CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Don't Let Them Eat Cake? 4 Ways Queen Handles Tough Times

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Even though she has a personal fortune of $475 million, Queen Elizabeth II has decreed a more austere lifestyle for the royal family. Hoping to stay in touch with her subjects dealing with tough economic times, the Queen of England has implemented the following restrictions, according to AFP:

Energy: All lights at Buckingham Palace must be turned off when rooms are empty.
Food: Left-over food from royal banquets must be reused.
Partying: The Queen has warned her grandsons Prince William and Harry against displays of extravagance, such as partying at London nightclubs while ordinary citizens struggle to get by.
Clothes: For a recent state banquet she asked her dressmakers to make her gown out of material she received more than 20 years ago. And during official appearances she's been seen sporting outfits already worn before, even though etiquette demands she never wears the same outfit twice.

Etiquette sure sounds expensive!

Source

UK to Air Terminally Ill Man's Suicide on Television

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:30:46 -0800

Tomorrow night a documentary about a terminally ill man will air on British television. This won't be live TV, as the moment the man ends his life by drinking a lethal dose of sedatives and setting a timer to switch off his ventilator will be shown.

The subject of the documentary is Craig Ewert, a 59-year-old father of two, whose life will soon be cut short due to motor neuron disease (MND), which has also taken away the use of his legs. Instead of continuing in his sick body (he calls it a "living tomb") Craig decides to go to a Swiss clinic and end his life with his wife of 37 years by his side.

Pro-life groups are among the critics who think the documentary should not be played on television. Some worry that airing the action could influence others to commit suicide. Do you think the suicide should be shown? Would you watch it?

Girl Refuses Heart Transplant — Should Doctors Step In?

LibertySugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:30:27 -0800

Hannah, a 13-year-old British girl suffering from leukemia and a heart condition, has declined a heart transplant. Her refusal could ultimately lead to her death. After the hospital originally threatened to take legal action to force her to obtain the surgery, medical professionals had a change of heart. The doctors interviewed Hannah and realized that she had made a thought-out decision to forgo the risky surgery. Speaking about her decision, Hannah said:

I've been in the hospital too much — I've had too much trauma. I don't want this, and it's my choice not to have it. . . . I just decided there were too many risks, and even if I took it there might be a bad outcome. There is a chance that I may be OK, and there's a chance that I may not be as well as I could be, but I'm willing to take that chance.

Hannah has already undergone almost 12 surgeries, and the current operation could require her to take medications for the rest of her life that have serious side effects. To find out when UK doctors would turn to the courts,

Briefing Book! Ban Might Mean Last Call for UK Happy Hours

LibertySugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:30 -0800

Alcohol: Happy hours lead to unhappy communities? UK might ban reduced-price boozing in hot spots where heavy drinking is a problem. — newsblog
Biden: Good cop Joe? Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will be bad cop, while Biden will use his friendships with Senate Republicans to play good cop. — Politico
Post-Election: Got a case of PED (post-election depression)? It's real, and untreatable. — 23/6
GOP: What can they all agree on? The GOP is at a crossroads and one thing is clear: the party must embrace the Internet and technology. — Townhall
Barbie: How does Barbie appeal to a Shanghainese girls' dreams? Massive flagship Barbie shop opens in China. — Shanghaiist

Source

UK Won't Clarify Assisted Suicide Law For Sick Woman

LibertySugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Debbie Purdy is 45 and suffering from debilitating and progressive multiple sclerosis. Worried that her husband would be prosecuted in the UK if he traveled with her to Switzerland so she could die, Debbie asked the public prosecutor for a legal opinion. When the prosecutor refused clarification of the UK's assisted suicide law, she went to the High Court to argue that her human rights were violated because she was not provided guidance. This week, the UK High Court ruled against her, and Debbie says she still does not know whether her husband will be prosecuted if he helps her commit suicide abroad.

The court explained that the ambiguity in the law was there on purpose: "The offence of assisted suicide is very widely drawn to cover all manner of different circumstances — only Parliament can change it."

To find out how UK courts have treated previous citizens that went abroad with relatives to help them die,

On-Demand Fingerprint Machines Let Police ID in the Street

LibertySugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Mobile fingerprint scanners are hitting the beat in the UK, helping police officers issue identity checks on the street. Right now, police must take a suspect into custody to issue fingerprint checks.

Thanks to the scanner, the size of a cell phone, the time of checking identity would go form from 67 minutes, to five, thus reducing the number of police needed by 366 officers. The next step would be to transfer mugshot images to verify identity when fingerprints are not available. To see why some worry that the government is overreaching with this technology,

Britain Has More Rats Than People: Commence Squirming Now

CitizenSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:53 -0700

I suppose this story takes the fact that it's the Year of the Rat a smidge too literally. According to experts, Britain now has a larger rat population than they have human beings living in their country.

It appears as though since they halted weekly bin collecting in favor of fortnightly pickups (that’s every two weeks for those of you who don’t speak middle English) trash has been piling up and a call for recycling has never been more dire. The director of the National Pest Technicians Association said: “Fortnightly bin collections now mean it’s vital we recycle. Just putting extra food scraps on compost heaps means fantastic breeding grounds for rats to spread disease.”

To see where it's the worst,

Military Families Go Camping to See What Army Life is Like

LibertySugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The British Army has sponsored a "take your spouse to work day," in hopes of keeping morale up among Army families. Nineteen women and 34 children joined up for a camping trip filled with activities mirroring the life of members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The exercise was intended to teach Army WHAGS (Wives Husbands and Girlfriends) what their loved ones go through in the field.

In today's BBC, one Army wife participant shared what she learned.

On the drills: RSM Williams calls Sergeant Keith Heslop to take us through basic drill. The usual comedy routines ensue, but it's a surprisingly stark lesson in how disciplined and tiring drill is.
On army food: To eat we have a 24-hour ration pack, including silver pouches with labels such as "nonmeat mini burger and beans" and two Yorkie bars emblazoned with "not for civvies." There is also a "brew pack" of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. We quickly become obsessed with food — when you don't have a lot, it means a lot.

To see what she has to say about the harsh conditions, and her comrades,

Briefing Book! UK to Decriminalize Selling Fruit by the Pound

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Metric Martyrs: You say kilogram, I say pound? Under new guidelines fruit and vegetable traders using imperial measures (pounds, ounces) will no longer be prosecuted by authorities. — newsblog
Campaign Suspension: Obama suspends campaign to visit grandmother. McCain says "Touché!" — 23/6
McCain: Not afraid to swim against the tide? McCain sticks to his guns. — Real Clear Politics
Neighbors : What's going on here? San Francisco neighbors have a sign battle over presidential candidates, and gay marriage. — SFist
Alaska: Ted Stevens is Awesome? After 40 years in the Senate you're either a little corrupt or a lot corrupt, and Ted chose option two. — Gawker
Baseball: Obama the ultimate flip-flopper, or ultimate uniter? McCain has gone after Obama’s flip-flopping on his choice of World Series teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. – The Caucus

Source

Atheists Try to Get Their Nonbeliefs Moving

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

London buses will soon find themselves adorned with signs saying "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The British Humanist Association came up with the idea, with the plan of raising £5,500 ($9,325) and accepting a matching gift from famous atheist Richard Dawkins. But so far, the non-god-fearing group has already raised £20,300 ($34,420).

Dawkins has said of the campaign:

Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride — automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children. . . . This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think — and thinking is anathema to religion.

While some religious people are upset with the campaign, the Methodist Church has welcomed the dialogue. To see why the billboards don't make them nervous, and for some background on religious billboards in the US,

UFOs Fly Onto Internet in UK

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:00:33 -0700

In 1991, an airplane, headed for Heathrow, encountered a UFO, according to records of the UK Ministry of Defense. The commercial jet passed a brown missile-shaped object, causing the pilot to shout "Look out!"

Britain's National Archives has put 1,500 pages of UFO-related documents online. A new set of records, including witness accounts and sketches, is the latest installment of the four year program. In total, 160 UFO incidents will be made available to the public.

Another revelation? During the Cold War, a US fighter pilot leaving an English air base was ordered to open fire on a UFO above the North Sea. According to reports, the object gained speed and disappeared. Yesterday, Retired US airman Milton Torres said he was the pilot, and has spent 50 years trying to find out what happened that day.

Do you think governments try to hide evidence of extraterrestrial life from the public?

Source

Man Fined For Taking "Unchivalrous" Photo: Snap Judgment?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:45:53 -0700

Ever been tagged in an embarrassing Facebook pic? In the UK you might just have a legal leg to stand on to stop those pictures from ever being taken. One 28-year-old mailman was just fined $200 for snapping what the judge deemed an "unchivalrous" photo of a woman. . . . decorating the gutter outside of a bar. The woman's friends called the police after the man took the picture and he was charged with breach of the peace.The judge says of the fine levied, "I'm going to impose a fine to remind him chivalry is not dead and when somebody is in distress you leave them to it." His lawyer says he regrets the "error of judgment." Of snapping the puking pic his lawyer says, "It was ill-judged, it was a spontaneous act and entirely inappropriate. He accepts it was conduct liable to cause upset and did in fact cause upset. It's been a matter of severe regret for him. He's extremely anxious and very contrite about the affair." Source

Man Fined For Taking "Unchivalrous" Photo: Snap Judgment?

He totally deserved the fine. Consequences encourage people to behave better.

"Unchivalrous?" Is this the Middle Ages? She was the one misbehaving, not him.

Other. I'll reserve my judgment for the comments.

UK Debates Holding Terror Suspects For 42 Days: Too Long?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

The US isn't the only country with a firm eye on terrorism — and they're certainly not alone walking the tricky line between government abilities to crack down in meaningful ways and civil liberties. The British House of Commons is set to vote on a measure allowing police to detain people for up to 42 days without charge if they're suspected of terrorism-related activities.

Human rights organizations are outraged by the provision. Amnesty International, has launched an online petition called, "Say 'No' to 42 Days" saying of the measure, "Allowing police to lock people up for a month and a half without charge will undermine basic human rights to which everyone in the UK is entitled." Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying that, "giving British authorities the power to detain terrorism suspects for up to six weeks without charge violates the fundamental right to liberty and risks undermining counterterrorism efforts."

Those closer to the government are speaking out as well. To see what they had to say,

Itching to Travel? Yeah, Bedbugs Are Too. . .

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:00:03 -0700

Because I'm a nice person, I made this picture small. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the bedbug that might just be hitching a ride back from your far-flung vacation destinations. Think I'm bugging out? I wish. Increased global travel has caused incidents of bedbugs to rise 40 percent in the UK — and it's not an isolated phenomenon. Discount airlines lure people to travel more, storing suitcases and clothes in tons of hotel rooms and bedbugs latch on from bedding and upholstery. The small blood-sucking creatures respond to body heat, leaving sufferers with itchy welts — and because the bugs can lay up to 4,000 eggs in a lifetime, they're apt to hang around, wherever their final destination.

To see what might be causing the flourishing critters,

Briefing Book! Antismoking Workers Confront Public Smokers

LibertySugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Smoking: Will guilt work? UK antismoking campaign will politely approach smokers on the street and put them in touch with quitting services. — Londonist
Social Security: Should we give our social security to Wall Street? Questions about McCain's privatization plan. — Huffington Post
Race: The elephant in the room? "Small town," "blue collar," or "working class" voters in different category than black voters. — Time
Economy: Just fill in the blank? Help John McCain write a speech on the economy. 23/6
Elitism: PUMA the new Lady? Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild has called Obama and "elitist" and has endorsed John McCain. — Radar

Source

Islamic Sharia Courts Legally Binding in UK

LibertySugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:08 -0700

Taking advantage of the 1996 Arbitration Act, a new network of sharia law courts in Britain have legal authority in some marriage, financial, inheritance, or domestic violence disputes. Even the UK's High Court must enforce the decisions of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal panels set up in five major cities.

The lawyer who set up the courts last Summer explained:

We realized that under the Arbitration Act we can make rulings which can be enforced by county and High Courts. The Act allows disputes to be resolved using alternatives like tribunals. This method is called alternative dispute resolution, which for Muslims is what the sharia courts are.

To see how the panels' decisions can impact women differently than men,

Gordon Brown Gets in Trouble For Praising Barack Obama

LibertySugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:00:19 -0700

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown seemed to break with tradition by writing an effective endorsement of Barack Obama for US President, or at least his housing policies. In an opinion piece, published on Monday in the Parliamentary Monitor magazine, Brown writes:

Around the world, it is progressive politicians who are grappling with these challenges. In the electrifying US Presidential campaign, it is the Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times. To help prevent people from losing their home, Barack Obama has proposed a Foreclosure Prevention Fund to increase emergency pre-foreclosure counselling, and help families facing repossession.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister peddled backward. To see how,

UN Says Cut Meat to Curb Warming, UK Consumption Doubles

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:00:06 -0700

Ever thought about becoming a Tuesday-tarian? Going meat-free one day a week is, according to the chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a personal sacrifice that will help fix climate change. The more meat-free days, the better.

Given that the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production makes almost a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions and those stinky pre-hamburger cows shoot out tons of methane — 23 times more tied to global warming than carbon dioxide — plus habitat destruction and transportation, just skipping the burger is the easiest option. But that trend seems far from ready to tip. The agency thinks that meat consumption is going to double by the middle of the century.

A group called World Farming is calling governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. The meat industry isn't going to take the patty lying down. A spokesman for a pig industry group says, "Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed."

How much meat does the average person eat? To find out,

Kilts and Queen Gather For Traditional Scottish Games

LibertySugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:00:52 -0700

On the first Saturday in September the British Royal family descends on Braemar, Scotland for "the games." The monarch sponsors the Annual Braemar Highland Gathering, a traditional competition, whose modern incarnation goes back 200 years.

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, along with many of their subjects watched a diverse set of events including: highland dancing, piping, tossing the caber, putting the stone, throwing the hammer, sprinting, long leap, tug of war, children's sack race. The British media noted that the Queen "wore a peach-coloured outfit, and a kilted Philip and Charles arrived at the Games arena shortly after 3pm in a maroon Rolls-Royce." Check out pictures of the royal family, and the lively competitors!

To see more pics,

UK Environment Minister: Green Activism Hysterical Religion

LibertySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Officials in Britain and California seem to take a different approach to extreme weather. Britain's Environment Minister Sammy Wilson thinks environmentalists have adopted a "hysterical pseudo-religion," making him the enemy to some who look to him to help solve environmental problems.

In an article just published, the minister argued:

Resources should be used to adapt to the consequences of climate change, rather than King Canute-style vainly trying to stop it. . . . The tactic used by the "green gang" is to label anyone who dares disagree with their view of climate change as some kind of nutcase who denies scientific fact. Reasoned debate must replace the scaremongering of the green climate alarmists.

UK green activists compare Wilson, who denies that climate change is man-made, to a cigarette salesman denying that smoking causes cancer. Meanwhile, faraway in California, officials avoid picking a fight; instead they're trying to adapt to harsh climate by creating a "water bank" to address the state's drought. The 2009 Drought Water Bank will buy excess water from local water agencies and farmers, and then sell it to public and private water systems if they run out next year. The catch: Whoever buys the bank's water must commit to a 20 percent cut in water use.

Do you think it's time to stop arguing about science and start solving problems, or does responsible and effective policy depend on knowing the cause of climate change?

Source

Wounded Soldier Rejected From Hotel, Forced to Sleep in Car

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:00:21 -0700

I hope there's a good explanation for this, though I can't even in my wildest imagination come up with one. Corporal Tomos Stringer, a British soldier on sick leave from the war in Afghanistan, arrived at the Metro Hotel in Woking, UK, only to be told that he was not welcome.

According to the hotel’s policy, they are not accepting members of the armed forces as guests, and Cpl. Stringer, whose arm was in a cast from a broken wrist, was sent away to spend the night in his car. Stringer was on leave to help with funeral preparations for a friend killed in battle.

To add insult to his injury, no apology — or even an explanation — was offered by the hotel, which is owned by a family entertainment center called American Amusements. Cpl. Stringer’s mother was incensed: “I’m very, very angry. It’s discrimination. They would never get away with it if it was against someone of ethnic origin.”

To see the backlash to the incident,

New Study Finds Brothels Are All Over London and Spreading

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:05:17 -0700

Lots of sexy times in the UK? It appears that way, according to a new study compiled by the Poppy Project. The group, which educates about prostitution and assists victims of sex trafficking, found that brothels have spread to "every corner" of London — some charging as little as $30, or an extra $20 for unprotected sex. With 85 percent of the brothels in residential areas, all 33 of London's boroughs have them.

The project called 921 of the sex houses advertising in the paper and found 77 different ethnicities represented with the average age of the workers being 21. Details like these could point to trafficking. The co-author of the study says, "Multi-media misrepresentations of commercial sex as a glamorous, easy and fun career choice for girls and women further contribute to the ubiquity of London's brothel industry. However, for most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality."

But is it legal? To find out,

Cambridge Wants Soap Opera To Make It School of the People

LibertySugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:00:31 -0700

Instead of using fancy brochures and an elitist image to attract students, Cambridge University is pitching the campus to Britain's top three soap operas as its latest marketing campaign.

Cambridge's spokesman said:

We're very keen to attract the brightest and best students regardless of their background. One of the better ways of communicating directly with potential students is to talk to them through the soaps and other programs they watch.

The British government, which funds both Cambridge and Oxford, has set a goal that half of all Britain's young people will attend college by 2010. With that mission, even the elite schools are targeting students from disadvantaged families. Officials hope that when the hard-trodden characters from EastEnders or Coronation Street enroll at Cambridge, all viewers will begin to picture themselves there, too. American schools adopt less salacious measures to attract a diverse student body — families making under $60,000 a year receive free tuition at Harvard. Do you think universities can have a diverse set of students, while keeping an elitist image?

Source

Activists Urge UK Not to Extradite Military Hacker to the US

LibertySugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:00:46 -0700

Yesterday peaceful demonstrators protested the US extradition of Gary McKinnon (aka Solo), a Brit accused of hacking military and NASA computers. McKinnon, who lost his appeal to stay in the UK, could spend the rest of his life in an American prison if convicted.

The US alleges that unemployed computer systems administrator McKinnon completed the biggest military computer hack ever. McKinnon says he only wanted information on UFOs. But he did allegedly leave a note on one hacked system that might not help his defense. It said:

US foreign policy is akin to government-sponsored terrorism these days . . . It was not a mistake that there was a huge security stand-down on September 11 last year . . . I am SOLO. I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels.

McKinnon's lawyers say that before he is extradited, the US must assure the UK that he would serve his sentence in the UK after he's convicted abroad.

To see why they say McKinnon's human rights are at stake,

British Behavior Abroad: Just Like Americans on Spring Break!

LibertySugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:05 -0700

Forget about ugly Americans, Britons are proving themselves too wild for the rest of Europe. Locals of Greek vacation destinations told the New York Times that young Brits make their presence known by brawling, getting violently sick, crowding clinics for the morning-after pill, screaming and singing in public, taking their clothes off, and falling over in the middle of the street.

Many British travel companies offer packages popular for the cheap alcohol. It sounds like these young Brits treat their Summer holidays like American spring break.

If a bad hangover and a couple of bruises sound bad to you, the actions of these party animals have more serious consequences, too. Between 2006 and 2007, 602 Britons were hospitalized and 28 raped in Greece, while 1,581 died in Spain where another 2,032 were arrested. And the Brits have taken their trouble out of Europe, too. Remember the woman sitting in a Middle Eastern prison for having sex on a public beach in Dubai?

To find out what the British government plans to do about its unruly citizens,

Big Brother Is Watching Americans and Britons

LibertySugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:00:05 -0700

The Justice Department wants to make it easier for state and local police to spy on Americans, and retain the information they find for at least 10 years. The Feds want to streamline how the country's 18,000 state and local agencies share sensitive information with them, and simplify data collection for these organizations, which receive $1.6 billion from the federal government annually.

Critics worry that the plan does not adequately safeguard who has access to sensitive information. They also maintain that the Constitution forbids preemptive law enforcement in the absence of a crime.

The new US plan makes me think the former colony wants to be more like its big brother Great Britain. To see how,

Trash Talk? British Recycling Leaflets Show Wrong Birmingham

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:05:42 -0700

Trash Talk? British Recycling Leaflets Show Wrong Birmingham Britain's second-largest city, Birmingham, has a new skyline — only it belongs to its Alabama namesake. Birmingham City Council distributed 720,000 leaflets that praised residents for exceeding recycling targets, carrying a message that read: "Thank You Birmingham." The message appeared stamped across a photograph of the city's skyline. But the photo was not of Birmingham, England, but of Birmingham, Alabama. It's the second time British officials have mistakenly used images of Birmingham, Alabama.

A Peek Into Afghan War Front: Operation Southern Beast

LibertySugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:20 -0700

British Army soldiers conducted operation Southern Beast this week in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. Led by the Parachute Regiment of the Third Battalion, the troops worked to create conditions for a permanent NATO presence, intended to bolster the Afghan National Government's fight against the Taliban. While operating in Kandahar, one of Afghanistan's largest opium producing regions, the Brits seized 70 kilograms of the drug. Check out these revealing and breathtaking photos of the operation. It's not all guns and camo — the cameras also captured scenes of the Afghan people, along with shots of the soldiers interacting with the locals and catching some down time. Take a peek into the battle in Afghanistan. Source

Energy Faceoffs Spark Police Raids and Surprising Couplings

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:58:52 -0700

Grab a Redbull, it's a big week of energy match-ups: Obama vs. McCain, Protesters vs. Police, and Pickens plus Gore?

While Barack Obama may be declaring it "energy week" in a speech in the US today, in the UK police have cracked down on a camp of eco-activists protesting a new coal-fired power station. Police made arrests today during a second raid of the campsite.

Earlier, around 200 officers raided the climate camp, taking custody of hundreds of items they said could be used to break the law. The week-long camp out is being held at the proposed site of the UK's first new coal-fired power station in 30 years.

To see their difference in opinion, plus the green team of Pickens and Gore,

Sikh Student Wins Right to Wear Bangle in UK School

LibertySugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:08 -0700

After nine months of being barred from school for violating the no jewelry rule, the UK's High Court ruled that the Welsh and Punjabi Sikh teenager had a right to wear her religious bangle to school. The court said that the school unlawfully discriminated against Sarika Singh by not letting her wear her Kara (bangle), an essential symbol of the Sikh faith, different from other jewelery. Sarika is the school's only Sikh pupil.

