UK news | guardian.co.uk
9033 news. Page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 +
Sectarian tensions flare over Belfast army parade 
Sinn Féin and the British army united today to try and quell sectarian tensions around the first major military parade through Belfast city centre. The Sinn Féin minister Gerry Kelly announced that the party's protest against a march by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would be rerouted. Kelly said Sinn Féin's demonstration would be in "visual range" of the army march on Sunday. The party's protest would stop at the bottom of the Grosvenor Road, an arterial route into republican west Belfast, he said. The announcement came a few hours after the head of the British army in Northern Ireland said an RAF flypast planned for the parade would be cancelled.The Guardian has learned that republicans opposed to power sharing and Sinn Féin's peace strategy will still try to disrupt the parade. The apparent deal came as Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists continued talks behind closed doors to restore the power-sharing executive at Stormont.The Guardian has learned that the DUP and Sinn Féin began discussions yesterday that lasted until 2am today. Although the parade was discussed, the main focus of the talks was on the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.Sources close to the talks said the parties were "very close to a deal" that would see the centrist, non-sectarian Alliance Party run a new policing and justice ministry as a compromise. Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process told the Guardian they would ignore Sinn Féin's decision to alter their protest and would still picket the British army march.All police leave in Northern Ireland has been cancelled this weekend as the security forces plan to monitor the rallies and demonstrations that have the potential to destabilise the peace process. At noon on Sunday thousands are taking to the streets of Belfast city centre to cheer soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking at Sinn Féin's west Belfast headquarters yesterday, Kelly said: "We needed a change to radically de-escalate the situation. Others are trying to hijack that situation." The former IRA member, a Maze prison escapee, stressed that the party would have a "dignified protest" entirely separate from dissident groups. Kelly denied there had been a deal involving Sinn Féin and the British army.His remarks came a few hours after the army announced changes to its parade. Major General Chris Brown, the head of the British army in Northern Ireland, said: "We have taken a number of measures to ensure that our thanksgiving parade does not increase the potential for friction ... all on the parade will be unarmed and the musical repertoire will reflect the tri-service nature of this event, including regimental tunes, as well as the fact that it is happening on a Sunday."As a further measure I have decided there will be no flypast. This further underpins our appreciation of the sensitivities surrounding this element of the parade." Unionists criticised the army's move as pandering to Sinn Féin. The Ulster Unionist deputy leader, Danny Kennedy, said: "I feel the hands of the Northern Ireland Office or Whitehall simply trying to pander to elements that will never be satisfied. People who are opposed to this will always be opposed to this."Dissident protests are being organised by Eirig, a group of disgruntled Sinn Féin activists, and the Irish Republican Socialist party. Loyalist paramilitary sources told the Guardian last weekend that the anti-army protests were "potentially disastrous". Both loyalist terror groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association, have instructed their members to turn up in support of the homecoming parade for British troops. One senior UVF member said yesterday that anger among unionists over republican protests had not been as strong since the Anglo-Irish agreement was signed in the mid-1980s. In 1986 tens of thousands of unionists turned up outside Belfast city hall to protest against the accord giving the Dublin government more say in the running of Northern Ireland. The loyalist leader pointed to one of the Sinn Féin speakers at the now re-routed protest, the Derry Assembly member Martina Anderson whom Gerry Adams had appointed as the party's outreach officer to unionists. "So much for her 'outreach' to unionists when she is addressing a protest many in my community will see as provocative and insulting," the UVF commander said.Northern IrelandMilitaryNorthern Irish politicsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Sinn Féin and the British army united today to try and quell sectarian tensions around the first major military parade through Belfast city centre. The Sinn Féin minister Gerry Kelly announced that the party's protest against a march by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would be rerouted. Kelly said Sinn Féin's demonstration would be in "visual range" of the army march on Sunday. The party's protest would stop at the bottom of the Grosvenor Road, an arterial route into republican west Belfast, he said. The announcement came a few hours after the head of the British army in Northern Ireland said an RAF flypast planned for the parade would be cancelled.The Guardian has learned that republicans opposed to power sharing and Sinn Féin's peace strategy will still try to disrupt the parade. The apparent deal came as Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists continued talks behind closed doors to restore the power-sharing executive at Stormont.The Guardian has learned that the DUP and Sinn Féin began discussions yesterday that lasted until 2am today. Although the parade was discussed, the main focus of the talks was on the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.Sources close to the talks said the parties were "very close to a deal" that would see the centrist, non-sectarian Alliance Party run a new policing and justice ministry as a compromise. Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process told the Guardian they would ignore Sinn Féin's decision to alter their protest and would still picket the British army march.All police leave in Northern Ireland has been cancelled this weekend as the security forces plan to monitor the rallies and demonstrations that have the potential to destabilise the peace process. At noon on Sunday thousands are taking to the streets of Belfast city centre to cheer soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking at Sinn Féin's west Belfast headquarters yesterday, Kelly said: "We needed a change to radically de-escalate the situation. Others are trying to hijack that situation." The former IRA member, a Maze prison escapee, stressed that the party would have a "dignified protest" entirely separate from dissident groups. Kelly denied there had been a deal involving Sinn Féin and the British army.His remarks came a few hours after the army announced changes to its parade. Major General Chris Brown, the head of the British army in Northern Ireland, said: "We have taken a number of measures to ensure that our thanksgiving parade does not increase the potential for friction ... all on the parade will be unarmed and the musical repertoire will reflect the tri-service nature of this event, including regimental tunes, as well as the fact that it is happening on a Sunday."As a further measure I have decided there will be no flypast. This further underpins our appreciation of the sensitivities surrounding this element of the parade." Unionists criticised the army's move as pandering to Sinn Féin. The Ulster Unionist deputy leader, Danny Kennedy, said: "I feel the hands of the Northern Ireland Office or Whitehall simply trying to pander to elements that will never be satisfied. People who are opposed to this will always be opposed to this."Dissident protests are being organised by Eirig, a group of disgruntled Sinn Féin activists, and the Irish Republican Socialist party. Loyalist paramilitary sources told the Guardian last weekend that the anti-army protests were "potentially disastrous". Both loyalist terror groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association, have instructed their members to turn up in support of the homecoming parade for British troops. One senior UVF member said yesterday that anger among unionists over republican protests had not been as strong since the Anglo-Irish agreement was signed in the mid-1980s. In 1986 tens of thousands of unionists turned up outside Belfast city hall to protest against the accord giving the Dublin government more say in the running of Northern Ireland. The loyalist leader pointed to one of the Sinn Féin speakers at the now re-routed protest, the Derry Assembly member Martina Anderson whom Gerry Adams had appointed as the party's outreach officer to unionists. "So much for her 'outreach' to unionists when she is addressing a protest many in my community will see as provocative and insulting," the UVF commander said.Northern IrelandMilitaryNorthern Irish politicsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Gordon Brown visits Glenrothes to give byelection campaign extra push
