Free Republic

  Last female veteran of the First World War dies aged 109 Last updated at 20:19pm on 29.08.08    Gladys Powers, 109, died this month in Canada. She was thought to be the last female veteran from WW1. The last female First World War veteran has died aged 109.British-born Gladys Powers died at her home in British Columbia, Canada, on August 14, the Ministry of Defence said.She was born in Lewisham, south London and joined the Women's Auxiliary Corps aged 15, after fibbing about her age and later served with the Women's RAF.  All but a few of the...

Devout Muslim found guilty of forcing boys to flog themselves in religious ceremony Last updated at 15:41pm on 27.08.08   A devout Muslim was found guilty of child cruelty today in a British legal first after forcing two boys to beat themselves during a religious ceremony.The jury at Manchester Crown Court found 44-year-old Syed Mustafa Zaidi guilty of two counts of child cruelty.The boys, aged 13 and 15, were forced to beat themselves with a zanjeer zani, an implement containing five curved blades, during a ceremony to commemorate the death of a Shia Muslim spiritual leader.Zaidi, of Station Road,...

Thames reveals forgotten wrecksMark Blunden 26.08.08   The largest-ever post-war salvage operation on the Thames has discovered seven shipwrecks up to 350 years old. They include a warship that was blown up in 1665, a yacht converted to a Second World War gunboat, and a mystery wreck in which divers found a personalised gin bottle. The vessels, in the Thames Estuary, are just some of about 1,100 ships which went down in the whole of the river. The salvage by Wessex Archaeology and the Port of London Authority, which regulates the river, was both historical and practical. Jagged metal...

The announcement this week from the Local Government Association that Social workers will consider taking 'dangerously overweight' children from their parents and placing them into care is guaranteed to tie all decent people in a veritable Gordian knot of conflicting liberal impulses. On the one hand we all abhor the idea that children might be so packed full of high-calorie low-nutrition takeaways and convenience food by uncaring or ignorant parents that they are effectively crippled by their own bulk. On the other hand we Britons have long rather fancied ourselves to be a more than averagely tolerant bunch, and the...

Like many townies, my prejudices about the Glorious Twelfth were well and truly fully formed. The official start of the shooting season was nothing more than an ancient ritual to massacre thousands of defenceless birds. So it was with some cynicism and not a little trepidation that I agreed to take part in the Glorious Twelfth last Tuesday, the traditional start of the shooting season, on a moor on the Durham/ Northumberland border. (edit) Having missed my first bird and about to hand over my place to the next gun, I looked back at the group. Mums with red-faced...

Council snoopers to get new powers to seize phone and email records - with taxpayers footing the £50m bill Last updated at 15:11pm on 13.08.08  Tory concerns: Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve Council snoopers will be given even greater powers to pry into our phone, email and internet records  -  landing the taxpayer with a bill of almost £50million.  Town halls, along with the police, security services, health authorities and other public bodies, will have access to ' communication' records of anyone suspected of involvement in even the most minor crime.  The powers, which stem from an EU directive...

One third of whites claim they are victims of racism Last updated at 10:16am on 12.08.08  A growing number of white people believe they are the victims of racial prejudice in Britain, official research has found. Almost one in three - 29 per cent - said they now expected to be treated worse than other races by key public services.  And the number of whites claiming to have been refused a job or discriminated against at work for reasons of race has doubled in the last five years, according to the Government study.   Flashback: Riots in Burnley, Lancs, 2001 when...

UK. Brixham Coastguard rescues intoxicated teenagers by helicopter Thursday, 07 August 2008   At quarter to one this morning Brixham Coastguard received several 999 calls from an 18 year old teenager reporting that he was in some form of distress on a cliff. The boy told the Coastguard in the operations room that he was epileptic and had suffered a fit. He and a friend that was with him could not tell the Coastguard where they were and communications with the two boys was difficult as it became apparent that they were under the influence of alcohol. Teignmouth and...

Max, the sweet-toothed boy, 3, who walked a mile at 3am to buy chocolate Last updated at 19:04pm on 07.08.08      Adventurer: Max McGrath, dressed in pyjamas and oversized shoes, headed off for a sweet hunt... at 3am   When three-year-old Max McGrath had an urge for a chocolate egg in the middle of the night, nothing was going to stop him from satisfying his craving.At 3am the sweet-toothed toddler climbed out of bed, slipped on his brother's shoes and armed himself with his pocket money and a front door key, before heading out on a mile-long walk...

Draconian rules imposed by the Chinese authorities mean that flags of any non-competing nation are likely to be confiscated from fans, who could be barred from venues if they refuse to comply. Athletes could even be disqualified from competing if they break the rules. Because Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland are not individually represented at the games, only the Union Flag of Great Britain will be allowed inside the stadiums. The regulation is widely believed to be aimed at preventing supporters of an independent Tibet from making political statements by waving its flag, but it will be enforced...

Families who break the bin rules and overfill will get a £110 fine... more than a drunken yob would receive  Householders who put too much rubbish in their bins face tougher punishments than shoplifters and drunken louts. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has backed on-the-spot fines of up to £110 for those who overfill their bins, leave them out too early, or put out extra sacks of rubbish alongside them. The price of defying rubbish regulations is £30 higher than the £80 fixed penalty fine given to shoplifters or those involved in drunken disorder in city centres.... ... Mr Corkhill was...

