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UP-TO-DATE REMINDERS UUNIONNION JJACKACK SSHOPHOP WWINDOWINDOW internetinternet- MONEY-SAVING BRIT-LINKSLINKS SeeSee PagePage 1717 $ fforor OONENE YYEAREAR PPAGEAGE TIPS • FREEBIES • FUNNIES ••£sd£sd CCoinoin SSetsets ••YorkshireYorkshire PPassportsassports oror GOGO TOTO 35 CLASSADSCLASSADS via Email: Just type ‘SENDBLAB’ ••English/US/EnglishEnglish/US/English DDictionaryictionary SSeeee ppageage 3 1155 and send to [email protected] www.ujnews.comwww.ujnews.com Vol. 27 No. 11 February 2010 Britain on course for its THE HEADLINES BBritainritain coldest winter in 30 years Brits Overlooked At By Jane Wardell Globe Awards CCountsounts BRITAIN is beginning to count the economic cost of its longest cold snap in 30 years as CCostost OOff vegetable crops are spoiled, workers remain trapped at home and shoppers stay away BBigig from the traditional January sales. With temperatures hovering PRICES just above freezing in most of the country during December “There is concern that farm- FFreezereeze and into January, the Federa- ers have not been able to bring tion of Small Businesses esti- the harvest in for such items as mated that the fi nal bill for the potatoes, sprouts and cabbages, Ricky Gervais hosting and stretch of bad weather could which reduces the amount avail- hoisting a pint at the 67th top £13bn. able to stores – and pushes up prices,” he added. Annual Golden Globe Awards PANIC In Ireland, a major vegetable last month. © HFPA There were also reports of exporter to Britain, the big See Page 11 for full story panic buying of grocery staples freeze had already destroyed and warnings of higher food £13.5m worth of potatoes and UK Raises Its Terror prices because of blighted har- other produce, according to vests and delayed deliveries, the Irish Farmers’ Association, Threat Level To ‘Severe’ despite reassurances from ma- which estimates at least 75 BRITAIN raised its terror threat jor retailers of adequate stock percent of crops will be lost to alert to the second-highest level last levels. frost damage. month, one of several recent moves Some smaller supermarkets With roads still icy and train the country has made to increase vigi- reported running out of essen- services still running under lance against international terrorists tials, including bread, milk and capacity in Britain, the bad after the Christmas Day bombing salt. Brisk sales were reported weather was also keeping shop- attempt on a Europe-US fl ight. for goods such as soup, por- pers away from the traditional The threat level was raised from ridge, stewing meat and salt January sales. “substantial” – where it had stood – used to grit icy pavements The number of shoppers since July to indicate a strong pos- and roads. entering stores in early January, sibility of a terrorist attack – to “Our members have had a when blizzards swept across “severe,” meaning such an attack is run on vegetables and food,” many parts of the country, was considered highly likely. said Stephen Alambritis, chief down 30 percent on last year, In making the announcement, spokesman for the Federation according to market research Home Secretary Alan Johnson said of Small Businesses. “The re- fi rm Synovate. the raised security level means that placements have been thin on Some areas of the country Britain is heightening its vigilance. Photo: NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response the ground.” Continued on page 6 But he stressed that there was no intelligence suggesting an attack is imminent. Tony Blair’s “The highest security alert is Prince William Attracts NZ Crowd ‘critical,’ and that means an attack PRINCE WILLIAM showed that Britain’s Communications Continued on page 6 monarchy still has pulling power in New Zealand when he was greeted by crowds eight-deep last month as he arrived to open Chief Testifies UK Bans Controversial the country’s new Supreme Court building Islamist Group in the capital, Wellington. On Saddam “We love you William” a young woman FORMER Prime Min- By Raphael G Satter called as the second in line to the British ister Tony’s Blair’s THE GOVERN- throne was draped in a traditional chiefl y communications chief MENT banned Maori cloak before facing bare-chested denied last month that an Islamist group warriors – in a traditional challenge to a special dossier was whose proposed visitors. Chiefs of the local Te Atiawa tailored to exagger- protest march ate Saddam Hussein’s through a town Alastair military strength, tes- known for honor- BBRINGRING NNEWEW Campbell tifying before a Brit- ing British soldiers ish inquiry that no one killed in Afghani- ordered him to make the case for the stan drew national Anjem CCUSTOMERSUSTOMERS TTOO 2003 war. outrage. Choudary, Bakri Alastair Campbell is facing questions The group, Islam4UK, were about whether he “sexed up” the infamous banned beginning last month, said YYOUROUR BBUSINESS!USINESS! intelligence