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FASHION NEWS
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FashionUK
www.widemedia.com/fashionuk
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The design of this site is on the cutting
edge and that's fitting for a site that
focuses on the young, hip end of the fashion
market and new designers. The site is
regularly updated with the latest fashion news
and information on the latest collections to
hit the stores. Check out what the young and
fashionable are wearing around the UK with the
FashionUK roving street fashion reports and
find out more about the designers with the
in-depth interviews and profiles.
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Elle Online
www.ellemag.com
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Elle is the biggest fashion magazine in the
world and this site is based around content
pulled from the US version of the magazine -
which is a bit of a drag when it comes to
finding a source for all those divine clothes
displayed on the site. No matter: you can
always enjoy window-shopping and there's a
mass of other interesting stuff on the Elle
site including beauty news, health and fitness
advice and the obligatory horoscopes.
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Glamour
www.glamour.com
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We all take great pleasure in gloating about
the fashion mistakes so-called celebrities
make and that's what makes the Glamour site so
compelling - the slideshow archive of
Celebrity fashion no-nos. Glamour is a popular
US magazine and all the clothing featured in
the mag can be bought directly from the site -
as long as it's stocked in the US store
Nordstrom that is. While you're visiting the
Glamour site, indulge in a bit of bitchery in
the online forums - now why did Jennifer Lopez
wear that dress?
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Fashion Angel
www.fashionangel.com
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Fashion Angel is a directory of Fashion
websites. However it doesn't just list any old
fashion site it actually checks them out and
only lists those it deems "outstanding fashion
websites". This site is not as glitzy and
glamorous as the big name fashion sites,
however it could lead you to some of the more
interesting and quirky style sites.
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Fashion File
www.fashionfile.co.uk
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Get the low-down on the latest fashion, the
hottest models and the most popular designers
at this stylish UK site. All the latest
collections are covered and accompanied by
plenty of good clear photos of the clothes,
many of the top catwalk shows are also
captured on video. You'll find background
information on all the major designers plus
shots of their designs. Anyone who wants to
make a career in fashion will find the list of
model agencies, photographers, stylists and
PRs invaluable.
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Fashion Icon
www.fashion-icon.com
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Fashion Icon has one mission and that's to
bring you the latest fashion news. It turns
out Fashion Icon is actually a name and she's
an undercover fashion reporter. The site looks
kind of quirky and the fashion news and
features held on there are all written in a
kitsch, breathless cod fashion editor style.
Nevertheless it's an entertaining fashion
stop-off and covers material that you won't
find elsewhere.
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Vogue
www.vogue.com
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As you'd expect, the Vogue site looks
fabulous. The fashion shots are beautifully
taken, the text is carefully crafted and the
design is so stylish it hurts. All the latest
fashion stories from the shows in New York,
London, Milan and Paris are covered.
Alternatively, if you fancy chatting to other
fashion fiends, hang around in the online
forums. There's no chance you'll miss out on
the latest fashions if you keep an eye on the
Shopping List, which picks 5,000 key looks
from the world's top designers. What's more,
you can buy clothes featured in the latest US
issue of Vogue from the online boutique - US
ordering and pricing we're afraid
though.
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IT
News
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The Brewery Net Page
www.visit.to/brewerynet
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The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane,
London,E1 has become a large media centre
serving the City of London. On site you not
only get IT news but a directory of the media
companies on site. Well worth a visit to the
site or go down to Brick Lane and meet the top
media people in the Vibe bar.
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The Register
www.theregister.co.uk
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Biting the hand that feeds IT, The Register's
slogan reflects its often hard-hitting yet
jovial approach taken to reporting computer
news. The site reports news stories updated by
the minute with no distractions, and often
beats everyone to exclusives. A handy feature
of The Register's front design is that all
news is presented in tabloid headline form, so
you can quickly choose the story that
interests you, then click on it to get the
full report. Useful buttons allow you to
restrict the news you see to just software,
hardware, semiconductors, networks (including
mobile phones, the Internet or channels). The
Register tells it like it is.
