Free Republic

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...

MORE British Insanity Mother Needs Criminal Record Check Before Accompanying Epileptic Son to SchoolThe Brits are entering the terminal stages of The Nanny State. While their streets are awash in criminals, the schools failing, the Health Care system on the respirator, and Islam on the verge of being the new royalty, the Brits have redoubled their efforts to make life more difficult for British families. From the Daily Mail. (How do they find this stuff? Hotline?) "Mother stopped from travelling with son in taxi to school - because she hasn't had a criminal record check" Yep. In Britain a mother...

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...

Three men accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic planes have admitted to conspiring to cause explosions. Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain also admitted conspiring to cause a public nuisance by making videos threatening bombings. Two other defendants, Ibrahim Savant and Umar Islam, also pleaded guilty to the public nuisance charges. The Woolwich Crown Court jury has yet to rule on conspiracy to murder charges which the five and three others deny. The men deny two charges, which have been amended, of conspiracy to murder between 1 January and 11 August 2006. One specifies the attacks would...

  Jack Straw ... law will back heroes            New law to back 'have-a-go-heroes'     By CLODAGH HARTLEY Home Affairs Correspondent Published: 12 Jul 2008     NEW legislation will protect “have-a-go heroes” who intervene in crimes or use force to defend themselves, Justice Secretary Jack Straw vowed last night. From Monday a person’s actions will be judged on the situation “as they saw it at the time” — even if in hindsight the force could be classed as unreasonable, according to insiders. Mr Straw told The Sun: “We’re not going to have a...

Senator Barack Obama is expected to tell Gordon Brown that he wants the Special Relationship to be a more equal partnership when he visits Britain later this month. Sources in Washington said yesterday that on his first overseas visit since winning the Democratic Party's nomination, Mr Obama will tell the Prime Minister that he wants to eradicate the impression of Britain being Washington's poodle that emerged during the Bush-Blair years, after the UK followed the US into the unpopular war in Iraq. "He genuinely appreciates the UK and he genuinely would like to have more balance in the relationship," said...

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...

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...

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...

Diver catches giant crab   A giant crab with a shell 12in wide has been caught by an Aylesbury diver off the UK coast. The crustacean, weighing 17lb and with a claw span of 9in, was found by diver Paul Worsley during a recent diving trip in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Douglas Lanfear, who runs the dive boat Blue Turtle, said he was amazed at the size of the crab. He said: "It was truly a monster. It was the biggest crab I have ever seen in all my years and there were fishermen who have been working here for...

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."

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,...

<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>

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...

It seems too lunatic to be true. But here a hair salon boss reveals how she was driven to the brink of ruin - and forced to pay £4,000 for 'hurt feelings' - after refusing to hire a Muslim stylist who wouldn't show her hair at work For Sarah Desrosiers, meeting Bushra Noah was not a moment in her life that she would describe as especially memorable. Not only was it brief - lasting little more than ten minutes - but it was rapidly obvious to Sarah that Bushra was not the person for the junior stylist position she was...

Petrol: Army is put on standbyJoe Murphy, David Williams and Rashid Razaq, Evening Standard 13.06.08 Fuelling demand: drivers queue for up to 20 minutes for petrol and diesel at a Shell garage in Brompton Road only hours after the tanker drivers' four-day industrial action over pay began   Picket power: striking Shell drivers talk to a trucker from another fuel company at Stanlow oil refinery, Cheshire   A motorist fills a jerry can in west London   Power: tanker drivers on the picket line The army is tonight on stand-by to intervene in the petrol tanker drivers' strike. Troops...

  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...

Every nation could be described as a manifestation of a unique trait of character and most countries furthermore nurture, give emphasize to and celebrate this national identity of theirs. Some examples of such key national characters (please DO comment if you feel inclined to); USA: Liberty Italy: Creativity France: Refinement India: Spirituality Germany: Self-discipline Finland: "Sisu" (a Finnish term meaning "To have guts") Britain: Elevatedness Denmark: "Hygge" (a Danish word meaning "Good-naturedness", of mind as well as of deed) Spain: Passion China: Cultivation Russia: Chaos - just joking, I would actually say "Heart" (in the sense of having a big...

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...

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...

