Fireworks as world welcomes 2009
Cities across the globe celebrate the start of 2009
Celebrations are taking place around the world to mark the end of 2008 and usher in the new year.
In Australia, huge crowds turned out to watch multi-million dollar fireworks displays in Sydney and Melbourne.
Cities across Asia and Europe also greeted 2009 with pyrotechnic shows and street gatherings.
Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, in the Pacific Ocean became the first inhabited place on Earth to celebrate the new year at 1000 GMT.
An hour later residents in Auckland, New Zealand, watched a dramatic fireworks display from the city's Sky Tower.
A number of Arab nations - including Egypt, Jordan and Syria - cancelled planned celebrations in solidarity with Palestinians in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after a fifth day of Israeli air-strikes on the coastal enclave.
Muted festivities
In Sydney, a record crowd of up to 1.5 million people watched fireworks explode over the iconic Harbour Bridge.
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The display, featuring thunder, rain and lightning effects, was the largest ever staged in the city. About 5,000kg of fireworks were used.
Organisers of the Sydney festivities said they were hoping it would offer revellers a brief respite from the economic gloom of 2008.
"There's so much misery around," fireworks director Fortunato Foti told reporters. "If we can get people to forget all that and think just about the fireworks for 15 to 20 minutes, we will have done our job."
In the Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo described 2008 as a "tumultuous" year.
"I hope that we can all work together as a global community to weather these storms," she said in a message.
In Malaysia, the government is not sponsoring any new year events because of the economic downturn.
Celebrations were also muted in the Indian city of Mumbai, following November's deadly attacks.
I'll be sailing up and down the Thames on a boat party with close friends and watching the London fireworks above when the clock strikes 12.
Tight security was planned, with special measures in place along the city's waterfront - where the militants involved in the attacks slipped ashore.
But some Asian cities did opt to mark the end of 2008 in style.
Fireworks shot from the 101-storey Taipei Tower as midnight struck in Taiwan. In Singapore, more than 250,000 people attended a display in Marina Bay.
And in Hong Kong, half a million people watched - some on the shore, some from boats - as fireworks shot into the sky from 10 skyscrapers surrounding Victoria Harbour.
The display was intended to signify "a bright and hopeful New Year for Hong Kong and the world", organisers said.
'Help each other'
At a year's end Vespers prayer in Rome, the splendour of St Peter's Basilica contrasted with Pope Benedict XVI's call for "soberness and solidarity" in 2009.
He urged people not to be afraid during these uncertain times but to help each other.
 Pope Benedict XVI urged people not to be afraid but to help each other |
In London, as tens of thousands gathered for a spectacular fireworks display by the Thames, Mayor Boris Johnson set an upbeat tone in his New Year's address.
"There are those who say we should look ahead to 2009 with foreboding," said Mr Johnson.
"I want to quote Col Kilgore in Apocalypse Now when he says 'Someday captain, this war is going to end'; and someday, this recession is going to end."
"Let's go forward into 2009 with enthusiasm and purpose," he added.
In Greece, Palestinian protesters staged a demonstration near an outdoor concert in Athens during New Year celebrations, chanting slogans and burning Israeli, US and EU flags.
As France prepared to hand over the EU's rotating six-month presidency, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for Europe to remain strong in 2009.
He said the bloc had proved its strength through its reaction to such challenges as the financial crisis, conflict in Georgia and an ambitious greenhouse gas agreement.
"I remain convinced that the world needs a strong, independent, imaginative Europe," he said.
'Dozens die' in Bangkok nightclub
'Dozens die' in Bangkok nightclub
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At least 53 people have been killed in a fire in a nightclub in the Thai capital, Bangkok, police said, quoted by Reuters news agency.
More than 100 others were injured in the blaze, which broke out as people took part in New Year's Eve celebrations, the agency reports.
A Thai police official told Reuters the cause had not yet been determined.
A witness told the BBC that he had seen a number of bodies being carried away from the club, named as the Santika.
The witness, Andrew Jones, said survivors leaving the club told him the fire broke out on the stage after fireworks were lit just after midnight.
He said the club was popular with foreigners and locals alike.
The club had only one main exit, at the front, and many people had been trapped inside, he said.
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Global new year festivities begin
Global new year festivities begin
Australia welcomes in the new year
Celebrations are beginning around the world to mark the end of 2008 and usher in the new year.
