Free Republic

    Major gongs for heroic Our Boys   Award ... Captain Paul Britton is congratulated by Major General Gary Robison    By TOM NEWTON DUNN Defence Editor Published: Today     AN Army officer who led a battle despite a lump of burning shrapnel in his shoulder was one of 19 forces heroes awarded the Military Cross yesterday.   Praise ... Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb  Captain Paul Britton, 28, refused morphine so he could control artillery and air strikes to beat off Taliban attackers in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Royal Artillery officer was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade...

Bluetooth Big Brother uses mobiles and laptops to track thousands of Britons Last updated at 12:04pm on 21.07.08    Thousands of people in Bath are unaware their movements may have been tracked through their bluetooth mobiles Thousands of Britons' movements have been covertly tracked by scanners placed in streets, pubs and offices for a technology experiment.  The Cityware project run by the University of Bath has secretly placed scanners around the Somerset city, with the first 10 installed 2006. The scanners pick up bluetooth radio signals transmitted from mobile phones and laptops. In a scene reminiscent of the Will Smith...

‘Harassed for being a Christian’- the policeman who objected to gay ribbons and is turning to a tribunal Last updated at 01:08am on 20.07.08    A policeman is taking his force to an employment tribunal, claiming that he has been harassed because of his Christian beliefs.Constable Graham Cogman says he has been persecuted since he objected to wearing ribbons to mark a gay event.The controversy echoes the case of Lillian Ladele, the Christian registrar who successfully took on Islington Council in London over her refusal to conduct civil-partnership ceremonies for gay couples.  Making a stand: PC Graham Cogman says...

Exclusive: US rocker Ted Nugent's outrageous rant on UK knife crime By Jody Thompson, 17/07/2008 (What's this?)American rock star Ted Nugent has followed in Lily Allen's footsteps to be the latest celebrity to comment on the UK's knife crime problem. However, unlike Lily, he's set to spark controversy with his outrageous views. An advocate of hunting and gun-ownership rights, Nugent currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association and thinks the problem would stop if Britons were allowed to arm themselves with guns. Talking mid-set during his gig at London's Indigo venue in the 02 Arena...

A man who was found with his head severed by a chainsaw was fighting to stay in a block of 70 flats in Hampshire cleared for redevelopment. David Phyall, 50, was the last tenant at the Atlantic Housing Ltd housing association flats in Eastleigh. His body was found by police on 5 July, who said his death was not suspicious. Post-mortem tests showed he died of a "complete transection of the neck". An inquest was opened and adjourned at Winchester Coroner's Court on Friday. A spokesman for the coroner said: "As far as we know nobody else was involved. "There's...

Drivers who cause fatal accidents while on mobile phones face up to 14 years in jail Last updated at 11:09am on 15.07.08   Getting tough: The new sentencing rules target mobile phone use by drivers. Posed by model. Motorists who cause fatal accidents while texting or talking on mobiles could face up to 14 years in prison from today. Drivers involved in death crashes after drinking or taking drugs face similar penalties, as will those who were driving at greatly excessive speed over long distances. Under new sentencing guidelines sent to the courts today which come into immediate effect, there...

'Big Brother' warning over Government database that records EVERY phone call and e-mail in Britain Last updated at 16:09pm on 15.07.08    Cautious: Information Commissioner Richard Thomas warns a 'Big Brother' database would threaten the British way of life A 'Big Brother' database recording every single phone call and e-mail made in Britain would threaten the British way of life, the information watchdog has warned.Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said such a Government-run database would have serious data protection implications.Amid speculation a massive database is already being planned, he declared it would be a 'step too far'.May's draft legislative programme...

A female squaddie who fought off a suspected Iraqi insurgent has swapped guns for glamour and won a place in the final of Miss England 2008. Katrina Hodge, 21, dubbed 'Combat Barbie' after being honoured for saving the lives of members of her regiment, will represent England at Miss World 2008 if she wins in July. She wants to use her place in the Miss England competition to highlight the work of the Armed Forces. Ms Hodge was given a bravery commendation in 2005 after members of her regiment were threatened at gunpoint by a suspected Iraqi insurgent after the...

