All Over 40s Should Consider Daily Dose of Aspirin: Leading Expert
THE TELEGRAPH: Healthy people in their 40s should consider taking a low-dose of aspirin a day to prevent cancer, a leading expert has said.

Prof Peter Rothwell of Oxford University has found that taking the painkiller daily for five years can reduce the chance of developing colorectal cancer by a quarter and cut deaths from the disease by a third.

He said these results are the 'tip of the iceberg' and are likely to be an underestimate of its benefit in colorectal cancer prevention.

In addition he believes a similar effect is likely in other cancers such as breast, ovarian, womb, stomach and small bowel.

Prof Rothwell who is 46 said he and his wife both started taking low-dose aspirin themselves in order to reduce the chance of cancer several years ago and others in their 40s and 50s should consider it.

"The whole approach to aspirin is likely to change over the next few years. Currently people take it to prevent vascular events (such as heart attacks and stroke) but it is likely that in five years people will be taking it to prevent non-vascular diseases like cancer as well." >>> Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor | Friday, October 22, 2010

Cancer Caused by Modern Man As It Was Virtually Non-existent in Ancient World
THE TELEGRAPH: Cancer is a modern man-made disease caused by the excesses of modern life, a new study suggests.

Researchers looking at almost a thousand mummies from ancient Egypt and South America found only a handful suffered from cancer when now it accounts for nearly one in three deaths.

The findings suggest that it is modern lifestyles and pollution levels caused by industry that are the main cause of the disease and that it is not a naturally occurring condition.

The study showed the disease rate has risen dramatically since the Industrial Revolution, in particular childhood cancer – proving that the rise is not simply due to people living longer. >>> Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent | Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hormone Research Suggests Rich Live Longer
THE TELEGRAPH: A hormone which is more plentiful in wealthier people has been linked to longer life.

DHEAS - or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate - is produced by the brain, adrenal glands and sexual organs and is a guide to life expectancy.

Researchers from University College London, working on the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, found evidence that biological ageing is slower among people with better socio-economic circumstances.

It found that the wealthier people were, the higher their levels of DHEAS.

The discovery raises the possibility that the hormone could be artificially produced and used to make people live longer.

The scientists also found that those with higher levels of it tended to do greater amounts of exercise, lead a more active life with lots of pastimes, and have more friends and family. >>> Andy Bloxham | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Record £113 Million Lottery Jackpot: Euromillions Winners Found?
THE TELEGRAPH: Four friends are believed to have won the £113m Euromillions jackpot, according to reports.

The Sun reported that the friends, who are aged between 25 and 40, are from Coventry where the ticket was bought.

It said the four of them were staying in a London hotel and receiving advice from financial experts at Camelot, the lottery's organiser in the UK.

The newspaper named one of the men as 28 and said his name was Daniel.

It quoted a relative called Stephen saying: "All I know is that Daniel has gone to London and that he's won it with three other guys. He can be a bit of a joker, but if he is lying about this it will crucify his grandparents. The family are being very cagey and not saying much."

The winning ticket is worth £113,019,926. >>> Andy Bloxham | Friday, October 22, 2010

Related >>>

So you’ve won the jackpot. What happens next? >>>

Cleric Linked to Al-Qaeda Dined at Pentagon After September 11

THE TELEGRAPH: A Pentagon official says radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki had lunch there as part of a program to reach out to moderate Muslims in the months following the Sept 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.

Al-Awlaki is now on the US capture-or-kill list. >>> | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Islam in Europe Cannot Be Stopped

European Court Fines Russia for Banning Gay Parades
BBC: The European Court of Human Rights has fined Russia for banning gay parades in Moscow, in an important victory for the country's gay community.

A leading activist, Nikolai Alexeyev, brought the case after the city authorities repeatedly rejected his requests to organise marches.

The Moscow authorities had argued the parades would cause a violent reaction.

But the court in Strasbourg said Russia had discriminated against Mr Alexeyev on grounds of sexual orientation.

It said that by refusing to allow the parades, the authorities had "effectively approved of and supported groups who had called for (their) disruption".

"The mere risk of a demonstration creating a disturbance was not sufficient to justify its ban," the court said.

It ordered Russia to pay Mr Alexeyev 29,510 euros ($41,090) in damages and for legal fees.

"This is a crippling blow to Russian homophobia on all accounts," Mr Alexeyev said after the verdict was announced.