In Australia, huge crowds turned out to watch multi-million dollar fireworks displays in Sydney and Melbourne.
Not to be outdone, New Zealand staged a dramatic pyrotechnics show from Auckland's Sky Tower.
Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, in the Pacific Ocean became the first inhabited place on Earth to celebrate the new year at 1000 GMT.
In Sydney, a record crowd of up to 1.5 million people watched fireworks explode over the iconic Harbour Bridge.
The display, featuring thunder, rain and lightning effects, was the largest ever staged in the city. About 5,000kg of fireworks were used.
Further south, thousands of people lined the banks of Melbourne's Yarra river for a colourful show.
Muted festivities
Organisers of the Sydney festivities said they were hoping it would offer revellers a brief respite from the economic gloom of 2008.
I'll be sailing up and down the Thames on a boat party with close friends and watching the London fireworks above when the clock strikes 12.
"There's so much misery around," fireworks director Fortunato Foti told reporters. "If we can get people to forget all that and think just about the fireworks for 15 to 20 minutes, we will have done our job."
In the Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo described 2008 as a "tumultuous" year.
"I hope that we can all work together as a global community to weather these storms," she said in a message.
In Malaysia, the government is not sponsoring any new year events because of the economic downturn.
| |
Tight security was planned, with special measures in place along the city's waterfront - where the militants involved in the attacks slipped ashore.
But some Asian cities did opt to mark the end of 2008 in style.
Fireworks shot from the 101-storey Taipei Tower as midnight struck in Taiwan. In Singapore, more than 250,000 people attended a display in Marina Bay.
And in Hong Kong, half a million people watched - some on the shore, some from boats - as fireworks shot into the sky from 10 skyscrapers surrounding Victoria Harbour.
The display was intended to signify "a bright and hopeful New Year for Hong Kong and the world", organisers said.
Iranian raid on Ebadi condemned
Iranian raid on Ebadi condemned
 Iran's judiciary said Ms Ebadi's group did not have the required legal permits |
A new raid by the Iranian authorities on an office of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and lawyer, Shirin Ebadi, has been widely condemned.
A US state department official said the raid was another example of Iran's refusal to respect international norms.
The French authorities summoned the Iranian ambassador to inform him of the European Union's disapproval.
Canada said the raid appeared to be part of an effort to impede the work of Ms Ebadi and other rights campaigners.
Human Rights Watch, a US -based rights group, said it was extremely worried about Ms Ebadi's safety, following Monday's raid when officials removed computers and documents from her private office in Tehran.
Earlier this month the Iranian authorities closed the Tehran office of the Human Rights Defenders Centre headed by Ms Ebadi, saying it had operated for eight years without permission.
Ms Ebadi, a 61-year-old lawyer and human rights activist, became Iran's first Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003.
Israel rejects Gaza truce calls
Israel rejects Gaza truce calls
Gaza wakes up to another day of air strikes
Israel has rejected international calls for a 48-hour truce in the Gaza Strip to allow in humanitarian aid, says a government spokesman.
Mark Regev said that Israel was not looking for a "band aid", or something that would expire a month from now. But he said dialogue would continue.
The truce is among issues being discussed by the Israeli cabinet.
Israel has launched air strikes on Gaza for a fifth day, and more Palestinian rockets landed in south Israel.
A foreign ministry spokesman earlier said a unilateral 48-hour halt was "unrealistic", as long as Hamas continued to fire at Israel.
The 48-hour ceasefire plan to allow aid into Gaza, proposed by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, was raised during an Israeli leadership meeting late on Tuesday.
Reports of the discussions - involving Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defence and foreign ministers - suggested any pause in fighting would be accompanied by a threat to send in ground troops if rocket fire into Israel continued.
Mr Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were reportedly opposed to the ceasefire plan, while Ehud Barak, the defence minister, was said to be inclined to examine it.
A Hamas spokesman quoted by AFP news agency criticised the current international truce proposals as unbalanced.
"The current efforts aimed at ending the combat and installing a ceasefire put the executioner and victim on equal footing," Fawzi Barhum said.
He said international and Arab efforts had to focus on "ending this aggression".
A European Union statement had called for an "unconditional" halt to Hamas rocket attacks.
The Arab League is also meeting in Cairo to discuss the crisis.
