Take a look back over our collection of news stories of the last few months (with B-Prep editorial comments) to get an overview picture of how things are progressing...

20th AUG, 2009

Swine flu deaths climb to 59 in Britain  guardian.co.uk 

The number of deaths from swine flu in Britain has climbed to 59 but infection rates have continued to fall through the summer, according to the Department of Health.

A third of nurses will refuse to have the swine flu jab Daily Mail

Freeze Dried Food Sales Up Dramatically with Swine Flu Warnings

19th AUG, 2009

Only a third of nurses willing to have swine flu vaccine: poll Telegraph.co.uk

Only a third of nurses have said they are willing to have the vaccine against swine flu amid fears it has not been tested enough, a survey has found.

Mass graves could be dug for autumn bout of swine flu  Daily Mail 

The government is planning to create a series of mass graves to cope with a second outbreak of swine flu in the autumn.

IBM uses DNA to make next-gen microchips

Dr Blaylock’s Solutions To Help Those Forced To Take An A/H1N1 Vaccine Stay Healthy

Make up your own mind regarding vaccinations. Whatever your choice, it is unfair to force mass vaccinations. If you get a vaccination, it should immunize you from those of us who don't if it works, right?

The Goal: Militarization of Public Health

(contains a reference to the 1976 Swine Flu epidemic in which the mass inoculation had to be called off because of the frequency of very severe side effects)


FEMA’s new administrator urges Americans: get in touch with your survival instinct.  The Atlantic

The New American Dream: Renting  wall street journal

It's time to accept that home ownership is not a realistic goal for many people and to curtail the enormous government programs fueling this ambition.

17th AUG, 2009

'Useless': The swine flu virus may quickly develop resistance to Tamiflu... Daily Mail

Experts warned dispersal of Tamiflu would do more harm than good  guardian.co.uk

Failed Banks Weighing on FDIC

16th AUG, 2009

GPs on alert for rare nerve disorder after swine flu jabs  The Herald 

Doctors have been put on alert for cases of a deadly nerve disease following the introduction of a vaccine for swine flu. Health chiefs said there was an increased risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome after a flu-like illness but stressed there ...

15th AUG, 2009

Parents are worried about the swine flu vaccine  Telegraph.co.uk

Parents are confused and concerned about the swine flu vaccine due to be introduced in October. 

Law firms look to jump flu vaccine queue  Financial Times

Number of home owners falling behind with mortgage repayments soars Telegraph.co.uk

14th AUG, 2009

Health chief warns over flu deaths of healthy people  This is London

Swine flu vaccine roll-out to begin in October  WalesOnline 

A SWINE FLU vaccination programme for vulnerable people and frontline health workers will start this autumn, the Assembly Government said yesterday.

BT announces holiday park Wi-Fi zones  The Telecom 

BT has announced plans to launch Wi-Fi Openzones at major UK holiday parks this summer, including 3 Pontin's sites, 77 Camping and Caravanning Club sites, and Coastfields Leisure sites.

The Radiation Poisoning of America  VitaNews

13th AUG, 2009

Swine flu blog  Whitehaven News 

Meet the Queen of the Swine Flu Conspiracies: Jane Burgermeister... Deputy editor Alan Cleaver reports daily on the impact of swine flu in West Cumbria, with a particular slant on how the media and the public are reacting to the worsening crisis

RBS offering £7m 'golden hello'  The Press Association 

Part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed a "golden hello" worth more than £7 million to hire a star banker, it has been reported.

Allotments are still under threat  guardian.co.uk 

Goldman: Get Ready For Oil Prices To Go Back To $147

Wish you weren't here: The devastating effects of the new colonialists  Independent

A new breed of colonialism is rampaging across the world, with rich nations buying up the natural resources of developing countries that can ill afford to sell. Some staggering deals have already been done, says Paul Vallely, but angry locals are now trying to stop the landgrabs

12th AUG, 2009

'Tamiflu turned my children into hallucinating, sobbing wrecks'  Daily Mail

Fed Faces Its Zimbabwe Moment

Serco to run London's new bike hire scheme  Reuters

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - British services giant Serco (SRP.L) has secured a 140 million pounds ($230.1 million) contract to set up a bicycle hire scheme in central London that aims to tackle overcrowding on the capital's commuter networks.