"The authorities now have to ensure the security of peaceful gay activists, and must allow our protests to take place in Moscow or any other city in Russia. We will be applying to hold a sixth gay pride event in Moscow in May 2011," he told the BBC's Russian service. >>> | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ugandan Paper Calls for Gay People to Be Hanged
THE GUARDIAN: Gay people named in article face violence and abuse after newspaper claims they are recruiting children

A Ugandan man reads the headline of the Rolling Stone newspaper which calls for gay people to be hanged. Photograph: The Guardian
Human rights activists have warned that the lives of gay people in Uganda are in danger aftera newspaper published a story featuring the names and photographs of 100 homosexuals under the headline: "Hang Them".

At least one woman named in the story has been forced to leave her home after neighbours pelted it with stones, while several others have been verbally abused, according to the campaign group Sexual Minorities Uganda.

The article appeared earlier this month in the Rolling Stone newspaper, a new weekly title started by journalism graduates. Its publication came just days before the first anniversary of the introduction to parliament of a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that calls for the death penalty for those convicted of repeated same-sex relations, and life imprisonment for others.

Inspired at least in part by a group of US evangelicals with close links to Uganda, the bill was heavily promoted by a few preachers and politicians. Its progress through parliament was stalled after an international outcry, though it has not been scrapped.

Gay activists in Uganda say the proposed legislation has fuelled hate speech and created a climate of fear among homosexuals. The media have played a strong role in this.

The widely read tabloid Red Pepper has previously "outed" dozens of gay people under headlines such as "Top Homos in Uganda named". But the Rolling Stone story appears to incite people to violence against gays. >>> Xan Rice in Kampala | Thursday, October 21, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG – TOM CHIVERS: Ugandan newspaper calls for 'hanging' of homosexuals >>> Tom Chivers | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Shohreh Aghdashloo: 'The Stoning of Soraya M.' Interview


The Stoning of Soray M. >>>

Trailer: The Stoning of Soraya M.


Ridiculous blog in The Daily Telegraph about The Stoning of Soray M. >>>

Keep Drawing Muhammad

Smell of Frying Bacon Offends Muslims, Claims Neighbour
MAIL ONLINE: A hard-working cafe owner has been ordered to tear down an extractor fan - because the smell of her frying bacon 'offends' Muslims.

Planning bosses acted against Beverley Akciecek, 49, after being told her next-door neighbour's Muslim friends had felt 'physically sick' due to the 'foul odour'.

Councillors at Stockport Council in Greater Manchester say the smell from the fan is 'unacceptable on the grounds of residential amenity'.

The fan has been in Beverley's Snack Shack takeaway in the Shaw Heath area of the town for the past three years.

Mrs Akciecek and her husband Cetin, 50, - himself a Turkish Muslim - work more than 50 hours a week buying, preparing and cooking hot and cold sandwiches and hot-pots for their customers.

Today mother-of-seven Mrs Akciecek said she plans to appeal against the decision.

She said: 'I just think it's crazy. Cetin's friends actually visit the shop, they're regular visitors, they're Muslim people, they come in a couple of times a week.

'I have Muslim people come in for cheese toasties. Cetin cooks the food himself, he cooks the bacon.

'When we go to a cafe my husband wouldn't be offended by the smell of bacon. His friends are not offended by it, we have three visitors who come here for a sandwich, friends of my husband, and the smell doesn't offend them at all.

'My brother-in-law doesn't flinch if he comes and we've just taken out three trays of bacon.

'I'm going to find a local councillor. I'm waiting for the letter so I can appeal.' Cafe owner ordered to remove extractor fan because neighbour claimed 'smell of frying bacon offends Muslims' >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, October 21, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Cafe fan banned in case smell of bacon offends Muslims: A cafe owner was ordered to remove an extractor fan because the smell of her frying bacon offended passing Muslims. >>> | Friday, October 22, 2010

Loki Schmidt gestorben: Fast sieben Jahrzehnte mit dem früheren deutschen Kanzler verheiratet
NZZ ONLINE: In Hamburg ist die Ehefrau des früheren deutschen Bundeskanzlers, Loki Schmidt, gestorben. Die 91-Jährige bezeichnete sich einst selbst als «Angeheiratete der Politik». Mit Helmut Schmidt war sie fast siebzig Jahre verheiratet.

Die Ehefrau von ehemaligen deutschen Bundeskanzlers Helmut Schmidt (SPD), Loki Schmidt, ist gestorben. Die 91-Jährige verschied in der Nacht zum Donnerstag in ihrem Haus im Hamburger Stadtteil Langenhorn, wie eine Sprecherin des Hamburger Büros von Helmut Schmidt auf Anfrage der Nachrichtenagentur ddp sagte. Angaben zu den nähere Umständen lagen bisher nicht vor.