Gordon Brown pledged that his government would make greater efforts to end pensioner poverty, fuel poverty and antisocial behaviour as he gave Labour's crucial byelection campaign in Glenrothes a final push today.The prime minister made his second visit to the Fife constituency in less than a week today, in a bid to put his personal stamp on the campaign and capitalise on signs that Labour could be close to winning its first byelection since he became party leader.With bookmakers now predicting Labour may win next Thursday because of a "Brown bounce" with the financial crisis, the Labour leader spent more than four hours meeting voters, including Scottish National party supporters and the undecided, and touring a local skylight factory, defence contractor and party campaign office.With further complaints from Scottish financiers today about the sale of HBOS to Lloyds TSB dogging his visit, Brown conceded that voters were facing tough financial times and that the UK was heading for recession. "We are fighting for every vote," he said. His government was successfully steering the UK through the global crisis, but "was doing it fairly".In contrast, the SNP had "not done right by Scotland." He added: "They have made all the wrong judgments on all the wrong policy decisions about major issues affecting our country ? We have to make the right decisions, we have to take people through long-term difficulties."The SNP had initially been clear favourites to overturn a 10,664-vote Labour majority, inflicting its second byelection defeat on the government this year and the fourth so far since Brown became prime minister.Labour has held the seat or its near equivalent for almost 60 years. Glenrothes borders Brown's own Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency, and until the banking crisis and his performance at the Labour conference, many believed defeat in Glenrothes could have ended his leadership. Bookmakers have recently narrowed the odds against Labour winning, suggesting it may now be neck-and-neck. Labour's internal polling shows it has closed the gap with the SNP and may be ahead of the nationalists ? data that underpins Brown's decision to publicly stake his own credibility on the campaign. At one social club in the former mining town of Cardenden, only eight miles north of his Kirkcaldy birthplace, Brown spent 40 minutes talking to about 50 voters, and stressed his links to the area. "I come from Fife. I'm part of Fife. I want to be here to talk to people in Fife and hear what their concerns are," the prime minister said.He was also introduced to several SNP supporters, including a Church of Scotland minister, the Rev Mitchell Collins, who is also a neighbour of Labour's candidate, Lindsay Roy. Collins did not keep to the Labour script. He is a lifetime SNP voter but he did not tell Brown that; he felt it would be rude to do so. Despite half an hour of intensive persuasion by John Park, a Labour MSP and byelection campaign leader, and several minutes talking with the prime minister about fuel poverty, apprenticeships and pensioners, Collins will still vote SNP on Thursday."I'm a big fan of Alex Salmond's," he said afterwards. "Alex Salmond can speak for the Scottish people better than any other of the leaders in Scotland. Brown is best for Britain, and no one can hold a candle to him, but I still see Salmond as better for Scotland."One voter close to voting SNP for the first time who was swayed by Brown was Jeanette Hoggan, a home carer. "I was thinking of voting SNP. I just wanted to see if they would make a difference. I do support independence, but Lindsay Roy was very impressive, and I think the prime minister was very good. I think their policies are good now, particularly dealing with young people."Adele Shanks, 44, said she would be voting for the first time on Thursday, and for Labour, after working with Roy as a supply teacher at Kirkcaldy high school, Brown's old school, which has endured years of pupil indiscipline and falling standards. Shanks said: "I have to say I'm impressed at him. I see the difference he's made since he has come along to Kirkcaldy high school, the difference he has made to the pupils, the respect they now have for themselves."Brown too claimed Roy was the ideal candidate ? the "non-politician" who can better understand local concerns. "Lindsay as a headteacher has huge experience of how to deal with antisocial behaviour, helping young people realise their potential and helping young people into jobs," the prime minister said. "That's why we chose him as a candidate, to send a different message about what could be achieved for the future."Even so, he was forced to defend the HBOS sale after Jim Spowart, the head of the HBOS mortgage subsidiary Intelligent Finance, accused Brown of "railroading" it into selling to Lloyds TSB. "A merger with Lloyds TSB is not the best option," Spowart said. "And, with thousands of jobs in the balance, I implore Mr Brown to think again."Salmond toured a local baker's shop with Peter Grant, his candidate, and urged voters to support the SNP to force the government into further concessions on fuel bills and pensioner poverty. "Gordon Brown put this byelection off for as long as he could, and I think that decision will come back to haunt him, as voters are reminded that Labour have done nothing to help bring energy costs down," he said."With bills already thudding through the letter boxes, people have had enough and it's time for voters to shock Gordon Brown into action with an SNP demand for cheaper energy bills and a fair deal for Fifers." Click here for a full list of candidates.Glenrothes byelectionByelectionsScotlandScottish politicsSNPLabourHBOSLloyds TSBguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Gordon Brown pledged that his government would make greater efforts to end pensioner poverty, fuel poverty and antisocial behaviour as he gave Labour's crucial byelection campaign in Glenrothes a final push today.The prime minister made his second visit to the Fife constituency in less than a week today, in a bid to put his personal stamp on the campaign and capitalise on signs that Labour could be close to winning its first byelection since he became party leader.With bookmakers now predicting Labour may win next Thursday because of a "Brown bounce" with the financial crisis, the Labour leader spent more than four hours meeting voters, including Scottish National party supporters and the undecided, and touring a local skylight factory, defence contractor and party campaign office.With further complaints from Scottish financiers today about the sale of HBOS to Lloyds TSB dogging his visit, Brown conceded that voters were facing tough financial times and that the UK was heading for recession. "We are fighting for every vote," he said. His government was successfully steering the UK through the global crisis, but "was doing it fairly".In contrast, the SNP had "not done right by Scotland." He added: "They have made all the wrong judgments on all the wrong policy decisions about major issues affecting our country ? We have to make the right decisions, we have to take people through long-term difficulties."The SNP had initially been clear favourites to overturn a 10,664-vote Labour majority, inflicting its second byelection defeat on the government this year and the fourth so far since Brown became prime minister.Labour has held the seat or its near equivalent for almost 60 years. Glenrothes borders Brown's own Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency, and until the banking crisis and his performance at the Labour conference, many believed defeat in Glenrothes could have ended his leadership. Bookmakers have recently narrowed the odds against Labour winning, suggesting it may now be neck-and-neck. Labour's internal polling shows it has closed the gap with the SNP and may be ahead of the nationalists ? data that underpins Brown's decision to publicly stake his own credibility on the campaign. At one social club in the former mining town of Cardenden, only eight miles north of his Kirkcaldy