January
9 January
Radical
Muslim preacher and former Imam of Finsbury Park Mosque Abu Hamza
(right) appears at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey charged with
16 offences, including urging followers to murder Jews.
Salahuddin Amin, who was arrested at Heathrow Airport in February
2005, will also appear at the Old Bailey, charged with conspiring to
cause an explosion with intent to endanger life.
www.met.police.uk
Criminal Listings, Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey)n 020 7248 3277
press.bureau.mps@gtnet.gov.uk John Humble appears at Leeds Crown Court
accused of being the Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer. Letters and phonecalls
from ‘Wearside Jack’ convinced assistant chief constable George
Oldfield to focus the investigation in Sunderland.
Peter Sutcliffe, who lived in Bradford, was jailed for life in 1981 for the murder of 13 women.
Criminal Listings, Leeds Crown Court 0113 306 2800
10 January
Committal
hearing for former Cabinet Office communications officer David Keogh
and Leo O’Connor at Bow Street Magistrates Court over leaked transcript
of a conversation in which Tony Blair allegedly persuaded George W Bush
not to bomb Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera.
Criminal Listings, Bow Street Magistrates Court 020 7853 9206
17 January
Sentencing
of the former Daily Mirror financial journalists James Hipwell and Anil
Bhoyrul at Southwark Crown Court after they were found guilty of
share-tipping offences.
www.met.police.uk Criminal Listings, Southwark Crown Court 020 7522 7335/7270 press.bureau.mps@gtnet.gov.uk
19 January
Public Administration Committee examining practice of former Downing Street staff publishing their diaries.
Witness is Sir Jeremy Greenstock, whose book The Cost of War detailed the run-up and aftermath of the Iraq invasion.
www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/public_ad
ministration_select_committee/pasciandqstrategy.cfm Oxford Media
Convention At Saïd Business School, Oxford Keynote speakers include
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell; Channel 4 chief exec Andy Duncan and
Dawn Airey, Sky Networks MD.
www.ippr.org.uk
21 January
160 years since the first issue of the Daily News – Charles Dickens was the editor.
February
1 February
National Fish & Chip Shop Awards organised by the Sea Fish Industry Authority. Hosted by celebrity chef Brian Turner.
www.seafish.co.uk Alison Laing or Alex Orr, 3×1 0141 353 5131 – mobile 07879 621 139 alaing@3×1.com
13 February
England cricket team’s tour of India begins. Ends 18 April.
www.ecb.co.uk
17 February
A
scaled-down Mardi Gras is planned for the 150th anniversary of the
parades in New Orleans as Louisiana recovers from Hurricane Katrina.
Runs until 28 February.
www.mardigras.com cdecuir@neworleanscvb.com
27 February
Full
hearing of the copyright infringement claim against publisher of Dan
Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is expected to begin at the High Court. If
Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, authors of The Holy Blood And The
Holy Grail, win their plagiarism claim it could delay release of Sony
Pictures’ £53m film of The Da Vinci Code.
Listings, High Court Chancery Division 020 7947 6778 Also in
February: Biometric or ‘e’ passports containing a scan of the holder’s
facial features will be introduced.
www.homeoffice.gov.uk
March
3 March
Liberal Democrats meet in Harrogate for first party conference of the year.
www.libdems.org.uk/conference
6 March
Terry Rodgers to appear at Nottingham Crown Court charged with the murder of his newly wed daughter, 23-year-old Chanel Taylor.
Criminal Listings, Nottingham Crown Court 0115 910 3551
7 March
International
Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in Brazil discusses
land and water access and agrarian reform aimed at alleviating poverty
and hunger.
www.fao.org/newsroom www.mre.gov.br
20 March
So Solid’s Megaman, Dwayne Vincent, appears for retrial for the murder of Colin Scarlett in 2004.