Hannelore Schmidt wurde 1919 in Hamburg geboren. Gemeinsam mit zwei Geschwistern wuchs sie als Tochter eines Betriebselektrikers in bescheidenen Verhältnissen im Stadtteil Barmbek auf. 1931 wurde der Vater arbeitslos, worauf die Mutter als Näherin arbeitete. Schon mit zehn Jahren lernte sie Helmut Schmidt kennen, denn beide besuchten dieselbe Schulklasse. «Wir waren von Anfang an befreundet», erinnerte sich Loki in ihren Memoiren an den Anfang ihren langen und glücklichen Beziehung. Nach dem Abitur absolvierte sie ein pädagogisches Studium und wurde Lehrerin. «Eigentlich wollte ich Biologin werden, aber das scheiterte an den Studiengebühren», sagte sie einmal. >>> ddp | Donnerstag, 21. Oktober 2010

Outpouring of Grief in Germany at Death of Helmut Schmidt's Wife Loki
THE IRISH TIMES: FOR 68 years, Loki Schmidt matched her chain-smoking husband Helmut cigarette for cigarette.

Yesterday, the popular wife of the former German chancellor died in Hamburg aged 91.

Hannelore “Loki” Glasner was born in 1919 in Hamburg and met her future husband in junior school. They married in 1942 and Loki worked as a school teacher, though her husband’s rising political star in the 1950s drew her increasingly to his side for official engagements.

Mrs Schmidt gave up teaching when he became defence minister in the 1960s. She was propelled into the spotlight after Helmut Schmidt succeeded Willy Brandt as West German chancellor in 1974, when a Brandt adviser was exposed as an East German spy.

Though Mrs Schmidt suffered many miscarriages, the Schmidts had two children – a son, who died as an infant, and a daughter.

Even when first lady, Mrs Schmidt pursued a career of her own as one of Germany’s leading conservationists. >>> Derek Scally | Friday, October 22, 2010

Suisse : Schwyz ne veut pas interdire la burqa
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BURQA | Le Grand Conseil schwyzois a rejeté mercredi un postulat UDC exigeant une interdiction absolue de toute forme de dissimulation des femmes.

Le Grand Conseil schwyzois a rejeté mercredi par 53 voix contre 36 un postulat UDC exigeant une interdiction absolue de toute forme de dissimulation des femmes. L’exécutif cantonal s’était également opposé à ce texte, estimant qu’il allait trop loin et que son application était difficile. >>> ATS | Jeudi 21 Octobre 2010

Jeder zehnte Deutsche sehnt sich nach einem Führer
WELT ONLINE: Nach einer Studie stimmt ein Viertel der Bevölkerung fremdenfeindlichen Aussagen zu. Ungebildete und Alte sind besonders anfällig.

Ausländerfeindliche Einstellungen in Deutschland nehmen offenbar deutlich zu. Wie eine am Mittwoch in Berlin vorgestellte Studie im Auftrag der SPD-nahen Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung ergab, schließt sich ein Viertel der Bevölkerung fremdenfeindlichen Aussagen an. 2008 sei es noch ein Fünftel der Bürger gewesen.

Sogar mehr als 30 Prozent der Bevölkerung stimmen laut Studie der Einschätzung zu: „Ausländer kommen, um den Sozialstaat auszunutzen.“ Eine ebenso großer Anteil meint, bei knappen Arbeitsplätzen „sollte man Ausländer wieder in ihre Heimat schicken“, und durch „die vielen Ausländer“ werde Deutschland „in einem gefährlichen Maß überfremdet“.

Die Feindseligkeit gegenüber dem Islam ist der Studien zufolge besonders ausgeprägt. Der Aussage „Für Muslime in Deutschland sollte die Religionsausübung erheblich eingeschränkt werden“ schließen sich 58,4 Prozent der Bevölkerung an – in Ostdeutschland sogar 75,7 Prozent. >>> dapd/pku | Mittwoch, 13. Oktober 2010

WELT ONLINE: Wirtschafts-Fixierung schürt autoritäre Aggression: Woher rührt die Aggression gegen Schwache? Forscher glauben, die Bevölkerung wird angestachelt, weil sie sich ökonomischen Zielen unterwirft. >>> Von Günther Lachmann | Donnerstag, 21. Oktober 2010

ZEIT ONLINE: Parallelgesellschaften gibt es nicht nur unter Muslimen: Die Motive der schärfsten Parallelgesellschaften- und Migranten-Kritiker sind nicht gerade fortschrittlich. Das zeigt eine Studie zum Rechtsextremismus. >>> Von Tanja Dückers | Mittwoch, 20. Oktober 2010

Hardliners Call for Deaths of Surrey Muslims
THE INDEPENDENT: Islamic extremists have started openly calling for the destruction of a controversial Muslim sect in a major escalation of sectarian conflict within British Islam, an investigation by The Independent has revealed.