birthplace, Brown spent 40 minutes talking to about 50 voters, and stressed his links to the area. "I come from Fife. I'm part of Fife. I want to be here to talk to people in Fife and hear what their concerns are," the prime minister said.He was also introduced to several SNP supporters, including a Church of Scotland minister, the Rev Mitchell Collins, who is also a neighbour of Labour's candidate, Lindsay Roy. Collins did not keep to the Labour script. He is a lifetime SNP voter but he did not tell Brown that; he felt it would be rude to do so. Despite half an hour of intensive persuasion by John Park, a Labour MSP and byelection campaign leader, and several minutes talking with the prime minister about fuel poverty, apprenticeships and pensioners, Collins will still vote SNP on Thursday."I'm a big fan of Alex Salmond's," he said afterwards. "Alex Salmond can speak for the Scottish people better than any other of the leaders in Scotland. Brown is best for Britain, and no one can hold a candle to him, but I still see Salmond as better for Scotland."One voter close to voting SNP for the first time who was swayed by Brown was Jeanette Hoggan, a home carer. "I was thinking of voting SNP. I just wanted to see if they would make a difference. I do support independence, but Lindsay Roy was very impressive, and I think the prime minister was very good. I think their policies are good now, particularly dealing with young people."Adele Shanks, 44, said she would be voting for the first time on Thursday, and for Labour, after working with Roy as a supply teacher at Kirkcaldy high school, Brown's old school, which has endured years of pupil indiscipline and falling standards. Shanks said: "I have to say I'm impressed at him. I see the difference he's made since he has come along to Kirkcaldy high school, the difference he has made to the pupils, the respect they now have for themselves."Brown too claimed Roy was the ideal candidate ? the "non-politician" who can better understand local concerns. "Lindsay as a headteacher has huge experience of how to deal with antisocial behaviour, helping young people realise their potential and helping young people into jobs," the prime minister said. "That's why we chose him as a candidate, to send a different message about what could be achieved for the future."Even so, he was forced to defend the HBOS sale after Jim Spowart, the head of the HBOS mortgage subsidiary Intelligent Finance, accused Brown of "railroading" it into selling to Lloyds TSB. "A merger with Lloyds TSB is not the best option," Spowart said. "And, with thousands of jobs in the balance, I implore Mr Brown to think again."Salmond toured a local baker's shop with Peter Grant, his candidate, and urged voters to support the SNP to force the government into further concessions on fuel bills and pensioner poverty. "Gordon Brown put this byelection off for as long as he could, and I think that decision will come back to haunt him, as voters are reminded that Labour have done nothing to help bring energy costs down," he said."With bills already thudding through the letter boxes, people have had enough and it's time for voters to shock Gordon Brown into action with an SNP demand for cheaper energy bills and a fair deal for Fifers." Click here for a full list of candidates.Glenrothes byelectionByelectionsScotlandScottish politicsSNPLabourHBOSLloyds TSBguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Stand up for justice, Amnesty film reminds youngsters
A short film marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is to be sent to every school in the country as part of a new Amnesty International campaign.Featuring Green Wing actor Julian Rhind-Tutt ? and voiced by stars including Emilia Fox, Jeremy Irons and Lindsay Duncan ? the film is also being shown before the hit movie High School Musical 3 in many cinemas from today.Amnesty's film, Everybody, aims to bring the subject of human rights to life for a new generation. A new book ? featuring the work of five top children's illustrators - has also been published to mark the anniversary.Adopted by the United Nations on December 10 1948, the UDHR has 30 articles, each enshrining a particular right. They include the right to life, liberty, security, freedom of opinion and expression and the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, said: "We Are All Born Free is a stunning book, and Everybody is a wonderful film. Hopefully they will both inspire a new generation of people to stand up for justice. "It is 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into being, yet the world of 2008 needs these fundamental rights just as much as the world of 1948. These projects have put the importance of these rights into sharp focus with a series of excellent drawings from some of the world's most famous illustrators."Amnesty's three-minute film has been funded by the Co-operative Bank's "Customers Who Care" scheme as part of a year-long campaign partnership with Amnesty International. We Are All Born Free is part of Amnesty's ongoing publishing programme to engage children and adults in the fundamental values of the UDHR. Further titles will be announced in early 2009.ChildrenYoung peopleInternational aid and developmentVoluntary sectorSchoolsHuman rightsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
A short film marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is to be sent to every school in the country as part of a new Amnesty International campaign.Featuring Green Wing actor Julian Rhind-Tutt ? and voiced by stars including Emilia Fox, Jeremy Irons and Lindsay Duncan ? the film is also being shown before the hit movie High School Musical 3 in many cinemas from today.Amnesty's film, Everybody, aims to bring the subject of human rights to life for a new generation. A new book ? featuring the work of five top children's illustrators - has also been published to mark the anniversary.Adopted by the United Nations on December 10 1948, the UDHR has 30 articles, each enshrining a particular right. They include the right to life, liberty, security, freedom of opinion and expression and the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, said: "We Are All Born Free is a stunning book, and Everybody is a wonderful film. Hopefully they will both inspire a new generation of people to stand up for justice. "It is 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into being, yet the world of 2008 needs these fundamental rights just as much as the world of 1948. These projects have put the importance of these rights into sharp focus with a series of excellent drawings from some of the world's most famous illustrators."Amnesty's three-minute film has been funded by the Co-operative Bank's "Customers Who Care" scheme as part of a year-long campaign partnership with Amnesty International. We Are All Born Free is part of Amnesty's ongoing publishing programme to engage children and adults in the fundamental values of the UDHR. Further titles will be announced in early 2009.ChildrenYoung peopleInternational aid and developmentVoluntary sectorSchoolsHuman rightsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Entertainment Rights in the red
Entertainment Rights, the media group that owns children's favourites such as Postman Pat and Rupert Bear, faces huge debts after wiping £83m off the value of some of its characters, and has also admitted it may breach its banking covenants in the next few weeks.The company, which has seen its share price plummet after a series of profit warnings, has taken the red pen most savagely to Basil Brush. It has written down the vast majority of the value of the puppet fox, one of the company's first properties, as an admission that he is unlikely to ever make millions by breaking into new markets, such as the US, or become a major merchandising hit.Basil Brush's value has come down by £15m, while Entertainment Rights has slashed a further £42m off the value of business units that look after a raft of characters and brands including Transformers, He-Man, Roger Ramjet, Where's Wally and VeggieTales.The reduction in the value of these assets, many of which were acquired during the company's spending spree two years ago, is also an admission that the current dismal economic climate is likely to affect sales of merchandise, such as DVDs.Entertainment Rights added that it is locked in crucial negotiations with its main lender - Bank of Scotland - in an effort to renegotiate its overdraft. It was forced to ask the bank to temporarily waive the conditions attached to the loan and provide an emergency £1m lifeline after breaching its banking covenants in August. It already owes £125m after a spate of acquisitions and its poor performance - that lead the firm to warn on profits for the second time in as many months on Friday - means the firm is likely to break its banking covenants again in November. To try and save Entertainment Rights' precious cash, chief executive Nick Phillips has already identified £5m of cost savings and wants to save even more. He also plans to slash the company's spending budget from £17m last year to just £6m, and he focuses on some of the businesses' key brands.As a result of this new focus Phillips, the former UK boss of music group Warner who took over the reins in March after the firm's founder and chief executive Michael Heap was ousted, said the company may look to sell some of its characters."We are not planning to push any particular cat or fox out of the door," he said, alluding to the company's roster of furry characters. "But we are selective acquirers and disposers of assets and certainly an announcement like this will generate interest."Entertainment Rights amassed much of its debts two years ago when it went on a spending spree that included buying America's Classic Media for £107m. That deal brought Lassie and The Lone Ranger into the company's portfolio and made it the world's biggest independent owner of children's brands. However, the company failed to fully integrate these businesses and costs ran out of control. It then suffered problems with a DVD distributor, which hit profits.The chairman, Rod Bransgrove, admitted that the board's detailed review of the business, which has been going on for almost a year, unearthed "a number of issues", which "have conspired to present a worse picture than had previously been envisaged".Bransgrove said the company should be back on a more stable footing by the end of its current financial year and "I intend to stand down as chairman at that point to allow others to drive the future success of the business".But shares in the company, which was involved in talks about a possible takeover in the Spring, lost more than a third of their value, dropping to just 1.25p. At that level the business is worth just £9m. Two years ago Entertainment Rights was worth well over £250m. The company is currently changing its year-end and as a result its half-year figures cover the eight month period to the end of August. As a result of the writedown, the company made a loss for that period of £105m compared with a £7.3m profit in the previous year. The company is still trying to finalise an American broadcast contract and license a number of non-core publishing rights but warned on Friday that these deals may not materialise this year. As a result the company warned its profits before financial charges could be £10m lower than expected this year.One rare bright spot for the business, which also announced the appointment of a new finance director, Edward Knighton, on Friday, is the forthcoming film of The Lone Ranger. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has lined up Johnny Depp to play the masked cowboy's sidekick Tonto and Entertainment Rights hopes that the film will boost sales of its Lone Ranger merchandise.The company is already marking this year's 75th anniversary of the character with the release of a collector's edition DVD and plans range of Lone Ranger merchandise later this year.Media businessguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Entertainment Rights, the media group that owns children's favourites such as Postman Pat and Rupert Bear, faces huge debts after wiping £83m off the value of some of its characters, and has also admitted it may breach its banking covenants in the next few weeks.The company, which has seen its share price plummet after a series of profit warnings, has taken the red pen most savagely to Basil Brush. It has written down the vast majority of the value of the puppet fox, one of the company's first properties, as an admission that he is unlikely to ever make millions by breaking into new markets, such as the US, or become a major merchandising hit.Basil Brush's value has come down by £15m, while Entertainment Rights has slashed a further £42m off the value of business units that look after a raft of characters and brands including Transformers, He-Man, Roger Ramjet, Where's Wally and VeggieTales.The reduction in the value of these assets, many of which were acquired during the company's spending spree two years ago, is also an admission that the current dismal economic climate is likely to affect sales of merchandise, such as DVDs.Entertainment Rights added that it is locked in crucial negotiations with its main lender - Bank of Scotland - in an effort to renegotiate its overdraft. It was forced to ask the bank to temporarily waive the conditions attached to the loan and provide an emergency £1m lifeline after breaching its banking covenants in August. It already owes £125m after a spate of acquisitions and its poor performance - that lead the firm to warn on profits for the second time in as many months on Friday - means the firm is likely to break its banking covenants again in November. To try and save Entertainment Rights' precious cash, chief executive Nick Phillips has already identified £5m of cost savings and wants to save even more. He also plans to slash the company's spending budget from £17m last year to just £6m, and he focuses on some of the businesses' key brands.As a result of this new focus Phillips, the former UK boss of music group Warner who took over the reins in March after the firm's founder and chief executive Michael Heap was ousted, said the company may look to sell some of its characters."We are not planning to push any particular cat or fox out of the door," he said, alluding to the company's roster of furry characters. "But we are selective acquirers and disposers of assets and certainly an announcement like this will generate interest."Entertainment Rights amassed much of its debts two years ago when it went on a spending spree that included buying America's Classic Media for £107m. That deal brought Lassie and The Lone Ranger into the company's portfolio and made it the world's biggest independent owner of children's brands. However, the company failed to fully integrate these businesses and costs ran out of control. It then suffered problems with a DVD distributor, which hit profits.The chairman, Rod Bransgrove, admitted that the board's detailed review of the business, which has been going on for almost a year, unearthed "a number of issues", which "have conspired to present a worse picture than had previously been envisaged".Bransgrove said the company should be back on a more stable footing by the end of its current financial year and "I intend to stand down as chairman at that point to allow others to drive the future success of the business".But shares in the company, which was involved in talks about a possible takeover in the Spring, lost more than a third of their value, dropping to just 1.25p. At that level the business is worth just £9m. Two years ago Entertainment Rights was worth well over £250m. The company is currently changing its year-end and as a result its half-year figures cover the eight month period to the end of August. As a result of the writedown, the company made a loss for that period of £105m compared with a £7.3m profit in the previous year. The company is still trying to finalise an American broadcast contract and license a number of non-core publishing rights but warned on Friday that these deals may not materialise this year. As a result the company warned its profits before financial charges could be £10m lower than expected this year.One rare bright spot for the business, which also announced the appointment of a new finance director, Edward Knighton, on Friday, is the forthcoming film of The Lone Ranger. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has lined up Johnny Depp to play the masked cowboy's sidekick Tonto and Entertainment Rights hopes that the film will boost sales of its Lone Ranger merchandise.The company is already marking this year's 75th anniversary of the character with the release of a collector's edition DVD and plans range of Lone Ranger merchandise later this year.Media businessguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Jewish school admissions policy ruled misleading
