WHAT HAPPENED ON 25th January 2001?

24th January 2001

AGENDA AT WESTMINSTER

Chancellor Gordon Brown will take questions in the Commons which will be followed by a debate on fisheries. The committee stage of the Regulatory Reform Bill (Lords) will be debated by peers. The Lords will also discuss the marketing of British tourism to visitors from overseas.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

UK TROOPS EXTEND SIERRA LEONE TRAINING

The Government has announced plans to extend British troops' training of the Sierra Leonean army by eight months until the end of September. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said the move would help make the West African state's army "self-sufficient". The British military presence will remain at around 600 at any time. British troops have made an "important contribution to stability in Sierra Leone" Mr Hoon added.

24th January 2001

GAY COUPLE LOSE "EU RIGHT" TO BE FAMILY

A gay couple have lost a High Court battle to live in Britain as "a family" under European law. Belfast-born Nigel McCollum challenged the Immigration Service's refusal to let his Brazilian partner Renato Lozano into the UK as his same-sex spouse. His lawyer said this impeded Mr McCollum's right of free movement. Mr Justice Turner refused a judicial review. He said neither UK nor EU law made the couple a family.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

TOURISTS DIE IN VENEZUELA AIR ACCIDENT

A plane with 24 people including 20 European & US tourists has crashed in Venezuela killing all on board. A DC-3 operated by the Rutaca airline crashed at 10.15 GMT last night near the southern city of Ciudad Bolivar. Local television reports say the victims came from the Netherlands Italy Hungary the US Austria & six from Venezuela including three crew. Rutuca pilot Victor Arauja said it was not known why flight-224 came down.

24th January 2001

LIDDELL MOVE SET TO SPARK WAR OF WORDS

New Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell is starting work at Dover House today ` a move which is set to spark a fresh war of words with the Scottish Nationalists Leader John Swinney has warned her move in the post-Mandelson mini reshuffle will lead to a continued "turf war" between London & Edinburgh. Peter Mandelson's Northern Ireland job was taken by ex-Scottish Secretary Dr John Reid ` who also starts work today. His deputy Brian Wilson has moved to the Foreign Office.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

MINI-RESHUFFLE AFTER MANDELSON RESIGNS

Energy minister Helen Liddell is taking up her new duties as Scottish Secretary after her predecessor John Reid was appointed to the N Ireland office. Foreign Office minister Peter Hain is to replace Ms Liddell at the Department of Trade & Industry. Mr Hain will be replaced by Scottish Office minister Brian Wilson. A replacement for Mr Wilson will be announced later today Downing Street has said.

24th January 2001

GERMANY QUESTIONS US "STAR WARS" PLANS

US plans for a National Missile Defence system which have drawn protests from Russia & China have now been publicly questioned by Germany. Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping told a German newspaper that it was "completely unclear" how much NMD would cost or how effective it would be. Mr Scharping said the US should consult the EU more on defence & take account of Russian anti-missile proposals. Russia opposes NMD as it goes against a 1972 treaty on limiting such systems.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

GERMAN FARMERS IN BSE SLAUGHTER PROTEST

The German authorities are continuing the first large-scale slaughter of an entire herd of cattle in spite of protests from farmers. Farmers in Mucheln in eastern Germany scuffled with police & shouted "Murderers" as lorries continued the removal of more than 1 000 cattle. The move follows the confirmation of a case of BSE in the herd. Since the first case was found in Germany last November 24 cases of mad cow disease have been confirmed.

24th January 2001

HEAVY SWELL DELAYS BID TO FLOAT TANKER

Heavy seas are delaying attempts to refloat the stricken oil tanker off the Galapagos islands. Ecuadorean navy divers working to attach cables to the tanker to refloat it will not now try to tow it away until Friday. About 1m litres of oil & diesel fuel have spilled into the sea. The Ecuadorean government has begun legal proceedings against the captain crew & owners of the tanker.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

WHITEHALL SECRECY UNNECESSARY ` REPORT

Government departments have been criticised for unnecessary secrecy in a report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman Michael Buckley. Information was wrongly withheld six times between April & December his report on eight MPs' complaints said. Some departments did not realise they should follow a Code of Practice when dealing with information requests. There could be "no excuse" as the code had existed for seven years he said.

24th January 2001

BANK ROBBERY FOILED BY THREE PASSERS-BY

Three people walking past a London bank foiled a raid by jumping on an armed robber & seizing his gun. The would-be robber tried to hold up a Securicor guard at Barclays Bank in Regent Street last night police said. The guard struggled with him & three passers-by came to his aid. They disarmed the gunman & held him until police came. A 22-year-old man from Lambeth south London is being questioned by police.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

What People were saying on

"When you're in love you lose your reason. Marriages would work much better if you didn't love one another."

Four-times married comic Jim Davidson.

"Why not stop feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square & start feeding them in say the middle of Hyde Park? They wouldn't even have to fly there. Publicity-mad politicians could lead a procession of simpleton volunteers carrying the wretched creatures on their heads & shoulders."

Anthony Cook of London in a letter to The Times.

24th January 2001

CHIN

Ahas dismissed US concerns over its treatment of the Falun Gong spiritual movement saying further criticism could damage relations. Despairing Falun Gong members are said to have tried to kill themselves on Beijing's Tiananmen Square this week. INDIA President KR Narayanan has said that the conflict in Kashmir will be solved by a policy of tolerance & determination against "terrorism". He predicted that India would "triumph in the end" in Kashmir which has been divided with Pakistan since 1947.

25th January 2001

FISCHER REPEATS EU INTEGRATION CALL

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has repeated his call for deeper European integration during a speech to a London audience. But he made no mention of the ideas he put forward last year of a European government with an elected president. And he said integration would not mean abolition of the nation state. Mr Fischer was speaking after receiving an award from the British-German Forum for his contribution to the Euro debate

25th January 2001

What People were saying on

"I never carry cash. If I need some I borrow it from the chauffeur."

Film director Michael Winner.

"I used to be obsessive about the gym but these days I don't do any exercise at all. A good old bonk is all you need to burn off your calories."

Actress Lucy Benjamin who plays downtrodden Lisa Shaw in EastEnders.

"There is no law against shaking the President's hand."

Police spokesman Lieutenant Dan Nichols after a mystery man breached security & greeted George W Bush after his inauguration.