11th AUG, 2009

Tamiflu leaves '1000 patients in suffering'  Independent

GMTV star: My child took Tamiflu and almost died  The Herald

DNA database has 300 children added a day  Telegraph.co.uk

More than 300 children a day are being put on to the DNA database fuelling fresh fears over the growth of the “Big Brother” state.

Bee venom destroys cancer cells in tests on mice  Times Online

10th AUG, 2009

Food crisis could force wartime rations and vegetarian diet on Britons  Times Online

The British people face wartime rations and a vegetarian diet in the event of a world food shortage, a new official assessment on the UK's food security suggests today.

Swine Flu's Worst Case Scenario: Paranoia or Preparedness?  FOXNews

An uncontrollable, deadly virus ravages America, shutting down civilian institutions and triggering martial law. Vaccinations are compulsory, and there are mass quarantines throughout the country.

Don't give kids Tamiflu to beat swine flu, warn health researchers Scottish Daily Record

7th AUG, 2009

Britain’s looming electricity crunch - Dark days ahead  The Economist

A shortage of power-generation capacity could lead to blackouts across Britain—and a dangerous reliance on foreign gas

3rd AUG 2009

Entire town in quarantine after two die from the plague in China Times Online

Are wind farms a health risk? Independent

Gardening is good for you, finds survey  Telegraph.co.uk

31st JUL 2009

Lull in swine flu cases – but 'big surge' to follow guardian

Half of children taking Tamiflu have side-effects  guardian.co.uk 

Big Banks Paid Billions in Bonuses Amid Wall St. Crisis  Times Online

A cancerous conspiracy to poison your faith in organic food  Daily Mail

Despite its obvious benefits for our health and for the environment, organic food continues to be denigrated by the political and corporate establishment in Britain.

30th JUL 2009

Swine flu cases in Britain could be reaching a plateau  guardian.co.uk

AstraZeneca Sees Big Bucks In Swine Flu Vaccine   Forbes

LONDON -- Astrazeneca is in a hurry. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said it is rushing to produce as many as 200 million doses of swine flu vaccine next year, as it posted a 5.6% raise in second-quarter profit and increased its guidance for the year.

29th JUL 2009

BG Group sees its profits fall 30% as gas gets cheaper globally  Daily Mail

The boss of BG Group said it is 'absolutely clear' that British gas prices are heading south, raising hopes of cuts in utility bills.

Anger as organic claims shot down  Metro

Organic food 'no better for health than factory-farmed', says FSA report  Times Online

Shoppers who are willing to pay more than three times the price of factory-farmed chicken for organic birds get no more benefit to their health, according to a study commissioned by the Food Standards Agency.

'Barcode' to help identify plants  BBC News

An international team of scientists has agreed on a standard "DNA barcode" for plants that will allow botanists to identify species quickly and easily.

28th JUL 2009

Swine flu could become resistant to Tamiflu because of over ... Telegraph.co.uk

'Dangers' of the fast-track swine flu vaccine  Daily Mail

Plans to fast-track the swine flu vaccine have been attacked by the World Health Organisation. The Department of Health plans to make the vaccine available at least two months earlier than in America after limited safety tests.

GM crops being grown in Britain  Telegraph    

Genetically-modified crops are being grown in Britain for the first time in a year after controversial trials of the plants were "secretly" restarted.

Being green is no crime  guardian.co.uk

What, exactly, do the council and police fear about a gathering of musicians, poets, healers and environmentalists?

27th JUL 2009

Britain 'taking gamble' on swine flu vaccination  Metro

Plans to fast-track the swine flu vaccine in Britain before large-scale testing is arousing concerns among experts around the world over the potential dangers.

Vaccine for swine flu may be unsafe warns WHO   This is London

Fast-tracked swine flu vaccine will be safe, officials insist   guardian.co.uk

Drug-resistant 'superflu' in Britain  Telegraph

A potentially deadly, drug-resistant strain of "superflu" is circulating in Britain, scientists have warned.

British economic collapse rivals Great Depression  Telegraph

The collapse in Britain's economy now rivals the worst days of the Great Depression, it has emerged.

