British Airways employee loses fight to wear crucifix

BBC: A British Airways (BA) employee has lost her fight to openly wear a cross necklace at work at Heathrow.

Nadia Eweida, 55, of Twickenham, has been on unpaid leave since her bosses told her she could not visibly wear her cross at the check-in counter.

She found out she had lost her appeal against the decision by BA when she met with the airline bosses on Monday. Woman loses fight to wear cross

WATCH VIDEO: BA defends jewellery ban

Mark Alexander

Tony Blair & Co show they have no respect for taxpayers' money. It's theirs for the spending!

THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair faced accusations last night that he is wasting nearly £7 billion of taxpayers' money on a failing war on terror after announcing massive sums of British aid to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In the last three days, the Prime Minister and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, have trumpeted special funding to the three countries totalling £844 million.

This is in addition to the estimated £5 billion cost to British taxpayers of the Iraq war so far, and the £1 billion spent to date on the British deployment in Afghanistan.

The funding announcements came just days after Mr Blair admitted in an interview with al-Jazeera, the English language Arabic television channel, that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a "disaster".

No 10 officials have since dismissed the response as a slip of the tongue. But yesterday Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, said military victory in Iraq was no longer possible. Anger at £7bn cost of war by Toby Helm and Brendan Carlin

Throwing good money after bad governance

Mark Alexander

"New life in these Christian soldiers"

THE SUNDAY TIMES: Reports of the death of Christianity in this country have been much exaggerated, by me among many others. Even the dear old Church of England is showing a few signs of revival. Some might attribute this change to the Holy Spirit, blowing where it listeth in that irritating way it supposedly has. I would attribute it to competition, pure and simple.

The example of Islam in this country, for better and for worse, has powerfully concentrated Christian minds. Confronted with Muslim convictions, Christians — and particularly Anglicans — find themselves and their own faith renewed. There is nothing like a strong consciousness of a different identity for clarifying one’s own. Years of milksop tolerance and ecumenical dither have given way, here and there, to a new conviction. The church strikes back! Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus by Minette Marrin

Mark Alexander

Indonesians protest Bush visit

Photo courtesy of BBC

BBC: Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to protest against Monday's visit by US President George W Bush. Indonesia sees anti-Bush rallies

Mark Alexander

Protest gegen Rechtsextremisten in Brandenburg

Foto dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Fast 10'000 Personen haben am Samstag in Brandenburg friedlich gegen Rechtsextremismus protestiert und erstmals seit Jahren einen Neonazi-Aufmarsch vor dem Volkstrauertag am grössten deutschen Soldatenfriedhof in Halbe verhindert. Neonazi-Aufmarsch verhindert

Mark Alexander

Gordon Brown plays the philanthropist on taxpayers' money and promises £100m to rebuild Iraq

Photo courtesy of BBC

BBC: Chancellor Gordon Brown has made his first visit to Iraq and has promised an extra £100m ($188m) over three years to help rebuild the country's economy. Brown makes first visit to Iraq

Mark Alexander

Beburqahed and beniqabbed Muslimatoon debate women's rights in New York!

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Muslim women politicians, business leaders, academics, cultural figures and activists are meeting in New York to try to improve women's rights. Muslim women debate more rights

Mark Alexander

Blair admits Anglo-American intervention in Iraq has been "pretty much of a disaster"

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: There were times when Sir David Frost's interview with Tony Blair on al-Jazeera threatened to turn into a quick 40 winks, so languid was the great interrogator's delivery.

But seasoned Frost-watchers know that this is the moment when the man or woman in the hot seat should be most on his or her guard. The Prime Minister wasn't, and blurted out two monosyllabic words he will have plenty of opportunity to regret. Blair is badly nipped by a vintage touch of Frost by Neil Tweedie

Mark Alexander

Dutch government has the courage to take the lead: The ridiculous burqah is to be banned!

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: The Dutch cabinet has backed a proposal by the country's immigration minister to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa in public places.

The burqa, a full body covering that also obscures the face, would be banned by law in the street, and in trains, schools, buses and the law courts.

The cabinet said burqas disturb public order, citizens and safety. Dutch government backs burqa ban

Burqa ban splits Holland

Mark Alexander

NICK GRIFFIN (BNP leader) in combat on the BBC's 'MORAL MAZE'
LISTEN HERE
Mark Alexander

Milton Friedman, economist par excellence and advocate for human freedom, has died

"America has lost a true visionary and advocate for human freedom. And I have lost a great friend" - Gordon St Angelo, president of the Friedman Foundation

BBC: Nobel prize-winning US economist Milton Friedman has died at the age of 94. Economist Friedman dies aged 94

Milton Friedman: Free market thinker

An enduring legacy

WATCH VIDEO: Economist Milton Friedman dies

Le prix Nobel d'économie Milton Friedman est mort

Nobelpreisträger Milton Friedman gestorben

Mark Alexander

Radical Muslims will take over America

THE CONSERVATIVE VOICE: By Sher Zieve – Appearing on Wednesday’s Laura Ingraham’s radio program, the author of “Now They Call Me Infidel” Nonie Darwish said the ultimate goal of radical Islam is to take over the US. Ms. Darwish, a Muslim, said that hundreds of Islamic mosques are being quickly built throughout the US, which currently have no attendees. Radical Islam Plans to Take Over America

Mark Alexander

"Israel must collapse", claim editorials in Iranian newspapers

YNET NEWS: Iranian newspapers Kehyan and and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a 'great war' to destroy the State of Israel. Iranian paper: Great war to wipe out Israel coming by Yaakov Lappin

Mark Alexander

SMS now used to call the infidel to Islam!