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cnetnews.com
news.cnet.com
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cnet news.com is primarily assigned to
providing tech news above all else, so if you
need to know the latest deals and steals going
on in the computer world this is definitely
one of the best places to come. The home page
is distinctly different, headlines are
displayed as text links or as small images
appropriate to the story. The reports are
clearly written, well presented on the page
and highly informative.
An email subscription facility allows regular
users to receive the best articles from the
entire cnet website via weekly email.
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VNUnet
www.vnunet.com
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VNUnet is a one stop shop for computer
related information. It has a host of
contributors, covering all sections of the
market, from consumers through to the channel.
Add to this an extremely good news analysis
sections, regularly updated news headlines and
oodles of other special features for the home
and business user, and you have something for
everyone. Also on the site you will find the
latest reviews, a huge download section and
even a section advertising the latest computer
jobs.
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GA-Source
www.ga-source.com
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On a slightly different slant, this site is
dedicated to gaming news. It looks
professional and is right up to date, with all
the latest breaking stories going live
immediately. Clicking on a headline brings up
the full story, and usually this includes
screenshots from the new game. Other than news
on games, you will also find business,
community, developer and hardware news. As you
would expect, the site also has first looks
reports, previews and reviews. On top of all
this there are features, interviews, hardware
reviews and a file download section. Where
else could you find all this information on
one site?
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OS News
www.osnews.com
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Despite only being updated biweekly, OS news
contains informative and very up to date
reviews of all the latest developments in the
world of computing. The articles are presented
in a no nonsense format with plain text on a
white background and links to other related
topics of interest. This site is perfect for
those who like to keep on top of the computer
industry without having to check continuously
changing headlines.
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ZDnet.com
www.zdnet.com
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ZDnet is a website specifically designed for
everything computer-related. The homepage
features a vast array of sections including
all the latest computer news headlines from
around the world. Other enticing sections
include a daily competition, 'hot products'
and online shopping direct from ZDnet. The
look is very much like an all-encompassing
Internet portal due to the masses of text
hyper links on the home page, but with a focus
on computer products of all kinds.
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MAGAZINES
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The Economist
www.economist.co.uk
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The Economist is the International journal of
news, ideas, opinions and analysis and its
website is equally prestigious. There's plenty
of content pulled from recent issues along
with a fabulous archive of articles from the
past few years. The detailed reports on
specific areas of the world are must reads for
business people and don't miss out on the
online version of the definitive Economist
Style Guide - a guide to good magazine and
news writing.
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FHM
www.fhm.co.uk
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FHM lives in the same market as Loaded but
the focus is definitely on scantily clad women
draped around bits of furniture. The site is
professional and clean but lacks a sense of
humour. What you'll find lots of is photos of
barely dressed women (including pics from the
FHM year 2000 calendar), what you won't find
much of is content. There's a smattering of
health and fitness information and a few
online interviews but generally the site lacks
depth.
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New Woman Online
www.newwomanonline.co.uk
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New Woman is a magazine for stroppy women and
the online version of the title reflects that
attitude. The amount of content on the site is
impressive; the latest entertainment news and
gossip comes courtesy of Heat magazine, and
you get the latest women's mag fodder of
beauty tips, relationships advice, celebrity
interviews and of course horoscopes. What is
refreshing about the site is its sense of
humour and the interactive features; for
example the site will even write a Dear John
letter for you once you've typed in a few
personal details.
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Slate
www.slate.com
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Slate is Microsoft's attempt at producing an
online magazine and it's actually rather good.
Bill Gates managed to poach the former editor
of the New Republic Michael Kinsley as the
editor of Slate and he's produced a learned
US-focused online political magazine. The
roster of journalists used is impressive and
that means the standard of the writing is
excellent. The site is updated daily with a
handy round-up of the major headlines from US
and International newspapers. More detailed
articles are regularly posted and Slate is
always a good source of info when it comes to
coverage of the US presidential race.