Extra reservists
The ceasefire request is being discussed at a cabinet meeting, along with the possibility of widening and deepening this campaign, says the BBC's Mike Sergeant in Jerusalem.
Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said that dialogue with the international community would continue.
 The Israeli bombardment began on Saturday |
An extra 2,500 reservists have been called up by the Israeli army and, on the frontier with Gaza, preparations continue for a possible Israeli ground operation.
A statement by Hamas has warned any invasion would see "the children of Gaza collecting the body parts of Israeli soldiers and the ruins of tanks".
On Wednesday, Israeli missiles pounded tunnels along Gaza's Egyptian frontier, as well as an office of former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and other buildings linked to his Hamas movement.
Palestinian officials say about 374 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes since Saturday; four Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza, which is under Hamas control.
Israel has warned it is ready for weeks of action to end the threat posed by rockets, which on Wednesday and Tuesday landed in and around Beersheba, 46 km (28 miles) from the Gaza Strip. No serious casualties were reported there.
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A police spokesman said 860,000 Israelis were now in range of Palestinian rockets.
The UN says at least 62 Palestinian civilians have died since Saturday.
Red Cross spokesman in Gaza Iyad Nasr said Gaza badly needed more supplies bringing in.
"In particular the hospitals have been depleted and stretched to the maximum because of the closure imposed," he told the BBC.
A spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency - the largest aid agency operating in Gaza - says it will resume food distribution on Thursday after a two-week suspension because of a shortage of supplies.
Eighty-four UNRWA trucks carrying mostly food and some medicine are due to go into Gaza today.
It says its employees will take whatever risks involved because of the sheer intensity of humanitarian need.
Ground operations?
The Mid-East Quartet - which comprises the US, UN, EU and Russia - called for a ceasefire "that would be fully respected" and for all parties to address "the serious humanitarian and economic needs in Gaza", a UN spokeswoman said.
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The EU foreign ministers echoed that call following a meeting in the French capital, Paris.
A separate proposal from Egypt and a number of other Arab countries has called on Israel to re-open its border with Gaza.
The US - Israel's strongest ally - has called for a long-term solution beyond any immediate ceasefire. But the White House reiterated that the onus was on Hamas to act first to end the violence.
Mr Olmert said earlier that the air assault on Gaza was "the first in several stages" of operations against Hamas.
Israel has massed forces along the boundary with Gaza and has declared the area around it a "closed military zone".
Correspondents say the move could be a prelude to ground operations, but could also be intended to build pressure on Hamas.
The Israeli air strikes began less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but has kept tight control over access in and out of Gaza and its airspace.
| GAZA VIOLENCE 27-30 DECEMBER  1. Ashdod: First attack so far north, Sunday. Woman killed in second rocket attack, Tuesday 2. Ashkelon: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Monday3. Sderot: rocket attacks4. Nevitot: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Saturday5. Civilian family reported killed in attack on Yabna refugee camp, Sunday 6. Israeli warplanes strike tunnels under Gaza/Egypt border, Sunday7. Three brothers reported killed in attack on Rafah, Sunday8. Khan Younis: Four members of Islamic Jihad and a child reported killed, Sunday. Security officer killed in air strike on Hamas police station, Tuesday 9. Deir al-Balah: Palestinians injured, houses and buildings destroyed, Sunday 10. Tel al-Hawa - Interior ministry and Islamic University badly damaged, Monday. At least three buildings in ministry compound hit, Tuesday11. Gaza City port: naval vessels targeted, Sunday 12. Shati refugee camp: Home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya targeted, Monday 13. Intelligence building attacked, Sunday14. Jebaliya refugee camp: several people killed in attack on mosque, Sunday 15. Beit Hanoun - two girls killed in air strike, Tuesday16. Israeli soldier killed at unspecified military base near Nahal Oz border crossing - five other soldiers wounded in same rocket attack, Monday night. |
Hoy knighted in New Year honours
Hoy knighted in New Year honours
Hoy delighted by huge honour
Britain's Olympic heroes dominate the sporting New Year Honours list, with cyclist Chris Hoy knighted.
Team-mate Bradley Wiggins and sailing star Ben Ainslie are appointed CBEs, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becomes an OBE.
Team GB cycling performance director Dave Brailsford is appointed CBE, as is rowing counterpart David Tanner.