Criminal Listings, Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey)n 020 7248 3277 fax 020 7248 5735
23 March
Phoenix Film Festival, focuses on independent films and filmmaking, with competitions for features above and below a $1m budget.
www.phoenixfilmfestival.com www.phxfilm.com
25 March
Hollywood
fashion event Little Black Dress gala (right) makes its debut at URBIS
Centre, Manchester, with 30 designers presenting interpretations of the
‘little black dress’ to be auctioned for charity.
www.lbdevents.com Also in March: Sir Quentin Thomas, president of
the British Board of Film Classification, is due to report findings of
an independent panel set up to “to assess the impartiality of BBC news
and current affairs coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with
particular regard to accuracy, fairness, context, balance and bias,
actual or perceived”.
www.bbcgovernors.co.uk www.caabu.org israelipalestinian.review@bbc.co.uk
April
13 April
100 years since the birth of Samuel Beckett, the Nobel Prize-winning Irish writer who died in 1989.
The Barbican and Gate Theatre, Dublin, celebrates his centenary with
Bite 06: a season of performances, talks, films, visual arts and music
that begins 21 March and runs until 6 May.
www.barbican.org.uk www.gate-theatre.ie
17 April
Journalist
John McCarthy was kidnapped on his way to Beirut airport 20 years ago –
the beginning of five years in captivity (Pictured right on his
release).
Winners of this year’s Pulitzer Prizes for journalism, letters, drama and music are announced.
Presentation takes place in May.
www.pulitzer.org
20 April
Romantic Novel of the Year Award, organised by the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The prize is £10k.
www.rna-uk.org
23 April
The 26th London Marathon, sponsored by Flora.
www.london-marathon.co.uk
26 April
20
years since the Chernobyl catastrophe in the Ukraine when one of four
reactors of the nuclear power plant exploded, resulting in the world’s
worst nuclear power accident.
www.iaea.or.at/NewsCenter/Focus/Chernobyl/index.shtml Also in April:
Launch of plans for a National Sports Foundation – a private- and
public-sector funded programme of investment in grassroots sport.
www.culture.gov.uk
May
1 May
FA Women’s Cup Final.
www.thefa.com
2 May
Wayne
Rooney (right), Man Utd and England player, begins libel action against
The Sun over story claiming that he hit his girlfriend Colleen
McLoughlin in a Cheshire nightclub in April 2005, an allegation Rooney
denies.
www.thesun.co.uk Royal Courts of Justice (High Court)n 020 7947 6000
3 May
World Press Freedom Day – a UNESCO initiative in support of a free, pluralistic and independent press.
www.worldpressfreedomday.com
4 May
110 years ago since the Daily Mail was first published.
Founded by Lord Northcliffe, the cover price was one half-penny.
7 May
End of the Premier League and Scottish Premier League.
www.premierleague.com www.scotprem.com 8 May 120 years since Dr John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola.
13 May
Kick-off of the 2006 FA Cup final and the first game at the new Wembley stadium – if the stadium is ready.
If not, it will be played at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff.
www.thefa.com
20 May
Final of rugby’s Heineken Cup at Millennium stadium.
www.heinekenrugby.com www.ercrugby.com
June
9 June
2006 World Cup in Germany opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, with first game in Munich.
www.fifaworldcup.com 26 June Two weeks of Wimbledon tennis begins.
www.wimbledon.org
Also in June: German figurative artist Thomas Schütte unveils his new
work, Hotel For The Birds (left). The five metre-high work, in the
shape of an architectural model, will be displayed on the fourth plinth
in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2007.
www.london.gov.uk July 5
July 25 years since the beginning of the Toxteth riots in Liverpool,
during which teargas was fired for the first time ever on the UK
mainland to break up the disturbance.
9 July World Cup Final in Berlin.
www.fifaworldcup.com
20 July
The
British Open Championship begins at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club,
Hoylake, Liverpool. The Royal and Ancient Club has ruled that women can
compete this year if they qualify.
www.opengolf.com www.randa.org
28 July
One year since the Provisional IRA called an end to its armed campaign.
Also in July: Publication expected of the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office’ s Annual Human Rights Report detailing work on human rights
issues, such as torture and free media.
www.fco.gov.uk
August
5 August
The London Triathlon More than 30,000 runners take part.
www.thelondontriathlon.com
7 August
30 years since 20,000 people took part in a rally that launched the women’s peace movement in Northern Ireland.