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Suck
www.suck.com
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This rather strange online magazine takes a
unique view on US popular culture, you'll
always be surprised by the content. Topics
covered include the Valerie Harper Index,
which gives you important facts and figures
about the Rhoda star. The content is very much
US focussed, and sometimes Suck is so closely
linked to American culture that the rest of
the world might find it tricky to grasp. The
Net Moguls section of the Suck site is well
worth a visit if you want to gen' up on the
movers and shaker so of the Internet
business.
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Uploaded
www.uploaded.com
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Uploaded is the site 'for men who should net
better'. The notorious lad's mag actually
works well online; the cheeky editorial style
and the risqué content are all mirrored
on the website. Most of the content isn't
suitable for a family audience, many of the
regular magazine features are duplicated on
the site but with an interactive edge to them.
Be warned though the live chat areas can be a
bit saucy. The design of the site is a bit all
over the place but you have to admire
Uploaded's faithfulness to the Loaded
editorial ethos.
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Salon
www.salon.com
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This stylish magazine is only available on
the web and it specialises in content about
the arts and entertainment and calls itself
rather pretentiously a 'one of a kind
gathering for the intellectually curious.'
Thankfully all the articles are exceptionally
well written and include film, theatre, book
and music reviews as well as travel and food
articles. The site is especially good on new
technology and the media and the Discussion
areas are worth investigating, you'll find
them thought provoking.
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Urban 75
www.urban75.com
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This underground online only magazine majors
on articles about the dance scene, football
and direct action. This not for profit mag is
the work of influential UK web designer Mike
Slocombe and as you'd expect the site looks
great. The content ranges from short stories
and cartoons through to video clips from
Mike's appearance on the Jenny Jones show. The
most infamous section of the site is Punch,
where you're invited to slap well known celebs
- Peter Mandelson, Bill Clinton, Tamara
Beckwith and Richard and Judy have all been on
the receiving end of a good slapping.
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NEWS
DATA
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CNN
www.cnn.com
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The Momma of American news channels, CNN
prides itself with being the first to get hold
of footage of breaking news events and this
expertise floods onto its website. It's
difficult to fully grasp the scope of news
that the site covers (how many dedicated news
sites have a section for books?) but to its
credit it never becomes overpowering. This has
to be one of the most crucial sites for the
online viewer.
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AJR NewsLink
ajr.newslink.org
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This is a news website written by journalists
mostly for journalists (you can tell because
it displays its colleagues' praise down one
side of the screen). However it does include a
fair number of stories that will be of
interest to those outside the profession. Most
of it is US-based, which can be frustrating
but even if the news doesn't interest you the
links to other sites are worth a bookmark in
itself.
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Bloomberg
www.bloomberg.com
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work out how much it will cost you to fund
your retirement. Calculate how much those dear
children will have relieved you of by the time
they've finally left home, left university and
left your bank account alone. Most painful of
all, click on the mortgage repayment
calculators and find out how much that loan is
really costing you. Turn it around and watch
the miracle of compound interest turn your
£100 savings a month into a tidy nest
egg.
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OneWorld
www.oneworld.org
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Not everyone has forgotten that the Internet
is supposed to bring the world closer
together. And so OneWorld aims to provide a
news service from a truly global perspective.
The design confidently handles all the
information and good use of colour and a
country search makes navigating a relatively
simple affair. Come back repeatedly to find
fascinating stories that you are unlikely to
find elsewhere.
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Datek Online
www.datek.com
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Anyone who has had dealings with the stock
exchange will no doubt have heard of Datek. It
supplies vast quantities of information
regarding what companies are doing, what
decisions they have made and any announcements
they are planning. Most of it will be of
little interest to the man in the street, but
if you hold any shares it may mean the
difference between a holiday in the Bahamas or
a weekend in Southend.
