The Long View: Women dragged off for rape, men shot by death squads – such atrocities take place by the hour

A portrait of the first Children's Laureate from his difficult childhood to a prolific career

Chernobyl Diaries (83 mins, 15)

With such monumental figures as Aung Sun Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama in town – along with Nelson Mandela, the boilerplate inspirations of a thousand insipid celebrity Q&As over the years – it'd be easy to leaf through recent British history and wonder, with regret, where our own legends are. The heroes we do have are, with the possible exception of Winston Churchill, hated by as many people as love them. Not even Margaret Thatcher's greatest admirers could call her a unifying force.

Television histories don't usually spend a lot of time establishing their presenter's credentials. Unless they've really gone populist and handed the job over to Richard Hammond, we're supposed to take it for granted that the person on screen actually knows what he or she is talking about.

Britain has its fair share of maverick politicians, but as a dependable source of soundbites and surprises, few can match George Galloway.

Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni announced her resignation from Israel's parliament yesterday with a withering attack against the current leadership, warning that its policies had placed Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state "in mortal danger".

Tony Nicklinson’s request that any doctor who helps him die should be protected by the common law definition of necessity is a bold one.

“Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran!” sings the AIPAC delegate, striding cheerfully through illegal Israeli settlements in his sharp tan suit.

Morrissey, the former lead singer of the band The Smiths, has waded into the continuing row over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands at a gig in Argentina.

Police have removed the late Brian Haw's 10-year-old peace camp in Parliament Square, claiming it amounted to "litter".

Brian showed us what a quiescent and supine country we've become. After two million came out to protest against the Iraq war it was as if everybody decided to give up. But Brian never gave up. Then they brought in laws trying to curtail his/our right to protest outside Parliament and very few lifted a finger to do anything about that.

Veteran anti-war campaigner Brian Haw has died, a message on his website said.

Three months before the 10th anniversary of his continuing anti-war protest in Parliament Square, Brian Haw has lost his battle against eviction at the High Court. In a case brought by London Mayor Boris Johnson, a judge ruled that Mr Haw must leave his so-called "Democracy Village".