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January 2005 in Britain and Ireland
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''This page deals with current events in the English-speaking nations and territories of Europe. These are [[England]], [[Wales]], [[Scotland]], [[Northern Ireland]], [[Republic of Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and [[Gibraltar]].''
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===Deaths in January===
* [[6 January|6]] [[Nicholas Scott|Sir Nicholas Scott]], 71
* [[4 January|4]] [[Humphrey Carpenter]], 58
* [[2 January|2]] [[Cyril Fletcher]], 91
* [[1 January|1]] [[Hugh Lawson, 6th Baron Burnham|The Lord Burnham]], 73

===Ongoing events===

===Future events===
[[20 January]]: [[Metrication]] of [[speed limit]]s in [[Republic of Ireland|Rep. of Ireland]]<br>
[[2005]]: [[UK general election, 2005]]<br>

===Upcoming holidays===
[[6 January]]: [[Epiphany (feast)]]<br>
[[20 January]]&ndash;[[24 January]]: [[Eid ul-Adha]]<br>
[[25 January]]: [[Burns Night]]<br>

===Upcoming sports events===
====[[Cricket]]====
[[South African cricket team|South Africa]] v. [[English cricket team|England]] Test Series<br>
4th Test: [[13 January|13]]&ndash;[[17 January]]<br>
5th Test: [[21 January|21]]&ndash;[[25 January]]

====[[Football]]====
[[FA Cup]] &ndash; 3rd Round, [[7 January|7]]&ndash;[[9 January]]

===Related pages===
[[2005 in the United Kingdom|2005 in the UK]]<br>
[[2005 in Ireland]]<br>
[[Wikipedia:How the Current events page works|About this page]]<br/>

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==[[7 January]] [[2005]]==
* The [[BBC]] receives over 30,000 complaints and its offices are picketed by religious groups protesting tomorrow night's planned transmission of ''[[Jerry Springer]]: The Opera'', ([[BBC2]], 10 p.m.) which they claim to be blasphemous and obscene, with 3,168 "F-words" and 297 "C-words". One group threatents to bring a private prosecution for blasphemy against the BBC is the transmision goes ahead, under laws last used in the 1970s. [http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Andinothernews&ao=177601 (Mail & Guardian, SA)]
* [[Northern Ireland]] [[PSNI|police]] [[Chief Constable]] [[Hugh Orde]] publicly accuses the [[Provisional IRA]] of what has now been assessed as a £26.5 million robbery of the [[Northern Bank]] in [[Belfast]] before Christmas. Northern Bank announces that it is to recall and reissue all its banknotes in different colours and designs in response to the robbery, making most of the money taken "waste paper". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4154657.stm (BBC)][http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0107/belfast.html (RTÉ)]
* Three ex-[[Aer Lingus]] managers have declared their ambition to set up a rival domestic, European and transatlantic low-cost airline. The trio recently quit the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[Republic of Ireland|state]] airline over the [[Irish Government]]'s unclear privatisation plans, and inaction over the airline's future. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0107/aerlingus.html (RTÉ)]
* [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] now says that 49 Britons are confirmed dead in the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Asian tsunami]], and that the total number of British deaths may reach 440. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4153741.stm (BBC)]

==[[6 January]] [[2005]]==
*The British public have now donated over [[Pound sterling|£]]100m to the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Asian tsunami]] appeal, according to the [[Disasters Emergency Committee]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4152933.stm (BBC)]
*Police charge three teenagers (aged 19, 17 and 16) from [[Peckham]] with the murder of [[Damilola Taylor]] in [[November 2000]]. They will appear in court tomorrow. The three were arrested yesterday after police used new DNA techniques to examine evidence obtained at the time of the murder. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4153461.stm (BBC)]
*[[Gerry Kelly]], the [[Sinn Féin]] justice spokesman, condemns the robbery of the [[Northern Bank]] on [[21 December]] [[2004]] and states that he believes the [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] did not play a role in the robbery. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0106/northpolitics.html (RTÉ)]
*A public awareness campaign is started by the [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[Irish Government|Government]] to inform motorists of the changeover to [[metric]] [[speed limit]]s in two weeks' time. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0106/metric.html (RTÉ)]
*[[Jon Smee]] becomes the youngest ever person convicted of drink driving in the [[United Kingdom]], at [[13]] years old. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4151687.stm (BBC)]
*[[South African cricket team|South Africa]] (441 and 222-8 dec) beat [[English cricket team|England]] (163 and 304) by 196 runs in the third [[Test cricket|Test]] in [[Cape Town]]. It's England's first Test defeat since [[December 2003]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4151307.stm (BBC)]

