ian Cobain details, hundreds of people convicted of paramilitary offences are now appealing on the basis that they were tortured or abused into confessing. These challenges are one fragment of a confusing mosaic of processes and proposals that still dominate the headlines and local politics.By way of illustration, a few months ago the Saville inquiry exonerated those killed by the British army on Bloody Sunday in 1972. David Cameron's moving and generous apology, apparently constructed in the face of civil service opposition, brought some closure to the families and significantly altered the mood music among republicans concerning "dealing with the past". The Wright inquiry recently found no evidence of collusion in the loyalist paramilitary's death. Two other inquiries involving alleged state collusion in murder are due to report soon.The Historical Enquiries Team (Het), a police-led initiative, is going through the painstaking business of reinvestigating more than 3,200 conflict-related deaths. The Office of the Police Ombudsman (Oponi), the body that investigates allegations of police wrongdoing, has a backlog of conflict-related cases that it estimates will take decades to clear. The Disappeared Commission, established to deal with those killed and "disappeared" by the IRA, continues to oversee periodic digs for bodies across Ireland.Approximately two dozen conflict-related inquests involving security force killings remain unresolved in the coroners' courts, and further civil actions such as those taken by the Omagh families are planned. Below the radar, a range of people are facilitating dialogue between former paramilitaries and victims looking to learn more about the deaths of loved ones.In 2009, the Consultative Group on the Past, established by Tony Blair, recommended the establishment of a Legacy Commission to run for five years (a truth commission by another name), a Reconciliation Forum and various other measures concerning storytelling, remembrance and a declaration against violence for political ends. With some tweaking, essentially this report provides a way to deal with many of these issues in one place. The current government has published responses to that document but appears uncertain how to proceed.In the current climate, it is all too easy to use finance as a smokescreen for doing nothing. In this context, however, interminable legal proceedings, the work of Het, Oponi and the rest will continue regardless, and will all cost money. To establish a new overall body would require political will, but it is a more efficient and effective way to actually manage the past. Crafting a time-limited process, engaging lawyers in order to curtail legal expenses, ensuring the voices of victims are heard and respected are all surmountable design challenges. Without such a holistic process, the drip drip of disclosures will continue to destabilise the process.Barak Obama deployed the Faulkner quote above during his presidential campaign when the views of pastor Jeremiah Wright appeared likely to derail his presidential campaign. With intellectual rigour and moral courage, Obama transformed the issue with an incredible speech on race, the past and a vision of the future in America. Cameron has already shown himself capable of similar leadership in his response to Bloody Sunday. It is time for him to follow through on that logic and put in place a process to deal with the Northern Ireland conflict as a whole, once and for all.Northern IrelandBloody SundayNorthern Irish politicsUK security and terrorismKieran McEvoyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Spending cuts: We have to see this through, says Osborne Chancellor admits tough decisions ahead as Alan Johnson warns cuts will be 'too deep and too quick'The chancellor, George Osborne, today said he was determined to see through "tough" spending decisions in this week's comprehensive spending review.His remarks prompted his new opposite number, Alan Johnson, to accuse him of "economic masochism".Osborne is expected to outline £83bn of cuts, the most drastic reductions in state spending since the second world war. The detailed impact of the cuts became clearer today as the Observer revealed reductions of around 30% to the justice system, involving cuts to the legal aid budget and the closure of 150 courts.In an interview on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, Osborne refused to discuss the detail of the review, but said he was determined to cut government waste and the ballooning benefit budget to safeguard spending on schools and hospitals."We have to see this through," the chancellor said, signalling that he would not shy away from the cuts despite warnings about their impact. "Our plan is the plan that will restore credibility to the public finances," said Osborne. "It is what the IMF, the OECD, international observers say is necessary. It is what British business says is necessary."People in this country know we were on the brink of bankruptcy, and if we are going to have growth and jobs in the future we have got to move this country into a place where people can invest with confidence."He added: "We have got to make some tough decisions, but the priority is healthcare, children's education, early years provision - particularly for some of our poorest - and the big infrastructure developments like Crossrail, Mersey Gateway, the synchrotron [UK-funded science facility], broadband."Johnson accused Osborne of threatening a period of economic stagnation by cutting "too deeply and too quickly". He said the former chancellor Alistair Darling's plan to halve the fiscal deficit over four years was the "right" pace of cuts for Britain.Talking on the Marr show, he said Labour had planned to reduce debt "whilst focusing on jobs and growth and without having the economic masochism that I think many in George's party would like to see - ie: 'Let's take this opportunity to shrink the state,' which I think is a large part of the philosophy here".Johnson, who said he was "mildly surprised" to have been appointed as Ed Miliband's shadow chancellor, admitted Labour needed to be "more specific" about its plans for the economy.Asked to provide detail, he said he believed a tax on banks should "play a bigger role", saying it was "perverse" that more money would be raised from child benefit cuts than from the banks. He also suggested Labour would look at increasing capital gains tax.In his interview, Osborne revealed that those caught making repeated bogus benefit claims would have their welfare payments halted for up to three years. Comparing benefit cheats to muggers robbing taxpayers, he said Britain "can't afford to waste any more time" in reducing a £5bn annual bill for fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit system.The crackdown, to be formally launched tomorrow, will include mobile hit squads of inspectors sent to problem areas and a "three strikes and you're out" rule will strip repeat offenders of benefits. Osborne told the Marr show the new rules were "perfectly reasonable". He said: "It [benefit] has to go to the people who need it, because the people who pay for it demand no less."Spending review 2010Tax and spendingGeorge OsborneAlan JohnsonLiberal-Conservative coalitionLabourMatthew Weaverguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wikileaks: Iraq war logs show British helicopter dropped secret codes over Baghdad British security agents were forced to change secret data including codes and signal frequencies after a helicopter dropped boxes containing sensitive information over Baghdad. telegraph.co.uk |
Wild mushroom foraging is damaging forests, warn nature groups Wild mushroom foraging for commercial gain damaging local ecology, say RSPB, National Trust and Forestry CommissionThe fashion for collecting wild mushrooms began with celebrity chefs such as Antonio Carluccio, and has been encouraged by those with a revived interest in local food, such as Jamie Oliver.This year's wet summer and mild autumn has produced bumper crops of colourful wax caps, common ceps and luscious chanterelles.But this new generation of foodies and foragers are beginning to trample the forests and fields that feed them – as well as many animals and insects, warn those who look after the UK's woodlands and nature reserves.Concern is particularly high at some of the country's best-known beauty spots, including the New Forest, Epping Forest, and around the North Downs hills and the Chilterns.So serious is the problem in some areas that a few big collectors, found with bagfuls of mushrooms from one trip, are being prosecuted. In just one weekend earlier this month, forest managers reportedly confiscated 45kg (100lbs) of fungi at a site near London.Conservation managers and organisations appear to agree that small-scale collecting for personal use is not the problem. The Forestry Commission and the National Trust organise courses to help people identify safe mushrooms and teach how to collect them without damaging the surrounding landscape. Crucially, collectors are also urged to leave enough behind for the deer, rabbits, mice and insects such as flies and beetles, which also feast on fungi.Matthew Oates of the National Trust, which is one of the UK's biggest land owners, said: "If one or two people visit a place and pick a few, that's probably not much of a problem. But if a couple of people go there repeatedly, visit the same place and collect as many as possible for commercial gain, that could be a problem."Not everybody is worried. Carluccio, who has written two books about his passion for mushrooms and presented a BBC2 series on the subject, still goes collecting for his family's use, and believes environmental fears are exaggerated.Carluccio said that this year's bumper crop, and the parallel reduction in mushroom species that are not collected for eating suggest fungiphiles are not the problem. He also points out that once a mushroom cap is open it has released breeding spores, and that centuries of collection in other countries in Europe, such as Italy and France, have not appeared to lead to long-term damage."The mushrooms are there every year, so it's not true that picking mushrooms would destroy the place," Carluccio said.The chef, who does not use wild mushrooms in his cafes and delis, believes there should be licences for commercial collectors to ensure they behave responsibly, as there are in many other European countries. "There should be more discipline in collecting: not trampling everything, not destroying everything and to be limited to what you can consume. But don't deprive people of the wonders of going to the woods for the mushrooms," he added.Despite Carluccio's comments, there are plenty who are worried. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said commercial collecting was a growing problem on its reserves near London and other cities. The National Trust is also worried about commercial collectors, especially on the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) that it manages and warned that it is illegal to collect in protected areas. Several SSSIs are in the New Forest in south-west England, which is managed by the Forestry Commission, which reported that "fungi picking is becoming an increasing problem … with more and more large-scale, potentially commercial picking being observed year-on-year".Perhaps one of the most visited SSSIs, is Epping Forest, on the north-east edge of London, where keepers report that illegal fungi picking has reached record highs this year. Individuals have been found with five bags full of mushrooms at a time, including poisonous species. This has led managers to suspect they are being collected commercially for sorting elsewhere. The City of London Corporation, which owns the forest, has already issued 20 formal warnings this year. It has successfully prosecuted one person and is currently prosecuting a further six."Fungi play a vital role in the ecology of all natural habitats," said Keith French, the forest services manager. "They are nature's recyclers, as they break down organic matter from plants and animals. Many creatures feed on fungi, and they are host to some rare invertebrates that are unique to these ancient woodlands.He added: "We welcome people visiting the forest and admiring the many fascinating shapes, forms and colours the fungi world has to offer, but please leave them there for the next visitor and future generations to enjoy."ForestsFoodInsectsFood & drinkJuliette Jowitguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |