Free Republic

19 October 2009 Tories Could 'Rip Up' BBC Charter Mr Hunt said he had not decided the timing of changes to BBC governance A Conservative government could "rip up" the BBC's royal charter, the shadow culture secretary has suggested. The current royal charter allowing the BBC's licence fee expires in 2015. But Jeremy Hunt told the Financial Times that the corporation was "out of touch with the hard times the rest of the electorate is going through". He said the BBC's structure had "failed", adding that Tories in power would have a "very fundamental root-and-branch discussion with the BBC". Cheerleader...

A SERIAL cat killer is feared to have launched a new murder spree - just miles from where eight pets were poisoned two months ago. This time four treasured moggies from the same street died in agony within one week. Tests show they had all swallowed a toxin believed to be anti-freeze. Cops are still hunting the maniac who used the same method to kill eight cats in one road in Bridgend, South Wales, over three weeks in July and August. The latest killings took place in Caldy Close, Barry - just ten miles away. Two neighbouring households in the...

The art of driving through a puddle and splashing pedestrians is nothing new -- we're sure mammoths were running through puddles at high speed to splash cavemen even before the invention of the wheel -- but filming it and posting it to YouTube is. Well now drivers have been warned they could face criminal charges for carrying out a drive-by-drenching. Kerry Callard, 29, was recently caught after soaking a group of kids at a bus stop in Plymouth, Devon, and uploading the footage to the web. The clip, called 'drowning school kids' was filmed by her partner who provided a...

AUSTRALIANS could soon be paid for spotting crimes happening on the other side of the world. British company Internet Eyes will offer a reward of up to $1740 to people who detect shoplifting and other crimes on a network of UK security cameras. Subscribers will watch live footage over the internet on their home computers. The company believes the different time zones made Australia the ideal location for detecting night-time crime in the UK.

Yesterday Sharia loving UK Muslim Anjem Choudary released a video statement stating that the non-Muslims of the UK should convert to Islam or accept Sharia Law. Today I am posting some new comments that I came across on Right Side News, that show us that the true Brits still have a fighting chance. written by True Englishman, October 16,

Leading UK Muslim Anjem Choudary who had recently stated that Islam is at war with the UK, has now invited the non-Muslims of the UK to Islam. If they do not want to accept Islam, Sharia Law is the next offer. If these offers are rejected by the non-Muslims there, then under Islam Muslims have the right to wage a holy war. Chapter 1: REGARDING PERMISSION TO MAKE A RAID, WITHOUT AN ULTIMATUM, UPON THE DISBELIEVERS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INVITED TO ACCEPT ISLAM

Dutch politician Geert Wilders who recently had his UK ban overturned, has told it like is at his UK press conference. In the past Mr. Wilders had also stated that he wants to end Muslim immigration into the Netherlands. This man might just be the saviour of Europe. Protesters meet Dutch far-right MP Tension was high as angry protests greeted a visit to the UK by a Dutch far-right MP.

Geert Wilders landed at London's Heathrow Airport this morning after winning a court battle to gain entrance to the country. Wilders, who has branded the Koran a "fascist book" in his controversial film Fitna, was barred from coming to Britain in February over fears he could spark religious riots. But the head of the Freedom Party won an appeal against the decision earlier this week.

Today's edition of You Couldn't Make It Up comes from Yorkshire, where a farmer has been fined £150 for 'failing to meet the psychological and ethological needs' of a cow. I still can't believe I've just written that sentence. Ronald Norcliffe's offence was to keep his cattle in a barn without electric light. When did that become a crime? If ever a case illustrated the absurdity of Britain's grotesque punishment culture, this is it. As I said here on Tuesday, all sense of reason and proportion has been jettisoned in the relentless pursuit of 'criminals' by our bloated, self-righteous, self-perpetuating,...

Last week we saw the growing English Defence League movement hit the streets of the UK. Today I came across some comments on Right Side News, from non-Muslim Brits in regards to the Sharia threat taking place in the UK. These quotes show us that the Brits are waking up and not dead yet. written by marco christou, October 15, 2009 islam is the false religion of satan. my father fought against the turkish muslim scum in cyprus in 1963 & 1974 & i am proud that he not only fought for our greek orthodox christian island but also for...

In full public view a drunken young man urinates over a city centre war memorial, soaking wreaths of poppies laid as a tribute to the dead. It's a shocking scene that will appal any person, even in a country where binge-drinking has become an accepted pastime for so many. In full public view a drunken young man urinates over a city centre war memorial, soaking wreaths of poppies laid as a tribute to the dead. It's a shocking scene that will appal any person, even in a country where binge-drinking has become an accepted pastime for so many.

A RADICAL Muslim group sparked outrage last night as it launched a massive campaign to impose sharia law on Britain.The fanatical group Islam4UK has ­announced plans to hold a potentially ­incendiary rally in London later this month. And it is calling for a complete upheaval of the British legal system, its officials and ­legislation. Members have urged Muslims from all over Britain to converge on the capital on October 31 for a procession to demand the full implementation of sharia law. On a website to promote their cause they deride British institutions, showing a mock-up picture of Nelson’s Column surmounted...

Multiculturalism, as a concept, may seem fair until you examine its ramifications – until you look at its realities. For multiculturalism to work, all sides must be willing to work together and whatever community its tenets must insist that the local laws be followed by one and all, without exception! Muslims in the UK, want public monies but reject any strings attached: Muslim groups say that they want money from the Government but don’t like the strings attached which ask them to help root out extremism. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) says that the grants which require them to...

Pilgrims venerate the relics of St. Therese in Aylesford, England. Credit: Catholicrelics.co.uk London, England, Oct 13, 2009 / 09:19 pm (CNA).- As many as 100,000 pilgrims are expected to visit Westminster Cathedral to view and venerate the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux during their month-long tour of England and Wales.Agence France Presse reports that the cathedral has ordered 100,000 candles and 50,000 pink roses to meet the demand. The cathedral expects 2,000 pilgrims every hour until Thursday.St. Therese became a Carmelite nun at the age of 15 and died in 1897 at the age of 24. Known as...

SNIPPET: "Dalia Mogahed, a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, joined a representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) for a television interview in Great Britain on Sunday. The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report (GMBDR) noted that Mogahed was interviewed along with Dr. Nasreen Nawaz, women's representative for HT, on the British Muslim show "Muslimah Dilemma," which airs on the Islam Channel. GMBDR described the program as "a show presented by members of Hizb ut-Tahrir" featuring Nawaz "in her capacity as spokesperson" for the group. In some ways, Mogahed's performance during the 45-minute program (which has been...

Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders should not have been refused entry to Britain to attend a screening of his film Fitna earlier this year, a British immigration tribunal ruled on Tuesday. Wilders had been invited to the House of Lords, the upper house of the British parliament, for the screening in February, but was told he would be refused entry on public order grounds. Wilders went ahead with the trip and was turned back by immigration officials at Heathrow airport. 'This is a very black day. They are bowing down to Islam by refusing entry to critics,' Wilders said at the...

Debt can become a real liability for a superpower. Recall what happened to postwar Britain. The dollar's sharp drop over the past few weeks has led to considerable anxiety about the status of the United States as the dominant force in the global economy. Closely related to this fear is constant worry about the rise of China and the evermore complicated relationship between Beijing and Washington. Most people are now aware that China is the largest creditor to a heavily indebted U.S. government. It holds close to a trillion dollars of U.S. Treasurys and has invested hundreds of billions more...

A French physicist with the European atomic research centre near Geneva was charged with terrorism offences by a Paris judge last night after investigators said that he offered to work with the North African branch of al-Qaeda. Adlène Hicheur, 32, who is of Algerian origin, was arrested last week with his younger brother after intelligence agents intercepted his alleged internet contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The physicist, who works at the giant atomic collider at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), which straddles Swiss and French territory, told the Islamic group that he was interested in committing an...

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A leading UK hospital has defended its practice of using organs donated by smokers after the death of a soldier who received the cancerous lungs of a heavy smoker. Corporal Matthew Millington, 31, died at his home in 2008, less than a year after receiving a transplant that was supposed to save his life at Papworth Hospital -- the UK's largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital, in Cambridgeshire, east England. Papworth Hospital released a statement saying using donor lungs from smokers was not "unusual." The statement added that the hospital had no option but to use lungs from...

Britain is the worst place to live in Europe, according to a new survey. Despite high earnings, our quality of life is sadly lacking. We spend more on putting a roof over our heads than any of our continental neighbours, work longer hours and die earlier. Our grocery and fuel bills are higher and we get fewer holidays than other countries. Researchers compared data from ten European nations. France came top of the league, with Britain rock bottom and Ireland second from last. That probably explains why more and more people who can afford it are getting out. The weather...

A father missed the birth of his first son after being arrested for groping a nurse on the way to the delivery room. Police said Adam Manning sexually assaulted the nurse as she wheeled his wife into the delivery room. The 30 year old had told the nurse she was "cute" then reached round to grab her breasts. Police in Ogden, Utah, were called to the hospital and arrested Manning on charges of forcible sexual assault. When later asked about his actions he said he had no idea why he carried out the assault. Police confirmed that he missed the...

Motorists should be forced to pay to drive on the busiest roads to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the Government's climate change watchdog says today. The Climate Change Committee, led by former CBI chief Lord Turner, wants ministers to introduce compulsory road pricing to prevent global warming. Under the controversial scheme, cars would be fitted with electronic tags and tracked either by satellite or roadside beacon. Charges would rise at times of peak congestion to around £1.50 a mile. In a report to MPs, the advisers called for a carbon revolution - with thousands of wind turbines, nuclear power stations...

BRITISH women’s obsession with having large breasts is putting their looks and health at risk, experts have warned. Surgeons say “going too big” can create an unnatural look as well as breast tissue damage, drooping and over-stretched skin. But the desire to copy the enhanced bosoms of stars like Katie Price and Pamela Anderson is strong. Cosmetic surgeon Roy Ng said: “Seven years ago most women wanted to go up one cup size. Today the average is one and a half to two cup sizes. This is an average increase of 15 to 25 per cent.” His colleague Patrick Mallucci...

This is an update to the "30 Arrests at Anti-Islam Protest in UK" story. While the Britishness supporting English Defense League was outnumbered, it appears that their numbers are growing. This is still hope. 48 arrests at anti-Islam rally in Manchester By Vasilije Gallak on Oct 11, 2009 in Featured, United Kingdom London – Police arrested 48 people Saturday night in Manchester during a rally by an English nationalist group and counter demonstrations.

The advertisement attempts to make adults feel guilty about their legacy to their children. It features a father telling his daughter a bedtime story of “a very very strange” world with “horrible consequences” for today’s children. The storybook shows a British town deep under water, with people and animals drowning. Carbon dioxide is depicted as rising in clouds of black soot from cars and homes, including from a woman’s hairdryer. The soot gathers into a jagged-toothed monster menacing the town. The daughter asks her father if the story has a happy ending and a voiceover cuts in, saying: “It’s up...

Today was the day of the English Defence League's anti-Islam demonstration, taking place in Manchester. Here is the first update, as they come in I will post them. 30 arrests at anti-Islam protest in Birmingham MANCHESTER, England — At least 30 people were arrested when a group demonstrating against Islamic fundamentalism clashed with anti-racism protesters in Britain on Saturday, police said.

The whole title is: Your daughter is not disabled enough: Mother's fury as 10-year-old with prosthetic leg suffers benefits penalty for trying to be normal. For ten-year-old Devon Taverner, overcoming adversity is a way of life as she fights to be just another normal little girl. But all her bravery in dealing with being born with a severely disabled leg could not prepare her for the cruellest of blows delivered by benefits bureaucrats. After receiving a school report praising her for how well she was coping with her prosthetic leg, Devon and her mother were shattered to learn the Government...

David Cameron on Thursday blamed Britain’s economic crisis on a Labour-led era of “big government”, in a sombre and sometimes emotional speech aimed at convincing the nation he is a prime minister in waiting. Mr Cameron warned that he was about to turn off the tap on public spending, and caused concern to some in the City when he said that “sometime soon” the country would have to stop “printing money” if it wanted to head off inflation.

A late Roman period body unearthed in Gloucester has stunned experts after tests suggested it was a Goth warrior from eastern Europe. The man, aged 25 to 30, who was dug up north of Kingsholm Square in 1972, had always baffled archaeologists. His elaborate silver belt fittings, shoe buckles and inlaid knife were believed to be from an area between the Balkans and Southern Russia. Chemical tests now prove he was from east of the River Danube. This has led historians to suggest he was a Goth mercenary in the Roman Army. Pirate warden? The large bones date to about...

Licence to make crass sexual jokes on the BBC about the Queen is depravity, not liberty Earlier this week, David Cameron, the British Conservative Party leader and probable next prime minister, was “cleared” of “breaching” “the broadcasting code” by the country’s TV and radio regulatory authority, Ofcom. Back in July, Mr. Cameron had been appearing on the morning show at Absolute Radio, a national rock station, and had, apropos the political class in general, observed that “the public are rightly, I think, pissed off.” To a question about why he was not using Twitter, the Tory leader replied, “Too many...

