The evolution of threat narratives in the age of terror: understanding terrorist threats in Britain

This article examines the evolution of threat narratives in the age of terror, focusing on the United Kingdom. The analysis is broken down into two sections. The first part of the article presents four distinct and yet overlapping notions of the threats which have influenced both the West, and more specifically the UK, in debates about counterterrorism since 9/11. The four threat narratives—Al‐Qaeda as a central organization; decentralized terror networks; home grown; and finally apocalyptic threats—have all been used to inform counter terror measures in the West. The second section of the article argues that terrorism has evolved strategically, and is hybridized owing to the security environment—interpenetrated by globalization, digital media and information communication technologies—in which it occurs. The article concludes with a preliminary discussion of some strategic and operational themes which have influenced the form and character of terrorism and insurgency, exploring how they impact on the ways in which threats are constituted and countered, illustrating that what is new maybe the nature of our own fears.     

Evaluative Criteria and Social Distinctions in Renters' Residential Search Procedures

There are, as yet, no pragmatic or fully acceptable behavioural models of the housing search process. It is suggested that past studies lack concern for the functionally discrete nature of an individual's active and passive search procedures. Further, contemporary residential search and choice studies often mask social differences essential to understanding relocation decisions. The present study is an empirical investigation of renters' residential search behaviour. It emphasizes the importance of evaluative criteria and choice parameters during an individual's housing search. It also gives explicit recognition of the social contexts of renters' search behaviour .
Jusqu'ici il n'existe pas de modèles pragmatiques ou en-tièrement acceptables sur la dynamique des pratiques de recherche en matière de logement. jusqu'à maintenant, les etudes se sont peu souciées de la nature de fonctionnement discrete des pratiques actives et passives de recherche d'une personne. Bien plus, les études comtemporaines sur la recherche et le choix de résidences masquent souvent des differences so-ciales essentielles à la comprehension des decisions de relocalisation. La présente étude se penche de façon empirique sur les pratiques de recherche de residences par les locataires. Elle met l'accent sur l'importance des critères d'évaluation et des paramètres qui carac-térisent le choix durant la recherche d'un logement par une personne. Elle reconnait aussi de façon explicite I'importance des contextes sociaux dans les habitudes de recherche des localaires .     

Comparing Regional Biodiversity Benefits of Investment Strategies for Land‐Use Change

The need for public investment to address loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is well recognised, yet there is little analysis of the likely benefits of land‐use change for regional biodiversity or the cost effectiveness of different investment options. We estimated benefits for biodiversity and cost effectiveness of different investment scenarios over 50 years for a farming area in south‐eastern Australia. Declines in biodiversity were predicted under status quo land use. Implementing actions in the investment scenarios improved biodiversity status only slightly, compared with status quo land use. Future biodiversity status differed little between biodiversity‐focused investment and salinity‐focused investment. Biodiversity status equalled or exceeded current status only for investment scenarios with much more extensive revegetation than in catchment targets. Cost effectiveness of biodiversity improvement varied greatly between investment strategies. Biodiversity improvement was more cost effective when investment to meet catchment targets was focused on revegetation for salinity management rather than on high conservation value areas, because of lower opportunity costs for salinity management. With enhanced investment, the cost effectiveness of biodiversity improvement was greater when actions were in high conservation areas. Although improvements in biodiversity were small under the changed farming system scenarios, their cost effectiveness was higher than the other investment scenarios. Regional scale improvements in biodiversity in farming areas will require increased stewardship payments or other economic incentives for landholders.     

SOTIRA KAMINOUDHIA AND THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EARLY BRONZE AGE IN CYPRUS

Summary. The Early Bronze Age (EBA) of Cyprus is a key phase of transformation in the prehistory of the island. Major developments are observed in the economic, social and artistic arenas, but owing to the lack of excavated settlements no firm chronology has ever existed for this period. Excavations in southern Cyprus at Sotira Kaminoudhia, a site with an assemblage belonging in broad terms to the Early Cypriot (EBA) Red Polished ceramic tradition, have helped to fill the lacuna. This paper presents the analyses of a series of radiocarbon determinations from well stratified organic samples in the settlement. These both confirm the EBA status of the site and provide the first firm absolute chronology for the Cypriot EBA. In addition, the new data from Sotira Kaminoudhia provide an opportunity to examine the beginning of this period on Cyprus — specifically the much debated issue of the so-called Philia Phase — both in chronological and socio-economic terms.     

Processing the dead in neolithic orkney

Summary Megalithic tombs are a characteristic feature of Neolithic Orkney and have formed the focus of numerous studies. This article examines the surviving human skeletal remains found within these cairns in the hope of determining how the dead were processed during this period of prehistory. It is shown that the fate of the body was a long and complicated affair, which involved elements of both direct interment and excarnation. It is argued that the archaeological evidence reveals that in most cases an articulated corpse was directly interred in a tomb and then subsequently dismembered until only the skull remained. This process seemingly occurred amongst several cairns during the earlier Neolithic, and during the later Neolithic the practice was restricted to the confines of a single exclusive passage grave.     

South Asia's arms control process: cricket diplomacy and the composite dialogue

Nuclear arms control on the Indian subcontinent has had a rather chequered immediate past. In far less than ten years talks have begun, both sides have formally become nuclear powers, fought a war, nearly fought another, have threatened each other with dire consequences, and yet have reached important agreements. This article traces those developments, particularly focusing on the recent talks, from the end of 2003. It sets out the limits to the current process, but also the possibilities for further important advances.
This is a crucial process: Indian—Pakistani relations are highly crisis prone, and the nuclear dimension may add to that. Symbols—as in all processes—have been very important, and the ability of the two countries to talk politics and play cricket has been highly significant; it symbolizes the hope for the future.