26th JUL 2009

Inventor of Tamiflu profits from swine flu pandemic Telegraph.co.uk

Swine flu Q&A: What you need to know about the virus  Independent

Jim Kunstler: "Goldman Sachs the front of a global criminal syndicate"

Eco-awareness festival halted by safety concerns  Times Online

Organisers of Europe's biggest eco-awareness event have had to cancel their 15th annual festival after police and the local council raised safety fears days before it was to start.

Sarah Palin resigns as Alaska Governor to embark on political career  Times Online 

The captivating and at times vaudevillian political career of Sarah Palin entered an unpredictable phase yesterday when she stepped down as the Governor of Alaska to try to forge a role as the voice of the Republican Party.

25th JUL 2009

Sainsbury's refuses to act as antiviral collection point  Health Service Journal

Sainsbury's will opt out of distributing Tamiflu over fears it might encourage swine flu victims into its supermarkets, it has been revealed.

Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe  Times Online 

THE National Health Service is planning to fly swine flu patients by private jet to European hospitals if Britain's intensive care services become overwhelmed.

Healthy GSK expects to start shipping flu vaccine in September  Scotsman

GLAXOSMITHKLINE should begin shipping a swine flu vaccine by September it said yesterday. Reporting a rise in second quarter profits, the drugs giant said that it was in discussions with more than 50 countries about its treatments.

The Last Tommy Harry Patch dies aged 111  Mirror.co.uk

The Queen and Prime Minister last night led tributes to the last surviving British soldier of the First World War who has died at the age of 111.

24th JUL 2009

Cases of swine flu have doubled to 100000 in one week  Telegraph

First wave of swine flu may have peaked  guardian   

The number of swine flu cases in Britain may drop within the next two weeks before a return of the virus this winter, a flu expert said.

Swine flu: when America sneezes   Financial Times

Churches stop communion over flu fears   Manchester Evening News

Allergic to wi-fi! How 'electrosmog' leaves Afterlife DJ in agony  Daily Mail

DJ Steve Miller is forced to avoid the most ordinary public places because of an allergy to modern technology.

20th JUL 2009

Swine flu: the questions that remain  guardian.co.uk

18th JUL 2009

Swine flu in Britain: The guessing game  Independent 

As the pandemic spreads, the NHS and other public services are preparing for the worst-case scenario - but they have no real idea of how bad the situation might get.

all your swine flu questions answered  Times Online

UK economy set for biggest fall since 1945  Independent

The UK economy is forecast to shrink by 4.5 per cent in 2009 - the biggest fall in a single year since 1945. This gloomy prognosis comes from leading forecaster the Ernst & Young Item Club, the only one to use the ...

17th JUL 2009

Cherie Blair hit by swine flu as death toll reaches 29  Scottish Daily Record

Swine flu may keep some schools shut in September  guardian

Swine flu: Stark figures hide imponderables   guardian.co.uk

Flu vaccinations 'in September'  BBC News

16th JUL 2009

Swine flu: Medical chief orders NHS to prepare for 65,000 deaths - with a toll of as many as 350 a day Daily Mail

Vaccine due in August as DH moves to quash swine flu fears  Nursing Times 

Fight for swine flu vaccine could get ugly The Associated Press

Experts warn that during a global pandemic, which the world is in now, governments may be under tremendous pressure to protect their own citizens first before allowing companies to ship doses of vaccine out of the country.  That does not bode well for many countries, including the United States, which makes only 20 percent of of the flu vaccine it uses, or Britain, where all of its flu vaccines are produced abroad.  

15th JUL 2009

Swine flu vaccine 'not ready for months' says WHO   Telegraph

The head of the World Health Organisation, Dr Margaret Chan, has cast doubt on the Government's claims that a reliable swine flu vaccine will be available to the public by next month. “There’s no vaccine. One should be available soon, in August. But having a vaccine available is not the same as having a vaccine that has been proven safe,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.

9th JUL 2009

UK swine flu death toll hits 14  BBC News

G8 summit to pledge $15 billion to boost food supply  Reuters

Need to Know: Phorm  IT PRO

Phorm is struggling to keep ISPs on side in the UK - but what's all the fuss about?

Artist wins Shed of the Year   Telegraph.co.uk 

In Pictures: Shed of the Year  BBC News

8th  JUL 2009

Just 96 months to save world, says Charles Independent

Charles' vision to save the Earth   BBC News

The Prince of Wales has issued a fresh warning of environmental catastrophe, telling an audience in London "if we fail the Earth, we fail humanity".

The Federal Reserve Finally Wakes Up to the Reality of Peak Oil

Read “The Peak Oil Debate”

Nationwide offers 125% mortgage  BBC News 

But financial planner Jonathan Davis, of Armstrong Davis, said the building society's new policy was a "joke", and that it exposed the lender to further losses if house prices continued to fall. "You are taking people in negative equity, pushing more money down their throat to back an asset that is still going down in value," he said.

Australia town bans bottled water  BBC News 

A rural town in Australia has voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water over concerns about its environmental impact. 

7th JUL 2009

G8 summit to test resolve on economy, climate change, food security  Xinhua

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming Group of Eight (G8) summit will be a major test to world leaders on their resolve to shore up economy and fight world hunger and climate change following last year's global financial meltdown.

'Worst to come' warning as G8 leaders gather AFP ‎

L'AQUILA, Italy (AFP) - G8 leaders gathering here Wednesday faced deepening crises in Iran and China and a warning that the worst political and social effects of the global economic downturn are still to come.

BOE Should Seek Consent to Print More Money, BCC Says  Bloomberg

The Bank of England should ask the government for permission to start a further phase in its money- printing program because a recovery from the recession “is not guaranteed,” the British Chambers of Commerce ...

Swine flu: Website will track suspected Tamiflu side-effects Nursing Times

Environmental campaigner loses legal battle over crop spraying  Telegraph 

Farmers can continue using pesticides near people's homes after an environmental campaigner lost her seven-year legal battle to highlight the health risks of long term exposure to crop spraying.

Great Barrier Reef will be gone in 20 years, says Charlie Veron  Times Online 

The Great Barrier Reef will be so degraded by warming waters that it will be unrecognisable within 20 years, an eminent marine scientist has said.

Allotment wins Best Show Garden at Hampton Court  Telegraph.co.uk

An allotment has won Best Show Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show - the first time one has ever done so. All the plants in the garden, bordered by a traditional stone wall, were organically grown.  "It represents a bit of a change at the RHS, because we are used to seeing perfection in horticulture, which can usually only be achieved with a bit of judicious help from some fertiliser or whatever. "There's a philosophical change going on.".

6th  JUL 2009

Two children among 3 new swine flu victims  Metro 

One of the victims was named as nine-year-old Asmaa Hussain, who died last Thursday. She suffered from epilepsy and was a pupil at a special school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Who wants to be the flu GP?  BBC News

How Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression Rolling Stone

New Secrecy Rule Lets Goldman Sachs Control Stock Prices Unmolested by Public Scrutiny  Matt Taibbi

U.S. Financial System  Lurching Towards a "Debt Explosion"  Telegraph

The US economy is lurching towards crisis with long-term interest rates on course to double, crippling the country’s ability to pay its debts and potentially plunging it into another recession, according to a study by the US’s own central bank

Michael Pollan: We Are Headed Toward a Breakdown in Our Food System

Fears for the world's poor countries as the rich grab land to grow food  guardian.co.uk

UN sounds warning after 30m hectares bought up
• G8 leaders to discuss 'neo-colonialism'

5th JUL 2009

Darling criticises 'kamikaze' bankers  guardian.co.uk 

Alistair Darling criticised the "kamikaze" bankers behind the financial crisis, as he prepared the way for a government crackdown on the financial services sector later this week.

4th JUL 2009

First swine flu death in London  BBC News

A 19-year-old man has died after contracting swine flu in London, health authorities in the capital have said.

New swine flu risk as Harry Potter star falls victim  Times Online

The World Health Organisation is investigating whether a form of swine flu resistant to antiviral drugs being stock-piled in Britain is spreading from person to person. The strain has been identified in a 16-year-old girl who was stopped by officials at Hong Kong airport after falling ill. She had arrived on a flight from San Francisco. The symptoms were mild and she was released from hospital after a week. However, subsequent tests revealed she was carrying a form of the virus that was resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug used to combat swine flu. Two other patients, in Denmark and Japan, have been identified with a Tamiflu-resistant strain of the virus, but they developed it after being treated with the drug, indicating that it had mutated.

3rd JUL 2009

Fourth person in Britain dies after contracting swine flu Telegraph

A teenager in London has become the fourth person in Britain to die after contracting swine flu, it has emerged. Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson says Britain has a massive stockpile of Tamiflu.

