The Wardman Wire

Here is todays roundup of stories.

You may notice a couple of stories missing from the audio. The reason is that I need a very streamlined process to make this sustainable, so “don’t go back and re-record” is a House Rule.

News

BBC (BBC)

- Abuse and honour crime probed

A public consultation into domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour crimes is to be launched by MPs.

The six-week online inquiry by the Home Affairs Select Committee hopes to gain testimony from survivors of all forms of physical and psychological abuse.
Responses will help the committee formulate recommendations to ministers on how to tackle the issues.

Labour MP Keith Vaz said the voices of victims of forced marriage and honour crimes were not often enough heard.

Mr Vaz, chairman of the committee, said domestic violence - whether by a relative, spouse or partner - constituted about 15% of all violent crime and killed two women every week in England and Wales.

Daily Mail (Daily Mail) - Solo sailor who broke his pelvis sends mayday to his village pub

In agonising pain, and apparently unable to reach his emergency radio, he used his satellite phone to make a life-saving call - to his local pub in West Sussex.

Christopher Hope (Daily Telegraph)- One hundred Labour MPs rebel over police pay

The Home Secretary is facing a backbench rebellion over the police pay row with more than 100 Labour MPs calling on her to back down.

Clare Dyer, legal editor (Guardian Unlimited)- Police to use text message tactics to snare rape suspects

The tactic, used by investigators in the United States, involves women sending texts or making calls to their alleged attackers to see if they can extract an admission of guilt.

Lucy Bannerman (Times Online)- We are women, hear us roar

How the women of Liberia, from the president down, are rebuilding a nation ravaged by a decade of civil war

Michael Evans, Defence Editor (Times Online)- Iraq war has been terrible, admits minister

The invasion of Iraq and the occupation of the country by US led multinational forces had been a terrible episode for everybody, a Foreign Office minister admitted yesterday.

Alexandra Frean, Education Editor (Times Online)- White bread for young minds, says professor

Google is white bread for the mind, and the internet is producing a generation of students who survive on a diet of unreliable information, a professor of media studies will claim this week.

SHARON LAFRANIERE (NYT) - Europe Takes Africa’s Fish, and Migrants Follow

KAYAR, Senegal — Ale Nodye, the son and grandson of fishermen in this northern Senegalese village, said that for the past six years he netted barely enough fish to buy fuel for his boat. So he jumped at the chance for a new beginning. He volunteered to captain a wooden canoe full of 87 Africans to the Canary Islands in the hopes of making their way illegally to Europe.

MICHAEL BARBARO and LOUIS UCHITELLE (NYT)- Americans Cut Back Sharply on Spending

There are mounting anecdotal signs that beginning in December Americans cut back significantly on personal consumption, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy.

Henny Sender and Ben White (FT) - Kuwait set to invest as Merrill seeks $4bn

Merrill Lynch is seeking about $4bn in a second capital raising, as the hole in the US investment bank’s balance sheet continues to grow.

The Kuwait Investment Authority is expected to be a significant investor in the new deal, which could be announced as soon as midweek, according to people familiar with the matter. Other investors could come from Europe.

Comment

Mary Warnock (Guardian Unlimited)

- Parliament must retain moral authority over science

Pioneering research is safest when left to the judgment of our fractious MPs and Lords

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