The Wardman Wire

Here is today’s roundup of stories.

Comment

NYT (NYT)- It is Super Bowl Ad Time
Many commercials that appeared during Super Bowl XLII took a satiric tack, spoofing movies, television shows, video clips, celebrity misbehavior and more.

Phlip Johnston (Telegraph) - Labour has turned police into pen-pushers
The mobile reassurance unit that most people want is a bobby on the beat; and yet despite 40,000 more police officers than there were in 1970, they see fewer of them than ever.

News

BBC (BBC) - Brown unaware of bugging letter
Downing Street says it has no evidence that the PM received a letter from the Conservative Party warning that an MP’s conversations may have been bugged. Mr Ahmad faces no charges in the UK but is awaiting a decision from the European courts to discover if he will be extradited to the US, on suspicion of running websites raising funds for the Taleban.

Patrick Barkham (Guardian) - Hackers declare war on Scientologists
Actor’s video clip forced off YouTube, say activists
Church hit by sabotage of website and day of protest

Mike Pflanz (Telegraph) - Refugee aid threatened amid Chad fighting
One of Africa’s biggest aid operations, which is keeping 370,000 refugees alive, was in jeopardy when Chad’s capital was engulfed in fighting”

Times (Times Online) - Day trip to Auschwitz for pupils from every school
Two sixth-formers from every school in England are to visit Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust.

Greg Hurst (Times Online)

- No 10 denies receiving Tory letter of warning about MP being bugged

Gordon Brown was drawn into a dispute yesterday over a claim that police secretly bugged one of his MPs during meetings with a man suspected of links to terror groups.

Obituary

Economist (Economist)

- Suharto, a former dictator of Indonesia, died on January 27th, aged 86
Only $16 billion of the total, more or less, was his personal fortune. The rest had been selflessly distributed to his wife, six children, half-brother and grandsons in the form of licences and monopolies, usually handed out for nothing.

Scotland

BBC (BBC)

- Cod stock protection deal agreed

Ministers have reached agreement with fishermen in Scotland on an initiative aimed at preserving cod stocks.

BBC (BBC) - Salmond voices bank note concerns
First Minister Alex Salmond has voiced fears Scottish banks may stop issuing their own notes if financial measures proposed by the chancellor go ahead. Mr Salmond said the proposals were a dagger at the heart of Scottish bank notes.

Wales

BBC (BBC)

- Skipper Jones hails Wales belief
Wales captain Ryan Jones described his team’s stunning win over England as the greatest day of his career.

Blogs

Norfolk Blogger (Norfolk Blogger)

- Godwins Law - Tory MEP loses the argument
As a Euro sceptic myself I would prefer to see peopel argue where Europe is wrong from a positive angle using and sensible language which does not rely on the popularism in some quarters of xenophobia.

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