Top Stories — 22nd February
Nationwide
The march of the atheist movement
Call for new £20bn economy boost
Parents told: avoid morality in sex lessons
Woolworths ‘last’ pic’n'mix fetches £14,500
International
After Guadeloupe, Sarkozy faces a storm at home
US housing crisis moves beyond sub-prime houses
Al-Qaeda founder launches attack on bin Laden
The secret plan to lift Whale hunting ban
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / coming later…
Top Stories and Blog Review – 21st February
Nationwide
Alarm over rise of the BNP
Fear for deal on agency workers’ payoffs
New Banking Act comes into effect
Family policies ‘dad-proofed’ to give them role
International
Clinton rewrites script for her position in Asia
Netanyahu asked to form Israel’s next government
Tamil Tiger planes raid Sri Lankan capital
U.S. review finds Guantanamo humane
WEEKEND VIDEO / by Sunny
Top News and Blog Stories – 20th February
Nationwide
Blears tells cabinet ‘get a grip’
Tests blamed for blighting children’s lives
The march of the atheist movement
Pupils told to think like a suicide bomber
Homeowners will get £500m in mortgage aid
International
U.S. Tries a Trillion-Dollar Key for Locked Lending
Obama’s drive-by diplomacy
Signs of US protectionism worrying
Saab seeks bankruptcy protection in battle for survival
Christopher Hitchens duffed up in Beirut
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Sarah Ismail
Angela Saini: On journalism’s stars of the future. Friday Fun 1.
Blood and Treasure: Domestic violence with a difference.
Indigo Jo: Reviews last Monday’s Panorama.
MediaWatchWatch: Jacqui Smith is at it again.
Natalie Bennett: Has been getting to grips with France.
New Statesman: Observations on e-books. Friday Fun 2.
Stumbling and Mumbling: Has gone mathematical.
Top News and Blog Stories – 19th February
Nationwide
UK rail commuters pay twice that of the EU
Mortgage lending recovery not yet in sight
Banks add £1.5trillion to public debt
Brown shadows Lib Dem policy with hints at tax cuts
Assisted suicide case fails
International
Migrants in Italy revolt
“Obama should apologise for Iraq” – Tutu
Netanyahu moves ahead as favourite for Israeli PM job
Facebook backs down on data rights
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Lee Griffin
CiF/Timothy Garton Ash echo’s my feelings of the infringements on our liberties feeling like a bad dream.
CiF/Seumas Milne writes of the terrifying yet unsurprising announcements of just who will be treated as “terrorists” if Jacqui “Himmler” Smith gets her way.
LDV/Stephen Tall agrees that Nick Clegg should be making bold statements about families using recession as an opportunity to change.
Meral wonders why there appears to be an ultra-conservative member of a liberal MEP group in Europe.
Himmelgarten Cafe is a tad ashamed of the Brit Awards.
Freethink on the dilemma of modern universities with an emerging global market for foreign (high paying) students.
Bleeding Heart Show showcases some tips for writing effectively.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 18th February
Nationwide
Poll shows Labour leadership row resurfacing
Coming here, church that demonises gays
Four years on and hunting still rears its head
Brown promises new curbs on bank bonuses
International
Oil slips below $35 as global markets tumble
Is this man the future of politics?
US to boost troops in Afghanistan
U.S. accuses Texas financial firm of $8billion fraud
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / back tomorrow
Top Stories and Blog Review – 17th February
Nationwide
Ministers accused of exploiting terrorism fears
Tories propose more council power
BMW accused of ’scandalous opportunism’
Full-scale nationalisation beckons
International
Nationalize the Banks! We’re all Swedes now
From Pakistan, Taliban threats reach New York
Clinton warns North Korea on missile test
Dubai warned over Israeli tennis ban
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by ….