Lewis Hamilton becomes an MBE after becoming Formula One's youngest world champion in only his second season.
Reading FC chairman John Madejski receives a knighthood for his charity work, and BBC cricket commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins is appointed MBE.
"I was lucky to be in the right place and at the right time to commentate and write about it," Martin-Jenkins told BBC Radio 4.
"Cricket is the most profound team game - the best game of the lot."
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Hoy dominated on the track in Beijing
Scotland's Hoy, recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, became the first Briton in 100 years to win three golds at an Olympics with his success in Beijing in August.
Hoy has a double reason to celebrate as his mother Carol, who is a retired nurse, is appointed MBE for her work on sleep-related illnesses.
"To become a knight from riding your bike, it's mad," said the 32-year-old Hoy.
"It feels a bit strange to be honest. I still can't quite believe it.
"It's incredible and I'm absolutely delighted. To be given a knighthood is an enormous honour - it means so much to me and also to my family."
Sailor Ainslie is honoured after winning his third straight sailing gold in Beijing to add to a silver from Atlanta in 1996, while track cyclist Wiggins is similarly recognised after claiming two gold medals in Beijing to take his Olympic medal tally to six.
"I'm extremely honoured with a CBE," Ainslie told BBC Radio 5 Live.
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Sailor Ben Ainslie has won three Olympic gold medals in total
"When you are racing at the Olympics, you're racing for Queen and country."
He added: "Receiving the CBE is a different feeling to winning medals. This is great for people in the background. It's fantastic for my family."
Disabled swimmer David Roberts and rider Lee Pearson also become CBEs.
Roberts won four golds in Beijing to equal Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 Paralympic titles, while Pearson won three equestrian Paralympic golds.
Adlington, 19, who finished third in the vote at Sports Personality of the Year, was honoured for becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold in the pool since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.
"I'm absolutely delighted to receive the OBE - it is fantastic to be recognised in the New Year Honours," she said.
"There are so many amazing names on the list, it's something I'll treasure for the rest of my life."
Sailors Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Iain Percy also become OBEs for winning their second Olympic gold medals in Beijing, as does rower Steve Williams, who added another coxless four gold to the one he won in Athens.
Disabled swimmer Eleanor Simmonds is appointed MBE after becoming Britain's youngest ever individual Paralympic gold medallist in Beijing, aged 13. She is also the youngest person to receive the honour.
"The last three months have been a whirlwind and I feel as though I am living in a fairytale," she said.
Brabants thrilled with 'really special' honour
Gold medal-winning cyclists Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Paul Manning, Nicole Cooke, Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero also become MBEs, taking the list of Beijing Olympic cyclists to be honoured to 10.
"Everybody in our team dedicate their lives to the pursuit of a dream - to win a gold medal," said Brailsford.
"When they do get recognised in this way it is breathtaking and a fantastic honour."
Olympic champion rowers Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter, Andy Triggs-Hodge, Tom James, and Peter Reed all become MBEs alongside gold medal-winning canoeist Tim Brabants.
Beijing sailing champions Paul Goodison, Andrew Simpson and Pippa Wilson, who won her first gold alongside Ayton and Webb, are also appointed MBEs.
Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m champion who was the only British athlete to win a track and field gold in Beijing, is similarly appointed MBE, as is gold medal-winning boxer James DeGale.
"It's very strange - it was a bolt out of the blue," Ohuruogu told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"To have your name read out a lot along with the names of inspirational people is great. It'll take time to sink in."
GB sailing team manager Stephen Park becomes an OBE and boxing coach Terry Edwards becomes an MBE.
Report: Lewis Hamilton - the making of a champion
Hamilton's MBE rounds off an astonishing year after he won won the Formula One championship in 2008 and was Sports Personality of the Year runner-up.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver received a personally written note of congratulations from the Queen.
"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege," said Hamilton.
"It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me."
Chris Hoy, cyclist, for services to sport.
John Madejski, for charitable services.
Ben Ainslie, sailor, for services to sport.
David Brailsford, performance director, British Cycling, for services to sport.
Lee Pearson, for services to equestrianism and disabled sport.
David Roberts, swimmer, services to disabled sport.
David Tanner, performance director, GB Rowing Team, for services to sport.
Bradley Wiggins, cyclist, for services to sport
Rebecca Adlington, swimmer, for services to sport.
