February 2004

For the commenter who wanted documentation for my post on Nicosia, its sewers and ways towards peace. The Guardian Cyprus Conflict(note – I don’t guarantee this) Despite much googling, it seems very difficult to grip a general account of the story. Numerous passing references abound, but there is little detail. Most search results seem to…

Link The MP for Morecambe Bay has claimed that she wrote to the Home Office asking what they were doing about cocklers who “Unable to speak English and under the control of a gang master, these people were being paid one fifth of the standard rate for their work. They were also being transported 20…

1973 Document Puts Bush on Guard Base (washingtonpost.com) The White House has released a document that, it says, proves George W. Bush really did turn up for duty with his Air National Guard squadron in 1973. Unfortunately, it’s the record of a dental examination taken on the 6th of January 1973, which proves that he…

Something I don’t think many people noticed occurred in yesterday’s Independent. Alastair Campbell’s “presidential appearance at the foot of a grand staircase” on Huttonday was described as an “event arranged by Downing Street”. Now this is interesting. I (and everyone else, I’m sure) suspected as much. What is Private Citizen Campbell doing as the Prime…

qwghlm.co.uk: blunkett policy maker An amusing device that produces Blunkettish policy at the click of a mouse. Thanks to Supermum

Der Standard According to Der Standard of Austria and Interfax, Ivan Rybkin has reappeared. According to his campaign manager, he spent the weekend at a friend’s house in Kiev and had decided not to watch television for a while. BBC report How very odd.

The Russian presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin, who disappeared in mysterious circs on Friday shortly after registering his candidacy, has not re-appeared as his backer Boris Berezovsky suggested he might. From the Moscow Times: “Gennady Gudkov, a member of the State Duma security committee, said Monday afternoon that security service officials had told him that Rybkin…

The other example of technical/economic cooperation as a solvent for political fury I was thinking of, but failed to produce on Friday, were the sewers of Nicosia. The sewerage system of the divided city was (I think) the work of a colonial engineer who modelled the system on that set up for London in the…

Story This is about the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in years. “The guards at the door packed M-16 rifles and the mid-show entertainment was a trio rapping about suicide bombers blowing up coffee shops. But on the runway, 20 young women in sizzling swimsuits and high-heeled black boots strutted their blow-dried manes and lithe…

Today is your last opportunity to vote for me in The Guardian’s political blog awards. Follow this link and send them an email with Yorkshire Ranter in the subject line before the end of today. Thanks in advance.