David Cameron is highlighting Britain’s “broken society” as an election issue.The Tory leader cited recent research that “among the richest countries, it’s the more unequal ones that do worse according to almost every quality of life indicator”.
Among 21 developed countries, the Guardian found Britain does worst on child wellbeing and badly on teenage births, imprisonment, drug abuse, trust, obesity, social mobility and mental illness. A government commissioned study – An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK – described a nation in which the richest 10% are more than 100 …

A French parliamentary commission has called for a ban of the wearing of the face veil (niqab and burqa) on the grounds that they threaten France’s republican values of secularism and equality. Not only to be banned in public places but veil wearers or others that displays outward signs of “radical religious practice” should be refused citizenship and access to public services. British opportunist parties such as the UK Independence party are making similar demands in the UK. Isn’t is perverse that in societies that pride themselves on unbridled freedoms …

Its estimated that the US killed at least 700 civilians in Pakistani Drone strikes in 2009.
While the number of “targets” hit is estimated at 5, both numbers are unverified. Barack Obama promised there would be a dramatic escalation of the aerial bombardment of Pakistan’s tribal areas and didn’t disappoint the neo-cons that endorse such butchery. On June 22, the US struck at a house in Waziristan that officials called a “suspected militant hideout” burying several locals inside. When others rushed to the scene to rescue them, they launched another missile, …

Amidst great fanfare and hype Tony Blair took to centre stage at the Chilcot enquiry into the Iraqi invasion on the 29th of January.The Chilcot enquiry has been widely criticized as a gentle discussion shop with little in the way of inciteful or probing enquiry and even weaker cross-examining of the witnesses. One commentator described the questions put to Blair as being as cutting as a month old lettuce.
It is not really a surprise that Blair could easily brush aside his questioners. In his opening address to the enquiry Lord …

The prominent academic Dr Shireen Mazari following despite pressure from the US wrote in September:“Now, even if one were to ignore the massive purchases of land by the US, the questionable manner in which the expansion of the US Embassy is taking place and the threatening covert activities of the US and its ‘partner in crime’ Blackwater; the unregistered comings and goings of US personnel on chartered flights; we would still find it difficult to see the whole aid disbursement issue as anything other than a sign of US gradual …

British National Party leader Nick Griffin has used his Question Time on the BBC appearance to criticise Islam. He also told the audience that Winston Churchill would be a BNP supporter if he were alive, and insisted: “I am not a Nazi”. He was asked by a member of the audience about why he had described Islam as a “wicked and vicious faith”. Mr Griffin said the religion had its “good points… it wouldn’t have let the banks run riot” but it did not fit in with “the fundamental values …

The United States has been negotiating highly sensitive understandings with the Pakistani military about the security of Pakistan ’s nuclear arsenal, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reported in the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine.The journalist wrote that during meetings with current and former officials in Washington and Islamabad, he was told that the agreements would allow specially trained American units to provide added security for the Pakistani arsenal in case of a crisis.At the same time, the Pakistani military would be given money to equip and train Pakistani soldiers …

A considerable number of Britons believe that the UK ’s military intervention in Afghanistan has put their country at a higher risk of terror attacks.The GFK NOP poll whose results were published recently suggests that almost half of Britons believe that their country’s military presence in Afghanistan indeed is deteriorating security in Britain . Only 21 percent of the respondents supported British statesmen’s claim that the Afghan war has made the UK safer, with 46 percent holding a completely opposite view.
The survey of 1,000 Britons indicates a sharp decline in …

The British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, paid tribute to a South African anti¬apartheid activist Joe Slovo – a friend of Mr Miliband’s father – during an interview on BBC Radio 4 in August. In doing so, he exposed the double standards prevalent in Western Politics.The BBC Radio 4 presenter had asked the Foreign Secretary:“Are there circumstances in which violent reaction, terrorism, is the right response?” Miliband responded:“Yes, there are circumstances in which it is justifiable, and yes, there are circumstances in which it is effective”. In making the statement …

While British politicians lambasted the celebratory reception that greeted home Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi, the convicted Lockerbie bomber, there were similar scenes of celebration in some quarters in the UK.
These would be, behind closed doors of the board rooms of some of Britain’s biggest firms, particularly those in the Oil Industry. Despite harsh criticism of the Libyan regime and its oppressive treatment of its citizens, the release of al-Megrahi is widely seen as a move to improve Britain’s already rewarding trade relations with Libya. UK exports to Libya rose 21% last …