MPs Urge Facebook to Add Child Protection Button (UK)

Harriet Harman says MPs are "taking action" to make Facebook adopt the UK's CEOP online protection scheme for children - although the site has argued it is not needed.
Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman told the house of Commons that ministers would be urging Facebook to adopt a child protection button designed for the UK - even though Facebook argues that it would be counter productive.

“We need swift action on this,” said Ms Harman, when an MP raised the question of Facebook during questions on future Commons business, according to a Press Association report. Labour’s Madeline Moon asked Ms Harman whether the government can “ensure that Facebook uses the CEOP alert”- a button which allows children to report suspicious activity directly to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP), which was promoted in a government online safty campaign last month.

“I would strongly agree with you and this is the view of ministers as well, not least the Home Secretary (Alan Johnson). Action is being taken in this respect,” Ms Harman said - clearly implying that ministers would be getting in touch with Facebook to urge the use of the CEOP button.

Although the button has been adopted by online sites Bebo and others, Facebook argues that it is a UK-centric tool which would not work well alongside the reporting buttons it already has: “The safety of Facebook users is our top priority,” said a Facebook spokesperson. “We have reporting buttons on every page and continue to invest heavily in creating the most robust reporting system to support our 400 million users. We work closely with police forces in the UK and around the world and have trained staff on two continents giving 24 hour support in 70 languages.”
The site has maintained this stance since November, when it told the BBC that such buttons have actually proved ineffective when it tried them in the past, actually decreasing the number of abuse reports.

The issue of children’s safety online has been in the spotlight over the past week, after Peter Chapman (33) was convicted for murdering 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall. Chapman had got in touch with Hall via Facebook, leading to criticisms from some senior police officers over the dangers of social networking sites.

This was closely followed by allegations from the Daily Mail that teenagers on Facebook were approached “in seconds” by men asking for sexual favours. The allegation was withdrawn, but Facebook is considering suing the Daily Mail.
Facebook has faced criticism from several directions about its attitude to online protection. Its founder Mark Zuckerberg suggested that users do not expecct privacy in online services.

On a smaller scale, some users have expressed doubts about the value of Facebook’s social interaction, prompting some religious users to “give up Facebook for Lent“.

eweekeurope

Court OKs extradition of Swede in Auschwitz case

A Swedish court ruled Thursday that a former neo-Nazi leader arrested in Sweden can be extradited to Poland, where he is suspected of being involved in the theft of the infamous Auschwitz sign.

The Stockholm district court said 34-year-old Anders Hogstrom can be handed over to Poland on condition that, if convicted, he would serve any prison sentence in Sweden. A prosecutor said Poland agreed to the deal.
Polish investigators suspect Hogstrom of incitement to commit theft of a cultural treasure in connection with the Dec. 18 theft of the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign at the former Nazi death camp.

They are seeking prison terms of up to 2 1/2 years for three Poles who confessed to stealing the sign and are investigating the role of two others.

The sign was recovered days after the theft.

Hogstrom has denied the allegations and will probably appeal the extradition ruling because he doesn't think he will get a fair hearing in Poland, his defense lawyer, Bjorn Sandin said.

Hogstrom told the court that one of the Polish suspects had contacted him after the theft and asked whether Hogstrom could help them sell the sign. Hogstrom said he informed Swedish authorities when he realized the sign had been stolen.
"I have no way committed a crime. On the contrary. I have made sure that this sign could be returned," he said.

News Times

I’m no racist, insists writer of offensive Facebook comments

A MAN who said he was “going to put nails in a stick” before attending an anti-Muslim protest insisted yesterday he is not racist.

Kristopher Paul Woolf, of Queen Street, Ton Pentre, Rhondda, was one of five men arrested after police officers were alerted to offensive comments being made on a Facebook group trying to arrange the Rhondda March, a BNP anti-Muslim rally which was due to take place on Sunday, February 28.

Woolf, who pleaded guilty at Rhondda Magistrates’ Court to committing a religiously aggravated public order offence of using words to cause alarm or distress on January 15, has been warned he could face jail.