IS RADICAL ISLAM connected to terrorism? Notable British voices spoke out on that subject after Britain's recent terrorist near-misses -- the two unexploded car bombs in London's West End and the fiery SUV rammed into the main terminal at Glasgow's international airport. Consider what four of those voices had to say: One declared that the word "Muslim" must not be used in connection with terrorism, and insisted that even the phrase "war on terror" should be scrapped. The second likewise cautioned against pointing a finger at Islam, contending that in London, "Muslims are . . . less likely to support...

Argentina raised the prospect of posting military forces in the Antarctic region yesterday, with the announcement of plans to use troops to defend its interests. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner told defence chiefs that Argentina must be prepared to assert its sovereignty and protect its natural resources, as nations compete to claim areas of the region believed to be rich in oil. The plans threaten to inflame tensions between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, which the South American nation still considers to be its sovereign territory despite losing a war in 1982. Argentinian forces were driven from the...

A council has been accused of discriminating against homosexuals over plans to clear undergrowth from a notorious gay cruising spot. Bristol City Council wants to prune bushes and remove cover from an area known as the Downs to improve the landscape and encourage rare wildlife. But its own gay rights group has opposed the move, claiming that cutting back the bushes was "discriminating" to homosexual men who used the area for late night outdoor sex known as dogging. Work on the beauty spot has been temporarily delayed while talks with gay rights groups take place to try and break the...

MULTICULTURALISM struck again last week. London's Daily Telegraph reported that the Tayside police force in Scotland had apologized to local Muslims for running a public-service ad offensive to their religious sensibilities. The outrage? A cartoon of the Prophet with a fuse in his turban? A warning that a burqa might camouflage an escaping male terrorist? An incendiary monocultural statement that "kilts will be worn" at the next Police Association's Robert Burns Night? No, the offensive ad was, I'm sorry to report, a cute little doggie named "Rebel" - a German shepherd puppy pictured on a postcard advertising a new non-emergency...

Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency. The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care. This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food. The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age. It alerts playgroup leaders...

Prime Minister Brown tells families: 'Stop wasting food' Yes, you read it right... the head of a prosperous, democratic government scolded his subjects about food wasting. People are starving in China! Of course, as children we all wanted to sass to our mothers, "Then let's put the leftovers in a box and mail it to them!" Which would have gotten us a now-illegal spanking. And that is what this is all about... governments that treat us like children. A nanny state mentality. Could it be that when government takes over raising children through public schooling, provides a safety net wherever...

Minister calls for children to be locked in school to stop them buying junk food Last updated at 16:47pm on 06.07.08   Children's Minister Kevin Brennan has called for secondary school children to be locked inside school grounds during breaks to stop them buying unhealthy food Children should be locked inside school grounds to stop them buying unhealthy food from shops and takeaways, a minister said yesterday.The drastic proposal comes amid new evidence that the Jamie Oliver-inspired drive to ensure school canteens offer more nutritious meals is being shunned by pupils.Children's Minister Kevin Brennan said secondary school children should...

Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence. Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.

The Townswomen's Guild are meeting to debate a radical reform in the law on prostitution. Their template? The Swedish model. (edit) The debate comes as the Government here is drawing up proposals for law reform that could de-criminalise prostitutes who would, instead, be offered help to get out of the vice trade or given anti-social behaviour orders, in favour of a crackdown on men who trawl for sex.The approach, championed by women ministers such as Harriet Harman, has met with fierce resistance from the Home Office. While Diane Abbot has tabled an Early Day Motion, to date it has...

An education authority is investigating claims that two school pupils were punished for refusing to kneel down and pray to Allah during a religious education lesson. Parents complained after the boys, Year 7 pupils at Alsager High School in Cheshire, were given detention for being "disrespectful" to the prophet, the Congleton Chronicle reported. Parent Sharon Luinen told the paper: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far. "I understand that they have to learn about other religions, I can live with that, but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim...

It was claimed that the boys, from a year seven class of 11 and 12-year-olds, were given detention after refusing to take part in a practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped. Yesterday parents accused the school of breaching their human rights by forcing them to take part in the exercise. One, Sharon Luinen, said: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far. I understand that they have to learn about other religions. I can live with that but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer. "Making them pray...

Boris Johnson urged people to walk away if they see a crime committed rather than risk their own lives. The London mayor admitted he would tell his own children to "look after themselves" rather than play Good Samaritan to a victim. "Everybody is shocked by the level of violence we are seeing, particularly towards young people, and we must all work as hard as we can to reverse this dreadful trend."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031611/Sharia-law-SHOULD-used-Britain-says-UKs-judge.html Link only. Not sure of posting rules

Sharia law could play a role in some parts of the legal system, the most senior judge in England and Wales has said. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, emphatically ruled out the possibility of sharia courts sitting in this country or deciding penalties. But in a speech at the East London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel he said there was no reason why sharia principles could not be used in "mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution". Sharia - a set of principles governing the way that many Muslims believe one should live one's life -...