2nd JUL 2009

California resorts to issuing IOUs over $24.3bn budget deficit  Times Online

Britain's War Costs in Iraq and Afghanistan Triple  Bloomberg

Britain's transport system braced for £30 billion funding shortfall  Telegraph 

Britain's transport system is braced for a £30 billion shortfall in funding to improve the road and rail network as public spending is reined in, experts have warned.  

Green power could generate £70 billion for the economy  Telegraph.co.uk 

Embracing wind and wave power could generate up to £70 billion for the UK economy, according to a new report. New analysis from the Carbon Trust outlines the economic benefits of new technologies, saying almost 250000 jobs could be generated by ...

Swine flu - you ain't seen nothing yet   Pulse 

Government new approach to swine flu  Healthcare Today

Swine flu - prevention and treatment  Directgov

Rolling Stone: Wall Street Insiders Using Bailout to Stage a Financial Coup

Rolling Stone: Wall Street Bailout Has Created Ultimate "Free-Fraud Zone"

Rolling Stone: China's High Tech Police State Ready for Export to America

Rollling Stone: Drug War Has Made Government into a Tool for the Cartels

"The Wall Street Bubble Mafia" - Goldman Sachs Blockbuster in Rolling Stone Magazine, "America now  a gangster state"

Goldman Sachs bankers in line for record bonuses  Telegraph

Bankers at Goldman Sachs could be in line for record bonuses as compensation on Wall Street looks set to rebound in spite of problems in the wider economy.

1st  JUL 2009

Gold rallies above $940, dollar drops on China news  guardian.co.uk

NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - Gold climbed above $940 an ounce on Wednesday, as news that China has asked to debate proposals for a new global reserve currency sent the dollar reeling, highlighting the status of gold as a hedge against a ...

30th JUN 2009

U.K. Economy Posts Largest Decline in 50 Years   wall street journal

The U.K. economy posted its sharpest decline in more than 50 years in the first quarter, suggesting the recession has been even harsher than previously thought, the Office for National Statistics said

Recovery threatened by toxic assets still hidden in key banks  guardian.co.uk

Governments too slow to act, warn central bankers
• CBI sounds warning over 'worrying' bad debt levels

BP wins biggest Iraq oil contract  Telegraph

Russia-Ukraine gas row likely this winter -official  Reuters 

DOHA, June 30 (Reuters) - Europe may face further disruptions to its gas supply next winter if Ukraine cannot pay its gas debts to Russia, the head of Gazprom International said on Tuesday.

US joint venture lifts gases group BG    guardian

News that BG is paying $1.3bn for a stake in a US gas field has been well received by the market.

Ravenous ladybird threatens UK species and crops   Reuters UK

if left unchecked the harmless looking bug could indirectly lead to the loss of crops at a "significant" cost to industry.

Ban on ugly fruit and vegetables is scrapped   Times

29th JUN 2009

Swine flu Q&A: pandemic explained    Times

Crisis threatens future gas supply: IEA

Dmitry Orlov: "The economic collapse will cause global oil production to crash even faster, extinguishing the industrial economy"

Recession generation? Young adults brace for simpler lifestyle

27th JUN 2009

US passes million swine flu cases   BBC News

New H1N1 flu not going away: US health agency   Reuters

Swine flu 'out of control' in UK hotspots   Times

26th JUN 2009 

Billions extra in state aid for Northern Rock   Telegraph

Dutch state to inject 2.5 bln euros in ABN AMRO   Guardian

25th JUN 2009

Swine flu 'cannot be contained'   Independent

Days of U.S. Dollar Hegemony are Almost Near an End    Washington Post

I'll end Labour's Big Brother state: Cameron vows to scrap intrusive laws   Daily Mail

22nd JUN 2009

Adventures in Urban Farming   Time Magazine

20th JUN 2009

Is this the death of the dollar?   Telegraph

18th JUN 2009

The Peak Oil Crisis: The Year of the Dollar   Telegraph

Climate impact report says 800000 homes will be at risk of flooding   Times

Financial and Health Reasons for the Backyard Chicken Craze   Economist

14th JUN 2009

UK suffers first swine flu death   Times

10th JUN 2009

WHO declares swine flu pandemic   Guardian

'Several million' swine flu cases possible in UK   Guardian