Top Stories and Blog Review – 16th February
Nationwide
Anti-terror tactics ‘weaken law’ in UK & US
Angry factory scenes as BMW cuts 850 jobs
‘British jobs’ slogan splits the public
Asylum for lesbian on the run from Iran
International
Avast! Torrent site Pirate Bay goes on trial
Senior US soldiers in trial missing Iraqi billions
Chávez decisively wins bid to end term limits
Pakistan agrees to Islamic law in Swat region
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Jennie Rigg
Debi “Innerbrat” Linton has feminist rage about the way the media reports teenage pregnancy.
Hans Nyberg has a 360o Panorama of a village in Gaza.
Rhodri Marsden is not happy about the way the net can mobilise in vigilante action.
Hagley Road to Ladywood is upset about the second class treatment of agency workers.
Matt Wardman has detailed highlights of the travesty that is the Criminal Defence Service Direct.
To cheer you up after all that doom and gloom, Charlie Brooker reviews the new flavours of Walkers’ crisps in his usual inimitable style (he is kinder than the pub regulars were about Fish ‘n’ Chips flavour, which was universally condemned as tasting like “dirty minge”)
And if you hanker after further linkage, the Britblog Roundup and Scottish Roundup are both now up.
Top Stories and Blog Review Sunday 15th Feb 2009
Nationwide
Labour suffer a defection.
Blame Brown: Revenge of the Whistleblower.
Richard Dawkins on Charles Darwin.
Pretentious arse pontificates about blogging then picks his top 100 (don’t read his five politics picks unless you want steam to come out of your ears, although he does feature Chris Dillow elsewhere)
International
Global Warming may be much worse than we fear.
Mugabe has bought a secret house in Hong Kong.
Michael Jackson is flogging off his crap.
Scientists Agree: It’s in His Kiss.
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Jennie Rigg
President Baroness Ros Scott does the 25 things meme and it’s actually INTERESTING (although not as knicker-wettingly hilarious as Empress Jessica’s version); requisite Lib Dem prowess on the Wii and Doctor Who geekery is evident.
The Award-winning Alix Mortimer feels terribly sorry for Manchester, cradle of the Labour party’s social experimentation.
Mr Quist has a cunning plan for Lib Dem recruitment (which would probably work for the other parties too)
Lynne Featherstone is wondering where all her suitors are, given that she’s second only to Andy Burnham in the sexy politician stakes.
Norfolk Blogger has the knives out for poor old Lembit.
Jonathan Calder has an interesting tale of the consequences of privatising justice.
The Hedgehog From Hell has goatse’d the Daily Fail. Serves the buggers right, I say.
And finally, if you just can’t get enough linky goodness, follow the well-trodden path to Septicisle.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 14th February
Nationwide
Anti-Vatican protest hits London
Jacqui’s jihad on web extremism flops
De Menezes family to sue Scotland Yard
Storm grows over play dubbed racist and offensive
International
Has the ‘Obama effect’ come to fashion industry?
British envoy banned in war Sri Lanka
UN man in Pakistan kidnap video
Stimulus plan receives final approval in Congress
WEEKEND VIDEO / by Sunny
Top Stories and Blog Review – 13th February
Nationwide
Marriage rates crash to all-time low
Gordon Brown vows to ‘claw back’ bonuses
BT warns of more losses after profits plunge 81%
Icy roads warning amid big freeze
International
Mumbai terror attack planned in Pakistan
Hamas ’set for truce with Israel’
World in denial about trafficking, says UN
Sri Lanka accused of planning concentration camps
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Lee Griffin
Andy Worthington has a superb analysis of where we are with the Binyam Mohamed case.
Vino S reviews the outcome of the Israeli elections.
Gareth Aubrey wonders why we’re spending £7bn on a set of diesel trains if we’re supposed to be helping the environment?
Jailhouselawyer discusses what purpose religion serves inside prisons and the danger of radicalisation alongside it.
Adrian Smith: surprise, surprise, government figures don’t add up to actually helping those that need it.
Chris Davies MEP blogs about his view in Gaza, and he can see the bright side of this awful situation.
Program your own mind (shameless plug) wonders why so little is being done to encourage school attendance rather than punish truancy.
