Australia's 'Plain Packaging' for Cigarettes
China, the country with the most smokers in the world, has banned people from lighting up in indoor public spaces. Officials have not said what penalties there will be, raising questions about its enforcement.


The Australian government is also increasing the pressure on smokers, with new controls that are proving controversial.


Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney.

Vicar Could Be Disciplined for Blog Slurs against Gays and Muslims
THE GUARDIAN: Rev Peter Mullen joked about homosexuals and Islam on an internet blog

A Church of England vicar could face disciplinary action for saying gay men should have "sodomy" warnings tattooed on their bodies.

The Rev Peter Mullen, the chaplain to the London Stock Exchange, made the remarks on his blog, which has since been removed from the web under an agreement with diocesan officials.

Mullen, 66, wrote it was time for religious believers to recommend the discouragement of homosexual practices in the style of cigarette packet warnings.

"Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan sodomy can seriously damage your health and their chins with fellatio kills."

In a previous posting Mullen anticipated an "agreeable carnage" at the start of the annual Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

"They usually manage to stampede and slaughter quite a few hundred of their co-religionists. Just imagine for a moment what a field day the BBC and the leftwing press in England would have if anything even remotely as bad as that happened in Vatican Square at Christmas or Easter."

Mullen criticised the lack of jokes about Islam in the media, remarking that adherents "certainly lend themselves to ridicule: sticking their arses in the air five times a day. How about a few little choruses, 'Randy Muslims when they die/Find 70 virgins in the sky'?" Vicar Could Be Disciplined for Blog Slurs against Gays and Muslims >>> Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | October 6, 2008

THEINDEPENDENT:
Clergyman Apologises over Call to Tattoo Gay People: A Church of England clergyman who wrote that gay men should be forced to have "sodomy" warnings tattooed on their bodies issued a "full and complete" apology for his remarks today.

The Rev Peter Mullen said his remarks were "injudicious" and had caused offence.

"I did not intend to cause any upset but I realise that the remarks were injudicious and I have caused offence. I want to issue an apology," he said.

In a statement, he said: "I did not intend to cause offence when I made some joking remarks about homosexuals.

"I was not actually meaning to criticise individual homosexual persons, but the promoters of gay culture.

"However, my remarks have caused offence and for this I am sorry and make a full and complete apology." >>> PA | October 7, 2008

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