Sarah Ayton, sailor, for services to sport.
Cheryl Danson, chair England Netball, for services to sport.
Ellen Hunter, cycling pilot guide, for services to disabled sport.
Rhydian James Morgan-Jones, for services to the horseracing industry.
Darren Kenny, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Sascha Kindred, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
Philip Lane, chief executive Paralympics GB, for services to sport.
Brian McCargo, for services to sport and to the Special Olympics in Northern Ireland.
Aileen McGlynn, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Stephen Park, manager, British Olympic Sailing Team, for services to sport.
Iain Percy, sailor, for services to sport.
Timothy Reddish, national performance director for disability swimming, for services to sport.
Sarah Storey, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Peter Warburton, director of sport, University of Durham, for services to higher education and sport.
Sarah Webb, sailor, for services to sport.
Stephen Williams, rower, for services to sport.
Harold Alderman, boxing historian, for services to sporting heritage.
Robert Bloomfield, for voluntary service to rugby union in Northern Ireland.
Tim Brabants, canoeist, for services to sport.
Mark Bristow, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
| FULL HONOURS LIST Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader |
Sophie Christiansen, equestrian, for services to disabled sport.
Edward Clancy, cyclist, for services to sport.
Nicole Cooke, cyclist, for services to sport.
Bernard Cotton, director, Team GB holding camp, for services to sport.
Jody Cundy, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
James DeGale, middleweight boxer, for services to sport.
Ms Leslie Dillingham, for voluntary service to equestrian sport.
Anne Dunham, equestrian, for services to disabled sports.
Terry Edwards, Team GB head boxing coach, for services to sport.
Gerald Ells, for services to veterans' tennis.
Major Stephen Farley, Team GB quartermaster, for services to sport.
Dr John Gillespie, for voluntary service to horseracing in Northern Ireland.
Paul Goodison, sailor for services to sport.
Dave Haller, swimming coach, for services to sport.
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One driver, for services to motor racing.
Andrew Triggs Hodge, rower, for services to sport.
Mark Hunter, rower, for services to sport.
Thomas James, rower, for services to sport.
Christopher Martin-Jenkins, cricket commentator and journalist, for services to sport.
Anthony Kappes, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Jason Kenny, cyclist, for services to sport.
Lieutenant Commander Brian Maddock, chief umpire, Wimbledon Championships, for services to tennis.
Paul Manning, cyclist, for services to sport.
Owen McGhee, services to sport and to charity.
Christine Ohuruogu, athlete, for services to sport.
Annabel Oxley, for voluntary service to injured jockeys.
Victoria Pendleton, cyclist, for services to sport.
Zachary Purchase, rower, for services to sport.
Billy Pye, British swimming head disability coach, for services to sport.
Peter Reed, rower, for services to sport.
Simon Richardson, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Rebecca Romero, cyclist, for services to sport.
Eleanor Simmonds, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
Andrew Simpson, sailor, for services to sport.
Jamie Staff, cyclist, for services to sport.
David Stone, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Barney Storey, cycling pilot, for services to disabled sport.
Geraint Thomas, cyclist, for services to sport.
Matthew Walker, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
David Weir, wheelchair racer, for services to disabled sport.
Philippa Wilson, sailor, for services to sport.
Edward Wingrave, for services to cycling.
Hoy knighted in New Year honours
Hoy knighted in New Year honours
Hoy delighted by huge honour
Britain's Olympic heroes dominate the sporting New Year Honours list, with cyclist Chris Hoy knighted.
Team-mate Bradley Wiggins and sailing star Ben Ainslie are appointed CBEs, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becomes an OBE.
Team GB cycling performance director Dave Brailsford is appointed CBE, as is rowing counterpart David Tanner.
Lewis Hamilton becomes an MBE after becoming Formula One's youngest world champion in only his second season.
Reading FC chairman John Madejski receives a knighthood for his charity work, and BBC cricket commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins is appointed MBE.
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Hoy dominated on the track in Beijing
Scotland's Hoy, recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, became the first Briton in 100 years to win three golds at an Olympics with his success in Beijing in August.
Hoy has a double reason to celebrate as his mother Carol, who is a retired nurse, is appointed MBE for her work on sleep-related illnesses.
"To become a knight from riding your bike, it's mad," said the 32-year-old Hoy.