A new internet game is about to be launched which allows 'super snooper' players to plug into the nation's CCTV cameras and report on members of the public committing crimes. The 'Internet Eyes' service involves players scouring thousands of CCTV cameras installed in shops, businesses and town centres across Britain looking for law-breakers. Players who help catch the most criminals each month will win cash prizes up to £1,000. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218225/Internet-game-awards-points-people-spotting-crimes-CCTV-cameras-branded-snoopers-paradise.html#ixzz0TNOMuvRg

A plumber whose arm was left twisted grotesquely out of shape in an accident ten months ago has had an operation to correct it 'cancelled four times'. Torron Eeles, 50, has been left unable to work since falling down the stairs and now fears he may lose his home after being denied incapacity benefit. The father-of-three today hit out at the NHS for the 'unacceptable delays', but East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said Mr Eeles had his operation cancelled on 'only' two occasions on clinical safety grounds. His left arm has hung limply by his side since he fractured...

Full Comment's Araminta Wordsworth brings you a regular dose of international punditry at its finest. Today: In the nanny state that is contemporary Britain, no one should be punished for committing a minor crime, such as mugging an old lady for her pension or shoplifting or driving while drunk. Sounds risible, doesn’t it? But this call comes from the people in charge of keeping criminals behind bars, the Prison Governors Association. Short sentences don’t work, says its head. Instead offenders should be given a slap on the wrist, and obliged to do community service instead of prison time.

A retired policeman, Ralph Harvey, in the town of Saltash (United Kingdom) was ordered to take down the electrified wires he installed to protect his home from break-ins. Harvey constructed the system after burglars had stolen all his wife’s jewelry. Local police have been unable to solve the case or to prevent frequent episodes of vandalism against Harvey’s property. Saltash Police spokesman, Andy Dunstan said that “While I’m not entirely unsympathetic, what with Mr. Harvey being a former policeman and all. But we can’t abide the risk to potential thieves from this fence.” The electrified fence is only 12 volts—not...

<p>I once had a patient who had had the words ‘F*** off’ tattooed on his forehead in mirror writing. When I asked him for the reason for this, he said that it was to wake him up in the morning when he looked at himself in the glass. It never failed, he said.</p>

When Pope Benedict visits this country next year, he is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. The warmth of her welcome will come as no surprise to the Pontiff, if senior sources at the Vatican are to be believed. According to informants quoted in The Catholic Herald, the Queen has "grown increasingly sympathetic" to the Catholic Church over the years while being "appalled", along with the Prince of Wales, at developments in the Church of England. The usually well-informed newspaper adds that the Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the C of E,...

Fusing together entries on Fleming’s famous 00-agent and detailed information on cases of espionage, real-life spies, MI5, SIS, CIA, KGB, and others, Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond asks the question: What proportion of Fleming’s output is authentic, and what comes directly from the his imagination?

Thousands who travelled to see Mr Hinn perform at a London rally have been were left disappointed after officials at Stansted airport would not let him in the country. Border Agency officials turned back Mr Hinn, who landed by private jet, because he had failed to bring a valid sponsorship certificate from his church, required under rules introduced last November. The Pentecostal preacher, who was due to perform at a three day rally in a Docklands exhibition centre this weekend, flew on to Paris, and attempted – and failed – to regain entry to Britain via Luton. Thousands of evangelical...

he head of the British Army, General Sir David Richards, has issued a wake-up call to the public by warning of the "terrifying prospect" of a defeat in Afghanistan. n an unprecedented intervention, the chief of the general staff described the conflict as "this generation's war" and added that failure by Nato would have an "intoxicating effect" on militant Islam. In his first interview as the head of the Army, Sir David told The Sunday Telegraph that if Britain and Nato failed in Afghanistan the risks to the western world would be "enormous" and "unimaginable". He said: "If al-Qaeda and...

According to informants quoted in The Catholic Herald, the Queen has "grown increasingly sympathetic" to the Catholic Church over the years while being "appalled", along with the Prince of Wales, at developments in the Church of England. The usually well-informed newspaper adds that the Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the C of E, is "also said to have an affinity with the Holy Father, who is of her generation".In July, The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that the Queen had told the heads of a traditionalist group, formed in response to the liberal direction of some parts of the Anglican...