An almost constant clash churns between school rules and religious expression. This is how other notable school and religious symbol cases have been decided in the UK:

In 2007, the High Court ruled that a girl suffered no discrimination when asked to remove her purity ring, which signifies her belief against premarital sex.
Also last year, a school told a Catholic pupil that she could not wear a crucifix on a chain due to safety concerns, but that she could wear it as a pin.
In 2006, a religious high school declared that non-Muslim girls had to wear headscarves while at school.

For more examples and pictures of the bangled pupil celebrating,

Front Page: New Offensive in Iraq, Fire Consumes UK Landmark, Oprah School Abuse Trial Begins

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:00:05 -0700

New Offensive in Iraq:
Iraqi forces with support from American troops just launched a new major operation against insurgents in the Iraqi province of Diyala, one of the last pockets of al-Qaeda militants in the country. The commander of the Iraqi ground forces says the operation's goal is ''to clear al-Qaeda in Diyala. We have a list of wanted persons that the troops will arrest during the operations.'' The offensive comes after deadly attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk.

Fire Consumes UK Landmark:
The historic seaside pier, the Grand at Weston-super-Mare, was consumed by fire yesterday. Stretching a quarter of a mile into the water, the two-story wooden structure was reduced to ash in a couple of hours. The fire broke out in a kitchen on the pier, though no one was hurt. A spokesman for the pier, Nigel Heath, says, “it is a tragedy. It epitomized the English seaside resort.”

Oprah School Abuse Trial Begins:
The trial of the former matron at Oprah Winfrey's school in South Africa has begun with the defendant pleading not guilty. The six alleged victims will testify in private, amid reports that they're "very scared". The defendant, 28, was arrested at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy near Johannesburg last year. The $40 million school opened in 2007.

Source

Rated G(angsta): UK Prisons Ban Adult-Rated Video Games

LibertySugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Well-behaved prisoners in England and Wales will no longer be allowed to play adult-rated video games — that means auto thieves cannot relive their crimes playing Grand Theft Auto. Bummer! Under the new system, those with kid-safe game privileges will also have to pay for the consuls and games themselves. (The games cost taxpayers £10,000, or $20,000, last year.) Officials will still permit the use of video games in cells, as a way to keep order in overcrowded prisons.

Since a booming prison population reduces resources for meaningful activities like educational classes, guards turn to PlayStation and Xbox when they want to reward inmates. Inmates at risk of suicide can play, too. Hoping to show offenders that appropriate behavior brings positive results, the reward scheme also allows for in-cell TV, more outside visitors, and the right to ditch prison garb for one's own clothes.

It would be hypocritical to allow prisoners to play video games riddled with violence and sometimes crime, characteristics of many over-18 games. But, does making well-behaving prisoners stick to kid games diminish the reward?

Source

Liars of the Free World? Britain Can't Trust America

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:25 -0700

Trust, a crucial component of most healthy relationships, has become an elusive ingredient in the transatlantic alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. England's House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee just issued its annual human rights report, which states that America's word can no longer be trusted when it comes to torture and human rights abuses.

The committee recommended the following:

The UK can no longer rely on US assurances that it does not use torture, and we recommend that the government does not rely on such assurances in the future. We also recommend that the government should immediately carry out an exhaustive analysis of current US interrogation techniques on the basis of such information as is publicly available or which can be supplied by the US.

This past February, the UK's Foreign Secretary apologized to parliament after records revealed that US planes, carrying terror suspects, twice landed in the UK dependent territory of Diego Garcia to refuel, apparently without UK permission. This rendition scandal, as well as the CIA's admission that it used waterboarding, most likely encouraged this decision that could impact whether the UK extradites certain suspects to the US. Does this call to verify US statements signal a significant blight on America's record, or is Britain's double checking no big deal?

Source

Pay Attention Y'all! How to Talk Like an American

LibertySugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:45:28 -0700

Whether it's volume, content, or exaggerated vowels, you just have to overhear an American tourist while overseas to notice that Americans have a distinct way of speaking. But many Brits (mistakenly) think watching American film and television makes them trained in an American accent.

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One English reporter, determined to be better than a Hollywood wannabe, decided to get top professional training from accent-coach-to-the-stars Barbara Berkeley. Berkeley, who has trained the likes of Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow, offered these simple technical steps for learning to speak like an American: Widen your mouth like you would making the "ee" sound in "weed." Smile, to place the voice towards your nasal resonator. Position your tongue further up in the mouth, rather than against the ridge behind the top teeth. And finally, let yourself go!

If you learn better by example, I've rounded up some clips of foreign actors speaking "American." Tell me, out of Hugh Laurie, Nichole Kidman, Ralph Fiennes, and Cate Blanchett, who does the best American accent? And what characteristic makes a speaker sound quintessentially American, anyway? You know?

Cancer Survival Rates Differ Based on Country's Wealth

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:29 -0700

Wealthy countries where patients have access to diagnostic equipment have higher cancer survival rates than their poorer counterparts. Using data from over two million cancer patients worldwide (from the 1990s), the first major study to compare global cancer survival rates found that the US, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan had the highest five-year survival rate. Algeria had the worst. The UK did not report well compared to other Western European countries although its survival rate has risen this decade.

The US had the highest five-year survival rate for breast cancer (89 percent) and prostate cancer (91.9 percent), compared to the UK 69.7 percent and 51.1 percent respectively. The UK had regional disparity, evidence that access to services matters. To find out what's behind the phenomenon,

Got a Passport? The Best and Worst Places to Live in Europe

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:00:13 -0700

With Italy's new laws against sleeping, eating, drinking, and singing in public all aimed at making the place more pleasant (or less, if you fancy a chianti and snooze al fresco) you'd think it'd be in the top two European countries with the best quality of life. Not so amigos, as Bush would say.

Let's start at the bottom: The poor UK has the lowest quality of life in Europe — even though Brits earn the most — according to research released yesterday.

That money can't buy them happiness — they pay a king's ransom for essential goods: 18 percent above the average for diesel, 49 percent more for gas, and 5 percent more for electricity. Life expectancy in jolly old England is the third-lowest at 78.9 years, and the constantly gray sky might be a culprit: Britain gets 80 percent less sunshine than Spain, leading more than 40,000 people to flee in 2006.

They might have run right to Spain, which claims the number one slot among those studied, offering the best quality of life in Europe — even though salaries are below average. Old number two is France thanks to their unbelievably great vacation policy, at 40 days per year.

Where would you live in the ol' EU? Does France's commitment to time off strike your fancy?

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Which British Monarch Deserves the Failure Crown?

LibertySugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:00:21 -0700

While Americans only have 43 leaders to rate historically, the Brits have many more centuries of eccentric monarchs to discuss and criticize.

British historians want to figure out which monarch was the biggest failure. King George III didn't make the list, since I guess the Brits can't decide whether to thank or blame him for losing the American colonies.

Here are the credentials of the top three royal losers. Who should take the crown as Britain's worst monarch?

Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1567) aka "Mary Queen of Murder Plots " — Her involvement in the murder of her husband forced her into exile in England. Once there, she was imprisoned for 19 years, and eventually executed for plotting to kill the Queen of England.
Edward II (1307- 1327) aka "King Pay Back's a Bi*ch" — After losing a war with Scotland he imprisoned his estranged wife. But, his wife got the last laugh, as her army later imprisoned him and forced him to abdicate the throne for incompetence.
George IV (1820-1830) aka "The Playboy Prince" — Known for his excessive lifestyle and womanizing, he married his cousin to clear his debts. He went on to ban his estranged cousin/wife from his coronation.

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The Googles Are Watching! Britain Not Ready for StreetView

LibertySugar — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:00:45 -0700

Americans may worry about intrusive government spying, but the Brits fear Google as the next Big Brother. Google Earth cars are driving around England, taking 360-degree pictures of houses and streets, and putting them online, as part of its StreetView program.

Answering privacy critics in Europe, Google agreed to blur faces. But, the British worry about strangers, innocent and not, knowing whether they have a swimming pool, what type of car they drive, or which is the best way to rob their homes.

I can see how some may feel these camera-cars invade privacy; however, if they only show public streets people could travel to themselves, isn't the application just making the world more accessible? The most compelling argument against the StreetView is the thought that criminals and burglars can scope out a possible crime scene, without alerting anyone. Less serious criminals, like teenagers organizing pool parties at strangers' homes, have proven the threat.

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When in Dubai . . . Don't Have Sex on the Beach

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:00:25 -0700

A British woman working in Dubai faces six years in jail, after Dubai officials caught her allegedly having sex on beach. Dubai may be the Las Vegas of the Middle East, but it's no sin city. The thirty-year-old businesswoman has been charged with sex outside marriage, indecent behavior in public, being drunk in public, and assaulting a police officer. Her male counterpart also faces a maximum of six years.

The woman involved, who apparently made the mistake of traveling to the Middle East to have sex in public, fears that Dubai will make an example of her by issuing the toughest sentence. The minimum is three months.

While this woman should have known that having sex on a beach, in Dubai nonetheless, would be against the law, I think a six-year sentence offends a universal understanding of fairness and human rights. Do you feel sorry for the woman, or should she rightly suffer the local consequences for her misbehavior? Would this make you reconsider a trip to Dubai?