"It feels a bit strange to be honest. I still can't quite believe it.
"It's incredible and I'm absolutely delighted. To be given a knighthood is an enormous honour - it means so much to me and also to my family."
Sailor Ainslie is honoured after winning his third straight sailing gold in Beijing to add to a silver from Atlanta in 1996, while track cyclist Wiggins is similarly recognised after claiming two gold medals in Beijing to take his Olympic medal tally to six.
"I'm extremely honoured with a CBE," Ainslie told BBC Radio 5 Live.
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Sailor Ben Ainslie has won three Olympic gold medals in total
"When you are racing at the Olympics, you're racing for Queen and country."
He added: "Receiving the CBE is a different feeling to winning medals. This is great for people in the background. It's fantastic for my family."
Disabled swimmer David Roberts and rider Lee Pearson also become CBEs.
Roberts won four golds in Beijing to equal Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 Paralympic titles, while Pearson won three equestrian Paralympic golds.
Adlington, 19, who finished third in the vote at Sports Personality of the Year, was honoured for becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold in the pool since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.
"I'm absolutely delighted to receive the OBE - it is fantastic to be recognised in the New Year Honours," she said.
"There are so many amazing names on the list, it's something I'll treasure for the rest of my life."
Sailors Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Iain Percy also become OBEs for winning their second Olympic gold medals in Beijing, as does rower Steve Williams, who added another coxless four gold to the one he won in Athens.
Disabled swimmer Eleanor Simmonds is appointed MBE after becoming Britain's youngest ever individual Paralympic gold medallist in Beijing, aged 13. She is also the youngest person to receive the honour.
"The last three months have been a whirlwind and I feel as though I am living in a fairytale," she said.
Brabants thrilled with 'really special' honour
Gold medal-winning cyclists Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Paul Manning, Nicole Cooke, Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero also become MBEs, taking the list of Beijing Olympic cyclists to be honoured to 10.
"Everybody in our team dedicate their lives to the pursuit of a dream - to win a gold medal," said Brailsford.
"When they do get recognised in this way it is breathtaking and a fantastic honour."
Olympic champion rowers Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter, Andy Triggs-Hodge, Tom James, and Peter Reed all become MBEs alongside gold medal-winning canoeist Tim Brabants.
Beijing sailing champions Paul Goodison, Andrew Simpson and Pippa Wilson, who won her first gold alongside Ayton and Webb, are also appointed MBEs.
Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m champion who was the only British athlete to win a track and field gold in Beijing, is similarly appointed MBE, as is gold medal-winning boxer James DeGale.
GB sailing team manager Stephen Park becomes an OBE and boxing coach Terry Edwards becomes an MBE.
 DeGale has gone professional since winning Olympic gold |
Hamilton's MBE rounds off an astonishing year after he won won the Formula One championship in 2008 and was Sports Personality of the Year runner-up.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver received a personally written note of congratulations from the Queen.
"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege," said Hamilton.
"It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me."
Chris Hoy, cyclist, for services to sport.
John Madejski, for charitable services.
Ben Ainslie, sailor, for services to sport.
David Brailsford, performance director, British Cycling, for services to sport.
Lee Pearson, for services to equestrianism and disabled sport.
David Roberts, swimmer, services to disabled sport.
David Tanner, performance director, GB Rowing Team, for services to sport.
Bradley Wiggins, cyclist, for services to sport
Rebecca Adlington, swimmer, for services to sport.
Sarah Ayton, sailor, for services to sport.
Cheryl Danson, chair England Netball, for services to sport.
Ellen Hunter, cycling pilot guide, for services to disabled sport.
Rhydian James Morgan-Jones, for services to the horseracing industry.
Darren Kenny, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Sascha Kindred, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
Philip Lane, chief executive Paralympics GB, for services to sport.
Brian McCargo, for services to sport and to the Special Olympics in Northern Ireland.
Aileen McGlynn, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Stephen Park, manager, British Olympic Sailing Team, for services to sport.
Iain Percy, sailor, for services to sport.
Timothy Reddish, national performance director for disability swimming, for services to sport.
Sarah Storey, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Peter Warburton, director of sport, University of Durham, for services to higher education and sport.
Sarah Webb, sailor, for services to sport.
Stephen Williams, rower, for services to sport.