A series of events means that Edinburgh can again expect to be swamped by visitors:
4 August
Edinburgh Tattoo (left): music, ceremony and theatre until 26 August.
www.edintattoo.co.uk 6 August Edinburgh Festival Fringe: world’s largest arts festival starts.
www.edfringe.com www.edinburghfestivals.com
12 August
Edinburgh International Book Festival with readings, recitals, lectures and debates. Until 28 August.
www.edbookfest.co.uk
14 August
60th anniversary of the world’s oldest non-competitive film festival runs until 27 August.
www.edfilmfest.org.uk
25 August
31st annual festival on the future of TV in the UK and worldwide runs until 27 August.
www.mgeitf.co.uk Also in August: Winners of Perrier Awards for
fringe and mainstream comedians announced – the winner trousers £7.5k
and a season at The Gielgud Theatre, London.
www.perrierawards.co.uk
UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic published every two years by
the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
www.unaids.org
September
1 September
Second annual farmers’ market month.
www.farmersmarkets.net www.farmshopping.org.uk David Profumo, son of
John Profumo, publishes his memoir. His father has never spoken
publicly about his affair with Christine Keeler, but has entrusted his
son to tell his side of the story and allowed him access to his private
papers.
www.johnmurray.co.uk
14 September
20 years since the launch of the Sunday Sport.
16 September
Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference, ends 21 Sept.
www.libdems.org.uk/conference
22 September
Europe meets the USA in major biennial golf tournament at the K Club, Dublin. Runs until 24 September.
www.rydercup.com www.europeantour.com
24 September
For
the first time since 1917, the Labour Party Conference is expected to
be held in Manchester at the G-Mex Centre. Runs until 28 September.
www.labour.org.uk Also in September: Global Progressive Forum, with
500 policy makers, leaders and representatives of NGOs, unions,
businesses and academia discussing world governance reform.
www.globalprogressiveforum.
org www.pes.org Gordon Ramsay opens first US restaurant.
www.gordonramsay.com Controversial superstar Michael Jackson (left) begins tour of Europe and Asia.
www.michaeljackson.com
October
2 October
Conservative Party Conference at BIC, Bournemouth.
Runs until 5 October.
www.conservatives.com
7 October
20 years since the Independent was launched.
Founder and first editor, until 1994, was Andreas Whittam Smith.
www.independent.co.uk
9 October
David Cameron, leader of the Tory party, is 40 today.
10 October
The
tuxedo made its first appearance in public 120 years ago today when it
was worn by its creator at a ball at the Tuxedo Park Country Club, New
York.
13 October
Oldest literature festival, the Cheltenham Festival.
www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk
16 October
World anti-McDonald’s day. Protests expected at McDonald’s stores worldwide.
www.mcspotlight.org www.mwr.org.uk/action.htm Coincides with World Food Day.
www.fao.org
Also in October: BBC Scotland’s new digital broadcasting headquarters
at Pacific Quay (below) on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow
completed. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the site is due
to open in 2007.
www.bbc.co.uk
November
1 November
Beginning
of national novel writing month – participants around the world begin
writing a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by the end of the month.
www.nanowrimo.org
5 November
New York City marathon.
www.nycmarathon.org
21 November
International Press Freedom Awards.
www.cpj.org
22 November
60 years since HG Martin put the Biro pen on sale in the UK with a price of 55d.
Also in November: Anti-Slavery International award to draw attention
to continuing problem of slavery in the world and recognise campaigning
in countries most affected.
www.antislavery.org British Fashion Awards to promote British fashion design.
www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
The British Independent Film Awards dedicated to raising the profile of
the independent film industry (left).
www.bifa.org.uk
December
100 years since the Cinema Omnia-Pathé, the world’s first purpose-built cinema, was opened by Charles Merand Pathé.
11 December
10 years since Nelson Mandela travelled to Sharpeville to sign the new South African constitution.
15 December
100 years since Lloyd George opened the Piccadilly Tube Line running between Finsbury Park and Hammersmith.
17 December
10 years since Kofi Annan (left) was chosen to lead the UN, the first black African to head the organisation.
29 December
30 years since the Sex Discrimination Act became law.
31 December The
BBC’s Royal charter, which came into force in 1996, expires today. Key
proposals in its March Green Paper include replacing the board of
governors with a trust, and a review of alternative funding methods to
the licence fee.
www.bbc.co.uk/thefuture
www.bbccharterreview.org.uk Also in December: Closure of the Dungeness
Nuclear Plant in Kent as part of a series of plant closures between now
and 2023.
www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear www.nda.gov.uk
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