That was the Year that Was

[Cobol74]

Hopefully some of you are interested in some of the news stories that have been out there this year in the UK: (warning : non funny content)

1. Canoe man. ...

A cardinal rule in police work is that the simplest explanation is often the correct one. But that maxim has been obliterated in the case of John Darwin, the missing British kayaker who surfaced this week, claiming amnesia, more than five years after vanishing in the North Sea. In this case, the wildest, most outlandish criminal conspiracy theories increasingly appear to be right on target.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1691756,00.html

2. Fraudsters get a bonus from the British Government!

An interim report into how two discs containing the personal details of 25 million people went missing is expected in December, the chancellor has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7118593.stm

3. Police vs Mps Pay Rises

- Police

The Police Federation says members are unhappy a 2.5% rise is being staggered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7139612.stm

- MPs

MPs are facing pay controversy after it emerged that they are in line for inflation-busting pay rises, boosting their salaries by nearly ?6,000 - almost a 10% leap - over the next three years.
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) is said to have recommended an increase in MPs' pay from ?60,675 at present to about ?66,500 in 2011.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/23/nmps123.xml



and last year. ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/04/npols04.xml

4. Oh and UK becomes a Catholic country - who'd have thought it!

Roman Catholics have overtaken Anglicans as the country's dominant religious group. More people attend Mass every Sunday than worship with the Church of England, figures seen by The Sunday Telegraph show.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/23/nchurch123.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[teeb]

Hopefully some of you are interested in some of the news stories that have been out there this year in the UK: (warning : non funny content)

1. Canoe man. ...

A cardinal rule in police work is that the simplest explanation is often the correct one. But that maxim has been obliterated in the case of John Darwin, the missing British kayaker who surfaced this week, claiming amnesia, more than five years after vanishing in the North Sea. In this case, the wildest, most outlandish criminal conspiracy theories increasingly appear to be right on target.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1691756,00.html

After he went missing, his wife took the insurance money and went to Panama to grieve. This story is made more amusing by the fact that if you google the couple's name, you find a photo of the two of them. Taken after he "disappeared". In Panama.

3. Police vs Mps Pay Rises

- Police

The Police Federation says members are unhappy a 2.5% rise is being staggered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7139612.stm

Story made all the more entertaining by the fact that what the police want - for the pay to be 'backdated' and not staggered - is happening in Scotland, due to the Scottish Government controlling that. This leads to a lot of pissed off English people who resent Gordon Brown more, which is nice.

and last year. ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/04/npols04.xml

4. Oh and UK becomes a Catholic country - who'd have thought it!

Roman Catholics have overtaken Anglicans as the country's dominant religious group. More people attend Mass every Sunday than worship with the Church of England, figures seen by The Sunday Telegraph show.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/23/nchurch123.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox

Although bear in mind there are 390,000 Jedi in England and Wales according to the 2001 census, happily.

Also technically "England becomes a Catholic country". Separate countries; separate religious denominations.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Cobol74]

Hmmm interesting distinction between England and the UK, missed that. Could be when totalled up though UK will be a Catholic country.

EDIT/ My god they are all at it:

Nine NHS trusts in England have admitted losing patient records in a fresh case of wholesale data loss by government services, it has emerged. Hundreds of thousands of adults and children are thought to be affected by the breaches, which emerged as part of a government-wide data security review.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7158019.stm

 

[LeMans GTR]

Something Obvious: Kevin Rudd became PM of Australia