Jeddah (AsiaNews) – “Call Me to Islam” is an initiative launched in Saudi Arabia by dawah activists to convert non Muslims to Islam via short message service (SMS) or receive information about Islam, Saudi daily Arab News reported. SMS from Saudi Arabia promoting conversion to Islam

Mark Alexander

Terrorist threat "very great" in UK, says Reid, but there's too little evidence to try the suspected terrorists!

YAHOO NEWS: LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is facing a "very great threat" from a wave of plots among Muslim extremists and a terrorist attack on the UK is highly likely, Home Secretary John Reid said on Wednesday.

Echoing a warning last week by the head of domestic spy agency MI5, Reid said authorities were aware of 30 active terrorist plots.

"There are a lot of conspiracies out there," Reid told BBC radio.

"These 30 are the ones we think are the most serious of them. They are ongoing, they are working, and they have the potential... some will be nearer preparation than others."

Asked how serious the situation was, Reid said: "It is a very great threat". Reid says terrorist threat "very great"

Mark Alexander

President Bush meddles in the future of Europe again. Turkish accession would be "in the United States' interests"
President Bush has done enough damage in Iraq. Iraq has ended up on the verge of civil war. We read reports of carnage and mayhem daily now. He has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has neither any understanding of Islam, nor of the the intentions of Muslims worldwide, nor of jihad, nor of the history of the conflict between the Christian and Islamic worlds. As if he hasn't done enough damage already, he now finds it necessary to create havoc with the future of Europe, too!

GWB wanted to bring democracy to the Middle East by imposing it in Iraq. He thought it would spread like a cancer throughout the Middle East. How wrong he was! How naïve! Had he known anything about Islam, he would have known that such an exercise would be futile. Alas, he was not so well-informed.

He is also not well-informed on Europe or Turkey, either. Yet he finds it necessary to meddle in the internal affairs of the European Union, and all in the "interests" of the United States.

I thought Dubya was committed to the concept of democracy? Were he really to be committed, then he would know that democracy functions according to the will of the people. The vast majority of the people of Europe do not want to admit Turkey to their Union, for they know, and understand, that it will be disastrous for the Judeo-Christian culture that Europe has as its underpinning. They know that Islam will spread throughout Europe like wildfire if the Turks ever get the chance to accede. But Bush doesn't give a damn: he soldiers on with his ridiculous and damaging policies, regardless.

Bush should know one thing now: If he is dismayed by the anti-Americanism in Europe today, he needs just to wait to see how anti-American sentiment will grow once Turkey becomes dominant in Europe. And with the population of Turkey set to increase substantially, it will become the dominant power in Europe. Further, if Bush thinks the Turks will thank him in years to come for his support of their application to join, he is deluding himself. Nor need he think that the Europeans will thank him. They won't. George W Bush will have messed up the continent.

It is common knowledge that President Bush is not popular in Europe. Is there any wonder? If Bush continues with this policy, then Europe is destined to become a hotbed of anti-Americanism for many years to come!

President Bush has done enough damage already. For God's sake, don't let him do anymore!

©Mark Alexander

EU OBSERVER: The United States has waded into the debate on the fate of Turkey's EU accession talks, questioning an EU deadline for Ankara to lift a blockade on Cypriot trade while proposing to continue the talks in any case.

UK daily The Guardian quoted a senior US diplomat as saying that the EU never put a clear-cut deadline on Turkey to open its ports and airports to trade from Cyprus, when the bloc opened formal membership talks with Ankara on 3 October last year. US makes fresh intervention in EU-Turkey row

Mark Alexander

Of course they should ban it!

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: A senior Vatican cardinal has expressed concern over the use of some Muslim veils by Islamic immigrants in Europe.

This is the first time that the Vatican has joined in the Europe-wide debate on how women who insist on wearing the veil affect the integration of Muslims.

Cardinal Renato Martino said immigrants must respect the traditions, culture and religion of the nations they go to.

They ought to abide by local laws banning the wearing of certain types of Muslim veils, he added.

"It seems elementary to me and it is quite right that the authorities demand it," said Cardinal Martino, who heads the Vatican department dealing with migration issues. Vatican enters Muslim veil debate

Mark Alexander

Kofi Annan: What a twerp!

"There are tensions, there are even hostilities but they are not caused by religion, by culture or by civilisations " - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Myth and reality feed West-Muslim gulf

Mark Alexander

Iran tries to call the shots

BBC: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has said Tehran is ready to talk to the US - once it changes its attitude.

His remarks follow suggestions that the US should start direct talks with the country to reduce the violence in Iraq.

US President George W Bush has said Iran must halt nuclear activities before any talks could begin, but Mr Ahmedinejad rejected this. Iran will talk to 'corrected' US

WATCH VIDEO: Bush maintains hard Iran line

Mark Alexander

Tony Blair clutches at straws

Blair addressing the Lord Mayor's banquest last night

Photo courtesy of The Telegraph

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran is trying to form an unholy alliance with al-Qa'eda by grooming a new generation of leaders to take over from Osama bin Laden, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

Western intelligence officials say the Iranians are determined to take advantage of bin Laden's declining health to promote senior officials who are known to be friendly to Teheran.

The revelation will deal a major blow to Tony Blair's hopes of establishing a "new partnership" with Teheran.

Addressing the Lord Mayor's banquet in London last night — an occasion traditionally used by the Prime Minister to set out the Government's foreign policy — Mr Blair said he wanted to launch a diplomatic initiative to secure peace in Iraq by establishing dialogue with Iran and ending threats of military force against the regime. Iran plotting to groom bin Laden's successor

Leader: Blair's desperate new plan for the Middle East

Mark Alexander