Only human inhabitant of small Shetland island makes a splash by declaring
independence
A retired metalwork designer from Suffolk has taken over a small island in the
Shetlands and declared it independent (David Lister writes).
Stuart Hill, 65, took up residence on Forvik – 2½ acres of rock and grass –
last June. He has been living in the Shetlands since 2001 after capsizing a
yacht 50 miles northwest of Forvik during an attempt to sail around Britain,
an incident that led to him being dubbed “Captain Calamity”.
Mr Hill claimed that “Forvik owes no allegiance to any UK government, central
or local, and is not bound by any of its statutes”.
He hopes to mint his own currency and make his own passports and has
advertised for oil companies to bid for rights to explore his sea bed. A
Forvik flag flutters on top of the island next to a tent – Mr Hill’s
temporary residence.
As Her Majesty’s “steward” on the island – he is not, he insists, a head of
state – he has written to the Queen inviting her to visit. She has yet to
reply.
In 1469 King Christian I of Denmark effectively pawned the islands to James
III of Scotland in lieu of a dowry that was never repaid. Mr Hill claims
that this makes Shetland’s constitutional status unclear. His honorary
citizens come from as far away as Canada and South America.
Government criticised for failure to tackle bribery
A global anti-corruption body has rebuked the Government over its failure to
prosecute British companies who engage in corporate bribery overseas
(Patrick Foster writes).
In a letter delivered to the Government in June, the antibribery group of the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) criticised
Britain’s supposed shortcomings in bringing cases against its multinational
companies, the Financial Times reported.
The missive was sent before the House of Lords rubber-stamped a decision to
drop an investigation into alleged bribery by BAE Systems in its dealings
with Saudi Arabia. The letter was reportedly critical of Britain’s failure
to bring a single overseas bribery case or update anticorruption laws. It
also criticised proposals that the Serious Fraud Office lessen its focus on
foreign corporate bribery to work more on consumer crime.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
said: “The UK will respond to these new questions as part of the ongoing
process.”
MI5 to advertise for spies with gay rights group London
MI5 is to start recruiting through a gay rights organisation to emphasise its
policy of employing people from every section of society (Michael Evans
writes).
Up to the early 1990s homosexuals and lesbians were barred from serving in
the security and intelligence services because of the perceived risk of
blackmail after the 1950s Cambridge spy scandal: Guy Burgess and Anthony
Blunt, British spies who worked as double agents for the Soviet Union’s KGB,
were homosexual.
MI5 has agreed with Stonewall, the lobby group for gay rights, to advertise
for recruits. Stonewall also runs a register of gay-friendly companies, but
Ben Summerskill, its director, said that MI5 would not automatically be
included. However, he welcomed the decision to recruit gay people into the
agency.
Security sources said that it was important to recruit from as wide a
cross-section of society as possible. Anyone applying to join MI5, now
expanding its staff numbers to 3,500 by the end of the year, has to be
vetted, but there is no requirement to divulge sexuality.
Protesters against BNP festival clash with police Denby
Thirty-three demonstrators protesting against a BNP festival were arrested
yesterday after clashing with police. Riot police were called in when 40
antifascists tried to barricade a road to prevent BNP members reaching their
Red, White and Blue festival. The police were pelted with stones in the
outbreak, close to a field in Denby, Derbyshire, where about 2,500 BNP
members had gathered. One officer suffered minor injuries. Colin Parry, who
lives near by in Codnor, said: “It’s a strong area for the BNP, because
there’s a lot of people here with nothing to do apart from cause a lot of
trouble.”
Midwives under pressure from unrealistic mothers London
Fear of legal action from increasingly demanding mothers-to-be is putting
pressure on maternity wards, according to a survey of midwives (David Rose
writes).
One in three said that their workload had increased, meaning that they had
less time to care for mothers in labour, a poll of 2,489 NHS staff by the
Royal College of Midwives (RCM) found.
