Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year To All Our Readers & Advertisers Vol. 29 No. 9 December 2011 Iconic DJ Jimmy REACHING the end of the Earth Savile Dies At 84 Hugh Grant: has become almost routine these British Woman Attempts days: One hundred years after By David Stringer Norway’s Roald Amundsen beat Non-Murdoch Britain’s RF Scott to the South Pole, VETERAN broadcaster Jimmy Savile, Historic Antarctic Crossing more than 30 teams are trying for Britain’s famously eccentric culture figure, it this year. died at his home in northern England last Newspaper Some will kite-sail over the vast month. He was 84. Antarctic ice and snow. Others will Savile, known for his garish tracksuits, drive in from the coast. A wealthy chunky gold jewelry and boundless enthu- Hacked Me handful will be dropped off one siasm for pop music and charity work, was degree north of the South Pole, for Continued on page 4 relatively leisurely guided treks of In 2007 about 70 miles to the pole. By Jill Lawless But Felicity Aston has been there, done that. Weather and her own THE HEADLINES ACTOR Hugh Grant said last month that considerable stamina permitting, he believes his phone was hacked by the 33-year-old British adventurer R Tabak Convicted Of Britain’s Mail on Sunday tabloid – the Continued on page 8 Murdering Joanna Yates first time he has implicated a newspaper A JURY has convicted a Dutch engineer not owned by Rupert Murdoch in the with a penchant for violent pornography wrongdoing. of murdering his next-door neighbor, Grant, star of Four Weddings and a a landscape architect whose death Funeral and other movies, told an inquiry sparked a media frenzy. into media ethics that a 2007 story about Vincent Tabak strangled 25-year-old his romantic life could only have been Joanna Yeates in her apartment in Bris- obtained through eavesdropping on his tol, southwest England, in December. voice mails. Yeates’ disappearance, and the dis- He said he could not think of any other covery of her frozen body on Christmas way the newspaper could have obtained Day was heavily covered in the British the story alleging that his romance with media. Jemima Khan was on the rocks because of Tabak, 33, admitted manslaughter his conversations with a “plummy voiced” but denied murder, saying he had not woman the paper identified as a film studio meant to kill Yeates. executive. The jury at Bristol Crown Court con- Grant said there was no such woman, victed him of murder by a 10-2 vote. but he did receive voice messages from Wales Football Manager Gary Speed Found Dead A judge sentenced Tabak to a mini- the assistant of a producer friend. mum 20 years in jail, saying he had “She would leave charming, joking GARY SPEED, Last year, the Queen gave Speed the consistency in a 20-year playing career – as committed “a dreadful, evil act on a messages ... and she had a voice that can who took over Member of the British Empire award in well as a knack for goals – Speed started vulnerable young woman.” only be described as plummy,” he said. as Wales foot- her annual Birthday Honors list for his out with Leeds and won the English league LIBEL ball coach just services to football. championship with the club in 1992. Grant sued the newspaper for libel 11 months ago TRAGIC Moving on to Everton and then Newcas- R Military Readied Ahead Of and won. after playing for “Just cannot believe the news regarding tle, Speed became the first player to play Unison Strike Challenged as to whether he was his country a re- Gary Speed. We waved at each other a in 500 Premier League games and held SECURITY of Britain’s borders was to speculating about the source of the story, cord 85 times, couple of days ago dropping our kids off the record with 535 until it was surpassed be maintained during a planned public Grant acknowledged that he didn’t have has died. He was at school. I’m numb,” Manchester United by goalkeeper David James in 2009. Ryan sector workers stage a mass walkout any hard proof. 