dossier that outlined Britain’s Home Secretary Alan Johnson. The Britain’s Prince William, right, shares a traditional “hongi” greeting with rationale for war with Iraq – making move will allow authorities to arrest AAdvertisedvertise iinn tthehe nnextext Maori elder Sam Jackson upon his arrival to officially open New Zealand’s Saddam Hussein’s weapons arsenal seem people who meet in the group’s name Supreme Court, in Wellington, New Zealand. more dangerous than it was. and seize its assets. iissuessue ooff tthehe UUnionnion JJack!ack! tribe greeted him with a traditional press- for two hours to shake the prince’s hand Campbell, who was Blair’s chief com- Islam4UK reacted with outrage. ing of noses ahead of a ceremony to open and chat briefly with the young royal, munications strategist from Blair’s start in Omar Bakri Mohamed, a Lebanon- the building. the eldest son of the late Princess Diana, 1997 until August 2003, said he was pres- based cleric who serves as the group’s Protesters who want to abolish the to a background barrage of chanting, ent at many key meetings, but did not shape spiritual leader, claimed that the ban CCall:all: British monarch’s role as New Zealand’s whistle-blowing and loud banging from the policy that dictated the outcome. could push some of his members to symbolic head of state and Justice Depart- protesters. “At no point did anyone from (prime violence. 11-800-262-7305-800-262-7305 ment employees demanding higher wages In his speech opening the building, the minister) or anyone on down say to the The government’s decision comes staged noisy street protests but Prince prince noted the dire emergency in Haiti intelligence services, look, you have to after Islam4UK drew national out- William was unfazed, later shaking hands following last month’s deadly earthquake, tailor this case,” he told the panel. Continued on page 6 fforor RatesRates andand with some of the protesters during a public noting “how much the people of Haiti are He said Britain’s intelligence chiefs walkabout to meet wellwishers. in our thoughts and prayers at this terrible were content with the dossier and that the IInformationnformation The 27-year-old prince was acting as time.” facts were not overstated. representative of his grandmother, Queen The South Pacifi c country’s Supreme INVESTIGATION £1 = $1.62 oorr email:email: Elizabeth II, in opening the court and Court was established in 2004, ending a Campbell was among the fi rst major performing a string of other duties during period of nearly 150 years when its fi nal fi gures from Blair’s inner circle to give [email protected]@ujnews.com his three-day visit. appellate court was Britain’s Privy Coun- his version of events to the Iraq Inquiry, uro = $1.40 Excited royal watchers stood in hot sun cil, based in London. Continued on page 6 at press time Page 2 ujnews.com February 2010 in the past month . UK Christmas Sales Strong Scottish Post Office Gets an early morning phone call from the police A spokeswoman for the Met said that the As Grocers Gain Kudos For Delivery Of Badly- demanded they take the photos to the local ‘paperwork home’ set up on one desk by SHOPPERS in Britain shrugged off the Addressed Letter TODAY’S police station with an explanation. But Helen mice consisted of ‘paperwork that did not worst recession in a generation and braved White, 41, holidaying with her two children relate to operational police matters’. THE SCOTTISH post office showed their and her brother Stephen, refused to interrupt “Some of the desks were so messy it a snowy cold snap to go on their biggest mettle when they delivered a Christmas pre-Christmas spending spree in four years, their scheduled leisure time and refused. was a wonder anyone could find anything,” card with an incredibly obscure address. BRITAIN Police arrived at the campsite the following said one officer. the British Retail Consortium reported last Addressed “to Mr Bill and Mrs Evelyn (sorry month. BY LARRY GARDNER day, where Stephen explained he had taken “It got to the stage where mice drop- don’t know their surnames) little house op- some photos of various locomotives. He is pings were found on desks and that’s when The group said that December sales were posite Heylipol Church.” It ended up at the better than retailers had “dared hope for,” an enthusiastic train-spotter, but refused to everyone thought ‘it’s time to do something Glasgow Mail Centre, where investigators way. A police spokesman said it was their hand over the film and camera. When they about our desks’. but warned that renewed concerns about began tracing its destination. A search for the tax rises and job losses likely meant that the only option, and a tranquilizer dart takes five drove home the following day, a galaxy of “That’s when one guy found a mouse Heylipol Church revealed it was on the island to six minutes to take affect, in which time, flashing lights emerged on the highway and nest in his paperwork.