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Government Information Service
www.open.gov.uk
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Launched under John Major's administration
some years ago as part of the 'open
government' campaign, this site acts as a
repository for most of the government
departments website efforts. Run by the
Government Information Service (GIS), you can
find anything that you are interested in
there, from the Department of Environment,
Transport and the Regions latest consultation
papers to the Office of Fair Trading's view on
the price of replica football kits.
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ITN Online
www.itn.co.uk
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Never one to be outdone by the likes of the
BBC, ITN has conjured up its own dedicated
news service. Trying to show that it is worth
more than a few bongs at 11 o'clock every
night, this website is a fair collection of
stories drawn up to roughly the same populist
agenda that dominate the main news programme.
Some of the ideas are similar to the BBC's
site, such as a news ticker that you download
and which then sits on your screen updating
news constantly throughout the day - a feature
that is probably only suitable for those
surfing at work where the Internet connection
is constantly active.
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NPR Online
www.npr.org/news
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This is a slightly different news site in
that it is run by the National Public Radio
organisation and so you get to see stories
that may not appear elsewhere since they
appeal only to radio stations. The design is
more basic than other news sites and it
doesn't cover as much but it does have the
added advantage that stories can be played
over your speakers. Not much here for news
fiends but then you may pick up on something
not found elsewhere.
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Teletext
www.teletext.co.uk
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For many years now teletext has been part of
our national life and was a forerunner of the
other sites featured here. Many people still
turn to their television for news and sport
updates, but as technology develops, teletext
is determined to stay ahead of the game. The
content of this website is much the same as
you receive on your terrestrial telly, but
re-vamped slightly and presented in a
web-friendly format.
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PBS Online
www.pbs.org
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Another US-centred site but with a twist. A
pleasant, coloured layout brings you breaking
news but this site's main strength is in its
extended features. A welcome break from the
hectic world of fast news, PBS Online takes a
more esoteric approach to life with such
offerings as 'Life beyond earth: Are we alone
in the universe? Unlikely...' and 'How do the
experts capture an avalanche on film, and live
to try again?' Worth checking out.
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Press Association News Centre
www.pa.press.net
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If you are a news addict then this is the
place to be. The British news service from
which many other sites get their information,
the Press Association covers just about every
aspect of modern life and is often first with
the breaking news. The site offers more than
just information on the most recent events
however - its links section alone is worth
bookmarking. Also available are TV and radio
listings, the weather, entertainment and much
much more.
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Reuters
www.reuters.com
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Alongside PA, Reuters is the service from
which other newspapers gather much of their
breaking news. Interestingly, Reuters has gone
for a different approach to most other news
services and presents you with a calm,
laid-back site which initially doesn't appear
to have much to offer. This may not appeal to
those who want a cyber experience but for
others it will be a refreshing change.
Although business news is the order of the
day, this is always worth checking.
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Soccernet
www.soccernet.com
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A news service for football! This will either
cause you to flee from the room screaming or
run up a huge phone bill as you find out who's
planning to buy who next season. If you fit
the latter category and haven't found this
site before, you can be certain to visit again
and again. Just about everything that happens
in British football will end up here along
with scores, surveys and a whole host of other
distractions.
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The Wire
wire.ap.org
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Ever wondered why different papers run
different versions of the same story even
though they had access to the same facts?
Well, here's your chance to compare news
angles and pick up breaking news at the same
time. This is the newswire for the Associated
Press, but rather than simply list the
stories, you will have to select them from a
particular newspaper. After a while you learn
what each paper feels is important to its
readers. Try it.
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NEWSPAPERS
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The Evening Standard
www.thisislondon.co.uk
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The evening paper for London, the Evening
Standard has clearly set itself the task of
becoming the capital's ultimate reference
guide. And it is doing a fine job. The news
mostly concerns London but big stories are
frequently covered. On top of this it provides
a wide-ranging guide to London's bars,
restaurants and clubs, theatres and whatever
else is going on at the time. Online tube and
bus maps are also a nice touch.