Government bans the word 'obese' to describe overweight children Obesity is a growing problem in the UK Parents of primary school children will start getting letters in September telling them how fat their children are. But however much they weigh, no child will ever be described as obese. The Department of Health has found in surveys that the term obese is a turn-off, so instead will use the term “very overweight” for those children whose body mass index exceeds 30, in an attempt to enlist parents’ support. Primary care trusts have been given a detailed set of instructions, and a...

    Horror ... Remi Fakorede    Mum's finger horror in court     By STAFF REPORTER Published: 02 Aug 2008     A MUM caused uproar in court when she pulled two fingers from her handbag and said they belonged to one of her children. Mother-of-six Remi Fakorede, 46, now behind bars for a “breathtaking” £925,000 tax credit fraud, claimed they had fallen off as a result of a strong “voodoo” curse that had been placed on her and her family and forced her into crime. One juror burst into tears while the “horrified” judge immediately adjourned the case...

Most haughty Europeans look down their nose at we "violent Americans." They sniff the air at the ugly American and assume that they are, one and all, more "civilized" than we gauche colonials. Look at all the gun violence in America, they say. They tsk. tsk us for the deaths by gun. Certainly they are better than we? Now shocking news emerges out of England this month. It is estimated that 25,000 stabbings have occurred in Jolly, more civilized ol' England in the last 12 months alone. You read that right, there have been 25,000 incidents of knife violence in...

  Wife lands a whopper   What a whopper ... Gill Hudspeth and her catch   By STAFF REPORTER Published: Today     A NOVICE angler is celebrating a huge haul - on her first fishing effort. Gill Hudspeth, 58, hooked a 72lb catfish the first time she fished with a rod and reel on holiday with her husband and two friends in France. Her huge haul blew her husband Maurice’s best ever catch of 42lbs straight out of the water. Mrs Hudspeth, from Wilford, Nottinghamshire, today said she had never taken up fishing, despite the fact her husband...

Really chuffed: First full-size British steam locomotive for 50 years fires up Last updated at 22:25pm on 01.08.08  First came the sweet toot of the whistle, then a steady hiss. Finally, sporting her battleship-grey undercoat, Britain's first new steam locomotive in almost half a century emerged in all her majesty. It was a sight that took those old enough to remember back to a golden age of rail travel. Even though Tornado only had 120 yards of track to cover as she chugged into action in a Darlington rail yard, the moment was, with good reason, marked with a...

Cops save 45 girls from tribal abuse   By ANTHONY FRANCE Crime Reporter Published: Today     COPS rescued 45 British girls from horrific African tribal abuse in the past year, it has been revealed. Kids as young as four have had their genitals sewn up because parents believe it will protect their virginity until marriage. The practice is popular in many African countries but banned in the UK. Scotland Yard believes that 6,500 girls in London are at risk. Ages of victims rescued range from a few days old to 16. The total saved by the Met’s Project...

Health and safety killjoys tell war veterans they are too old to hoist the Union Flag over town hall Last updated at 02:38am on 26.07.08      Up in arms: Veterans John Ireland (right) and Keith Hutchins in front of the town hall In their younger days, they risked death and injury to fight for their country against the Nazis and other enemies.  But, now, war veterans who want to fly the Union Flag proudly above their town hall are being defeated by a barrage of health and safety rules.  Royal British Legion members had scented victory after fighting...

    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...

Niger Delta: What Britain must do • Monday, Jul 14, 2008 The first impression is that Britain does not yet understand the Niger Delta struggle and would not care to find out; even though Britain under the colonial administration, initiated the Henry Willink’s Commission of 1958 to give special attention to the Niger Delta. Being former colonial masters of Nigeria, Britain should have taken interest in the Niger Delta crisis long ago because of the ability of the crisis to endanger the peace and unity of Nigeria. Even as a frontline member of the international community, Britain ought to have...

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...

LAGOS (AFP) — The most high-profile rebel group in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta said Thursday it was suspending a two-week-old unilateral ceasefire and threatened British interests in the region. In an e-mail sent to AFP, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it would resume armed operations from midnight Saturday. The group had declared a unilateral ceasefire on June 22 in order "to give peace and dialogue a chance". MEND said its decision to resume armed attacks was linked to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's promise at the G8 summit in Japan to support the Nigerian...

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...

Britain is on the verge of a recession and the number of permanent job vacancies is falling, two reports warn today. The British Chambers of Commerce describes the outlook as 'grim' and warns that a recession could start within months. It says it has uncovered evidence of a 'menacing deterioration' in the economic outlook. Another report, from the accountants KPMG, shows that the number of permanent job vacancies fell in June for the first time in five years.

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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>

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...

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...

What happens when a society bans guns, and then the crime wave comes with knives? Is knife control next? Friday’s Washington Post suggests the answer is yes in Great Britain. We at MRC saw knife-control writing on the wall many years ago. In 1990, a Utah man was stabbed in New York, and we saw this quote in the Post, from then-reporter Michael Specter: "The slaying, and those that preceded it and will follow it, certainly will intensify cries for more police and harsher penalties for criminals. But as long as the type of knife used to kill Watkins is...

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...