Patients will be able to escape NHS queues by demanding treatment anywhere in the European Union without the prior approval of a doctor, under proposals to guarantee health rights unveiled today in Brussels. The NHS would then be duty bound to refund the British cost of the procedure under the new rules for cross-border healthcare. Today’s proposed EU directive will give patients in all 27 member states the same rights to treatment on the NHS as British patients. It also guarantees that the full cost of treatment abroad will be refunded when an NHS professional has agreed that it...

Cameron hails by-election victory   Conservative leader David Cameron has hailed an "excellent result" in the Henley by-election, which saw Labour beaten into fifth place.Mr Cameron said his party's win showed people were starting to think of the Tories as an alternative government. But Gordon Brown - speaking a year after he became PM - said "by-elections come and by-elections go". Labour lost its deposit with just 1,066 votes - fewer than the BNP, Greens, Lib Dems and Tory victor John Howell. Mr Howell took the seat with 19,796 votes - a majority of 10,116 to the Lib Dem...

The baby they said would never be born         SO SPECIAL: Catherine Kent and Kevin Gray with baby Leona-Lee. Proud parents Kevin Gray and Catherine Kent cradle the daughter they were told would never be born. Three months into Catherine's pregnancy, doctors told the 27-year-old that her baby had died inside her. Turning down surgical treatment to remove the baby, she spent a month carrying what she believed was a dead child until a check-up at Sunderland Royal Hospital revealed a mistake had been made and her baby was alive. Six months after the devastating news,...

Free parking for electric cars axed - for being too successfulDavid Williams, Motoring Editor 24.06.08   Charging time: owners of electric cars like this Nice Mega City will now have to pay to park in the City of London   A pioneering scheme that rewards owners of electric vehicles with free parking is being scrapped - because it works too well. Since 2001, the City of London has issued free roadside parking passes to nearly 500 drivers of the zero-emission cars in a bid to encourage other people to buy one. It has also handed out 539 permits for...

<p>College girls who turned the tables on builders by wolf-whistling at them have been warned their behaviour is ‘harassment’.</p> <p>The students singled out contractors working on an extension to West Kent College for amorous comments and cheeky remarks.</p> <p>But the joke has become so persistent that the pupils have been threatened with disciplinary action.</p>

This should serve as a warning to all freedom loving Americans. Before pulling the lever this coming November, remember: both Hillary and Obama support draconian gun laws aimed not at criminals (because criminals don't obey the laws anyway), but at law abiding citizens. Click on Source URL to play. It's 9 minutes, but worth it.

Partner: Emma Beal was reported to earn £96,000 as Ken Livingstone's administration manager   Job scrapped: Anni Marjoram, whose title was 'women's adviser'  Out: from left to right, planning chief Eleanor Young, creative industries adviser Emma St Giles, and events adviser Jude Woodward     Ken's partner axed as Boris Johnson purges City Hall 'wimmin'Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor 18.06.08 Boris Johnson continued his City Hall clear-out today as five senior staff known as "Ken's wimmin" lost their jobs. Ken Livingstone's partner Emma Beal, who was employed by the ex-Mayor as his "administration manager", was the most high profile...

A one-legged Royal Navy veteran was arrested after he rescued his neighbour from being harassed by two men. Stephen Beerling, 52, dialled 999 and raced to help the women and her baby after hearing screams during the night. But he was arrested when officers spotted a retractable truncheon he had picked up in case he had to protect himself. Mr Beerling, a Liberal Democrat councillor, was arrested, locked up for 12 hours and charged with possessing an offensive weapon. He told of his ordeal yesterday after learning the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to drop the charge against him. Mr...

Women face being turned away from the Royal Enclosure during Royal Ascot if their skirts are too short or if their dresses have straps less than an inch wide. Visitors who display their midriff or wear off-the-shoulder tops or halter necks will also be ejected on the orders of the Queen's representative, the Duke of Devonshire. The duke, the chairman of the course, has clarified the strict dress code for next week's event in guidance sent to all 80,000 Royal Enclosure badge holders. The code dictates that only "formal day dress" is acceptable and that ladies must wear hats or...