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The Economist
www.economist.com
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Widely read by the ruling class, The
Economist sadly hasn't made a smooth
transition to the Internet. The design is too
simple and a little messy and there are a few
mishaps with the HTML which prove distracting
when trying to read. That said, there is a
good amount of material posted (most of each
issue in fact) and an interesting archive
which goes back to 1995.
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Electronic Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk
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Not to be outdone by the other broadsheets
striking out online, The Telegraph has
produced its own site that it hopes readers
will visit again and again. It is certainly
very rich, with plenty of material available
for browsing in addition to the news material.
These extra pieces include a football section
containing more statistics about current
players than you could ever possibly want to
know, an expatriate network, entertainment
sections and a property area.
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Manchester Evening News
www.manchesteronline.co.uk
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The evening paper for one of England's
largest and most exciting cities, the
Manchester Evening News is not as large as its
London equivalent but it does provide an
impressive amount of information. The design
is a little messy and distracting and it can
be difficult finding exactly what you're
after. However, it covers a lot of ground and
it would be hard to find another single source
that covers the city in such detail.
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The Financial Times
www.ft.com
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Recent TV ads have demonstrated how seriously
the Financial Times takes the Internet and it
shows. In fact, so successful has the FT been
at cornering the business market that
competitors are tearing their hair out to get
there share of hits. You won't find any daft
games or chat rooms on this site but you will
find authoritative, up-to-date news stories
from around the world. It's difficult to see
how it can be bettered.
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The Guardian
www.newsunlimited.co.uk
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In terms of design, The Guardian is streaks
ahead of rival papers and it's a pleasure to
look at, let alone read. The news isn't as
strong as other papers but this is made up by
a great use of Internet technology which
whisks you around the site and never seems
dull. The site also extends into areas that
can't be covered so well by the paper edition
- the regular sports updates are particularly
good. And mention has to go to cartoonist
Steve Bell's terrific, surreal and interactive
cartoons.
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The Independent
www.independent.co.uk
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The Independent prides itself on being true
to its name and likes to try and buck the
Fleet Street trends wherever possible.
Famously, it refused to publish pictures of
the Royal Family on the basis that it was not
in the public interest while its fellow
broadsheets filled pages with them.
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The Informed Investor
www.informedinvestor.ic24.net
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Since 1972 the knowing financial
professionals have been using the Informed
Investor as a guide to taxation mitigation
schemes and different investment
opportunities. Now on-line it caters to a
wider audience and encompasses interesting
features on the net, humour, gizmos to
download,wine and wine investment as well as
the core financial features.
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The Irish News
www.irishnews.com
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One of Northern Ireland's main daily
newspapers, The Irish Times has played an
important role over the course of The
Troubles. This site's sparse design however
does not give it an authoritative air.
Equally, the headlines are too drab and don't
make you want to read on. However, if you want
to know more about the Irish conflict, its
archive would be a good place to start.
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The Times
www.the-times.co.uk
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News International continues its aggressive
new media stance with this websites designed
to show off its flagship title. Almost all the
material contained in the daily and Sunday
papers is available in a web-friendly format.
After filling out a short registration form,
you can view all the material for free. Most
of the articles are lifted straight from the
paper but there is also a section dedicated to
up to the minute news.
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The Mirror
www.mirror.co.uk
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Most of the Tabloids do not have a website
worth mentioning, or are too busy promoting
their own online services to bother providing
content of their own. The Mirror is an
exception, however, and this garish site
accurately captures the feel of the printed
product. Short, snappy stories accompanied by
large pictures and graphics dominate the news
section.
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The New York Times
www.nytimes.com
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Equally as famous as The Washington Post, The
New York Times isn't such a classy product. It
may be our British tastes, but the design is
not very inspiring, although the paper's
trademark typeface is very clear. Also, the
writing is a little stilted and concerns
itself a little too strongly with American
pastimes which are unlikely to interest a
British reader. There is still plenty here to
find interesting - as long as you dig deep
enough and don't get bored before you find
it.