Click for previous editions of the netcast.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 12th February
Nationwide
Lloyds faces new loans allegations
Hundreds march at station over foreign labour
Dutch MP banned from entering UK
Plan to scrap council tax dropped
International
Tsvangirai sworn in as PM
Guantánamo inmate Binyam Mohamed close to release
US banks defend bail-out spending
France faces revolt over poverty on Caribbean islands
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Lee Griffin
Wardman Wire. The first rule of government is: Jacqui Smith (or her department) is breaking the law and getting away with it.
Mark Reckons. The second rule of government is: Jacqui Smith (or her department) is breaking the law and getting away with it.
Lib Dem Voice/ Mark Pack casts his doubts on the “public belief in evolution” poll.
Disgruntled Radical posts his thoughts on the nuances of being a Liberal Democrat, sparked by this discussion started by Charlotte Gore.
Potlach thinks carefully about copyright and protectionism for industries that rely on it.
CiF/Yvonne Bradley is Binyam Mohamed’s lawyer and wants her client home and away from the torturers he’s been subjected to. Jacqui Smith (or her department) would comment if not too busy breaking the law.
Lib Dem Voice/Alix Mortimer likes the ring to “Say-anything-do-nothing Prime Minister.”
Extended list up on my (slow) blog due to increased quality of writing out there!
Click for previous editions of the netcast.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 11th February
Nationwide
Police use new ’spider’s web’ to stop cars
Synod votes to ban clergy from joining the BNP
Jobcentres new mission to save the middle-class
UK unemployed may top two million
International
The $2.5 trillion bailout plan
Disarray as Israeli election rivals claim victory
Iran hints at US dialogue as it hails the revolution
Vatican buries the hatchet with Charles Darwin
Asian economies collapsing at alarming rate
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Aaron
Spy Blog reports that the Serious Crime Act 2007 is being abused to harass activist site Indymedia.
Sunny has a pop at internet-pest and wannabe Karl Rove [sniggers], Donal Blaney.
Mike Ion is suggesting we abolish prescription charges.
Philosopher’s Tree has an update on the crack-down on photography in public places.
Hagley Road to Ladywood has a video of a Noel Edmond’s rant from his cack new show on Sky. Warning: It’s painful. Apparently, pitchforks and torches are provided for the audience as they leave.
Political Blogging wonders if the bankers appearing before a commons committee could become a problem for No.10?
Top Stories and Blog Review – 10th February
Nationwide
Brown seeks Obama-style bonus cap
Government may offer cash-back for scrap cars
MPs demand apologies from fallen bank bosses
Surge in sex abuse calls to children’s helpline
International
Polls open in Israel’s closely watched elections
Hadron Collider relaunch delayed
Republicans balk but Americans side with Obama
The Taliban in Pakistan are raising U.S. fears
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Douglas Johnson
Stumbling and Mumbling - Democracy and religion both appear to make people happy. Do the two have to be mutuallly exclusive?
Jennie - finds a rather good reason to bash the BBC.
Back Towards the Locus - does not like Obama’s inside-out underwear.
Charles Darwin’s Blog - prefers dinosaurs to the Tories.
Our Kingdom- Time for the taxpayers to make the rules on banks, says Tony Curzon-Price
Top Stories and Blog Review – 9th February
Nationwide
Lib Dems to unveil spending plans
Treasury’s bank bonus team to get own payout
UK homes to be offered a green makeover
A call for end to fighting over Darwin’s legacy
International
A hard-liner gains ground in Israel
Sri Lanka says 10,000 civilians flee fighting
Already back on trail, Obama sells a stimulus plan
Attack on Indian women intensifies a clash of cultures
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Jennie Rigg
David Semple has a brilliant post on discrimination.
Lizbee has an Aussie perspective on the bush fires.
Smash Boredom wants you to join in the Climate Camp on the 1st of April.
The Honourable Lady Mark has an interesting idea for direct action, too.
Lib Dem Voice congratulates Dr Evan Harris, MP for winning secularist of the year.
Hagley Road to Ladywood wonders why the press are giving the bankers such an easy ride?
