The trials of Cherie...

THE Prime Minister's wife was widely condemned for pocketing around 30,000 pounds to deliver a 90-minute lecture on her life as the 'First Lady of Downing Street' in Washington last week.

Downing Street has declined to comment on a report that she has been asked to suspend her commercial activities while the current rules are 'clarified'.

The Official Committee on Standards in Public Life is considering whether to investigate Mrs. Blair's money-making activities. The Economist, in an article headed 'Cherie on the make', warns "any sensible prime ministerial consort would take care not to behave in a way that turned the electorate against their spouse."

She is facing further controversy over her programme of talks in Malaysia next month.

The Opposition politicians in Malaysia called on her to pull out of a law lecture that she is scheduled to give unless she used the occasion to attack that country's human rights record.

Lim Kit Siang, the Leader of Malaysia's opposition, told the BBC that as a well-known civil liberties lawyer, Mrs. Blair should use the lecture to confront its restrictive laws on freedom of expression, the beating of prisoners and the jailing of Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister, on charges of sodomy that were later overturned.

- The Independent

New religious hate laws unveiled

Inciting religious hatred is to be made a criminal offence. The Government had to give up its first attempt to bring in laws against religious hatred in 2002 because of fierce opposition in the House of Lords. A second effort was abandoned when time ran out before the general election.

But as it launched a fresh attempt to drive the law into the statute book, the Government said that the law would carry a wide-ranging definition of religion. Officials confirmed it could include Satanists, pagans and religious sects.

The Government claims that Muslims of all races need equal protection with Jews and Sikhs, who are already covered by race laws.

"But if Labour were advocating equality between all religions, they would repeal the blasphemy laws that only cover Christians, remove bishops from the (House) of Lords and abolish religious State schools... these privileges for Christianity cause great resentment among other faiths..." writes Polly Toynbee, in the Guardian.

Only one or two prosecutions a year are expected under the law, which will carry a maximum jail sentence of seven years, but ministers argue that it will send out a powerful message that inciting racial hatred will not be tolerated.

The Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said that the new criminal offence would be very tightly drawn and would not outlaw comedians' jokes, criticism of religion or provocative commentary on religion.

"People will say offensive things, people will put on offensive plays and there will be literature that causes offence. But the test is: 'Does this incite hatred in another person?"

The author Salman Rushdie has complained that the measure would 'sacrifice freedom of speech in order to placate Muslim voters'.

The proposed legislation has the backing of the Muslim Council of Britain and police chiefs.

- The Times

Healing doctors

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for action over alcohol and drug abuse among medics after a BBC survey showed the problem was more widespread than previously thought.

The biggest figure was from the University of Leicester NHS Trust where 17 clinical staff, including one consultant, four nurses and two operating theatre practitioners were disciplined over the past decade.

The BMA estimates one in fifteen doctors will, at some point in their lifetime have some kind of problem with alcohol or drugs ranging from misuse up to dependence that may affect their care of patients.

Their Ethics Committee Chairman, Michael Wilks said the profession was in denial and needed help to tackle the problem.

Doctors are known to be at least three times as likely to have cirrhosis of the liver - a sign of alcohol damage - than the rest of the population.

Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, said: "Doctors respond extremely well to treatment when they have the appropriate services available to them. Research has shown that the vast majority of doctors will make a full recovery."

- BBC News

What a relief!

A historic deal to write off the debts of the world's poorest 30 countries totalling a potential 30 billion pounds was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown.

The agreement struck by the G8 in London will see debts owed to the West by nations, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, written off and the money diverted to health, education and other improvements, according to the Chancellor.

He said: "This is not a time for timidity but a time for boldness." Britain's contributions will cost the taxpayer about 53 million pounds a year.

Meanwhile, Bob Geldof's global concert Live 8 which will be held in London's Hyde Park on July 2, will also be shown on big screens in seven cities across the UK.

Philadelphia, Paris, Rome and Berlin, too will have concerts to highlight the ongoing problems of global poverty and debt.

Madonna, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Elton John, Will Smith, Stevie Wonder and a host of other top performers will be performed on the show. Geldof said that there is a strong possibility that the Spice Girls would re-form for the concert.

- The Times