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Rock (Out) the Vote! Parties and Prizes Raise Voter Turnout

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:00:18 -0700

Cast a vote! Win a prize! English voters may soon have motivation to cast a vote that goes beyond civic duty. One official wants to enter voters into a raffle when they cast a ballot in local elections. She hopes it would lead to high turnout and overall community engagement.

About 150 years ago, Americans spent election day enjoying free (alcoholic) beverages and live entertainment with friends. These parties, along with the 90 percent voter turnout, remain in the past.

But, a recent test study conducted by Yale University political scientists found that well-advertised parties at the polls substantially increased voter turnout in a local election.

Does celebratory or solemn make for a better polling mood? Would you worry that "incentives" could send the wrong message or get partisan?

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British Baby to Be Breast Cancer Gene Free

LibertySugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:00:10 -0700

A British woman will soon give birth to a baby guaranteed to be free of hereditary breast cancer. Out of 11 embryos, five were free of the breast cancer gene, and two were implanted in the mother.

The father had the gene, and his sister, mother, grandmother, and cousin all had cancer. Now, the breast cancer-causing gene has been purged from the couple's lineage. Of course the baby will be susceptible to environmental cancer-causing factors.

I worry that if genetic selection becomes widespread, we may forfeit diversity, while excluding useful genes from the pool. Of course, it makes sense that a mother chose the healthiest embryo during in vitro fertilization — I just wonder if we really know which embryo is the "healthiest" in the long run.

Is embryo screening a courageous way for parents to spare their children from painful diseases? Should the law address the moral issues accompanied with selective pregnancies? Could we end up making humans more susceptible to disease, if we manipulate the gene pool too much?

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US Officials Drive and Ditch in London Leaving $4.7 Million Tab

LibertySugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:10 -0700

A current diplomatic showdown between the US and its motherland involves $4.7 million of unpaid fines US diplomats owe for refusing to pay London's traffic congestion charge.

So what are the transatlantic positions? The US calls the £8 per day charge to enter the city a tax. Therefore, tax-exempt foreign service officers need not pay. The UK sees the charge as service fee, not a tax. In 2006, London's mayor called the US ambassador a "chiseling little crook" for evading the charge. Other countries share the US position, and Russia and Japan owe millions too, according to Bloomberg.

London also has to swallow the pain of more serious diplomatic offenses. In 2007, 20 serious crimes (think assault, drinking and driving, or robbery), attributed to foreign diplomats, went unpunished thanks to diplomatic immunity.

I wonder if the US will try to get foreign diplomats headed below 60th street to pay the New York City congestion charge that goes into effect next March! Should the diplomats pay up like everyone else in London?

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Fake Tanners Get Burned by the Snobs at Royal Ascot

LibertySugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:30:24 -0700

Royal Ascot, the horse race at the center of Britain's social calendar, has banned fake-tan lines from its strict dress code.

The tan has taken on many shades of social status throughout history, BBC explains. During Victorian times tanned skin meant low class, because it implied that one did outdoor manual labor. More recently, a tan shows that the bronzed have the time and money to go on vacation.

But now the desirability of sun-kissed skin may be fading. Since you can get a tan from a bottle, its status is more complicated. Bronzed skin says little about a person's social status, if everyone can buy an affordable tan at the drug store. Even so, the apparent standard seems to be: subtle is better.

Will a fake tan ever be accepted by the snobs of the world? Which is classier: a fake tan or a hat inspired by a bathroom interior (being worn by a Royal Ascot attendee above)?

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Fully Loaded? Britain Brags, Sells Most Weapons to the World

LibertySugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:45:21 -0700

Britain saw £9.7 billion in new business last year, thanks to its role as the world's biggest arms exporter. The country's Minster for Trade and Investment boasted that the achievement highlights that the UK has "some of the world's most technologically sophisticated companies." Britain beat out the US, who was the five-time defending defense champion, as well as Russia.

One British citizen offered his two pence on the London Times website: "It is a sorry state of affairs that a country that sent its own troops into Iraq on the premise of removing 'weapons of mass destruction' is the largest exporter of those weapons around the world." Do you see any hypocrisy?

Meanwhile, Barack Obama seems content on letting Britain win the weapon crown from now on. In a video for the Caucus4Priorities, Obama says he will slow the development of new combat systems and will not weaponize space. Obama explains that as president he would set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons; America would lead the way by not developing any new nukes itself. Obama says his sole priority for defense spending would be protecting Americans, not defense contractors.

Do you think Obama's attitude toward defense will protect or endanger America? Is he brilliant or naive?

To see a very pacifistic Obama explain his views,