Costigan Quist has made it into the top 100 Politics Blogs on Wikio (I link to this merely because he has chosen the Best.Tag.Evar. for the post).
And the Scottish Roundup for this week is up if you hanker after more linkage (or even if you don’t 
)
Top Stories and Blog Review – 8th February
Nationwide
Hidden records show MMR/Autism truth
Spy centre will track you on holiday
Cover-up in Iraq: Shooting the messenger
Support for Brown’s Labour falls to 28%
International
United on climate change: Obama’s Chinese revolution
Israeli elections: Be afraid. Be very afraid
Biden signals U.S. deal with Russia on missiles
Sri Lankan rebel leader missing, thousands flee war
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Jennie Rigg
Peter Black, AM, points out the flaws in the government’s PFI Welfare to Work schemes.
Amused Cynicism, meanwhile, highlights more problems at the DWP: their benefit-cheat-catching scheme doesn’t work.
Jane Merrick has some bears-are-catholic, pope-shits-in-the-woods news: the MOD are lying to people.
Political Betting wonders if Jacqui Smith is toast.
Ben Goldacre helps us all to spot the flaws in polling data.
Rhetorically Speaking has a great example of nowtrage in (surprise surprise) the Fail on Sunday.
Hagley Road to Ladywood accuses Silvio Berlusconi of necrophilia.
And, as ever, head on over to Septicisle for more. My pick of his picks is definitely the one from 5 Chinese Crackers about the Drunken Sailor nowtrage.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 7th February
Nationwide
UK prepares for the big freezing weekend
Guinness to label pint glasses with unit count
HBOS staff received goodbyes in cash
Miliband faces tough questions over torture case
International
US Senators reach deal to cut stimulus bill to $780bn
Israeli vote goes down to wire
Russia rattles sabres in Obama’s direction
Hundreds more flee as Sri Lanka war races
WEEKEND VIDEO / by Sunny
Top Stories and Blog Review – 6th February
Nationwide
Stampede by banks to beat bonus crackdown
‘The MoD has dragged me through the mud’
Backlash against Labour on Lords scandal
‘We must protect privacy from over-zealous state’
International
Obama urges stimulus as job losses mount
Hard man of the right is Israel’s kingmaker
China’s unemployment swells as exports falter
News Corp. loses $6.4 billion in 2Q
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Sarah
Bartholomew’s Notes: Reports on a blogger under threat:
Bleeding Heart Show: Israel is being Obamafied. Friday Fun.
Faith in Society: An essay on Christianity.
Feministing: Courtney reviews a book.
Hywel Morgan/LDV: Some questions for the foreign secretary.
Liberal England: Privacy? What’s that?
Ministry of Truth: Science and religion don’t mix.
Victoria Brignell/New Statesman: On the ethical issues raised by assisted death.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 5th February
Nationwide
Foreign labour deal reached to return to work
Christians hit back at the atheist bus
Queen’s shop removes golliwog toy
Daily Mail spiked Northern Rock story, MPs told
International
Obama caps executive pay at $500,000
Police investigate Holocaust-denying bishop
Agency says Hamas took aid intended for needy
Citing US threats, British court blocks data on torture
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Lee Griffin
Mark Easton has a view from Finland regarding the rights of child criminals.
Yourfriendinthenorth is very much in agreement with the idea that equality is for all, not just for British workers that shout loud enough.
Shiraz Socialist breaks down what seems to be a successful election for secular democracy in Iraq.
Lay Science delves in to the reality of the nurse “suspended” for offering a prayer.
Obsolete on yet more reasons why our government lacks a moral backbone, this time about torture.
Himmelgarten cafe really doesn’t like change(4life).
Stuart King wonders what his local Tory council are thinking when it comes to housing strategy.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 4th February
Nationwide
Workers reject plea to return during talks
Jacqui Smith faces questions on MI5 torture collusion
Fuel bill help ‘not effective enough’
Carol Thatcher dropped for ‘golliwog’ gaffe\
International
3 million trapped in despair in Darfur’s camps
Porn interrupts Super Bowl TV coverage
Postman who wants to deliver the end of capitalism
Iran launches satellite in a challenge for Obama
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Aaron
First, cabalamat predicts that Obama will win in 2012. His prediction is based mainly on the idea that Republicans are idiots, which seems fair enough to me.
