"Hunts in England and Wales have been out to mark the last day that hunting with dogs is legal. With the ban due to come into force at 0001 GMT on Friday, many riders were defiant and vowed their activities had only been 'suspended temporarily'. But anti-hunt groups welcomed the imminent ban, saying it must be upheld." [BBC]

I don't agree with hunting with dogs. I think it's cruel and unnecessary. But I don't agree with banning it. It seems a moral issue to me, rather than a legal one. I don't understand why the Labour government gave so much parliamentary time to it nor why they decided that hunting with dogs had to be made unlawful. The moral argument doesn't work unless all other activities believed to harm animals are also banned. What about angling? Is the next step to ban fishing with hooks? After all, the fish must experience some stress and hurt when they are yanked out of the water on the end of a spike.

This government is quite good at alienating sections of society. And they've just turned a lot of law-abiding people into potential criminals for nothing but dogma.

11:06:34 PM    

A Sri Lankan baby found in the debris left by the tsunami has been returned to his parents. Four-month-old Abhilasha, known as 'Baby 81', was confirmed as the son of Murugupillai and Jenita Jeyarajah after DNA tests. Eight other couples had wanted to take the child. He was handed over to his parents in a brief court ceremony, after which the family left for their temporary home in the eastern town of Kalmunai. [BBC]

12:03:34 AM