The school admissions watchdog has demanded that a high-performing Jewish school make it clear in its prospectus that it offers places to pupils of other faiths.Most of the pupils at Hasmonean high school in Barnet, north London, are Orthodox Jews.The schools adjudicator ruled the school was flouting the government's new statutory admissions code by not spelling out to parents that "other children" could attend if places were available.Barnet council had complained to the adjudicator that the school, where 94% of pupils gain five or more A* to Cs in GCSEs, made "no provision for admitting children not of the Orthodox Jewish faith".The new code, which came into force in February, is intended to make school admissions fairer.It forces schools to make clear to parents how many offers it can make and who can apply. Schools are now forbidden from asking about parents' marital and employment status. The chief schools adjudicator, Sir Philip Hunter, told the Guardian this month that faith schools were more likely to break rules, although this was unintentional.A government survey, published in April, showed a disproportionate number of faith schools broke admissions rules.The poll examined 106 voluntary-aided schools. Some 96 were found in breach of the new admissions code. Of these, 87 were faith schools.Hasmonean high school's feeder school, Hasmonean primary, was found to be breaking the code on ten counts. It admitted asking parents for a small "admissions fee".Earlier this week another London school managed to quash a ruling that forced it to change its admissions policy.The adjudicator had found Drayton Manor high school in Hanwell, west London, had "indirectly discriminated" against children from "economically less advantaged families" who lived to the north of the school. But the High Court overturned the decision, ruling that the adjudicator had failed to give adequate reasons for his decision. Headteacher Sir Pritpal Singh accused the adjudicator of doing "an appalling job."Hasmonean high school was unavailable for comment.School admissionsJudaismFaith schoolsSchoolsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
The school admissions watchdog has demanded that a high-performing Jewish school make it clear in its prospectus that it offers places to pupils of other faiths.Most of the pupils at Hasmonean high school in Barnet, north London, are Orthodox Jews.The schools adjudicator ruled the school was flouting the government's new statutory admissions code by not spelling out to parents that "other children" could attend if places were available.Barnet council had complained to the adjudicator that the school, where 94% of pupils gain five or more A* to Cs in GCSEs, made "no provision for admitting children not of the Orthodox Jewish faith".The new code, which came into force in February, is intended to make school admissions fairer.It forces schools to make clear to parents how many offers it can make and who can apply. Schools are now forbidden from asking about parents' marital and employment status. The chief schools adjudicator, Sir Philip Hunter, told the Guardian this month that faith schools were more likely to break rules, although this was unintentional.A government survey, published in April, showed a disproportionate number of faith schools broke admissions rules.The poll examined 106 voluntary-aided schools. Some 96 were found in breach of the new admissions code. Of these, 87 were faith schools.Hasmonean high school's feeder school, Hasmonean primary, was found to be breaking the code on ten counts. It admitted asking parents for a small "admissions fee".Earlier this week another London school managed to quash a ruling that forced it to change its admissions policy.The adjudicator had found Drayton Manor high school in Hanwell, west London, had "indirectly discriminated" against children from "economically less advantaged families" who lived to the north of the school. But the High Court overturned the decision, ruling that the adjudicator had failed to give adequate reasons for his decision. Headteacher Sir Pritpal Singh accused the adjudicator of doing "an appalling job."Hasmonean high school was unavailable for comment.School admissionsJudaismFaith schoolsSchoolsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Scientists discover cloud-thickening chemicals in trees that could offer a new weapon in the fight against global warming
Trees could be more important to the Earth's climate than previously thought, according to a new study that reveals forests help to block out the sun. Scientists in the UK and Germany have discovered that trees release a chemical that thickens clouds above them, which reflects more sunlight and so cools the Earth. The research suggests that chopping down forests could accelerate global warming more than was thought, and that protecting existing trees could be one of the best ways to tackle the problem.Dominick Spracklen, of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at Leeds University, said: "We think this could have quite a significant effect. You can think of forests as climate air conditioners."The scientists looked at chemicals called terpenes that are released from boreal forests across northern regions such as Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. The chemicals give pine forests their distinctive smell, but their function has puzzled experts for years. Some believe the trees release them to communicate, while others say they could offer protection from air pollution.The team found the terpenes react in the air to form tiny particles called aerosols. The particles help turn water vapour in the atmosphere into clouds.Spracklen said the team's computer models showed that the pine particles doubled the thickness of clouds some 1,000m above the forests, and would reflect an extra 5% sunlight back into space. He said: "It might not sound a lot, but that is quite a strong cooling effect. The climate is such a finely balanced system that we think this effect is large enough to reduce temperatures over quite large areas. It gives us another reason to preserve forests." The research, which will be published in a special edition of the Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions A, is the first to quantify the cooling effect of the released chemicals. The scientists say the findings "must be included in climate models in order to make realistic predictions".Because trees release more terpenes in warmer weather, the discovery suggests that forests could act as a negative feedback on climate, to dampen future temperature rise. The team looked at forests of mainly pine and spruce trees, but Spracklen said other trees also produce terpenes so the cooling effect should be found in other regions, including tropical rainforests.ForestsClimate changeClimate changeguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Trees could be more important to the Earth's climate than previously thought, according to a new study that reveals forests help to block out the sun. Scientists in the UK and Germany have discovered that trees release a chemical that thickens clouds above them, which reflects more sunlight and so cools the Earth. The research suggests that chopping down forests could accelerate global warming more than was thought, and that protecting existing trees could be one of the best ways to tackle the problem.Dominick Spracklen, of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at Leeds University, said: "We think this could have quite a significant effect. You can think of forests as climate air conditioners."The scientists looked at chemicals called terpenes that are released from boreal forests across northern regions such as Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. The chemicals give pine forests their distinctive smell, but their function has puzzled experts for years. Some believe the trees release them to communicate, while others say they could offer protection from air pollution.The team found the terpenes react in the air to form tiny particles called aerosols. The particles help turn water vapour in the atmosphere into clouds.Spracklen said the team's computer models showed that the pine particles doubled the thickness of clouds some 1,000m above the forests, and would reflect an extra 5% sunlight back into space. He said: "It might not sound a lot, but that is quite a strong cooling effect. The climate is such a finely balanced system that we think this effect is large enough to reduce temperatures over quite large areas. It gives us another reason to preserve forests." The research, which will be published in a special edition of the Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions A, is the first to quantify the cooling effect of the released chemicals. The scientists say the findings "must be included in climate models in order to make realistic predictions".Because trees release more terpenes in warmer weather, the discovery suggests that forests could act as a negative feedback on climate, to dampen future temperature rise. The team looked at forests of mainly pine and spruce trees, but Spracklen said other trees also produce terpenes so the cooling effect should be found in other regions, including tropical rainforests.ForestsClimate changeClimate changeguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Farmland bird numbers fall to lowest level on record