Next, Jim pads up and goes out to bat for Socialist Unity.
Jennie’s in the know re. the latest Wikio stats.
No Right Turn wonders if you’re aware that it may soon be illegal to take a photo of a policeman in this country? Punishable by a fine and up to ten years in the clink. Think about it.
Philosopher’s Tree on why we should ban those evil cluster-bombs. He’s right. We should.
Btw. The utterly glorious Sadie never fails to make me giggle.
Mark Pack has news that Labour MSP Charlie Gordon is alleged to have fiddled his expenses. This isn’t the first time Gordon has been in the shit. Iain Dale would like you throw a hissy-fit. But Dale’s not holding his breath, so I don’t see why you’d bother.
Speaking of Dale, watch this. Via. teh Monkey. Heh.
Hagley Road to Ladywood has some linky-love for those covering the “Wild-Cat” strikes, including our Unity, who as always, is shining a light into the darkness and finding rats!
Finally, Fancy winning a trip to Washington? Me too.
Top Stories and Blog Review – 3rd February
Nationwide
Stand up for workers, Labour MPs tell Brown
Foreign labour strikes spread to Sellafield
BNP attempt to infiltrate wildcat strike
Icy Britain braced for second blast of snow
International
Obama has begun discreet talks with Iran, Syria
North Korea ‘ready to test long range missile’
Shoe thrown at Chinese Prime Minister
China puts joblessness for migrants at 20 million
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Kate Belgrave
At last – interesting times for the trade union movement, and the lefties in and around it. How should unions respond to the refinery and power station strikes? More to the point – can they respond… and will Labour-affiliated unions even want to?
A few from the last few days:
Excellent as ever, Dave Osler looks for parallels between the refinery strikes with workers’ reactions to Enoch Powell’s 1968 Rivers of Blood speech – and finds none. Recommended.
Jon Rogers doesn’t see xenophobia in the refinery strikes -he sees the latest chapter in the long story of the battle to protect workers’ terms and conditions. He argues that a better slogan for our lost leader Gordon would be “British jobs on British terms and conditions” or – better still – “all jobs on good terms and conditions.”
Stroppyblog makes the point – very eloquently – that socialism and trade unionism should aim to encourage the refinery strikers towards international solidarity, ‘rather than the dead-end of nationalism.’ Hear hear.
Over at the Tomb, Mr Lenin argues – partly with himself – that unions might harbour racists. He’s heard that a ‘British jobs for British workers’ protest has been planned by trade unionists for next week. Drop us a line in the comments here if you’ve heard about that – and don’t miss the comments thread at the Tomb for a pointed commentary on Labour affiliated unions.
My interest is the official status of the strikes – are they union-driven, or are workers organising them? Will the recession see people organising independently of unions – taking matters into their own hands? Are people finally sick of the indifferent support of Labour affiliated unions?
Good old Letters writes to William Hague and takes him to task for driving Tory voters to UKIP with his ‘free movement for workers within the EU’ comments on Andrew Marr. Go Letters!
Stumbling and Mumbling makes the point of the year so far: why are people picking on foreign workers when they should be abusing bankers? Man after my own heart there. And was Marx right? – capitalism turns us on each other, not the real culprits.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or rss feeds.
» How bad is the feline obesity crisis?
» Why don’t MPs pay back tuition fees instead of increasing ours?
» Obama is right to slam BP – and why capitalists should too
» Why does Phillip Blond see civic cohesion as a security issue?
» So what if the Labour candidates went to Oxbridge?
» Last night’s Labour hustings: will it get interesting or turn to torture?
» It’s now down to Ken to win London for Labour
» The Labour people need
» Blog Nation: what would you like to see discussed?
» The Labour leadership’s token contender.. and it’s not Diane Abbott
» In defence of these fraternal nominations
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