The week in 60 seconds
This week saw the death of the 100th UK soldier in Iraq, two years and 244 days after the conflict was declared over. Despite this dubious milestone, media attention was somewhat distracted from the theatre of war, as a junior officer in the Home Counties made a minor decision about his future career.
Perhaps Prince Harry found time while considering his decision to join the Household Cavalry to note McDonalds’ policy of allowing family members to share jobs, trying to create a flexible work force and reduce absenteeism. Efficiency was also on the menu for scientists behind the latest report on climate change, which revealed the damage caused by greenhouse emissions as greater than previously thought.
Warnings that rising global temperatures may cause the Greenland ice sheet to melt, potentially increasing sea levels by a worrying seven metres, rendered the discovery of a new ‘earth-like’ planet outside the solar system momentarily more interesting for those prone to panic.
The person making the ‘earth-like’ claims however, clearly had more imagination than their colleague at the planet-naming department, after it emerged that the newly discovered astral body had been given the catchy moniker OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb. The revelation that the planet’s temperature averages out at a less than impressive -220 degrees, significantly reduced its potential as back-up housing for humanity.
Closer to home, the Liberal Democrat leadership contenders continued their collective master-class in how to simultaneously lose an election and entertain the nation, Simon Hughes the latest to grace the cover of a red-top.
In the Middle East, Hamas showed them how it should be done, winning a dramatic and unexpected victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, whilst a slightly less militant campaign saw Paris Hilton look-a-like Chantelle Houghton triumph over irony, and Michael Barrymore, to win Celebrity Big Brother. Another unexpected victory came for opponents to the government’s religious hatred bill, less because of erimitism than Hilary Armstrong’s bad maths.
2nd Feb 2006