More than half of midwives said that they had been verbally abused at work,
often because women had unrealistic expectations of the pain and risks
involved with giving birth, and one in twenty had been physically assaulted.
Breedagh Hughes, a former midwife and RCM board secretary from Belfast, said
that there was often a mismatch between women’s expectations and the reality
of giving birth. “Women now typically have only one or two children and they
expect them, and their births, to be perfect,” she said.
The NHS has spent £828 million settling 6,500 negligence claims by patients
against obstetricians or midwives since 1995.
Lifeboat takes to the streets to rescue homeowners Belfast
Rescuers used a lifeboat to help people to safety after torrential rain left
water lapping at homeowners’ waists in Northern Ireland yesterday. Rivers
burst their banks, bridges were washed away and dozens of roads closed
across the Province. The RNLI lifeboat went door to door rescuing people
from their homes in Bryansford, Co Down, as waters rose. Ian Douthwaite, a
lifeboat spokesman, said: “We wanted to ensure nobody was stranded in their
homes.” Part of the M1 and M2 remain shut. The freak weather conditions also
derailed a train in the Irish Republic.
Afghan deaths inquiry
An investigation is to take place into the death of four civilians killed in a
rocket attack by British troops in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said
last night. Another three civilians, including two children, were wounded in
the incident, involving troops from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute
Regiment, on Saturday morning in Helmand province. The attack came after
armed insurgents were seen preparing to attack a British patrol.
Man is arrested after body found
A 47-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was found dead at her home.
Police were called to the house in the village of Amport, Hampshire, about
10pm on Saturday night. Inspector Phil Jones, of Hampshire police, said: “A
47-year- old local man is in police custody and is waiting to be
interviewed.”
The woman's body has not yet been identified. A post mortem examination will
be carried out.
Drugs ‘overpriced’
Greedy drug companies and a lack of consistency in NHS policy are responsible
for denying patients fair access to costly treatments, the heads of the
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have claimed. Sir
Michael Rawlins, its chairman, said the drugs industry was overpricing drugs
to boost its profits. Andrew Dillon , chief executive, said that
primary care trusts had failed to produce a consistent policy for paying for
expensive treatments.
Healthy holiday fare
Alton Towers has the healthiest food on offer for visitors, but the
Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow has almost none, according to a dietary
survey of tourist attractions. Dietitians inspected the menus at eight
venues for Which? Holiday. York Minster struggled to provide a
healthy meal, and the Eden Project in Cornwall had healthy food but failed
to highlight it.
Pound note returns
Residents in Lewes, East Sussex, will soon have their own pound notes. The
Lewes pound, which is legal tender, can be used in about 30 shops. Oliver
Dudok van Heel, the organiser, said: “By spending money locally – and our
currency has to be spent locally – you are making money turn around in the
local economy.” Lewes last had its own pound in circulation in 1895.
Hoax caller jailed
A woman who made hoax 999 calls for 17 years was jailed for three years by
Isleworth Crown Court in London. Claire McMenemy, 38, was also given an Asbo
banning her for life from London airports other than as a legitimate
passenger.
Dubliners founder dies
Ronnie Drew, the Irish singer and founder of the Dubliners, has died aged 73.
The rock singer Bono said: “Music to inspire, to console ... an optimism
that was contagious ... that's what U2 took from the Dubliners.”
Playground for pensioners
A playground with “fun and fitness” equipment for pensioners is to be built in
Herne Bay, Kent. The idea came from Bill Wiffen, 71, chairman of the parish
council, who said: “OAPs can use this without too much strain and get a lot
out of it.”
Lottery numbers
Nobody won the Lotto jackpot on Saturday night, meaning that Wednesday’s draw
will be an estimated £7 million rollover, Camelot said. The winning numbers
were 2, 3, 9, 34, 35 and 41. The bonus number was 46.
In the Thunderball draw the winning numbers were 2, 3, 23, 29 and 30. The
Thunderball was 2. The Dream Number draw was 2616999.
