2008 - In Pictures

The BBC have put together a great selection of photos from the year 2008, click here to check them out.

To be kept up to date with latest Israel and Gaza conflict click here.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Regular blogging will resume after New Year.

Another High Street Store Falls Into Administration

Zavvi, the high street retailer formed after a management buy out of the Virgin Megastore division of the Virgin Group in September 2007, has been placed into the hands of Ernst and Young for administration.

Since the UK's largest distributor of Entertainment products; EUK part of the Woolworth's organisation, went into administration, the impact of problems at EUK on the Zavvi group has been significant.

An Ernst and Young administrator said "Minimal deliveries, no returns and worse trading terms are just some of the areas impacted, at Zavvi".

This comes after the collapse of Woolworths, which is expected to close all stores by the 5th of January after a buyer failed to be found.

Zavvi who stopped online trading via its website late last month, has failed to keep its head above water, after Woolworth's (Entertainment UK) its main supplier for DVD's, Games and CD's could no longer fulfill its obligation to supply Zavvi.

Zavvi and Woolworths however are not the only high street names facing a rough 2009, Whittards the coffee and tea specialists and the mens clothing store; The Officer's Club also have had to be placed into administration or by bought out.

2009

2009 is going to be a very tough year for may high street names, as well as online retailers.

2008 was not a good year for the banks in the UK or the US, 2009 sets to be a very bad year for those more familiar names like Zavvi and other high street brand names.

By the time 2010 comes only those businesses strong enough to survive a recession will be left standing.

This could impact the traditional look of your local high street. Already in America once busy malls are now left deserted, empty shells of a spend and borrow culture that is to blame for the mess we are in now.

The sales we are used to seeing on the high street after Christmas, have already commenced in many cities around the UK, with retailers trying to get the public to part with what little precious money they have left.

Even though these sales have attracted large numbers of buyers, surely by the time January comes round many people will not have any money left to spend in the more traditional time of the January sales on the high street.

No one can be certain what 2009 will bring in terms of this financial crisis, but those like Robert Peston the BBC's Business editor, who has brought us much of the reporting we have seen on the BBC concerning the financial crisis throughout this year, also predicts a bleak financial outlook for 2009.

Zimbabwe, Why Won't Anyone Help??

Thousands of Zimbabweans, continue to die every day from starvation and disease, and yet no one seems to care enough to do anything about it.

Many have raised the question, why America has not intervened and many more have suggested that if Zimbabwe was like the Middle East in terms of its natural resources such as oil, America would not hesitate to intervene in the crumbling nation.

The photograph of a boy eating the skin of a cow to survive in yesterday's papers struck a chord with many people around the globe, it is sad that it has taken an extreme situation like this to get the world's attention.

Disease

Many thousands of people are dying everyday in Zimbabwe, not just from the most recent outbreak of cholera but also from HIV and Aids. Most people in normal health can survive cholera if the disease is treated without delay. But for people living with HIV and aids, cholera is exceptionally dangerous.

Oraganisations such as Action Aid, have focused there efforts on these communities of HIV and aids sufferers around Zimbabwe's capital Harare. They have been spreading simple messages about safe water, hand washing, food preparation, toilets and what to do when someone shows symptoms of cholera.

This is not enough, where is the international support from the West? Where is the British and American response, and how many more people have to die before someone intervenes? These are the questions many people around the world are asking themselves. The answer: only those in power know.

Starvation

Most Zimbabweans are currently having just one meal a day, this includes those under the age of 10. Because of the poor response to the current crisis by international communities, the World Food Program is planning to halve rations at a time when they should be increased.

According to reports in the papers families who cannot get hold of grain, have also resorted to eating poisonous plants, while others have died after eating wild fruits. Grandmother of seven Ellinah, 66 said

"Since the summer, we've had no harvest. We had nothing to eat but the unthinkable, whatever we can get our hands on these days, that goes down. Our ancestors used to keep the skin of their beasts, in case of drought or famine. We just didn't know what else we could eat anymore."

The International Community (if there is one?)

With America and the Britain spending over $600 billion combined, in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan thats costing around $1500 per person in the US, no wonder then that there is no money for a desperate cause like Zimbabwe.

Many argue that Zimbabwe, is Africa's problem and that Africa should deal with it internally. After a report in the Daily Telegraph today, suggesting that Africa does not have the courage to invade Zimbabwe, the plight for the Zimbabwe people does not look promising.