  Wife of failed London 21/7 suicide bomber convicted of keeping her husband's terror attack plans secret   By David Williams Last updated at 9:35 PM on 11th June 2008The wife of a would-be suicide bomber was yesterday found guilty of failing to alert police to his plot for 'carnage and mass murder'. Yeshi Girma knew of Hussain Osman's plan to kill and maim Tube passengers on July 21, 2005 – and even helped him escape after his device did not explode.It was only the botched bomb-making of Osman and his three fellow terrorists that prevented a repeat of...

Abu Hamza's Muslim lawyer earns £1m a year in legal aid from representing terror suspects   By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:47 PM on 06th June 2008  Muddassar Arani, the solicitor who represented Abu Hamza, leaves the Old Bailey in London, during his trial in 2007. A solicitor who specialises in representing terror suspects and tells them not to cooperate with police was paid almost £1 million in legal aid last year.   Muddassar Arani's firm represented Abu Hamza, dirty bomb plotter Dhirin Barot and three of the 21/7 bombers in recent years. She has raked in...

People who feel cold when sat outside this summer were yesterday told by the Government to wear a jumper rather than switch on a patio heater. Phil Woolas, the Climate Change minister, made the point as he announced that there had been a tenfold rise in the outdoor heaters at pubs and restaurants since the smoking ban came into force last year. The minister said: “The official line to take is, when outside, wear a jumper.” His comments echoed those of the head of the Government’s Energy Saving Trust. Philip Selwood, the Trust’s chief executive, called for a national ban...

Britain's first 'divorce fair' aims to make breaking up easier By Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 2:48PM BST 04/06/2008   Britain's first-ever "divorce fair" is being held to cater for the growing number of couples whose marriages are breaking down. Estranged spouses will be able to get information from lawyers, financial advisers and self-help experts at the event, to help make their separation easier and rebuild their lives. Organisers insist there is a real need for the show, after official figures showed almost half of newly married couples will end up getting divorced. But critics claim the...

Woman escapes conviction for carrying a knife - after she was spotted handling a sausage Last updated at 01:34am on 04.06.08   Banger: A humble sausage saved the day for market stall worker Jane Bellas, 29 A woman facing up to four years in jail for having a kitchen knife in her car was saved - by a sausage.As Jane Bellas runs a fast food stall and has to slice bread rolls, she knew she had a legitimate reason for having the knife. But she was unable to prove her occupation to the satisfaction of the authorities.It left the...

In Britain, they’ve dispensed with the debate about whether or not Islamic terrorism is a criminal or military challenge. Today, in a new strategy document, the British government has announced that terrorism is really more of a social work challenge. Here the Guardian: It cites the example of a community based programme in Leicester that is already mentoring “vulnerable individuals” using techniques including encouraging them to feel more valued and to eradicate myths and assumptions which have led to them becoming alienated and disempowered. So: these vulnerable, alienated, and disempowered folks will be bombarded with £12.5 million of Oprahesque gobbledy-gook...

Two American-born pastors handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham, England, were threatened with arrest and warned of being beaten for committing what an officer called a "hate crime." Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, were handing out the leaflets and talking with local youths when they were approached and questioned by a police community support officer, or PCSO. When the officer discovered the two Birmingham pastors were born in the U.S., he began a heated criticism of President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cunningham explained that the gospel message was not...

LONDON: A Pakistan born senior bishop has warned that the decline of Christianity in Britain has paved the way for radical Islam to fill a moral vacuum, a comment that could create a row over the relationship between Islam and the West. The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed the "social and sexual" revolution of the 1960s had led to a steep decline in the influence of Christianity over society. The bishop, who was born in Pakistan of Christian parents, said the decline of Christian values has created a "moral vacuum" which radical Islam is filling, the...

Gotta love PETA. Just gotta love ‘em. Well, not really. One of the animal rights group’s more obscure pressure campaigns involves trying to convince the Queen of England to give up the natural black-bear fur hats that Buckingham Palace guards have worn for 200 years. Because — y’know — British monarchs have always responded so well to public pressure from nitwits. Are black bears endangered? Nope. The species covers most of North America. And black bear populations are growing in Canada, where Her Majesty’s funny hats come from. So what’s the big deal? PETA hates people who wear fur. And...

hehehehe! 2-0!

