UK Newswire Archive
Palestine Today 07 07 2010
07-07-2010 15:22
Freedom Flotilla 2 will export Gaza products
07-07-2010 11:55
More mental health day centres to be cut
07-07-2010 10:24
Notts County Council are planning to close three day centres for mental health service users. The Middle Street centre in Beeston, Rokerfield Centre in Sutton and Boundary Centre in Worksop could be closed. This is another kick in the teeth for some of the most excluded people in society who the council clearly think they can neglect with impunity.
Day centres try to offer safe and sociable spaces for those with mental health issues who find it hard to integrate into mainstream society. There are often a range of activities and learning opportunities available to service users which can help them build their confidence and make friends. Some centres, such as the day centre at the QMC, have already been closed in recent years. For people who often have difficulty finding supportive environments these closures are bound to cause distress.
The council says that the closures are necessary to fund a new national initiative to give people with mental health needs personal budgets. This looks like a classic Tory scheme to individualise and isolate people. Just where mental health users are supposed to spend their personal budgets and get the services they have been used to is anyone's guess. Councillor Kevin Rostance said that "The proposals also aim to make all mental health services in Notts equitable" which is true, I suppose - it will make all service users equally miserable.
This another example of how the new era of cuts in public spending is impacting most on those already excluded and marginalised - not on those who can afford to adjust. The proposed 'solution' of personal budgets shows that the authorities are only interested in paying people off and leaving them to fend for themselves. We need a social movement to bring people together and resist the penalisation of the poor for the outrages of the wealthy.
BBC Promotes Vivisector who Forces Antidepressants On Shrimp
07-07-2010 10:17
Prozac, correlated to homicide and suicide, being forced on shrimpMubarak dieing from Cancer ...
07-07-2010 10:04
For the love of it - Bristol website spreads the message of fun and creativity
07-07-2010 09:25
Chloe Banks meets the lovely folk behind Bristol website www.theloveofit.co.uk , who aim to get people being creative and having fun!Do you remember those days when you didn’t worry about the mortgage on your tiny two-bed, but built castles made of sand? There was no career ladder to climb then, only trees; the size of your conker was more important than the size of your car engine and you drew doodles not pension plans.
An enlightened group of people based in Bristol are trying to bring back a little of that cheap and cheerful fun that filled our youth and they would love you to get involved. I met up with Jo Tinsley and Steph Wetherell, co-founders of the website The Love Of It to find out a little more.
So how did it all start? “I was visiting my brother in Japan,” says Jo. “I ended up alone at one point and got thinking about all the things I like to do. So I wrote a list.” The list varied from road trips to playing Scrabble, picnics to star gazing, but they had certain things in common; “I began to think that what underpins many of these [activities] is the idea that doing something creative, just for fun, makes you happier. It dawned on me that there wasn’t one place that brought these things together.” And so she set about making one.
What started as an idea for a magazine, became a website where people could go to get ideas for creative things to do, find events to go to and generally get involved in “good wholesome fun”.
Despite only launching in January, there are already “chapters” in Wales and the North of England and they have been contacted by people from over 70 countries. It seems they have tapped into the deep longing that surely lies in everyone: to enjoy simple pleasures with good friends...
Read the rest of this article at http://www.guide2bristol.com/news/856/For-the-love-of-i...ivity
Left-leaning despisers of the 9/11 Truth Movement: Do you believe in miracles?
07-07-2010 09:20
Peat Bog protesters found not guilty
07-07-2010 01:05
London Protest Against Colombia’s president-elect
06-07-2010 22:22
Protesters outside Downing Street shouted "Asesino! Asesino!" as Colombia's president-elect Juan Manuel Santos arrived for a meeting with British premier David Cameron yesterday, Monday 5 July. The protest was joined by Chileans, the Movement of Ecuadorians in the UK, and the Latin American Workers Association who work together in the Coordinadora Latinoamericana.
The protest demanding no aid for criminal government in Colombia was organised by left opposition party Polo Democratico Alternativo (UK) and the Colombia Solidarity Campaign.
Santos, like Cameron, comes from the elite, he is from one of country's the richest families, owners of El Tiempo daily newspaper and much else besides.
Miguel Puerto, representative of the Polo Democratico Alternativo said:
- "Santos has emphasised that he will continue the policies of Uribe, in whose government he was Minister of Defence. He is entirely compromised in human rights violations, such as the scandalous policy of ‘false positives', thousands of Colombians have been executed by the armed forces and then dressed up in guerrilla fatigues to pretend they had fallen in combat.