42. striker Michael Owen wrote on Twitter. Giggs has also since passed the mark. November 30. “Speculation? OK But ... I’d love to hear The Football “He has died aged 42. So sad. He lived Speed scored in every topflight season Meanwhile, Labour MP John Mc- what the Daily Mail or the Sunday Mail’s Association local to me and we knew his family. He in which he played until dropping out of Donnell said a complete shutdown of explanation of what that source was if it of Wales an- leaves behind two sons. Tragic.” the Premier League in 2008 when he joined Heathrow airport would be the best wasn’t phone hacking.” nounced Speed’s death without giving the Admired for his dedication, fitness and Continued on page 8 move on safety grounds. Prime Minister David Cameron set up cause. Though it was understood he was Military personnel were asked to the inquiry into media ethics in the wake found hanged in his home. Local police prepare to man Britain’s borders when of a still-evolving scandal over phone said there were no suspicious circum- public sector workers stage the mass hacking in Britain. Murdoch shut down the stances surrounding Speed’s death. Olympic walkout. The move came as Heathrow discredited News of the World tabloid in “We extend our sympathies and con- Airport bosses warned the strike could July after evidence emerged that it had rou- dolences to the family,” the FAW said cause “gridlock” as passengers are tinely eavesdropped on the voice mails of in a statement. “We ask that everyone Torch To Visit forced to remain on planes as queues public figures, celebrities and even crime respects the family’s privacy at this very build inside terminals. victims in its search for scoops. sad time.” Civil servants were also approached Grant is one of a string of high-profile Speed, whose 85 caps is a Welsh record All Corners to help out, with up to 18,000 immigra- witnesses, including actress Sienna Miller for an outfield player, had only become tion officials expected to take part in and author JK Rowling, who will testify Wales coach in December in a move that the walkout. about how they were followed, photo- had long been predicted by former team- Of Britain QUEUE graphed, entrapped and harassed by tabloid mates and commentators. Only goalkeeper Passengers travelling through Heath- Neville Southall, with 92 appearances, row were told they may have to queue Continued on page 8 played more games for Wales. for up to 12 hours during the strike. Chief operating officer at Heathrow, Normand Boivin said BAA had “reluc- Great Gift Ideas! Fireworks Smoke tantly concluded” that the UK Border UNION JACK Agency would be unable to provide Linked To Crash a contingency plan to support normal SUBSCRIPTION operations. 12 issues all That Killed Seven The TUC said the Government’s year long! POLICE say smoke from a fireworks dis- THE OLYMPIC Torch will visit some of said Eamon Nugent, who works at a hotel estimate that the strike could cost the play may be linked to the 34-car pile-up on Britain’s best-known tourist spots. There’s on the outskirts of Bready. The torch con- UK £500m in lost revenue was “fantasy a major motorway that killed seven people a stop at prehistoric Stonehenge, a ride voy will certainty be a big spectacle there economics”. £sd and injured 51. across Loch Ness, and a trip up to the sum- – the village is so small it takes just around Unison general secretary Dave COIN SETS Assistant Chief Constable Anthony mit of Mount Snowdon in Wales. 15 minutes to walk around it, he added. Prentis told The Guardian: “We have a Bangham says witnesses had reported But the aim of the 70-day torch relay OPPORTUNITIES million female members, and it is their $29.95 dense smoke that made driving almost ahead of the 2012 London Games is really decision – they wanted to take this ac- impossible at the scene of last month’s down to earth – to bring the flame close to There will, of course, be plenty of photo tion. The right-wing press brand this as English-American Dictionary collision on the M5 in southwestern ordinary Britons and their homes, organiz- opportunities. Starting on May 19, 2012 an old-fashioned trade union dispute, “DIVIDED BY A COMMON England. ers said last month. at Land’s End, a wind-swept corner in linking it to strikes in the past. But this Cornwall, southwestern England, the torch LANGUAGE” - $14.95 He said police are now investigating a “The main target is to get to as many is different. People who provide our fireworks show that took place around the people as we possibly could,” said Sebas- will go pass lighthouses, ancient castles local government services, our health time of the fatal crash. The fireworks dis- tian Coe, chairman of the London organiz- and historic sites like Hadrian’s Wall. It services, people who care for us, are Yorkshire Passport play was one of many organized over that ing committee, as he announced the full will be carried in a steamer across Lake saying they can’t take it any more. weekend to mark Guy Fawkes Day. route of the relay. Windermere in the Lake District, on a row And 75 percent of these workers are - $9.50 It took police a few days before all roads That means devising a route that cov- boat on the Thames, and on horseback and women.