According to the article, Condoleezza Rice [the US Secretary of State] had suggested that African leaders are not prepared to topple President Mugabe and bring about regime change. She said

"How could African leaders ever topple Robert Mugabe, organise an army to come? It is not that easy. I do not know of any African country that is brave enough to do that."

What Now?

In my opinion I believe that the only way to help Zimbabwe is by us, the general public putting pressure on our government's to stop the starvation and dire situation that is happening throughout Zimbabwe.

We are at the end of the day all equal, maybe the great powers in Europe and the US have lost their human compassion through the messy wars in the Middle East, but surely the majority of people around the world haven't!

Zimbabwe needs urgent help, and yet there is still no answer as to where this help will come from.

Links

• Read more about the Zimbabwean conflict here
• Visit Action Aid to see if you can help.
• Visit the World Food Program to realise how little they're doing!
• Email or write to the Prime Minister urging him to help Zimbabwe.
• Donate time or money to charities such an Amnesty International, as without these there would be absolutely no help for the Zimbabweans.

Shoe Thrown at US President

According to reports by the BBC, the brother of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at US President George W Bush has said that the reporter has been beaten in custody.

Muntadar al-Zaidi has allegedly suffered a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC.

Mr Zaidi threw his shoes at the US President at a news conference, calling him "a dog".

A spokesperson for the Iraqi military says the journalist is in good health and said the allegations were untrue.

It is unclear whether the reporter may have been injured when he was wrestled to the floor by Bushes team of security personnel at the news conference, or at a later point by Iraqi security forces.

The head of Iraq's journalists' union has asked the government to treat the journalist in a friendly way, who is still in custody.

A spokesman for Iraq's High Judicial Council said that Mr Zaidi, accompanied by defence and prosecution lawyers, had been brought before the investigating judge, Reuters news agency reported.

Abdul Satar Birqadr said Mr Zaidi had been charged with aggression against a president.

"He admits the action he carried out," the news agency quoted Mr Birqadr as saying.

Earlier, Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad he believed his brother had been taken to a US military hospital in the Iraqi capital.

Iraqi Hero?

A second day of rallies in support of Mr Zaidi were held across Iraq, calling for his release.

Meanwhile, offers to buy the shoes he threw are being made around the Arab world, reports say.

An man from Ireland told the BBC's World Have your Say Program, that he has set up a website where people can donate money and the website will in turn send a pair of shoes to the White House! You can listen to the show about the shoe throwing incident here.

Mr Zaidi told the BBC's correspondent that despite offers from many lawyers his brother has not been given access to a legal representative since being arrested by forces under the command of Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser.

The Iraqi authorities have said the 28-year-old will be prosecuted under Iraqi law.

Iraqi lawyers had earlier speculated that the charges could include insulting a foreign leader and the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, who was standing next to President Bush during the incident.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

The BBC's correspondent says that the previously little-known journalist from the private Cairo-based al-Baghdadia TV has become a hero to many, not just in Iraq but across the Arab world, for what many saw as a fitting send-off for a deeply unpopular US president.

As he flung the shoes, Mr Zaidi shouted: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog."

Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC that his brother deliberately bought Iraqi-made shoes, which were dark brown with laces. They were bought from a shop on al-Khyam street, a well-known shopping street in central Baghdad.

However, not everyone in Iraq has been supportive of the journalist's action.

Speaking earlier in Baghdad, Mouyyad al-Lami described Mr Zaidi's action as "strange and unprofessional", but urged Mr Maliki to show compassion.

"Even if he has made a mistake, the government and the judiciary are broad-minded and we hope they consider his release because he has a family and he is still young," he told the Associated Press news agency.

"We hope this case ends before going to court."

Abducted by insurgents

The shoes themselves are said to have attracted bids from around the Arab world.

According to unconfirmed newspaper reports, the former coach of the Iraqi national football team, Adnan Hamad, has offered $100,000 (£65,000) for the shoes, while a Saudi citizen has apparently offered $10m (£6.5m).

The daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Aicha, said her charity would honour the reporter with a medal of courage, saying his action was a "victory for human rights".

The charity called on the media to support Mr Zaidi and put pressure on the Iraqi government to free him.

Mr Zaidi, who lives in Baghdad, has worked for al-Baghdadia for three years.

Muzhir al-Khafaji, programming director for the channel, described him as a "proud Arab and an open-minded man".