Members of the Ahmadiyya Community have seen a significant upsurge in threats and intimidation over the past four months, sparked by an extremist attack on two of their largest mosques in Pakistan earlier this year.

Hardline Islamists in Britain have been distributing leaflets calling for the murder of AhmadiMuslims in Kingston-upon-Thames whilst mosques have been vandalised in Newham and Crawley. Preachers in south London have also been orchestrating a boycott of Ahmadi businesses and Ofcom has had to reprimand an Islamic satellite channel for repeatedly calling the sect "Wajib-ul Qatal" - an Arabic phrase used to describe those who digress from mainstream Islam that translates as "liable for death". >>> Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Spain Passes Law to Ban Smoking
THE TELEGRAPH: The Spanish parliamentary commission passed a bill on Wednesday night to make all bars and restaurants no-smoking zones, bringing Spain in line with the European Union's strictest antismoking nations.

he law is expected to pass the Senate and become law on Jan 2.

The law also will make Spain a tougher place to smoke than many other European countries where bars and restaurants are still allowed to have smoking sections, and will prohibit smoking in outdoor places such as playgrounds and the grounds of schools and hospitals.

The current law put in place in 2006 prohibits smoking in the workplace, and workers smoking just outside their office buildings are a common sight. >>> | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Snow Falls in Yorkshire - In October!
THE TELEGRAPH: Snow fell as far south as Yorkshire as drivers were stranded in cars following blizzards in Scotland as winter came early to Britain.

Wendy Gordon feeds her horses in the snow at Garve near Inverness. Photo: The Telegraph
Early snow covered parts of Aberdeenshire, the Cairngorms and Shetland - as well as the Pennines.

A number of drivers needed police assistance after getting stuck on the B974 at Cairn o’Mount, near Aberdeen.

The road became impassable due to snow and ice and was later closed.

Grampian Police spokesman Alan Majury said: “Several cars were stuck on the B974 and could not get along the road due to snow.

“The people are still with their vehicles and police officers are assisting them.” >>> | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Mark: What Do We Want with This Disgusting Individual on Our Shores? Get Rid of Him!
THE TELEGRAPH: Radical cleric Abu Hamza, who is fighting attempts to strip him of his British passport, has claimed he was rejected by his home country of Egypt after moving to the UK.

The Home Office wants to remove Hamza’s British nationality so that he can eventually be deported.

But the controversial preacher has claimed doing so would breach his human rights as it would leave him stateless.

Lawyers for Hamza told a Special Immigration Appeals Commission that the Egyptian authorities effectively removed his nationality when he became a British citizen in 1986.

They said his status was confirmed after he publicly criticised the Cairo government and was then arrested on terror charges in Britain.

The Egyptian authorities have said they are unable to answer Home Office inquiries as to whether Hamza is still regarded as an Egyptian national.

Hamza told the hearing: “It is not the habit of the Egyptian government to respond to anything,” but he added that he was certain he had been stripped of his citizenship. Abu Hamza claims removing his British citizenship would leave him stateless >>> Martin Evans | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Denmark: Politicians Speak on Islam

Euromillions £113m Ticket Claimed
BBC: The winner of the UK's largest ever lottery ticket has been claimed and paid out, Camelot has announced.

The record-breaking £113m Euromillions Lottery jackpot prize followed a draw on 8 October.

The winner beat odds of more than 76 million to one to pick the winning numbers which were nine, 30, 35, 39, 46, with lucky stars six and eight.

The previous largest lottery winner in the UK was an anonymous player who scooped £84.4m in May.

