Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush on Tuesday discussed the global economic crisis with leaders of Britain, France, and Italy, underlining the need for cooperation, the White House said. The US president, who was also expected to reach out soon to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, emphasized that "it's critical that everybody gets on the same page," said spokeswoman Dana Perino. Bush's conversations with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi came ahead of the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting this week in Washington. "We want to make sure that...

St Giles' in Cheadle, Staffordshire is an exceptional Catholic church. Built between 1841-46 and financed by John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, A. W. N. Pugin endeavoured to create "a perfect revival of an English parish church of the time of Edward I". Often, Pugin's ambitions had to be scaled down because of the lack of funds, but here at Cheadle, Pugin's patron had seemingly ample resources to match Pugin's imagination and skill. Consequently, the church possesses a soaring 200ft spire, so that the church dominates the town as no other Catholic church in England does, and inside, the...

Sticking point: Philip Clarkson Webb has had to use his spare stick after his other one was confiscated by police They must have known he was a troublemaker the moment they saw him. With his white hair, wax jacket and glasses, 78-year-old Philip Clarkson Webb clearly ticked all the boxes any eagle-eyed policemen would mark as 'danger'. And as he shuffled along the pavement towards them there was one thing above all they deemed to pose a threat - his walking stick. The officers surrounded the retired classics teacher and informed him the 3ft wooden cane was an 'offensive weapon'...

In London's historic "Inns of Court", barristers practise law in the shadow of the distinctive medieval Temple Church. But does English law really owe a debt to Muslim law? For some scholars, a historical connection to Islam is a "missing link" that explains why English common law is so different from classical Roman legal systems that hold sway across much of the rest of Europe. It's a controversial idea. Common law has inspired legal systems across the world. What's more, calls for the UK to accommodate Islamic Sharia law have caused public outcry.

Swiss adventurer crosses English Channel using homemade jet wing DOVER, England — A Swiss adventurer using a homemade jet-propelled wing has flown across the English Channel from France in less than 10 minutes. Yves Rossy landed safely in a field near Dover on Friday. The National Geographic Channel showed Rossy leaping from a plane at an altitude of about 2,700 metres, then firing up his wing for the 35-kilometre flight from Calais, France, to Dover, England. Minutes later Rossy looped over onlookers on the British side.

When the majestic white-tailed sea eagle was re-introduced to mainland Britain after nearly a century, nature lovers were thrilled. But the huge birds of prey have not found any fans among farmers, who have labelled them ‘winged vermin’ and claim they have killed more than 200 lambs. The area around one sea eagle nest was described as a ‘sheep graveyard’. The return of the sea eagle has been hailed as a great conservation victory after they were wiped out early last century. The birds were brought from Norway in a project by Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB Scotland and the...

    Stealthy ... Brit Jon with B2 bomber        Exclusive   RAF pilot is one hell of a guy     By JOHN KAY Published: Today     AN RAF Top Gun known as “Killers” has been recruited to fly the world’s deadliest aircraft for the elite US Grim Reapers squadron.   13th bomb squadron ... badge of the elite Grim Reapers  Squadron Leader Jon Killerby pilots the £1billion state-of-the-art Stealth Spirit B2 bomber. The former Tornado ace, 34, is based with the 13th Bomb Squadron in Missouri, US. His flying overalls sport the squadron’s badge...

England has become the most crowded major country in Europe, official figures show. The number of people crammed in has overtaken those in Holland, long the most densely-populated major nation on the continent. A count released to MPs showed England now has 395 people per square kilometre. Crowding has increased because of high immigration into England while the Dutch population has fallen or remained steady. Population growth: Official figures show England has overtaken the Netherlands to become the most crowded country in Europe Last night MPs who are campaigning for 'balanced migration' said the figures were a milestone in the...

  'Tax 4x4 owners up to £2,500'     Bill ... Norman Baker wants tax hike for gas guzzlers    By CLODAGH HARTLEY Consumer Affairs Correspondent Published: Today       DRIVERS of big gas guzzlers should be forced to pay huge road taxes of up to £2,500 a year, the Liberal Democrats said today. Transport spokesman Norman Baker wants to use the cash to fund £1,000 handouts to those who buy "green" cars. But for those who drive 4x4's and other large family cars – a showroom tax of £500, alongside £2,000 a year Vehicle Excise Duty would...

Birth Control, Eugenics Advocate Honored With Postage Stamp Monday, September 15, 2008 By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor CNSNews.com) – Britain’s Royal Mail is under fire over a decision to honor a birth control pioneer and eugenicist who shared views on racial purity with the Nazis. Marie Stopes is one of six female pioneers commemorated in a series of postage stamps named “Women of Distinction,” which will be on sale from mid-October. Pro-life campaigners are outraged at the decision, given the controversies surrounding Stopes, who died in 1958. The Scottish-born Stopes in 1921 opened Britain’s first family planning clinic, which has...

Baseball is as American as ... tea and crumpets?

  How police chief remembered victims of Osama     By JOHN COLES Published: Today       ANTI-terror cop Colin Terry stunned onlookers by going to a village carnival as Osama Bin Laden — days before the 9/11 anniversary.            Proud moment ... Chief Superintendent Colin Terry at a long-service awards ceremony       The chief superintendent pulled on a full latex face mask of the al-Qaeda warlord, the monster behind the atrocities in which 3,500 died seven years ago today. Mr Terry — a Devon & Cornwall officer currently working in Afghanistan —...

excerpts ... He tried to rent a room at the Metro Hotel in Woking, after spending longer than expected in the town. He was asked for ID and showed them his military pass. But staff told him it was company policy to turn away members of the Armed Forces. 'Soldiers don't get treated like this in America. There they are treated like heroes but here they are being treated like scum. It is heartbreaking.' [ <-- AMEN!]