He said that Mr Zaidi was a graduate of communications from Baghdad University.

"He has no ties with the former regime. His family was arrested under Saddam's regime," he said.

Mr Zaidi has previously been abducted by insurgents and held twice for questioning by US forces in Iraq.

In November 2007 he was kidnapped by a gang on his way to work in central Baghdad and released three days later without a ransom.

He said at the time that the kidnappers had beaten him until he lost consciousness, and used his necktie to blindfold him.

Mr Zaidi never learned the identity of his kidnappers, who questioned him about his work before letting him go.

Contaminated Irish Pork May Have Reached 25 Nations

Pork from the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland should not be eaten because of fears of contamination, the UK's Food Standards Agency - FSA has said.

The advice follows the recall of pork products after tests on slaughtered Irish pigs showed some pork products contained potentially harmful dioxins.

The FSA stressed consumers are unlikely to be at any "significant risk".

The Irish Republic's chief vet said contaminated pork products may have been exported to up to 25 countries.

The FSA said: "Adverse health effects from eating the affected products are only likely if people are exposed to relatively high levels of this contaminant for long periods."

The source of the problem is suspected to have been contaminated oil.

The plant involved - Millstream Power Recycling Limited, in Co Carlow - said it was working with the Irish government as it investigated how the company's strict health and safety procedures could have possibly been breached.

A spokesman for the company - which recycles food products into pig meal - said the oil which officials were testing had never been added as an ingredient but was used in a machine used to dry animal feed.

Tests on the slaughtered Irish pigs showed some pork products contained up to 200 times more dioxins than the recognised safety limit.

The spokesman said production at the plant, which is owned by a Robert Hogg and employs around 15 people, was stopped earlier this week when it was first linked to the scare.

Consumers and retailers have been warned to destroy all Irish pork and bacon products bought since 1 September as a precaution.

Bacon, ham, sausages, white pudding and pizzas with ham toppings are also included in the withdrawal of stocks.

Restrictions

Food safety expert Professor Hugh Pennington told the BBC the health risk was "very, very low".

He said: "You have to have a lot of these compounds. You have to eat a lot of them, enormous amounts to have any visible effect."

The feed was also delivered to nine farms in Northern Ireland which are now under restrictions.

Graham Furey, the president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, told BBC News he hoped the chemicals were not passed on to any Northern Irish animals.

He said although officials were inspecting "a number of premises" they had not yet found any positive signs of the dioxins in any of the meat from the province.

The British Retail Consortium said supermarkets across England, Scotland and Wales had withdrawn from sale "the very small proportion" of Irish pork they stocked following advice from the FSA.

Waitrose, Lidl and Tesco are among some of the supermarkets which have removed particular products and offered customers refunds.

Supermarket Stocks

Lidl: removed 'own-brand' black pudding and pork belly products

Asda: removed all Irish-sourced pork products

Tesco: removed own-brand pork, bacon and sausages

Waitrose: precautionary removal of Paul Rankin branded sausages

Sainsbury's: no Irish pork used in fresh meat ranges.

Science

A Europe-wide alert over Irish pork has also been made by various authorities on the continent.

Dioxins are formed during combustion processes, such as waste incineration, and during some industrial processes.

History

Suspicions over contamination were first raised on Monday as a result of the routine testing of pigs, which indicated the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - banned in the Irish Republic since the 1970s - in animal feed.

The chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Alan Reilly, said investigations were still under way into how the contamination got in to the animal feed.

He said: "It's more than likely from the types of dioxins that we have that it looks like some kind of industrial oil or industrial contaminant and we're trying to find out where that came from."

He added that culling of animals was likely in order to remove them from the food chain.

The Irish Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith said an investigation involving the Irish police was now under way into how the contaminated feed was given to pigs.

Chronic long-term exposure to dioxins can have serious health effects, including causing cancers, but Irish officials said the recall would ensure consumers only had minimum exposure to it.

Padraig Walshe, president of the Irish Farmers' Association, said it was vital to trace the origins of the contamination.

He called the recall "a huge blow" and said the farmers were being punished despite buying their feed from a "licensed source".

(Sources: BBC, Scotsman, RTI.ie, Guardian)

Russia and India Seal Nuclear Deal

According to Al-Jazeera Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has arrived in New Delhi for talks on joint defence and civil nuclear projects.