My daughter is preparing for a debate. Her thesis is that the actions of the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army are unjustified. Any help is appreciated. Also, how do you counter the argument that the provisional IRA is the same as the 1776 American colonists? Thanks.

Nanny State Only Has a Zest for Bossing People Around Three small stories illustrate the Nannies in action. The primary goal of the Nanny State appears to be to make life so uncomfortable and colorless for the citizens, that they fail to understand how uncomfortable their lives have become. For example: Living in Britain is now more dangerous than the Balkans"You are more likely to be assaulted, robbed and burgled in Britain than in the region of southeast Europe once synonymous with war and gangsters, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime." So the...

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...

Muslim gangs are threatening to take control of one of Britain's top security prisons where inmates include al-Qa'eda terrorists, a report reveals. Staff at Whitemoor jail, Cambs, believe a "serious incident is imminent" as several wings become dominated by Muslim prisoners. There is an on-going theme of fear and instability among employees, says the Prison Service's Directorate of High Security report. "There is much talk around the establishment about 'the Muslims'," it says.

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...

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...

Barack Obama ... Democratic presidential hopeful    Fleeced Brits help Obama     By JAMES CLENCH Published: Today     AMERICAN Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has had an unlikely campaign contribution – from thieves who fleeced the bank account of a British couple. Shocked Tania Parker discovered the account had been mysteriously emptied after she tried to withdraw money from a cash point. When she called Lloyds TSB stunned Tania was told fraudsters had illegally made two donations totalling £210 to fund Obama's race for the White House. She told The Sun: "It's crazy, I couldn't believe it. I'm...

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...

Gordon Brown backs animal-human hybrids By Subhajit Banerjee and agencies Last Updated: 2:31PM BST 18/05/2008   Gordon Brown today strongly defended the medical use of animal-human hybrid embryos, ahead of a key Commons vote on the issue. The Prime Minister said that stem cell research was an "inherently moral endeavour" and a "profound opportunity" to save and transform millions of lives. "Britain is at the forefront of this research and responsible for much of the worldwide progress," he wrote in The Observer newspaper. The premier supports scientists who want to insert the nuclei of human cells into animal eggs,...

The Feral Sex: The terrifying rise of violent girl gangsBy PAUL BRACCHI - More by this author » Last updated at 23:48pm on 16th May 2008  The girl emerged from her house with a mobile phone glued to her ear and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.  Her friends take the mickey out of her, we learn from her sister's MySpace internet page, because she is never out of "a chav T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms" - and she didn't disappoint yesterday. Even so, it doesn't pay to get on the wrong side of this 14-year-old, who plays for...

Pictured: Lancaster bomber in dramatic flypast to mark 65th anniversary of Dambusters raidLast updated at 18:49pm on 16th May 2008  It is one of the most stirring images of the Second World War - a Lancaster bomber coming in terrifyingly low over a huge dam.  Today, the last surviving pilot of the epic Dambusters operation was present to witness a spectacular re-enactment as one of the bombers flew again above the Derwent Valley dam in Derbyshire to mark the 65th anniversary of the raid. Scroll down for more...Bombs away: The world's only flying Lancaster makes a low pass over...

Obese people are contributing to the world food crisis and climate change, experts say. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine calculated the obese consume 18% more calories than average. They are also responsible for using more fuel, which has an environmental impact and drives up food prices as transport and agriculture both use oil. The result is that the poor struggle to afford food and greenhouse gas emissions rise, the Lancet reported. It comes as the World Health Organization predicts the obese population will double by 2015 to 700m. In the UK, nearly a quarter of adults are...

Synagogue walls daubed with anti-Jewish graffitiBenedict Moore-Bridger and Robert Mendick 15.05.08   Message of hate: a council worker cleaning anti-Israel graffiti off a wall in Stamford Hill   London's Jewish community has been targeted by a wave of anti-Semitic graffiti. Residents were today warned to look out for suspicious activity following the racist attack in north-east London. Vandals sprayed shops, pavements and walls outside four synagogues in Clapton Common and Stamford Hill on Tuesday night. Worshippers were yesterday confronted with slogans such as "Jihad to Israel" and "Jihad to Tel Aviv". Hackney council is removing the graffiti, which consisted...