LONDON (AFP) — A solid gold sculpture of British supermodel Kate Moss worth 1.5 million pounds (2.8 million dollars, 1.9 million euros) was unveiled in London on Thursday The 50 kilogramme (110-pound) work is by artist Marc Quinn, previously famous for a controversial sculpture installed in London's Trafalgar Square of a pregnant woman with no arms due to a medical condition. "I thought the next thing to do would be to make a sculpture of the person who's the ideal beauty of the moment. But even Kate Moss doesn't live up to the image," he said. SNIP The golden sculpture,...

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...

Homosexual Lord of the Rings Star McKellen Blasts Catholic Bishop for Remarks on "Gay Lobby" By Hilary White LONDON, August 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two prominent British homosexual actors have lashed out at a Catholic bishop for warning Catholic parents against the advance of the homosexualist movement. Sir Ian McKellen and Simon Callow denounced as "arrogant" and "unchristian" the efforts of Bishop Joseph Devine to warn a group of parents against the secularising aims of the homosexual movement. McKellan, the actor who has used his fame, derived in part from his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings...

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...

Among those showcased were Vivienne Westwood dressed as Margaret Thatcher for a 1989 edition of Tatler, Patrick Demarchelier’s portrait of Diana, gracing the cover of Vogue just after her death in 1997, and the Kate Moss and Patsy Kensit/Liam Gallagher covers pronouncing Cool Britannia on Vogue and Vanity Fair. Surprisingly, there are two covers with Victoria Beckham, that we will not vote for.

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...

The cleanliness of most NHS hospitals in England is threatened by frequent invasions of rats, fleas, bedbugs, flies and cockroaches, a report claims.

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...

GLOBAL JIHAD 1 in 3 Muslim students approve killing for Islam 'Stop talking about celebrating diversity and focus on integration and assimilation' If ignorance and poverty are responsible for the growth of extremist views in the Islamic world, someone needs ask to Muslim students, privileged enough and bright enough to attend some of the United Kingdom's best universities, why one-in-three of them endorses killing in the name of Islam. The report of this finding, based on a poll of 600 Muslim and 800 non-Muslim students at 12 universities in the UK, and conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Center...

Police on Thursday accused a Brazilian man of killing and dismembering his 17-year-old British girlfriend, taking pictures of her body parts with his cell phone and stuffing her torso in a suitcase. Goias state police inspector Jorge Moreira da Silva said officers found the suitcase with the torso of Cara Marie Burke on Monday at the edge of a river in the central Brazilian city of Goiania. Burke's boyfriend, Mohamed D'Ali Carvalho Santos, 20, was arrested on Thursday and was charged with homicide, Silva said.

A crackdown on sham marriages is 'in tatters' after the House of Lords ruled that it breaches the human rights of immigrants. Law Lords said forcing a migrant to prove a relationship is genuine is 'arbitrary and unjust', even if they were getting married only weeks before their permission to stay in Britain ran out. Foreigners will now once again be free to prolong their stay in the UK by getting married at the last minute to a person who already has permission to live here.

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...

CANTERBURY, England, JULY 28, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Westminster says he is not skeptical about the ecumenical dialogue going on between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor affirmed this Friday when he addressed the Lambeth Conference -- the Anglican once-a-decade meeting under way through Aug. 4. The cardinal looked at the history of the dialogue between the two groups, focusing on the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. He acknowledged that the initial progress made by that commission brought greater expectations than successive steps have elicited. "The initial hope had been that some concrete...

A SICK game on Facebook has been removed from the website after The Sun revealed how kids were able to STAB each other. Members of the internet social network could "SHANK" - street slang for knifing - other users by clicking on a blade icon in the popular SuperPoke! application. The revelation comes at a time when the UK is gripped by a knife-crime epidemic with 21 teenagers dying violently in London alone this year. But responding to calls from The Sun to remove it, US makers Slide admitted the icon was in bad taste and have taken it off....

In 1850, Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman wrote his fellow-Englishmen from Rome, announcing that Pius IX had restored the diocesan hierarchy in England and that he, Wiseman, would be cardinal archbishop of Westminster. “From Out the Flaminian Gate,� a pastoral letter longer on baroque rhetoric than ecumenical diplomacy, caused a perfect storm in Protestant England. Queen Victoria wondered whether she remained the sovereign. Lord John Russell, the prime minister, said he would rely on the good sense of the English people, who “looked with contempt on the mummeries of superstition.� The Anglican archbishop of York warned that Rome was plotting Anglicanism’s “captivity...

Customers shopping for clothes at the Charli boutique watched in amazement when two uniformed men marched in and threatened staff with criminal prosecution. Their crime? Putting out rubbish in the wrong-coloured bin bags. Council officers announced that the shop in Muswell Hill, North London, would be fined £300 after using black bags because they had run out of the grey version issued by the local authority. The designer store had been waiting since July 1 for a delivery of new bags, but by the 17th staff decided they would have to put their rotting rubbish out in four standard black...

If you hadn’t heard of England’s Dean Thomas before, now you shall. Hailed as the next ‘Big Thing’ by the UK’s Daily Mail, he is a rising star of the British fashion scene, an innovator in fabric and feathers, whose creations have already drawn the appreciation of Vogue, establishing himself as one of the trendiest young designers in the world. Thomas, a native of Dulverton in Somerset, attended and graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins, Britain’s renown school of art and design, known for such alumni as actor John Hurt, painter Lucian Freud, and noted designers Stella McCartney, John...

    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...