Popular farmland birds like turtle dove, grey partridge and linnet have declined to their lowest level on record, with some species becoming extinct in regions of the UK, according to figures released today.The latest survey, by the Department for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, shows the number of breeding pairs of farmland birds has now more than halved since intensive farming with chemicals was introduced in the 1960s.Conservationists are particularly alarmed that the latest fall follows an earlier halt in the long-term decline for a few years from 1999-2005, and mystified about the cause because European farming subsidies are supposed to pay farmers to introduce wildlife-friendly practices.Experts also warned that the latest figures for 2005-07 do not take account of a forecast drop in populations this year because of the abolition of payments to farmers to "set aside" land for feed and nesting sites.Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the RSPB, said some species had declined more than 85%, leading to local extinctions, including the corn bunting in Northern Ireland and yellow wagtails in Devon."Since the 1970s the economy has gone through a cycle of boom and bust, but farmland birds have had bust year after year," said Madge. "In some areas those birds are becoming locally scarce if not locally extinct because the populations have declined so much [that] the little populations left are burning out."However the figures were attacked by the National Farmers Union (NFU), which said it was too soon to see the benefits of recent improvements in management. It said the study did not include some farmland birds which were increasing in numbers. The organisation also suggested declines in birds which nest on the ground, such as lapwing and grey partridge, could be due to increases in predators. "Farmland birds, including the swallow, magpie, collared dove and chaffinch ? none of which are included in the farmland bird index ? have all increased in population over the past 30 years," added Paul Temple, the NFU's vice-president.The 2007 Wild Bird Populations report shows seabird numbers also fell slightly, but total wild bird populations, which also include woodland and water and wetland species, were stable.However farmland birds are considered by government and biodiversity experts to be a key indicator of the health of the countryside. Their loss is also a blow to nature lovers, said Madge: "These are the birds seen by people walking along country lanes and hedgerows that are really part of the fabric of the countryside. They are part of our quality of life ... hearing the song of a sky lark is part of the cultural fabric." Other affected species include the tree sparrow and the skylark.Wildlife minister Huw Irranca-Davies said some species like the goldfinch and kingfisher were doing well, but called for "renewed action" to halt the decline of other species. However the Conservatives accused the government of threatening conservation schemes by cutting budgets to key organisations like Natural England, whose work includes protecting and restoring the most threatened species, including farmland birds, normally in partnership with charities. "It's going to be increasingly difficult to carry out this work if the government doesn't support it in the way it was," said Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative shadow environment secretary, and chairman of one of the charities working in the field. "Recovery may well be affected."The RSPB said its own farm in Cambridgeshire showed it was possible to produce the same food and profits while also helping birds and other wildlife with changes like leaving small patches of land free from crops, and planting wildflower and nectar flower seeds for birds and insects to feed on. Since the charity took over the farm in 1999, farm birds on their land have doubled while the national tally has fallen by 6%. "We're not talking about turning the clock back to farmers using horse-drawn ploughs; there is a middle ground," added Madge.WildlifeConservationEndangered speciesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Popular farmland birds like turtle dove, grey partridge and linnet have declined to their lowest level on record, with some species becoming extinct in regions of the UK, according to figures released today.The latest survey, by the Department for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, shows the number of breeding pairs of farmland birds has now more than halved since intensive farming with chemicals was introduced in the 1960s.Conservationists are particularly alarmed that the latest fall follows an earlier halt in the long-term decline for a few years from 1999-2005, and mystified about the cause because European farming subsidies are supposed to pay farmers to introduce wildlife-friendly practices.Experts also warned that the latest figures for 2005-07 do not take account of a forecast drop in populations this year because of the abolition of payments to farmers to "set aside" land for feed and nesting sites.Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the RSPB, said some species had declined more than 85%, leading to local extinctions, including the corn bunting in Northern Ireland and yellow wagtails in Devon."Since the 1970s the economy has gone through a cycle of boom and bust, but farmland birds have had bust year after year," said Madge. "In some areas those birds are becoming locally scarce if not locally extinct because the populations have declined so much [that] the little populations left are burning out."However the figures were attacked by the National Farmers Union (NFU), which said it was too soon to see the benefits of recent improvements in management. It said the study did not include some farmland birds which were increasing in numbers. The organisation also suggested declines in birds which nest on the ground, such as lapwing and grey partridge, could be due to increases in predators. "Farmland birds, including the swallow, magpie, collared dove and chaffinch ? none of which are included in the farmland bird index ? have all increased in population over the past 30 years," added Paul Temple, the NFU's vice-president.The 2007 Wild Bird Populations report shows seabird numbers also fell slightly, but total wild bird populations, which also include woodland and water and wetland species, were stable.However farmland birds are considered by government and biodiversity experts to be a key indicator of the health of the countryside. Their loss is also a blow to nature lovers, said Madge: "These are the birds seen by people walking along country lanes and hedgerows that are really part of the fabric of the countryside. They are part of our quality of life ... hearing the song of a sky lark is part of the cultural fabric." Other affected species include the tree sparrow and the skylark.Wildlife minister Huw Irranca-Davies said some species like the goldfinch and kingfisher were doing well, but called for "renewed action" to halt the decline of other species. However the Conservatives accused the government of threatening conservation schemes by cutting budgets to key organisations like Natural England, whose work includes protecting and restoring the most threatened species, including farmland birds, normally in partnership with charities. "It's going to be increasingly difficult to carry out this work if the government doesn't support it in the way it was," said Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative shadow environment secretary, and chairman of one of the charities working in the field. "Recovery may well be affected."The RSPB said its own farm in Cambridgeshire showed it was possible to produce the same food and profits while also helping birds and other wildlife with changes like leaving small patches of land free from crops, and planting wildflower and nectar flower seeds for birds and insects to feed on. Since the charity took over the farm in 1999, farm birds on their land have doubled while the national tally has fallen by 6%. "We're not talking about turning the clock back to farmers using horse-drawn ploughs; there is a middle ground," added Madge.WildlifeConservationEndangered speciesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Russell Brand-Jonathan Ross Facebook group supporters to protest outside Daily Mail offices