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Newsweek
www.newsweek.com
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It can be hard to tell Newsweek and Time
magazine apart. Both offer breaking news
followed by informative analysis. Both feature
stunning photo galleries and both are a bit
too concerned with the US for our liking. In
terms of websites however Newsweek has the
edge. Its design is less tiring on the eye and
it is easier to find your way around.
Definitely a site to come back to.
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Private Eye
www.private-eye.co.uk
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This is the site for all satirists and cynics
out there. Private Eye is a hilarious read and
the Internet relieves it from the very
cluttered design of its paper version. The
whole mag isn't reproduced here but there's
enough to keep you entertained until the next
issue. Oh, and it has wisely decided to keep
the two Diana issues (which were banned at the
time of her death) on
the site. Have a look and a laugh.
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Time
wwww.time.com
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Famous throughout the world, Time's
electronic sister doesn't disappoint with a
cracking range of stories and analyses on the
world's current events. Admittedly, it is a
little too US-centric but then it only makes
you wish we had a UK edition. Particularly
impressive are the photo galleries which group
photos from a particular place or situation
and, with an extended caption on each, provide
a remarkable insight into how people live
around the world. Outstanding.
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The Washington Post
washingtonpost.com
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One of the cornerstones of US journalism (it
was the Post that exposed the Watergate
affair), The Washington Post is an impressive
read. If you are interested on the American
take on events or you want to find out what is
happening over the water, this should be an
early port of call. The huge column on the
left-hand side of the page is a good
indication of how much information is
available.
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NEWS
REVIEWS
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EmergencyNet News
www.emergency.com/ennday.htm
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This is the ideal site for ambulance chasers.
If something terrible is happening in the
world somewhere it will be reported here. The
design is dreadful but then its main selling
point is advertised underneath the title:
'No-nonsense news and analysis, written by
professionals for professionals.' There's no
news angles or human interest diversions here,
just cold, stark facts and in a way that makes
it all the more shocking.
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AlterNet
www.alternet.org
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AlterNet claims to be 'world's only
syndication service for independent and
alternative content'. That seems unlikely
somehow, but then it does live up to its
independent and alternative tag. The only
problem is that it's all a bit of a hit and
miss affair. One day you may find the most
fascinating perspective on current events;
another, you'll be clicking away after the
first paragraph. It's worth keeping an eye on
however.
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BBC Talking Point
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point
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The BBC comes up trumps with this outstanding
news analysis section of its news site, called
Talking Point. Everything is covered here from
sport, politics, technology as long as there
are issues to discuss. The quality of writing
is also exceptionally high. You get a chance
to put forward your own views on the topics
discussed - a great relief for those tired of
soundbite journalism and want a little more in
their daily news digest.
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The Capitalism Site
www.capitalism.org
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The system under which we all live has taken
a pretty severe knocking from many sources
over the years, and this site aims to defend
what it sees as the ultimate guarantor of
personal freedom. A question and answer
section puts the common argument and
counter-argument for several topics such as
government, monopolies and education. Links to
relevant books for purchase abound, as you
would expect from a site that promotes
Capitalism.
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Foreign Wire
www.foreignwire.com
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Not the most beautiful site to look at, but
Foreign Wire consistently manages to come up
with interviews and features that don't appear
elsewhere. If you get past the amateurish
white, blue and red design you may find a few
diamonds. Foreign Wire concerns itself with
world affairs and clearly separates into News,
Comment and Analysis - sections which
frequently prove intriguing and show up a lack
of real knowledge in many other
commentators.
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Institute for War and Peace Reporting
www.iwpr.net
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Ever suspect that we in the West are
force-fed propaganda about the wars we are
involved in? Well, we are and the IWPR aims to
balance the scales. If you want to know what
is really happening and why, this is the site
to come to. It may be a grim subject to cover
but it is also a very important one and the
analysis behind the world's current conflicts
is a real eye-opener. This is just the sort of
thing the Internet excels at.
