Ancient history A level saved
Classical scholars celebrated a momentous victory yesterday as the Government
intervened to prevent the scrapping of the only remaining A level in ancient
history (Alexandra Frean writes).
Robert Parker, Professor of Ancient History at Oxford, called it a “triumph
for democracy”. Michael Fallon, the former Education Minister, proclaimed,
“Vae victis!” (Woe to the vanquished). They were responding to demands from
Lord Adonis, the Education Minister, that the OCR exam board abandon its
decision to scrap its A level in Ancient History.
The move caused an outcry among academics and students who pointed to the
recent increase in the number of students studying classical subjects.
Police strike threat
Police will demand the right to strike if the Government goes ahead with plans
for a radical overhaul of officers’ pay, John Reid, the Home Secretary, was
told yesterday (Stewart Tendler writes).
The warning came as Mr Reid, in his last weeks of the job, found himself
facing 1,000 angry leaders of rank and file officers at a Police Federation
meeting in Blackpool. The Home Secretary was told that if the Government’s
plans were implemented officers would feel they were no different from other
public sector workers and wanted the same protection.
7/7 widow freed
The widow of Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the July 7 suicide bombers,
marked her release from custody by calling for an independent inquiry into
the London atrocity. Hasina Patel, 29, and her brother Arshad, 30, were
freed without charge a week after being detained in raids in West Yorkshire.
Suspect shot dead
A suspected armed gangster, 52, was killed in a shoot-out during a police
surveillance operation linked to gun crime in the black community. Officers
opened fire after the man was said to have fired at them near Paolo’s
restaurant in Park Royal, West London, on Tuesday. The IPCC will investigate
the incident.
Police specialist on secrets charge
A member of the Metropolitan Police staff has been charged with misconduct and
breaching the Official Secrets Act, Scotland Yard said. Thomas Lund-Lack,
59, was charged by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command in connection with
disclosures of information to a reporter. He will appear at City of
Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
The first charge relates to “wilful misconduct in a judicial or public office”
by allegedly disclosing secret documents to a Sunday Times
journalist, knowing that the information would be published. In the second
charge, Mr Lund-Lack, a specialist working on counter terrorism, is accused
of unlawful disclosure contrary to the Official Secrets Act 1989. Police
confirmed that the leaked intelligence was the basis for a Sunday Times
article published on April 22.
Anglican diocese defects over gays
In the biggest rift yet over gays, an entire diocese in the Anglican Church
was preparing last night to announce its defection from the Episcopal Church
of the US (Ruth Gledhill writes).
The Anglo-Catholic diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, led by Bishop Jack Iker, a
respected traditionalist, was expected to announce early this morning that
it was seeking “alternative primatial oversight” outside the US.
Sources indicated that an African primate was most likely to be approached to
lead the Anglicans of Fort Worth, but no formal arrangement is in place as
yet.
A further four US dioceses are expected to follow suit. All are members of the
Anglican Communion Network, a coalition of Episcopal dioceses and parishes
opposed to recent developments in their church.
Jail for dog owner
The uncle of Ellie Lawrenson, the 5-year-old girl savaged to death by an
American pit bull terrier was jailed for two months by Liverpool Magistrates
Court for owning an outlawed dangerous dog. Kiel Simpson, 24, had pleaded
guilty to owning a dog banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act at an
earlier hearing.
Drug racket foiled
The Royal Navy’s largest warship, HMS Ocean, helped to foil a
multimillion-pound cocaine-smuggling racket in the Caribbean, the MoD said.
The 22,500-tonne vessel was involved in seizing cocaine worth an estimated
£28 million after tracking a light aircraft suspected of carrying the drug.
Death driver jailed
A lorry driver who killed a family of four in a motorway crash was jailed for
six years. Peter Murray, 62, from Tadworth, Surrey, was more than twice over
the drink-drive limit when he collided with the car on the hard shoulder of
the M25 near Sevenoaks, Kent, Maidstone Crown Court was told.
Murder charge
A man appeared in court charged with the murder of Jenny Nicholl, who went
missing from her home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, aged 19 in June 2005.
David William Hodgson, 47, of Olav Road, Richmond, was remanded in custody
to appear again at Teesside Crown Court on May 24.
Grain of untruth
An image used to promote British farming is of a foreign crop of rice that is
not grown in this country. The blunder was spotted by Oliver Edwards, 52, a
Somerset farmer, in a Defra leaflet explaining the new “Whole Farm
Approach”. The pictured crop is probably in Australia or Texas, Mr Edwards
said.
Appeal judges cut terrorism sentence
A minimum sentence of 40 years imposed on a British al-Qaeda activist jailed
for life for plotting atrocities on both sides of the Atlantic was cut to 30
years by the Court of Appeal (Frances Gibb writes).
Three judges, headed by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the Lord Chief
Justice, said that 40 years should normally be reserved for “the terrorist
who has been convicted of a serious attempt to commit mass murder by a
viable method”.
Dhiren (aka Eesa) Barot, 34, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder, which
fell short of an actual attempt. There was also uncertainty as to whether
the terror plots would have succeeded and what the consequences would have
been, Lord Phillips said.
Barot was jailed in November for planning terrorist atrocities involving
explosive-packed limousines and a “dirty” radiation bomb.
Car trick backfires
A company director was jailed for four months after trying to avoid detection
by speed cameras by fitting his car with false number plates. Brian Beaton,
58, of Gillingham, admitted perverting the course of justice and speeding
using false number plates at Maidstone Crown Court.
Hospital blunder
More than 500 pregnant women missed vital check-ups at Newham General
Hospital, East London, because of mistakes with their records. Evening and
weekend clinics are being held to rectify the matter and staff have set up a
telephone helpline. An investigation is being held into what went wrong.
Extradition delay
An extradition hearing for Abu Hamza al-Masri, the jailed radical Islamic
cleric, was delayed yesterday because he is recovering from an operation to
remove bone from his arm, his barrister said. Abu Hamza, 48, was due to
begin his fight against extradition to the US, where he could face terror
charges.
Youth clubs plan
Plans for 700 youth centres, funded by unclaimed assets in old bank accounts,
were unveiled. Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, has asked the Big
Lottery Fund to run the programme, which will seek applications for sports
and youth clubs, dance and drama studios or mobile youth centres.
Wild times ahead
Cranes have begun breeding in the Fens in Suffolk for the first time in 400
years after carrot fields were transformed into a wetland wildlife reserve.
More than 100 aquatic plants returned naturally. The arrival of the cranes
at Lakenheath Fen was totally unexpected, Graham Wynne, chief executive of
the RSPB, said.