Harold Alderman, boxing historian, for services to sporting heritage.
Robert Bloomfield, for voluntary service to rugby union in Northern Ireland.
Tim Brabants, canoeist, for services to sport.
Mark Bristow, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
| FULL HONOURS LIST Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader |
Sophie Christiansen, equestrian, for services to disabled sport.
Edward Clancy, cyclist, for services to sport.
Nicole Cooke, cyclist, for services to sport.
Bernard Cotton, director, Team GB holding camp, for services to sport.
Jody Cundy, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
James DeGale, middleweight boxer, for services to sport.
Ms Leslie Dillingham, for voluntary service to equestrian sport.
Anne Dunham, equestrian, for services to disabled sports.
Terry Edwards, Team GB head boxing coach, for services to sport.
Gerald Ells, for services to veterans' tennis.
Major Stephen Farley, Team GB quartermaster, for services to sport.
Dr John Gillespie, for voluntary service to horseracing in Northern Ireland.
Paul Goodison, sailor for services to sport.
Dave Haller, swimming coach, for services to sport.
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One driver, for services to motor racing.
Andrew Triggs Hodge, rower, for services to sport.
Mark Hunter, rower, for services to sport.
Thomas James, rower, for services to sport.
Christopher Martin-Jenkins, cricket commentator and journalist, for services to sport.
Anthony Kappes, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Jason Kenny, cyclist, for services to sport.
Lieutenant Commander Brian Maddock, chief umpire, Wimbledon Championships, for services to tennis.
Paul Manning, cyclist, for services to sport.
Owen McGhee, services to sport and to charity.
Christine Ohuruogu, athlete, for services to sport.
Annabel Oxley, for voluntary service to injured jockeys.
Victoria Pendleton, cyclist, for services to sport.
Zachary Purchase, rower, for services to sport.
Billy Pye, British swimming head disability coach, for services to sport.
Peter Reed, rower, for services to sport.
Simon Richardson, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Rebecca Romero, cyclist, for services to sport.
Eleanor Simmonds, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
Andrew Simpson, sailor, for services to sport.
Jamie Staff, cyclist, for services to sport.
David Stone, cyclist, for services to disabled sport.
Barney Storey, cycling pilot, for services to disabled sport.
Geraint Thomas, cyclist, for services to sport.
Matthew Walker, swimmer, for services to disabled sport.
David Weir, wheelchair racer, for services to disabled sport.
Philippa Wilson, sailor, for services to sport.
Edward Wingrave, for services to cycling.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Famous people who died in 2008
Famous people who died in 2008
The year 2008 saw the death of dozens of famous people - actors and singers, former presidents, celebrated writers, the world's best-known mountaineer and one of the giants of chess.
Click here for obituaries of key personalities in the worlds of film, television and music. For full obituaries of those listed below, click on their names.
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The first man to step on the summit of Mount Everest, closely followed by Sherpa Tenzing, in 1953.
Died: 11 January, in New Zealand, aged 88.
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US chess genius who beat Russia's Boris Spassky in 1972, in the "chess match of the century".
Died: 18 January, in Iceland, aged 64.
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Founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Died: 26 January, in Jordan, aged 81.
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President of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998, ousted after the Asian financial crisis triggered a wave of unrest.
Died: 27 January, in Indonesia. aged 86.
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Indian guru credited with introducing the Beatles and other stars to ancient Hindu meditation methods.
Died: 5 February, in the Netherlands, at an estimated age of 91.
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British science fiction pioneer who foresaw the arrival of space shuttles and satellite communications networks.
Died: 19 March in Sri Lanka, aged 90.
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Designer who introduced short skirts and trouser suits in the 1960s and built a vast fashion and perfume empire.
Died: 2 June in Paris, aged 71.
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One of the most one most vocal conservatives in the US Congress, dubbed "Senator No" by his critics.
Died: 4 July in North Carolina, aged 86.
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Veteran BBC correspondent, who covered the Hungarian Uprising and the assassination of Martin Luther King.
Died: 4 July in London, aged 85
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Russian Nobel-prize-winning novelist who documented Stalin's labour camps in the Gulag Archipelago.
Died: 4 August in Moscow, aged 89.
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Zambian president who led African criticism of Ugandan leader Robert Mugabe.