Simon Beattie, prosecuting, said 129 people were linked to the Rhondda March page on Facebook.

He said: “One person who left a message was the defendant.”

He said Woolf, asked on the site whether he was going on the march, replied that he was, writing “I’m going to put some nails in a stick”.

But 30-year-old Woolf dismissed this comment as “childish banter” when interviewed by police.

Mr Beattie added: “He said he had no intention of attending the march or harming anyone.

“On reflection he said he understood that minority groups could get alarmed or distressed. He said he wasn’t a racist.”

Although the Rhondda March did not take place following the arrests of five men in relation to comments they had made on Facebook, the proposed event sparked such outrage that almost 1,000 people joined an opposition group on the same website called “We say no to the planned Rhondda Valleys racist march”.

Kelly Robson, who grew up in the Rhondda, said she set up the group as a platform for “intelligent, informed, peace-loving residents of the Rhondda Valleys”.

Woolf was granted unconditional bail until his next hearing at Rhondda Magistrates’ Court on March 30.

The other four men who were also arrested in relation to comments posted on the Rhondda March page have been bailed until June.
Wales Onlne

‘Keep children out of town during EDL rally’ UK

PARENTS of all secondary school children are to receive a letter advising them against letting youngsters into the town centre alone on the day of a planned English Defence League rally.

While police and Town Hall chiefs have gone to great lengths to declare March 20 as “business as usual”, they are concerned about young people being in the town centre unaccompanied.

With that in mind, parents of all children at secondary schools in the town will receive a letter via the schools, setting out details of the EDL rally, and a counter-demonstration by the Unite Against Fascism group.

The wording of the letter is still being worked out, but The Bolton News believes the council is going to great lengths not to cause alarm.

Sean Harriss, Bolton Council chief executive, said: “We have been working very hard with community groups and we will continue to do so.

“We are confident that adults can make an informed choice about coming into the town centre, but we will be sending out letters to parents through the schools advising them about letting young people into the town centre on their own on the day.

“We have been working with the police and our partners in the community and offering them reassurance both in the lead-up to the rally and on the day itself.”

Police and council officers held a meeting with town centre businesses last week and are due to meet them again on Tuesday.

Bolton police commander Chief Supt Steve Hartley is working in close contact with Chief Constable Peter Fahy and the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Authority Cllr Paul Murphy. He said: “We have not advised businesses to close for the day, nor have we advised them to stay open. We will be providing them with the information as we get it and they can make an informed decision. The message is that it will be a modified business as usual.
“We are talking to other forces which have had EDL events in their town and officers who policed the event in Manchester will be working with us.

“We are taking on board the lessons learned from those events and working them into our operation.”

Greater Manchester Police was praised for the way it handled the EDL rally in Manchester in October.

This week, a letter signed by the town’s political and faith leaders, was sent to Home Secretary Alan Johnson asking him to ban the demonstration, on the grounds that previous EDL events have attracted disorder and violence.

Neither the council or Greater Manchester Police have the power to ban the EDL rally. The authority has also requested a meeting with Mr Johnson or his representatives to put forward their case in person. Previous attempts to get events banned in Manchester and Stoke have failed, although The Bolton News believes that Town Hall chiefs see the violent scenes at the Stoke rally in January as adding weight to their pleas.
The Bolton News

Five bigots beat 32-year-old man in Brooklyn bias attack (USA)

Five bigots are being sought for jumping a 32-year-old man on a Brooklyn street, pummeling him with their fists and pelting him with anti-gay slurs, police said.

Clad in dark clothing, the five followed the Latino victim as he left a gay and lesbian party at a bar, pouncing on him as he walked on Luquer St. in Carroll Gardens about 12:50 a.m. on March 2, police said.

The attackers, who were also Latinos, called the victim a "f----t" and punched him numerous times in the face, knocking him down and causing him to suffer a gash on the back of his head, police sources said.