- Like Uribe, Santos surrenders our country's economic and military sovereignty. He will continue the neoliberal policies that have increased poverty, unemployment and social inequality. He is in favour of Free Trade Agreements with the US and EU that will hand over even more control to the multinationals. He welcomes US bases in Colombia that threaten progressive governments in neighbouring countries, especially Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia."
Andy Higginbottom, Secretary of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign said:
- "Thirty one trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia this year alone. Hundreds more in the indigenous, afro-colombian and other social movements are similarly targeted. Colombia is not a democracy, it is a killing ground.
- Santos wants to renovate Colombia's image internationally, which is why he met Tony Blair's advisers and Cameron. In providing military, diplomatic and economic support British governments are condemning the Colombian people, the large majority of whom did not vote for Santos, to more human rights violations."
For more information contact: colombiasolidarity@riseup.net
Ecotopia Bike Tour 2010 begins
06-07-2010 22:22
Audio interview with one of the 2010 Ecotopia Bike Tour participants, at the start of the London Critical Mass and the beginning of their ten week ride through Europe.
Check out the interview here in MP3 or OGG formats.
They invite people to join the ride at any stage. The tour goes through England, Wales, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany with an itinerary focused around mobilisations for climate justice. It will cover more than 2000km for over two months: from 25 June until 31 August 2010. Some of the biggest stops will be at the Towards Carfree Cities Conference in York, the Huntington Lane Camp near Telford, the Camp Action Climat near Le Havre, the Klima Camp near Erkelenz!
For more info see their website http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/
And/or follow their updates on twitter or indent.ca
Housing Benefit changes will increase social misery
06-07-2010 19:56
Housing Benefit reforms by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition will lead to an increase in homelessness. The proposals outlined could potentially affect over one million households in the UK currently in receipt of the Local Housing Allowance. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) calculates the Housing Benefit payable to tenants who rent their home from a private landlord.Two infosec blunders that betrayed the Russian spy ring
06-07-2010 19:47
Everyone is having fun this week speculating on all aspects of the alleged Russian spy ring busted in the US on Monday. How were they initially detected? Are they just a decoy to hide the real spies? Why did the US go public now? Has anyone got any more pictures of Anna Chapman for the front pages?Afghan war: Petraeus expands U.S. military presence throughout Eurasia
06-07-2010 19:46
Do you believe in the Welsh Defence League?
06-07-2010 18:59
Like all previous mobilisations in Wales, the recent protests by the English Defence League (EDL) in Cardiff and Swansea on 5th June were called under the name of the "Welsh Defence League" (WDL). Judging by the combined turnout at both demos and taking into consideration the large number of attendees from England, the WDL numbers less than 50 people.Hubbard's Hell for Animals: RSPCA Refuses to Act
06-07-2010 17:24
After repeated calls for the RSPCA to act decisively against this appalling case of animal abuse and neglect, Nottingham Animal Rights, among others, is seeking to raise public awareness of the plight of Mr. Hubbard’s victims. Mr. Hubbard is a Guinea Pig and Rabbit Breeder based at The Willows, Doddington Lane, off Main Street, Dry Doddington, Newark, NG23 5HU. Reports and photographs provided by those who have visited the property (see: http://nottinghamshire.indymedia.org.uk/2010/04/448580.html for links) have stated that the animals are living in terrible conditions and are in very poor health.
Nottingham Animal Rights has released this press release to the local media, and will be holding an information stall on Saturday 10th July opposite St. Peter's Church in Nottingham, near the Broadmarsh Centre, from 13:00 onwards. An additional date in Newark is to be confirmed.
Read the full article on the new Nottingham Indymedia at http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/151
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm demo
06-07-2010 17:22
Join us for a protest outside Noah's Ark Zoo Farm.August Bank Holiday
Monday 30th August
10am till 2pm
Outside Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
Clevedon Road
Wraxall
Bristol
BS48 1PG
Palestien Today 07 06 2010
06-07-2010 15:33
End Domestic Flights Now!
06-07-2010 12:13
Start: 04 Sep 2010, 11:00 amDemonstrations in London and Manchester, Saturday 4th September
Trail of Tears for Afghanistan – London to Colchester Peace Walk - An account
06-07-2010 11:17
Metr0
06-07-2010 09:24
This is the paper the Metro didn't want you to see! Download, mirror, distribute...