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IT-Analysis.com
www.it-analysis.com
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There are websites queuing up to tell you
what they make of the latest announcements and
decisions by computer companies, but
IT-Analysis is one of only a handful which
isn't afraid to stick its neck out and get
things right. Important breaking news is
listed on a side panel, but the bulk of the
page is taken up with a range of daily
analyses. A refreshing change from a lot of
uninformed IT journalism.
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The Noam Chomsky Archive
www.zmag.org/chomsky/index.cfm
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Noam Chomsky is one of America's most
prominent political dissidents. A renowned
professor of linguistics at MIT, he has
authored over 30 political books dissecting
such issues as U.S. interventionism in the
developing world, the political economy of
human rights and the propaganda role of
corporate media. There is very little that
this brilliant author has not convincingly
attacked over the years; so much so that he is
on several assassination lists.
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WORLD
NEWS
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China Daily
www.chinadaily.net
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This is another site that will be interesting
to keep an eye on. China isn't exactly
renowned for its free press and so you can be
sure that everything on this site has been
sanctioned by those higher up the chain. But
recent developments have seen China take on
capitalist traits and allow Western companies
into the country. This may change the nature
of domestic reporting but the different angle
taken on foreign stories is likely to
remain.
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Africanews.com
www.africanews.com
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Trying to cover news in the African continent
is a seemingly impossible task but
Africanews.com has a fair stab at it. You're
certainly likely to find stories here that
don't crop up elsewhere, but UK-based news
services will probably offer a better account
of the big stories. The design is very basic
and news is split into different countries,
although there are rarely more than a few for
each region. Good for an occasional
peek.
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ArabNet
www.arab.net
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This is a great site. Covering every Arab
country it contains a vast amount of useful
and in-depth information, all written with a
wonderfully dry sense of humour and a sharp
opinion. Frequent rants are the norm and there
is a genuine sense of pride over the Arab
states. With its eye on the West as well,
ArabNet gives an interesting outsider
perspective. Any news site that features the A
to Z of camels has to be worth a look.
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South America News
www.southamericadaily.com
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One thing that is clear from looking at world
news is how self-obsessed we are in the UK.
Little of the news outside Europe and the US
concerns famous people's hairdos or how a TV
gameshow will change the world. So we turn to
South America News (again with a country
index) which covers most of the big stories
going on in the continent and gives an
interesting rundown on how life varies from
the UK experience.
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The Drudge Report
www.drudgereport.com
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Made famous for exposing the Monica Lewinsky
affair, The Drudge Report has slowly slunk
back into obscurity. Rather than cracking
front page news these days, it is more likely
to post wild rumour or unimportant snippets.
That said, it is still likely to come up with
something extraordinary sooner or later -
which is why it is carefully watched not only
by Washington but also by other journalists.
The design remains appalling.
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Europe Online
www.europeonline.com
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The idea of a source for all European news
was certainly a grand one and all credit
should go to Europe Online for what it has
achieved so far. You will find a vast amount
of data here and it is interesting to see the
differences between European countries. But
the sheer scope of the project causes the
information to be a little too shallow and it
lacks what many other sites can offer - the
personal touch.
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Express India
www.expressindia.com
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Many of the most popular sites on the
Internet have a distinctly Western feel with
news dominated by what is happening in the UK
and particularly the USA. This site looks and
feels very similar to these sorts of sites,
but most of the news on it is about India. It
has an express news service that is constantly
updated by their correspondents on the ground.
The recent election are analysed in a
straightforward and useful way.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
www.fco.gov.uk
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As part of the drive to make the various
government departments more open and
accountable, the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office launched this site. It goes way beyond
a standard dolling out of official travel
advice, although that is there if you want it.
There are updates from around the world
enabling you to see what Mr Cook is up to at
practically every stage in his official life,
and you can keep up to speed on the latest
diplomatic positions on current burning
foreign issues.
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