The victim was treated at Lutheran Medical Center, police said. It was not immediately clear if the perpetrators, who are still at large, were known to the victim or whether the attack was done at random.
NY Daily News

Holocaust heroine Jane Haining honoured by PM

The family of a Church of Scotland missionary who died in the Nazi gas chambers has received a posthumous award in her honour at Downing Street.

Dumfriesshire-born Jane Haining worked at a Jewish orphanage in Hungary.

She refused to abandon the children in her care after the invasion by German forces in 1944 and was sent to Auschwitz, where she met her death.
A total of 28 people received the new British Heroes of the Holocaust award from the prime minister.
The creation of the honour was agreed last year.

It came in response to calls to recognise the efforts of people who helped Jews and others to escape the horrors of the holocaust.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown was among those seeking a symbol of recognition.

He led a debate in Westminster asking for a change in the current honours system.
MPs declined to take that action but agreed to look at creating the new award which was due to be collected by Ms Haining's niece.
Jane Haining was gassed to death after being detained by the Gestapo, accused of political activity, helping Jews and of listening to the BBC.

At the outbreak of World War II, she was ordered by the Church to return home to Scotland from Hungary, where she was working with 400 girls in a Jewish orphanage.
Ms Haining, who was originally from Dunscore, was determined to remain with the children.

'Widespread support'
In May 1944 she was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp where she was tattooed as prisoner 79467, and died at the age of 47.
The new awards have been welcomed by Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
"We are delighted that our initiative received widespread support and that the British government has given these brave people the recognition they have long deserved," she said.

"They provide a template of courage for today's young people - and clearly highlight the difference that can be made by standing up against injustice, hatred and prejudice.

"Many of these extraordinary British men and women risked their lives and never spoke about it afterwards. They are true unsung heroes."

BBC News

GAY ASIANS REVEAL RACISM PROBLEMS (uk)

Gay Asian men living in Yorkshire say they are facing increasing racial abuse from within the gay community. They claim the problem means that some of them are fearing for their own safety and have decided to stay at home or just suffer in silence. Naz from Wakefield explained that when he goes out on to the gay scene in Leeds and Bradford he always sees or suffers from racial abuse. "I have a fear now when I go out that there will be racism directed towards me and my friends," he told BBC Asian Network. "It makes us feel very insecure and I don't think its worth going out because of the problems we face." Ali from Bradford is a regular on the gay scene in the North of England. He goes out every week and tries to ignore the insults but says, inevitably, the racism does get to him. "If I go out then I don't like to go on my own," he said. "I always go with friends. "We get looked at in a funny way. We don't get served in bars unless we protest and we get called Paki or have to deal with comments like 'here come the suicide bombers'." Both Ali and Naz go to get help and advice from a group called ABC in Bradford who provide a support network for Asian and black gay men in West Yorkshire.

Double life
Arshad Khan runs the group and he said: "Being gay and Asian means we suffer from many more problems than other gay men do and it takes great courage for us to go out on the scene and mix in public. "Why should we always get stopped going in to a bar or club and searched? We even get asked to take our trousers down to see if we are carrying any weapons. "We don't want to be accused of being drug dealers or carrying guns. White gay men do not have to endure this. We just want to go out and relax in what should be a safe environment for us." Satnam from Leeds believes most gay Asian men still lead a double life as most do not tell their families, while many are married. "Gay people always say they're more sensitive to other peoples' needs, so it's ironic that I get more racism from gay men than any other community," he said. "If you want to get away from the problem, sadly, you have to go to Asian gay bars and clubs where there's no racism." One of England's oldest gay support groups for Asians is the Naz Project in London, where Asif Quareshi works with south Asian men. "Racism is alive and well but it's far worse in Yorkshire than in cities like London and Manchester," he explained.