Died: 19 August in Paris, aged 59
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Austrian far-right leader whose far-right Freedom Party entered government in 2000, triggering EU sanctions.
Died: 11 October in Austria, aged 58.
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Author of classic American oral history, jazz lover and host of long-running Chicago radio programme.
Died: 31 October in Chicago, aged 96.
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Alexei Ridiger, a Russian Orthodox priest with links to the KGB, was elected Patriarch Alexiy II in 1990.
Died: 5 December in Moscow, aged 79.
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FBI agent Mark Felt was Deep Throat, who helped the Washington Post expose the Watergate scandal.
Died: 19 December in California, aged 95.
Growing calls for Gaza ceasefire
Growing calls for Gaza ceasefire
Israel pounds Gaza for fourth day
Foreign powers stepped up calls for Israel and the militant group Hamas to end hostilities, after four days of violence in and around Gaza.
Both the Quartet of Middle East peace-brokers and EU foreign ministers have called for an immediate ceasefire.
Palestinians say more than 360 people have died in Israeli air strikes since Saturday. Four Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza.
Israel has warned that it is ready for weeks of action to end the rocket fire.
The calls came as Israel confirmed that a rocket fired from Gaza landed in the town of Beersheba. At 42 km (26 miles) inside Israel, it is the furthest a missile has ever reached.
In Gaza, Israeli missiles continued to pound buildings and installations linked to Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. The Israeli military said it hit more than 30 targets.
The UN says at least 62 civilians have died since Saturday; humanitarian agencies say they are struggling to contend with both the air strikes and a lack of supplies.
"We have nothing in our warehouses," a spokesman for UNWRA, the UN agency in Gaza, told the BBC.
"There is a serious shortage of medical supplies. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are not equipped at all to handle this huge number of dead and injured people."
Aid access
The statement from the Quartet - which comprises the US, UN, EU and Russia - followed a teleconference involving key representatives.
It called for a ceasefire "that would be fully respected" and for all parties to address "the serious humanitarian and economic needs in Gaza", a UN spokeswoman said.
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The EU foreign ministers echoed the call following a meeting in the French capital, Paris.
Food, urgent medical aid, fuel and humanitarian workers should be allowed in to Gaza and the injured evacuated, it said.
Diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting peace deal should be stepped up, it added.
Earlier in the day French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner proposed a 48-hour truce to allow aid in to Gaza; Israel has yet to respond.
But the BBC's correspondent in Paris says the Israeli government has little time for many European governments' positions and the ministers are well aware of their relative impotence.
The US - Israel's strongest ally - has called for a long-term solution beyond any immediate ceasefire. But the White House reiterated that the onus was on Hamas to act first to end the violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said earlier that the air assault on Gaza was "the first in several stages" of operations against Hamas. Another top official said Israel was ready for "long weeks of action".
Israel has massed forces along the boundary with Gaza and has declared the area around it a "closed military zone".
Correspondents say the move could be a prelude to ground operations, but could also be intended to build pressure on Hamas.
The Israeli air strikes strikes began less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but has kept tight control over access in and out of Gaza and its airspace.
| GAZA VIOLENCE 27-30 DECEMBER 1. Ashdod: First attack so far north, Sunday. Woman killed in second rocket attack, Tuesday 2. Ashkelon: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Monday3. Sderot: rocket attacks4. Nevitot: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Saturday5. Civilian family reported killed in attack on Yabna refugee camp, Sunday 6. Israeli warplanes strike tunnels under Gaza/Egypt border, Sunday7. Three brothers reported killed in attack on Rafah, Sunday8. Khan Younis: Four members of Islamic Jihad and a child reported killed, Sunday. Security officer killed in air strike on Hamas police station, Tuesday 9. Deir al-Balah: Palestinians injured, houses and buildings destroyed, Sunday 10. Tel al-Hawa - Interior ministry and Islamic University badly damaged, Monday. At least three buildings in ministry compound hit, Tuesday11. Gaza City port: naval vessels targeted, Sunday 12. Shati refugee camp: Home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya targeted, Monday 13. Intelligence building attacked, Sunday14. Jebaliya refugee camp: several people killed in attack on mosque, Sunday 15. Beit Hanoun - two girls killed in air strike, Tuesday16. Israeli soldier killed at unspecified military base near Nahal Oz border crossing - five other soldiers wounded in same rocket attack, Monday night. |