More than 15,000 people have signed up to a Facebook group supporting Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, which has a protest planned for tomorrow outside the Daily Mail's London offices.Fans of the pair are planning a demonstrate outside the Mail's Derry Street HQ in Kensington at noon, followed by one outside BBC offices in the capital.Called Support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, Facebook group has swollen its membership in recent days as Brand resigned from his Radio 2 show and Ross was suspended without pay from all BBC TV and radio services for three months.The 15,609 supporters who have joined the Facebook group compares with the 34,690 who complained to the BBC about the show following the Mail on Sunday's story on October 26.Only two people complained after the show was broadcast on October 18. The Support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross group is also presenting a petition signed by almost 4,000 people. "We, the undersigned call on the BBC to turn blame on the Andrew Sachs incident away from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross as it was only intended as a joke," the petition states."We also wish that Jonathan Ross's and Russell Brand's careers will continue just as before this started."The idea for protest outside the Daily Mail's offices came from another Facebook group called The Official Picket of the Daily Mail Offices.There was also support today for Brand from campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Despite angry calls and emails to Peta headquarters suggesting it replace Brand on the cover of the latest edition of the organisation's vegetarian starter kit, the animal rights organization has refused. PETA director Robbie LeBlanc says that the organisation will stand by Russell: "The cover will have him on it because Mr Sachs, who is also a PETA supporter, has accepted Mr Brand's apology, and that's good enough for us."Yesterday supporters of Brand and Ross protested outside the BBC Television Centre in west London.· To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332.· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".FacebookJonathan RossRussell BrandDaily MailDigital mediaFacebookguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
More than 15,000 people have signed up to a Facebook group supporting Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, which has a protest planned for tomorrow outside the Daily Mail's London offices.Fans of the pair are planning a demonstrate outside the Mail's Derry Street HQ in Kensington at noon, followed by one outside BBC offices in the capital.Called Support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, Facebook group has swollen its membership in recent days as Brand resigned from his Radio 2 show and Ross was suspended without pay from all BBC TV and radio services for three months.The 15,609 supporters who have joined the Facebook group compares with the 34,690 who complained to the BBC about the show following the Mail on Sunday's story on October 26.Only two people complained after the show was broadcast on October 18. The Support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross group is also presenting a petition signed by almost 4,000 people. "We, the undersigned call on the BBC to turn blame on the Andrew Sachs incident away from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross as it was only intended as a joke," the petition states."We also wish that Jonathan Ross's and Russell Brand's careers will continue just as before this started."The idea for protest outside the Daily Mail's offices came from another Facebook group called The Official Picket of the Daily Mail Offices.There was also support today for Brand from campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Despite angry calls and emails to Peta headquarters suggesting it replace Brand on the cover of the latest edition of the organisation's vegetarian starter kit, the animal rights organization has refused. PETA director Robbie LeBlanc says that the organisation will stand by Russell: "The cover will have him on it because Mr Sachs, who is also a PETA supporter, has accepted Mr Brand's apology, and that's good enough for us."Yesterday supporters of Brand and Ross protested outside the BBC Television Centre in west London.· To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332.· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".FacebookJonathan RossRussell BrandDaily MailDigital mediaFacebookguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
BBC to pay cancellation costs to Jonathan Ross's Hot Sauce
The BBC is to pay cancellation costs to Jonathan Ross's independent production company Hot Sauce following the presenter's suspension.And the corporation said it will "ensure that the company's staff dedicated to the programme do not suffer".Hot Sauce makes Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and his Radio 2 show. It is not known what costs Hot Sauce has already incurred.Ross's film review show Film 2008 is made in-house by the BBC.Sources on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross said around 30 people were due to work for Hot Sauce on the recording of the show that was cancelled on Wednesday.In addition, a BBC studio had been hired, along with specialist high definition filming equipment. A BBC spokesman said: "There can be no question of Jonathan benefiting financially from any arrangement to cover Hot Sauce's relevant production costs. "In any contract that's cancelled in circumstances like this, the BBC would expect to pay for costs already contractually committed by Hot Sauce, as well as ensuring that the company's staff dedicated to the programme do not suffer."The BBC has confirmed that it will replace Jonathan Ross's Friday night BBC1 chatshow with films for the next fortnight, with Children in Need taking the slot for the third week.A repeat of Speed will air tonight with an as yet unconfirmed movie next Friday.Film 2008 on BBC1 will not be replaced, with the shows that follow it in the Wednesday night schedule shunted forward to fill the gap.· To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332.· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".BBCJonathan RossTelevisionRadioguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
The BBC is to pay cancellation costs to Jonathan Ross's independent production company Hot Sauce following the presenter's suspension.And the corporation said it will "ensure that the company's staff dedicated to the programme do not suffer".Hot Sauce makes Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and his Radio 2 show. It is not known what costs Hot Sauce has already incurred.Ross's film review show Film 2008 is made in-house by the BBC.Sources on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross said around 30 people were due to work for Hot Sauce on the recording of the show that was cancelled on Wednesday.In addition, a BBC studio had been hired, along with specialist high definition filming equipment. A BBC spokesman said: "There can be no question of Jonathan benefiting financially from any arrangement to cover Hot Sauce's relevant production costs. "In any contract that's cancelled in circumstances like this, the BBC would expect to pay for costs already contractually committed by Hot Sauce, as well as ensuring that the company's staff dedicated to the programme do not suffer."The BBC has confirmed that it will replace Jonathan Ross's Friday night BBC1 chatshow with films for the next fortnight, with Children in Need taking the slot for the third week.A repeat of Speed will air tonight with an as yet unconfirmed movie next Friday.Film 2008 on BBC1 will not be replaced, with the shows that follow it in the Wednesday night schedule shunted forward to fill the gap.· To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332.· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".BBCJonathan RossTelevisionRadioguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 22:05:06
Sectarian tensions flare over Belfast army parade
