The News Review:

- When bullets fly, some firms swoop in
- Halloran sues paper for defamation
- An Ivorian boy paints his own plea for peace
- Overseas ‘students’ are cheating system by staying in Britain

When bullets fly, some firms swoop in
Christian Science Monitor – Dec 27, 2004
On the ground below, he saw 15-year-old rebels waving automatic weapons, amputee camps, and bodies in the street. He also saw economic potential.

Halloran sues paper for defamation
The Age – Dec 30, 2004
Photo: AFP Victoria Police Superintendent Peter Halloran has launcheddefamation proceedings against The Australian newspaperand journalist Padraic Murphy, claiming they campaigned against himwhen covering his sex abuse trial. Mr Halloran, who has been on trial in Sierra Leone, has deniedallegations that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-oldschoolgirl. In a Supreme Court writ, lodged on December 24, Mr Halloran hasaccused The Australian and Murphy of carrying out acampaign to denigrate him. The writ said eight articles were published between September 3and November 10 “in a high-handed and arrogant manner with recklessindifference to the truth of the facts”. It alleged the articlesshowed insolent disregard for Mr Halloran’s reputation. Thatentitled him to aggravated damages, as well as exemplary damages topunish the defendants, the claim said.

An Ivorian boy paints his own plea for peace
IRINnews.org – Dec 28, 2004
A curfew was imposed for several days afterwards. However, in December, Liberia’s interim parliament finally passed long-delayed legislation that paved the way for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in October 2005. Sierra Leone, which emerged from 10 years of civil war at the end of 2001, remained peaceful throughout the year. Relief agencies celebrated the success of a drive to resettle those displaced by the conflict. Most are now back in their villages growing their own food once more. A war crimes trial finally got under way at the UN-backed Special Court in Freetown in June. But many of those deemed to bear the greatest responsibility for the appalling atrocities committed were either dead or absent from the courtroom.

Overseas ‘students’ are cheating system by staying in Britain
Telegraph.co.uk – Dec 29, 2004
“For Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Mexico, Russia, Czech Republic and Cyprus extensions were less than 25 per cent of student admissions over the same period. For the USA, only two per cent sought extensions. ” By contrast, extensions were close to 100 per cent of admissions for countries such as Lithuania, Ukraine, Trinidad, Ghana, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri Lanka. Sir Andrew said there were no genuine reasons to explain the “remarkable” figures relating to Jamaicans and Zimbabweans. “Even if some of the education is not in formal educational establishments, how can you explain 27,000 extensions? Jamaica and Zimbabwe are largely English-speaking, so these cannot all be English-language courses,” said Sir Andrew. He said the scale of extensions raised clear suspicions of major fraud and questioned why the Home Office had granted so many extensions. The Home Office suggested that Migrationwatch was highlighting “an old story”.