Foreign criminals work at airports unchecked By Christopher Hope and David Millward Last Updated: 2:55AM BST 08/05/2008 |   Thousands of foreigners are being allowed to work in high security parts of Britain's airports without passing proper criminal record checks, it was disclosed last night. PA Despite warnings that terrorists would try to recruit people working "airside" in terminals – with direct access to aircraft and baggage – no attempt has been made to check whether foreign workers have committed any offences abroad. The vetting process checks only for crimes committed in Britain. Foreign workers – arriving from inside or...

One in three employees admits they have been to work with a hangover and more than one in 10 has been drunk at their desk, a study suggests. Staff said they made mistakes, struggled to concentrate and had to go home early as a result of drinking. Four out of five employers say alcohol is the biggest threat to the well-being of their staff, according to a survey for Norwich Union Healthcare. Alcohol Concern said bosses needed to be aware of symptoms of alcohol abuse. One thousand people and 250 businesses were interviewed about drinking habits for the survey. Of...

Police ordered to stop treating criminal damage as a crime to improve performance figuresBy ANDREW LEVY - More by this author » Last updated at 18:01pm on 5th May 2008 Figure tweaking: a leaked memo reveals a Norfolk police force is pressuring officers not to classify incidents of smashed car windows as criminal damage if nothing is stolen Police officers are being told not to record criminal damage as crime.  Rank-and-file bobbies have been told that incidents such as car vandalism should not be classed as an offence when there is 'no idea how it happened'. The revelation has left...

LONDON (AFP) - Never mind the radiation: British contingency planners worried there would be a dramatic shortage of tea in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, recently declassified documents showed Monday.

Father confronted by axe-wielding burglars - but police are too busy to turn up for THREE hoursBy DAVID WILKES - More by this author » Last updated at 00:49am on 29th April 2008  Cowering upstairs with his partner and their two children as a gang of burglars wielding an axe emptied his living room, Mathew Sims wasted no time in calling 999.  But instead of the immediate response he expected, the police told him: "We're too busy to help." Within minutes, the burglars drove off with a haul of stolen property. Scroll down for more... Terrified: Matthew Sims, Sarah Barham...

Mayoral Elections   .....    Campaigning: Ken Livingstone on the trail at Northolt mosque in Ealing over the weekend Pro-Ken Muslim group claims Boris 'would scrap the Koran' Andrew Gilligan 28.04.08 Ken Livingstone supporters are claiming that Boris Johnson would ban the Koran in adverts in the capital's Bengali-language press. The claim is one of a number of last-minute tactics - condemned by Mr Johnson today as "poison" and "desperate" - being used by Mr Livingstone's backers to sway crucial votes. The "dirty tricks" were uncovered in a Standard investigation which also found that: • Bengali-language leaflets are being handed...

Five British hostages who were kidnapped in Iraq almost a year ago are being held inside Iran by Revolutionary Guards, according to two separate sources in the Middle East and London. The hostages were handed over to the Revolutionary Guards by their Iraqi kidnappers last November, the sources believe. One of the sources said they were being held in the western Iranian city of Hamadan. If confirmed, the involvement of Revolutionary Guards would be seen as evidence that senior figures in the Iranian government had backed the decision to hold them in the country. However, British officials said that while...

Britain is to deploy hundreds of troops to Kosovo in a move likely to revive claims that the government is demanding too much from its armed forces. Senior military and defence officials have agreed to a request from Nato to send a battlegroup based on 2 Rifles, a light infantry battalion of about 600 soldiers, to help maintain "public order" in the newly independent Balkan state, the Guardian has learned. For the first six months of this year, Britain is responsible for providing Nato's standby reserve force for the Balkans. British defence sources said yesterday the deployment of 2 Rifles...

Plans to overhaul tax paid by airline passengers could add £170 to the cost of a long-haul holiday for a family of four, airlines have warned. They said that Treasury proposals to raise charges on environmental grounds could make overseas travel an increasingly costly luxury. Passengers who have to change planes to complete their journey would be worst hit, because the Government wants to impose a tax on every flight to discourage planes from flying half-empty. Under the present system of Air Passenger Duty, somebody changing planes at a hub airport such as Heathrow pays a single tax on the...