JERUSALEM: Shakespeare was actually a Jewish woman who had disguised to get her work published in Elizabethan London where original literature from women was not acceptable, an expert has contended. The woman, Amelia Bassano Lanier Bassano, was of Italian descent and lived in England as a Marrano. She has been known only as the first woman to publish a book of poetry ( Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum in 1611) and as a candidate for "the dark lady" referred to in the sonnets, daily Ha'aretz reported. The theory rests largely on the circumstances of Bassano's life, which John Hudson, an expert...

Still together after 80 years, Britain's oldest married couple celebrate their 'oak' wedding with a simple kiss By Jaya Narain Last updated at 2:45 AM on 26th May 2008  As with any married couple, there are times when Frank and Anita Milford don’t quite see eye to eye. But they have never let the odd disagreement get in the way of their love for each other and their dedication to their marriage. To prove it, Frank, 100, and Anita, 99, today celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary, equalling the record for England’s longest-ever marriage.  Frank and Anita Milford are celebrating...

A football fan says police ordered him to remove an England flag from his car – because it could be deemed racist. Ben Smith, 18, was pulled over for a routine spot check by an officer who inspected his tyres and road tax. But the labourer was stunned to be told that a St George flag covering his Vauxhall Corsa’s parcel shelf was offensive to immigrants. He initially thought the officer was joking until he was threatened with a £30 fine if he refused to remove it from view. Mr Smith, of Melksham, Wiltshire, said: “I honestly could not believe...

A 29-year-old man from Manchester has been found guilty of being involved in what is believed to the UK's biggest ever gun conspiracy. Kaleem Akhtar was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He supplied an "assassin's armoury" of handguns, and ammunition to gangsters across the UK, the court was told. Akhtar, of Chorlton, will be sentenced, together with six other men, on 2 June. His co-conspirators all pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to their parts in the operation. Russian-made guns Madasser Ali, 30, of Great Horton Road in...

EXETER, England -- An Islamic convert with a history of mental illness was slightly injured yesterday by his own bomb in a lunchtime explosion in a busy restaurant in this southwestern English city. Nicky Reilly, 22, was the only person hurt and little damage was reported from the blast in the restaurant's toilets. Police later discovered and disarmed another device left nearby. "Our investigations so far indicate Reilly, who has a history of mental illness, had adopted the Islamic faith," said Tony Melville, deputy chief constable of Devon and Cornwall. "We believe, despite his weak and vulnerable state, he was...

So much of England seemed strangely, even eerily familiar. Some of that may have been psychological; one of the reasons I'd come to the island was to see and smell and walk the rolling green hills of the English Midlands where my ancestors lived for who-knows-how-many generations and from which, 400 years ago, one of them gathered his family and crossed the Atlantic for a new life in The New World. Part of it certainly was the sight of so many everyday "American" symbols — Burger King, McDonald's, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Coke, Pepsi and Marlboro. Even the language was, for...

The news out of England is discouraging. Single women and lesbian partners will soon stand in the legal same place as fathers with the deletion of four words from British legislation called “The Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill”. The Bill had language in it which had been applied at fertility clinics to encourage two- parent, opposite sex families. Putting aside all of the vitally important moral issues of anyone ever even using a “fertility” clinic, and the horrid truth of the killing of the “spare” “embryos” which are “manufactured” in the IVF process, I write this commentary to address just...

Discrimination against British soldiers in uniform to become a criminal offenceby MATTHEW HICKLEY - More by this author » Last updated at 16:35pm on 19th May 2008New laws will make it a criminal offence to discriminate against Britain's soldiers, sailors and airmen wearing uniform in public, under Government proposals outlined yesterday. Courts will also hand out tougher punishments to anyone who assaults or threatens a serviceman wearing the Queen's uniform - which will become an 'aggravating factor' during sentencing. Other measures designed to boost recognition and respect for the UK armed forces include a drive to encourage thousands more...

Police didn't have the money to catch burglars who beat me with a crowbarBy MILES GOSLETT - More by this author » Last updated at 23:45pm on 17th May 2008 A businessman who was almost beaten to death by three crowbar-wielding burglars claims police haven't carried out DNA tests to identify his attackers – because they can't afford to pay for them. IT consultant Simon Pither, 36, was savagely beaten over the head when he interrupted the gang at his £300,000 home. The married father of two sustained such serious skull injuries during the assault that doctors told him...