en-uk Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:37:29 GMT Copyright 2007 Times Newspapers Ltd. custserv@timesonline.co.uk http://www.timesonline.co.uk Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:17:12 GMT Newspapers 144 21 http://www.timesonline.co.uk http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,116979,00.gif Mike Freer Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT 2009-11-04T12:06:02Z In the unlikely event of a film being made about the experience of the public sector over the next four years, we can pretty much assume it will be called There Will Be Cuts. Ershad Ahmadi Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT 2009-11-03T09:16:12Z Increasing insecurity, a growing insurgency and a perceived faltering in the international community’s resolve to stay the course in Afghanistan causes its nervous citizens to think in the short term. They see public office as a short cut to illicit enrichment and insurance against future disaster. Such circumstances are conducive to corruption, collusion, bid rigging and the development of cartels. Natalie Haynes Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT 2009-11-03T09:14:49Z Today the British Council is presenting a debate on the role of the arts in democratic change. When they asked me to take part I was initially sceptical. Do the arts really need to be politically relevant? Can’t they just be pretty, or interesting, or fun? David Spiegelhalter Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT 2009-11-03T09:09:56Z Last year 509,090 people died in England and Wales, and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has just released full details of what they died of. For a statistician this means 346 riveting pages of morbid detail, ranging from the rare fatalities from hang-gliders (2), dog bites (4), lightning (0, down from 2 the previous year), men-in-their-40s on playground equipment (1) to the usual blockbusters such as ischaemic heart disease (76,985). Robin Murray Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT 2009-11-02T08:06:18Z The ill-tempered argument over cannabis use is an ideological dispute between those who regard it as an entirely safe herb and those who regard it as a devilish drug likely to drive one mad after a few puffs. Sadly, there is rarely an honest and open discussion on why people enjoy it, what level of consumption is safe, if adolescents are especially at risk and whether certain types of cannabis pose greater dangers.