Students should be allowed to take “smart drugs� to boost their performance in exams, according to an academic. The use of drugs such as modafinil and Ritalin is no worse than sending children to a private tutor, said Vince Cakic, from the department of psychology at Sydney University. The comments are made in an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Some academics have claimed that smart drugs, or “nootropics�, which are often widely available over the internet, should be banned over long-term safety fears. Mr Cakic said universities in the future may attempt to impose random urine tests to...

Until now, however, one plan has remained unknown: an 18th-century plot to invade with an American army during that country’s War of Independence. Drawn up by a French general, the scheme was to bring over an American force of 10,000 that would find a Britain so distracted by the war on the other side of the Atlantic, that victory would seem certain. Just to make sure, however, the general suggested that the force include a corps of Native Americans, or “sauvages”, as he termed them, who would strike such fear in British troops that any resistance would collapse immediately. The...

SNIPPET: "Arabic language schools in Nasr City are doing well and many Salafists come to Egypt in to learn the language of the Koran. Many deeply religious students from Europe come to Egypt to learn Arabic. The question is: are these European Salafists coming to study the language of the Koran or to prepare terrorist attacks?" SNIPPET: "In addition to language lessons, they usually follow courses in Islamic law offered by teachers ranging from the renowned Al-Azhar University to clandestine imams without permits. "Religious fanatics want to be taken seriously," says Walid al-Gohari, founder and director of the Al-Fajr institute,...

Clearing out your home can uncover all sorts of trinkets long forgotten, but for one resident of the Yorkshire Dales it led to the discovery of six genuine treasures he never knew he had. And now the rare Australian banknotes hiding under the lining paper of his chest of drawers have fetched a staggering £410,490 at auction. The elderly owner in his 80s, who wants to remain anonymous, was due to move into a retirement home and called in his local auctioneers to go through the house and see what they could sell for him. Rodney Tennant, of Tennant's Auctioneers,...

  Ex-cop’s shocker for yobs   Keep out ... electric wire running along inside of Ralph's fenceSOUTH WEST NEWS By JOHN COLES Published: Today     A RETIRED cop is defending his home against yobs - with an ELECTRIC fence. Now a beat bobby has warned Ralph Harvey, 63, he may be sued if louts are injured by the live wire. The former RAF police sergeant says his bungalow is "under siege" from thugs throwing bricks, paving slabs, breeze blocks - and even acid.   Victim ... Ralph was burgled SOUTH WEST NEWS  The final straw came after all...

The paper, Women in Power: Milestones, listed 28 of the most significant events between 1907 and 2008 involving women on the political stage. The milestones included the election of the first female Head of Government – Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960 and Britain's first woman councillor Reina Emily Lawrence in 1907. The document, produced by the Equality Office which is run by Miss Harman, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, highlights the role of Nancy Astor who was the first woman to take her seat in parliament in 1919, the election of Dianne Abbott...

TRAGIC Military Cross hero Michael Lockett was brought home yesterday - and saluted by family, friends and colleagues as the bravest of the brave. The modest 29-year-old Acting Sergeant last week became the most highly decorated British soldier to die in Afghanistan. ... Outnumbered and outgunned, Locky dashed back into the killing zone three times to pull four men from certain death. It has gone down as one of the most outstanding rescues of the war.

LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - British officials suspect Iran has been seeking nuclear weapons for the past few years, differing from a U.S. view that Tehran halted work on design and weaponisation in 2003, a UK security source said on Wednesday. Last week's revelation of a second nuclear plant in Iran only served to support international suspicions about an Iranian cover-up to mask nuclear weapons designs, the source said. A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate published in December 2007 judged with high confidence that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons programme in the autumn of 2003 and had not restarted it as...

With Labour trailing the Conservatives in the polls and the Government facing accusation of having run out of steam, the Prime Minister urged his party to “stand and fight and win.” He also insisted he will not bow to calls for him to quit, describing himself as “the guy who doesn’t take no for an answer.” In his speech to the Labour conference in Brighton, Mr Brown accepted that Labour facing an uphill struggle at the election, but insisted that the party still has a chance of winning and taking a fourth term.

These videos from what I had just heard on the Sound Off Connecticut show with Jim Vicevich on WTIC AM/Streaming today, the audio parts of these videos. Clearly heartbreaking. Three stories of the fantastic Canadian National Health Care system. The first report describes the growing Canadian health care underground. The operative line comes at the end of the first video from Fox News yesterday morning. Says Fox reporter Dan Springer … the Canadian health care system works well for people who are not all that sick. Indeed.