Shaken Blair faces education bill defeat. Zak Taylor reports

Opposition from within his own party caused Tony Blair’s first defeat as Prime Minister on the 9th of November. The House of Commons rejected his Terrorism Bill, which would allow the extension of the length of time terror suspects could legally be held without charge. It was the first time a government had been defeated since 1995.

In August of this year, the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, visited the Yasukuni war shrine, which honours around 2.5 million Japanese soldiers who died fighting for Japan since the mid 19th Century. This total also includes 14 war criminals, prompting outcry from Japan’s neighbours. Many do not believe Japan is sufficiently apologetic for its actions during the Second World War. Given increasing Japanese-Chinese rivalry relations with China in particular have consequently suffered.

Founding father of the University, Sir Andrew Derbyshire, talks to Lauren Carter and Simon Davis about forty years of change and the ideals York has since forgotten

When Sir Andrew Derbyshire’s forty-year relationship with the University came to an end five years ago, he vowed he would never come back. He had been one of the leading architects for the University since it was first established, and had continued to work on the development of campus throughout his career.

Wrapping up warm doesn’t have to mean losing your edge. Hannah Beesley takes a look at the latest male trends to hit the high street in time for Christmas

This winter sees the rise of five-year-old party chic. Obviously not the whole hog; no hiding under trestle tables and chucking sausage rolls at people. Craig Rushworth at River Island agrees: “All the stuff you remember from your childhood is definitely coming back around.”

The scientific briefing with Luke Boulter

As you amble down Micklegate at 3am with a cold take-away in one hand and the other hand pressed to your forehead trying to convince yourself that you know the way home, what is it that causes someone that you’ve only spoken to once in your life to yell across the street acknowledging you as a friend? Similarly, what is it that causes a loved one to run towards you as you step off the train?

Is lying still considered a terrible sin? Suzi Farr examines our attitudes on the dodgy moral topic that us of modern dishonesty

“No, your bum doesn’t look big in that”, “Of course I haven’t polished off your Ben and Jerry’s!”, “I was more an ‘environmental hygienist’ than a toilet attendant”.

Are you really as clever as you think, or are our degree standards just being ‘dumbed down’? Joanne Grant looks at growing accusations of grade inflation in our universities and questions the value of our degrees

It looks as if those halcyon days when education really meant something have well and truly passed. While GCSEs and A-Levels have received their fair share of bad publicity, the Honours Degree has, until now, remained relatively untouched and, therefore, untarnished.

I was thrilled when I got this column: at last, a chance to ramble on at some length about whatever subject I choose, to anyone on campus actually bored enough to read it! It was like an early Christmas present. However, the euphoria quickly wore off, as I realised that really, I was making a terrible mistake. You see, I have no ‘Significant Other’ about whom I can be smug and mention at every available opportunity. And it’s not as if I can take advantage of my single status to write some Carrie Bradshaw-esque spiel with ‘quirky’ observations about my own and my friends’ love lives.

The other evening, I found myself in a surprisingly good mood: I didn’t have much work to do, nobody had recently driven up my blood pressure by asking what I plan to do when I leave university, and my house had not yet sunk into its normal state of near-arctic coldness. Things, it seemed, were right with the world. With this cheering thought in mind, I went downstairs to make a cup of tea, and found my housemates watching What Not To Wear. Within moments, all of my optimism had evaporated away. There’s nothing like Trinny and Susannah to kill positive feelings.

Christmas is meant to be a time for giving and sharing, but if you’re feeling the pinch as well as the chill this winter, Rowena Nicholls reveals how to indulge in the festive season without selling your soul to Scrooge

Neighbours’ resident compulsive liar, Mark Raffety, discusses his new role.

Mark Raffety is currently starring in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Grand Opera House, York, 15th December to 8th January (Box Office: 08701 451163)

Before coming to York I had been warned by Brits that it would be quite cold. Naturally, coming from Sweden, I scoffed at such warnings and decided not to pack a duvet, since I figured it wouldn’t be cold enough for me to need one anyway. Needless to say, on my second day here, I bought the thickest duvet I could find, as well as gloves and a proper pullover - things I had also neglected to bring.

In this edition I am going to bring out the heavy artillery when it comes to dealing with cold weather: soup. Let’s start out with some croutons, though.

A student production with relevance beyond the Drama Barn? Nan Langfeldt-Flory looks at how Angels in America, in conjunction with Student Stop Aids Society, has reawakened awareness of HIV / AIDS on campus.

The 1st of December was World AIDS Day - an opportunity to regenerate awareness of a condition which is a potential threat to us all. Here in York, Martha Paren, Chair of the University branch of the Student Stop AIDS Society, organised a week of events aimed at putting the issue of AIDS back into the spotlight.

Golden Dragon, 3 King Street.
Monday to Saturday 2300 - 0300
Sunday 2300 -0200

Salt and Vinegar, 13B Bridge Street.
Monday to Thursday 2300 - 0030
Friday to Saturday 2300 - 0230
Sunday 2300 - 0100

Everyone is talking about the new licensing laws, but have they really made a difference? Flora Bradwell and Vicky Hallam launch themselves into the seedy underwold of late night drinking

The new late licensing laws seemed to many to be the dawn of a new era. They would transform York and the rest of England into a continental paradise where drinkers would imbibe responsibly throughout the evening and into the morning, basking in the warm glow that only steady drinking can produce, and renouncing all their binge drinking ways.