Sinn Féin and the British army united today to try and quell sectarian tensions around the first major military parade through Belfast city centre. The Sinn Féin minister Gerry Kelly announced that the party's protest against a march by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would be rerouted. Kelly said Sinn Féin's demonstration would be in "visual range" of the army march on Sunday. The party's protest would stop at the bottom of the Grosvenor Road, an arterial route into republican west Belfast, he said. The announcement came a few hours after the head of the British army in Northern Ireland said an RAF flypast planned for the parade would be cancelled.The Guardian has learned that republicans opposed to power sharing and Sinn Féin's peace strategy will still try to disrupt the parade. The apparent deal came as Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists continued talks behind closed doors to restore the power-sharing executive at Stormont.The Guardian has learned that the DUP and Sinn Féin began discussions yesterday that lasted until 2am today. Although the parade was discussed, the main focus of the talks was on the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.Sources close to the talks said the parties were "very close to a deal" that would see the centrist, non-sectarian Alliance Party run a new policing and justice ministry as a compromise. Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process told the Guardian they would ignore Sinn Féin's decision to alter their protest and would still picket the British army march.All police leave in Northern Ireland has been cancelled this weekend as the security forces plan to monitor the rallies and demonstrations that have the potential to destabilise the peace process. At noon on Sunday thousands are taking to the streets of Belfast city centre to cheer soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking at Sinn Féin's west Belfast headquarters yesterday, Kelly said: "We needed a change to radically de-escalate the situation. Others are trying to hijack that situation." The former IRA member, a Maze prison escapee, stressed that the party would have a "dignified protest" entirely separate from dissident groups. Kelly denied there had been a deal involving Sinn Féin and the British army.His remarks came a few hours after the army announced changes to its parade. Major General Chris Brown, the head of the British army in Northern Ireland, said: "We have taken a number of measures to ensure that our thanksgiving parade does not increase the potential for friction ... all on the parade will be unarmed and the musical repertoire will reflect the tri-service nature of this event, including regimental tunes, as well as the fact that it is happening on a Sunday."As a further measure I have decided there will be no flypast. This further underpins our appreciation of the sensitivities surrounding this element of the parade." Unionists criticised the army's move as pandering to Sinn Féin. The Ulster Unionist deputy leader, Danny Kennedy, said: "I feel the hands of the Northern Ireland Office or Whitehall simply trying to pander to elements that will never be satisfied. People who are opposed to this will always be opposed to this."Dissident protests are being organised by Eirig, a group of disgruntled Sinn Féin activists, and the Irish Republican Socialist party. Loyalist paramilitary sources told the Guardian last weekend that the anti-army protests were "potentially disastrous". Both loyalist terror groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association, have instructed their members to turn up in support of the homecoming parade for British troops. One senior UVF member said yesterday that anger among unionists over republican protests had not been as strong since the Anglo-Irish agreement was signed in the mid-1980s. In 1986 tens of thousands of unionists turned up outside Belfast city hall to protest against the accord giving the Dublin government more say in the running of Northern Ireland. The loyalist leader pointed to one of the Sinn Féin speakers at the now re-routed protest, the Derry Assembly member Martina Anderson whom Gerry Adams had appointed as the party's outreach officer to unionists. "So much for her 'outreach' to unionists when she is addressing a protest many in my community will see as provocative and insulting," the UVF commander said.Northern IrelandMilitaryNorthern Irish politicsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 21:05:04
Sinn Féin and the British army united today to try and quell sectarian tensions around the first major military parade through Belfast city centre. The Sinn Féin minister Gerry Kelly announced that the party's protest against a march by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would be rerouted. Kelly said Sinn Féin's demonstration would be in "visual range" of the army march on Sunday. The party's protest would stop at the bottom of the Grosvenor Road, an arterial route into republican west Belfast, he said. The announcement came a few hours after the head of the British army in Northern Ireland said an RAF flypast planned for the parade would be cancelled.The Guardian has learned that republicans opposed to power sharing and Sinn Féin's peace strategy will still try to disrupt the parade. The apparent deal came as Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists continued talks behind closed doors to restore the power-sharing executive at Stormont.The Guardian has learned that the DUP and Sinn Féin began discussions yesterday that lasted until 2am today. Although the parade was discussed, the main focus of the talks was on the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.Sources close to the talks said the parties were "very close to a deal" that would see the centrist, non-sectarian Alliance Party run a new policing and justice ministry as a compromise. Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process told the Guardian they would ignore Sinn Féin's decision to alter their protest and would still picket the British army march.All police leave in Northern Ireland has been cancelled this weekend as the security forces plan to monitor the rallies and demonstrations that have the potential to destabilise the peace process. At noon on Sunday thousands are taking to the streets of Belfast city centre to cheer soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking at Sinn Féin's west Belfast headquarters yesterday, Kelly said: "We needed a change to radically de-escalate the situation. Others are trying to hijack that situation." The former IRA member, a Maze prison escapee, stressed that the party would have a "dignified protest" entirely separate from dissident groups. Kelly denied there had been a deal involving Sinn Féin and the British army.His remarks came a few hours after the army announced changes to its parade. Major General Chris Brown, the head of the British army in Northern Ireland, said: "We have taken a number of measures to ensure that our thanksgiving parade does not increase the potential for friction ... all on the parade will be unarmed and the musical repertoire will reflect the tri-service nature of this event, including regimental tunes, as well as the fact that it is happening on a Sunday."As a further measure I have decided there will be no flypast. This further underpins our appreciation of the sensitivities surrounding this element of the parade." Unionists criticised the army's move as pandering to Sinn Féin. The Ulster Unionist deputy leader, Danny Kennedy, said: "I feel the hands of the Northern Ireland Office or Whitehall simply trying to pander to elements that will never be satisfied. People who are opposed to this will always be opposed to this."Dissident protests are being organised by Eirig, a group of disgruntled Sinn Féin activists, and the Irish Republican Socialist party. Loyalist paramilitary sources told the Guardian last weekend that the anti-army protests were "potentially disastrous". Both loyalist terror groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association, have instructed their members to turn up in support of the homecoming parade for British troops. One senior UVF member said yesterday that anger among unionists over republican protests had not been as strong since the Anglo-Irish agreement was signed in the mid-1980s. In 1986 tens of thousands of unionists turned up outside Belfast city hall to protest against the accord giving the Dublin government more say in the running of Northern Ireland. The loyalist leader pointed to one of the Sinn Féin speakers at the now re-routed protest, the Derry Assembly member Martina Anderson whom Gerry Adams had appointed as the party's outreach officer to unionists. "So much for her 'outreach' to unionists when she is addressing a protest many in my community will see as provocative and insulting," the UVF commander said.Northern IrelandMilitaryNorthern Irish politicsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUK news | guardian.co.uk, 2008-10-31 21:05:04