Nigel Page and Justine Laycock, from Barnsley, Gloucestershire, previously broke the record in February after winning £56m on Euromillions.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2010, the ticket-holder could become the 589th wealthiest person in Great Britain. [Source: BBC] | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: £113 million lottery winner receives prize: The winner of the record £113 million EuroMillions lottery jackpot came forward to claim their prize, becoming immediately one of the richest people in Britain. >>> Harry Wallop, Martin Evans and Nick Britten | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Justice, Even for Princes *
THE GUARDIAN: Britain's conviction of a Saudi prince for the murder of his servant has inspired Saudi Arabians longing for impartial justice

Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Saud, left, was found guilty of the murder of his servant Bandar Abdulaziz. Photograph: The Guardian
The prince is guilty of murder. That was the verdict rendered against the Saudi prince, Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Saud, regarding the death of his servant, Bandar Abdulaziz. It is a victory for the people of Saudi Arabia who, for the first time in their lives, can see a "blueblood" royal held accountable for his actions against a commoner.

His trial at the Old Bailey sent a strong message that a Saudi prince and a pauper are the same in the eyes of the law in Britain, and that British justice is superior to the Saudi court system, which claims to uphold Islamic standards.

Many Saudis are cheering the verdict: they know that if this murder had occurred in Saudi Arabia, the killer would not have seen a single day in prison. The victim in this case had no hopes of receiving justice in his homeland, but the British court has upheld the fundamental principle of equality under law.

Millions of people in Saudi Arabia were watching the trial closely, and the outcome gives them hope that the impartial rules of western jurisprudence may one day be emulated in their land. In Saudi Arabia and other despotic regimes, where people are divided into rulers and subjects, the judicial system is guided by the whims of the ruling family and the accused prince would have been given a free pass. This may have been on the mind of detective chief inspector John McFarlane, who summarised the situation: "This verdict clearly shows no one, regardless of their position, is above the law."

The convicted prince is a "Royal Highness" prince – one of the few hundred males eligible by birth to ascend to the Saudi throne. There are two classes of Saudi princes. Male descendents of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, are given the title of "Royal Highness", while other princely males have to make do with a mere "Your Highness". It is worth noting that these titles are an anathema to Islam's egalitarian tradition and, in fact, have no foundation in Arab history. They were imported to Saudi Arabia from the United Kingdom in the 1940s.

Bandar Abdulaziz, the prince's victim, was a black man who grew up in a government orphanage with no known parents – the worst possible combination in Saudi Arabia in terms of social worth. In the eyes of many royals, Bandar was just a slave – and it's a view that the Saudi courts usually share. Read on and comment >>> Ali al-Ahmed | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

* "Justice even for princes." Yes, for now, perhaps. But how long will it be before a deal will be done with the royal family of Saudi Arabia to safeguard/secure a contract or two?

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Turquie – Allemagne : Le président allemand tente l’apaisement
Le[s] présidents Christian Wulff et Abdullah Gül en conférence de presse. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: En visite officielle de quatre jours en Turquie, Christian Wulff a salué le rôle joué par les Turcs en Allemagne après les propos de la chancelière Angela Merkel sur l’échec du modèle «multiculti» en Allemagne. Les Turcs d’Allemagne revenus au pays témoignent

Pas de vague ni de déclaration fracassante, le président Christian Wulff a tenté de calmer le jeu lors de sa première journée de visite officielle en Turquie. Alors que son pays débat avec passion de la place des étrangers, et notamment des 2,5 millions de Turcs, le chef de l’Etat allemand a certes évoqué certains problèmes d’intégration et la peur du fondamentalisme religieux, mais il a surtout salué le rôle joué par les citoyens d’origine turque dans le développement économique de son pays. Contrairement aux propos de la chancelière Angela Merkel samedi, il n’a donc pas dénoncé le modèle multiculti de son pays, mais appelé Berlin et Ankara à œuvrer «de concert» pour développer l’amitié entre leurs deux peuples.

Ces propos mesurés tombent à pic, mais auront du mal à rassurer une opinion publique turque qui observe avec une certaine déception l’actuel débat sur la place des étrangers. «La communauté turque a besoin de reconnaissance et de respect», commente Nail Alkan, un académicien qui a passé vingt-quatre années en Allemagne avant de rentrer en Turquie. «Ces gens ont travaillé durant trente ou quarante ans dans ce pays. Même s’il y a des problèmes, on peut dire qu’ils ont fait du bon boulot. Il était nécessaire que le président Wulff salue leur rôle tout comme l’existence de l’islam comme l’une des composantes de la société allemande.» >>> Delphine Nerbollier | Mercredi 20 Octobre 2010

LE TEMPS: Islam dans la société: la droite déchirée: Alors que la chancelière Angela Merkel déclare que le «multiculti» a échoué, le président se rend ce lundi en Turquie en plein débat sur la place des musulmans en Allemagne >>> Christophe Bourdoiseau Berlin | Lundi 18 Octobre 2010