==[[5 January]] [[2005]]==
* Work begins on upgrading the [[N7 road|N7]] [[Naas]] [[roads in Ireland|road]] in [[Dublin]], [[Ireland]]. The project is part of a €1.1 billion plan that includes upgrading the [[M50 motorway|M50]] and associated [[interchange]]s. [http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/4799124?view=Eircomnet (Irish Times - eircom.net)]
*Year-end figures released by the [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[Exchequer]] show a €33 million [[budget surplus]], as opposed to the €2.8 billion [[budget deficit|shortfall]] forecast by the [[Irish Government]] at the beginning of the year. [http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/4799104?view=Eircomnet (Irish Times - eircom.net)]
*[[Chief executive]]s of the [[Republic of Ireland]]'s semi-amalgamated [[The Eleven Kingdoms|health boards]] meet under the new "Health Service Executive". Health services will continue to be administered separately in the eleven regions for at least six months. [http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/4792212?view=Eircomnet (Irish Times - eircom.net)]
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Asian tsunami]]:
** The [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[Irish Government|Government]] cabinet meets to discuss the aid situation. A [[Garda Síochána|Garda]] team is to be sent to the area. There have been calls for the government to increase their €10 million pledge to match rising public donations. [http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/4792508?view=Eircomnet (Irish Independent - eircom.net)]
** Even ten days since the disaster, British casualties are still being determined; reports include the parents of celebrity [[Charlie Dimmock]] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/05/ndimm05.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/05/ixnewstop.html] and government advisor [[Nim Hoy]] are among the victims [http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/publish/article_27808.shtml], with presenter [[David Dickinson]] narrowly avoiding death. [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3966504]

==[[4 January]] [[2005]]==
* [[Smoking]] has been [[smoking ban|banned]] in all [[Northern Ireland]] [[civil service]] offices. Public health lobbyists are calling for a complete workplace ban, similar to that in force across the border in the [[Republic of Ireland|Republic]]. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0104/smoking.html (RTÉ)]
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Asian tsunami]]:
**[[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[Taoiseach]] [[Bertie Ahern]] met with Irish [[aid agency|aid agencies]] to discuss how to allocate the government's €10 million aid pledge. Involvement of the [[Irish Army]] in aid efforts is also a matter of debate. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0104/quake3.html (RTÉ)]

==[[3 January]] [[2005]]==
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Asian tsunami]]:
** [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] says that the British death toll is "highly likely" to reach 199. Forty Britons are confirmed dead; another 159 are missing and feared killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4142945.stm (BBC)]
** Christopher Pierson pleads guilty to sending [[hoax]] emails to relatives of those missing, claiming that they are confirmed dead. He is remanded in custody until [[January 24]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4142463.stm (BBC)]

==[[2 January]] [[2005]]==

* A [[hoax]]er has emailed friends and relatives of those missing in the Asian [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|tsunami]] to say that they are confirmed dead.  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4140375.stm (BBC)].
* [[Operation Garron]], the British military aid effort for victims of the Indian Ocean earthquake is launched. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4142237.stm (BBC)]
* [[Train|Rail]] fare increases take effect from today.  Average fares have increased by about 4%, advance fares between 2% and 7.2%. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4140631.stm (BBC)]
* [[Police]] investigating the murder of Amy Williams have been given more time to question the man arrested yesterday. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4140677.stm (BBC)]

==[[1 January]] [[2005]]==
* UK charities have now collected over £60m for the victims of the Asian [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|tsunami]]. Thirty-five Britons are now confirmed to be amongst those who died, although authorities have said that the total death toll may never be known.  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4139735.stm (BBC)]
* [[New Year]]'s celebrations all over the UK fall silent for two minutes as a mark of respect for those who died in the tsunami.  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4136705.stm (BBC)]
* Papers released under the [[Thirty Year Rule]] show that the [[British House of Commons|Labour government]] of [[1974]] was against the introduction of [[British national identity card|identity cards]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4139049.stm (BBC)]
* The [[Freedom of Information Act 2000|Freedom of Information Act]] and the [[Environmental Information Regulations 2004|Environmental Information Regulations]] come into force. They radically alter the balance of presumption over access to government information.
* A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of [[pregnant]] teenager Amy Williams in [[Telford]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/4137045.stm (BBC)]
* New [[Chip and PIN]] legislation comes into effect today.  It makes retailers liable for fraudulent transactions if they have failed to sign up to the scheme. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4139211.stm (BBC)]

==Earlier British and Irish events==

[[British and Irish December 2004 events]]