The two countries signed an agreement on Friday allowing Russia to build four nuclear reactors in southern India.

Both are expected to approve other defence deals during the Russian leader's three-day visit.

Before arriving in New Delhi, Medvedev said that Russia might also lease nuclear-powered submarines to India as part of a drive to deepen defence ties.

The deal comes after India signed earlier this year a nuclear pact with the US, giving New Delhi access to civilian nuclear fuel and technology on the international market for the first time in three decades.

Overturning a US ban on nuclear trade instituted after India first tested an atomic device in 1974, the US pact provides India with access to nuclear fuel, reactors and technology to generate power for its 1.1bn plus people.

Expanding ties

Medvedev was greeted on Friday by Shivshankar Menon, the Indian foreign secretary, and a junior foreign minister, Anand Sharma, before meeting Manmohan Singh, the prime minister.

Russia, now one of the world's biggest arms exporters, has been expanding diplomatic and trade ties with a number of countries.

Moscow recently conducted joint military exercises with Venezuela, a vocal critic of America.

Medvedev also said Moscow would assist India's investigation into last week's Mumbai attacks that killed at least 171 people. He indicated Russia would also be prepared to help on broader issues connected to "fighting terrorism".

The three-day visit is Medvedev's first official trip to India since he took over as president in May this year.

(Source: Al-Jazeera, Livemint, NY Times)

Settlers Riot in Hebron Stand-Off

Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron have reportedly been involved in further clashes with Israeli security forces and local Palestinians.

Tensions worsened overnight as Israel declared a "closed military area" around a large building occupied by the settlers.

Israeli forces then barred Jews from entering Hebron's Palestinian section.

The violence began two days ago amid rumours that settlers were about to be evicted from the four-storey house.

Jewish supporters have joined the settlers as they refuse to leave the house, in defiance of a court order.

Hundreds of settlers and supporters continue to blockade the building, throwing stones at Palestinians and the police.

Reports say some Palestinians have retaliated by throwing stones at the settlers and that a number of Palestinians and Israelis have been arrested.

Several people are reported to have been injured.

About 600 Jewish settlers live in the mainly Palestinian city, with several thousand more in surrounding settlements.

Ownership of the building, known as the "House of Love", is in dispute.

The Israeli military says Jewish settlers in other parts of the West Bank have also blocked roads and thrown stones at Palestinian cars.

Several hundred hard-line religious settlers live in the centre of Hebron under heavy military guard amid some 150,000 Palestinians.

The settlers say that they bought the house in question in a legal transaction from its Palestinian owner for nearly $1m (£660,000), but he says he pulled out of the deal.

Israel's supreme court ordered the eviction in November but settlers have refused to leave.

They have been involved in several clashes since the order was issued, and have desecrated a mosque and a Muslim cemetery.

History

Hebron is holy to both Jews and Muslims as the site of the cave that Abraham bought as a burial site for his wife Sarah.

All settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

(Sources: BBC, Jerusalem Post, Ha'aretz)

Thai Prime Minister Banned From Politics For Five Years

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has been banned from politics for five years and his party disbanded, plunging the country deeper into chaos and raising fears of a violent backlash by government supporters.

Party members vowed to "move on" and vote for a new prime minister on December 8, setting the stage for another flash point in Thailand's three-year old political crisis.

First deputy prime minister Chavarat Charnvirakul would take over as interim prime minister, a government spokesman said.

Unexpectedly, anti-government protesters who had blockaded Bangkok's two airports for the past week said hours after the Constitutional Court's rulings that they would end all their rallies on Wednesday the 3rd of December.

People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Sondhi Limthongkul told a news conference the protesters would start pulling out of Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports on Wednesday.

The PAD had refused to negotiate until Somchai steps down. They accuse him of being a puppet of his brother-in-law, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

On Monday, the PAD began reinforcing their airport blockades with thousands of supporters moving from Government House, ending a three-month occupation of the prime minister's offices.

The court also disbanded two other parties in Somchai's six-party coalition for vote fraud in the 2007 general election and barred their leaders from politics for five years.

The rulings seemed to raise the risk of clashes between red-shirted government allies, who rallied outside the court as the verdicts were read, and thousands of yellow-shirted PAD protesters who have blockaded Bangkok's airports in a "final battle" to oust Somchai.

Hours before the court decisions, one person was killed and 22 wounded after a grenade was fired at protesters besieging the domestic Don Muang airport.

Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has intervened in previous political crises during his six decades on the throne, made no mention of the country's troubles during a short speech at a Trooping the Color military parade in Bangkok.

The annual ceremony, in which the king speaks about the need for military probity, was a picture of tradition and serenity in marked contrast to the chaos elsewhere in Bangkok.

Stranded Tourists

Around 250,000 foreign tourists have been stranded by the week-long sit-ins at Don Muang and the bigger Suvarnabhumi international airport, which officials said will stay closed until December 15, eating into the key Christmas holiday season.

"The rally has caused massive damage to the country. We will try to open the airport as soon as possible," said Serirat Prasutanond, acting head of Airports of Thailand, before the surprise PAD announcement.

There was some good news for the air cargo industry which ground to a halt during the blockades, costing Thailand hundreds of millions of dollars.

A cargo flight bound for Kuala Lumpur left Suvarnabhumi on Tuesday, a welcome sight for a tourist- and export-dependent economy already suffering from the global financial crisis.

A senior airport official earlier said cargo flights could resume as soon as shippers and airlines were ready.

Finance Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech told Reuters on Monday the economy might be flat next year, or grow by just 1-2 percent, after earlier growth forecasts of between 4-5 percent.

The travel chaos worried neighbors due to attend a regional summit in Thailand in two weeks, prompting the government to postpone the meeting until March 2009, a spokesman said.

New Parliamentary Vote

All six parties in the coalition government vowed to stick together and seek a parliamentary vote for a new prime minister on December 8, setting the stage for another potentially violent confrontation in the country's three-year-old political crisis.

Lawmakers who escaped the political ban would move to new "shell" parties to form another ruling coalition, a former minister said.

"The verdict comes as no surprise to all of us," said Jakrapob Penkair, a close associate of Thaksin, who was removed in a bloodless 2006 coup and is now in exile.

"But our members are determined to move on and we will form a government again out of the majority that we believe we still have," he told Reuters.

Only a handful of PAD members remained at Government House, where sandbag bunkers and car tires stacked two meters (six feet) high stood around makeshift tarpaulin tents.

PAD supporters left with no hint of remorse or regret.

(Sources: Reuters, The Guardian, BBC)

Attacks On Mumbai

Here is a day to day roundup of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India from the 26/11/2008- 29/11/2008.

WEDNESDAY

The attacks began on Wednesday at 10:30pm when Islamist gunmen attacked several locations around the city of Mumbai. The gunmen armed with automatic rifles, and grenades attacked targets including luxury hotels - the Taj Mahal and Trident Oberoi, hospitals, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and the popular Leopold cafe.

Throughout Wednesday evening and early into Thursday morning, the gunmen remained in control of their targets as well as taking others like the Chabad House a popular tourist spot for Israelis.

Reports began to come in, suggesting the gunmen came ashore using rubber dinghies.

The chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai is killed in the initial attack on Wednesday night.

THURSDAY

By the time Thursday came round, Indian commandos had began to go into room to room battles with the gunmen throughout both of the hotels.

Explosions are heard at the Taj Mahal hotel, where several hostages are rescued.

India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh blames militant groups based in India's neighbor. (Pakistan)

Pakistan condemns the attacks and promises full cooperation in fighting terrorism.

FRIDAY

At the Trident Oberoi Hotel commandos kill militant and free 143 guests, lone gunmen continue to hold out at the nearby Taj Mahal Hotel.

Five hostages inside the besieged Chabad House are found dead.

SATURDAY

Elite Black Cat commandos kill the last four of the gunmen after days of room to room battling inside the Taj Mahal Hotel.

India's Home Ministry says the official toll in Mumbai was 183 killed, 22 of which were foreigners, including businessmen and tourists.

The list:

3 Germans
3 Israelis
1 American
1 Australian
1 Briton
2 Canadians
1 Italian
1 Japanese
1 Singaporean
1 Thai
1 Chinese
1 Mauritian
5 were unidentified.

Nine gunmen and 20 police and soldiers are also killed.

The tenth militant is caught alive.

UPDATE:

Latest reports indicate that the gunmen were trained in Pakistan and of Pakistani origin, India has raised its security level to war level status, causing tension to form with its neighbor Pakistan.

This article used news material from several different agencies, including Reuters, BBC, ITN, Associated Press, The Guardian, Al-Jazeera.