06/11/2003   Scientists for global responsibility disagree with pro GM scientists.

In a stongly worded response, SGR criticised last weeks letter to Tony Blair "Scientists complain GM debate was mishandled", stressing the evidence that supported many of the arguments made by anti-GM campaigners and highlighting the close ties that advisory and regulatory bodies have to the GM industry.

 06/11/2003   Reporters Without Borders call for the release of Chinese cyber dissedents.

Judgement has been reserved against the five alleged dissidents whilst the courts finally agreed to examine the police evidence against them. Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said "we hope the court will acknowledge that their arrest was unjustified and will quash their convictions."

 31/10/2003   Human Rights Watch called for the speeding up of reforms in Turkey.

&#8220, If Turkey can make the necessary changes by the end of this year and then show a full year&#8217, s track record of respect for human rights, there should be no further obstacles to EU membership negotiations in December 2004.&#8221,
31/10/2003   In the UK, the GM debate rages on

as a group of scientists rebuke the government for not trying harder to put right 'inaccurate' descriptions of biotechnology

 31/10/2003   The UN has pulled its remaining staff out of Bagdad.

Although the move has been classed as 'temporary', there is a large question mark over whether they will return. This move has provoked fears that other humanitarian agencies may follow.

 31/10/2003   With the dark evenings drawing in and temperatures dropping

The BBC reports on how you can change your own home into a power station. Not quite a simple task, some of us will have to stick to cling
24/10/2003   A legal Opinion of Communications Data Retention in the UK was commissioned by Privacy International (PI)

earlier this year. This states that any mandatory retention regime would be violate European law. The UK government initially plan to implement a voluntary code of practice, a move which PI believe to be a violation of the Data Protection Act.

 24/10/2003   South African court rules that indigenous people own their own land

This means that dispossessing them is racial discrimination and unlawful.

 24/10/2003   New Scientist reports that "Homeopathy reduces arsenic poisoning in mice"

"The homeopathic antidote reduced the liver toxicity induced by arsenic in mice, where distilled water did nothing, and alcohol actually exacerbated the poison's effects."