Test kiss
Kam moved from London to Leeds a few years ago and agrees that if you want to avoid suffering racism you either do not go out or go to Asian-only bars and clubs. "In big cities the gay community is segregated with white, black and Asian clubs and bars and, where they all meet, is where there are big problems. "Before we can go into a club bouncers ask us to kiss other men to prove we are really gay. White men are not asked to do this so I just don't bother going out anymore, it's not worth it." The Gay Helpline UK says they are not aware of any such problems but agree that racism towards Asians may be happening. They have urged anyone with concerns to contact them to see how they can offer any help. Mr Khan concluded: "We get rejected in many of these bars and clubs and the gay community need to work together and get rid of racism."

The names of the gays Asians mentioned above have been changed to protect their identity.
BBC News

COURT STOPS PROCEEDINGS OVER WORKERS' PARTY LOGO (Czech Rep.)

The Prague City Court has terminated the proceedings in which the far-right Workers' Party (DS) sued the Interior Ministry for the inclusion of the party's logo in a list of symbols used by Czech extremists in a police handbook, the court's spokeswoman Martina Lhotakova said Tuesday. Lhotakova said the verdict has not yet taken effect. The court terminated the proceedings on February 18 shortly after the Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) decided on the party's dissolution. Lhotakova said the party was not authorised to take part in court proceedings due to its dissolution. The Workers' Party demanded an apology from the ministry and the removal of its logo from the handbook. The DS's logo, a red cogwheel on a white field and with black letters DS inside, strikingly reminds of the emblem of the German Labour Front (DAF), a kind of a Nazi union organisation. Similar logo was also used by the now defunct Free German Workers' Party (FAP), a party of neo-Nazis dreaming of a Fourth Reich, the NSS concluded. The Supreme Administrative Court said the DS's programme contains xenophobia, chauvinism, homophobia and a racist subtext. It spreads fears of foreigners and creates feelings of danger.

praguemonitor

MOLDOVA'S ROMA PROTEST LATEST ETHNIC SLUR

Leaders of Moldova's 30,000-strong Romany community have asked a former top official to apologize for a racist remark, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service reports. Anatol Plugaru, who headed Moldova's security service in the early 1990s, said last week that in seeking a new constitution the current government is acting like Roma, who "prefer to make themselves a new baby instead of washing the one they have." The Romany organization Antidiscrimination Coalition said it has sent Plugaru, who is a lawyer, a "letter of protest." But the online Moldovan newspaper Jurnal.md quoted Plugaru as saying he will not apologize. Plugaru reportedly said the Romany leaders should apologize for calling him "a racist." Roma leaders also said they have forgiven former Communist President Vladimir Voronin for an ethnic comment that pro-government media had presented as racist. Moldova's newspapers last month printed a draft transcript of a government-sponsored television show that featured a Romany musical band. In the draft Voronin had handwritten "even the Gypsies will sing and dance for money." Voronin later said he did not intend to offend Roma. Last month, acting Moldovan President Mihai Ghimpu, one of the leaders of the pro-Western ruling government coalition, told opposition parliamentarian Oleg Reidman, who is Jewish, that he has seen "intelligent" and "cultivated" Jews, but that Reidman "brings shame on them." Reidman condemned the ethnic slur and said in parliament he represents his constituents, not a specific culture or ethnic group.

rferl

UN RIGHTS COUNCIL TO SLAM 'ISLAMOPHOBIC' SWISS MINARET BAN

Switzerland's
"Islamophobic" ban on the construction of new minarets is to be condemned by the UN Human Rights Council, according to a draft resolution seen by AFP Wednesday. The draft text, put forward by Muslim and African states for consultation by the 47-member council, "strongly condemns ... the ban on construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures." Such measures are "manifestations of Islamophobia that stand in sharp contradiction to international human rights obligations concerning freedoms of religion, belief, conscience and expression." They "fuel discrimination, extremism, and misperception leading to polarisation and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences," warned the draft resolution, which is to be put to the Council for adoption before the end of its plenary session which runs until March 26. Switzerland held a referendum on November 29, 2009 in which citizens voted to ban the construction of new minarets, a move that drew criticisms worldwide. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has called the ban a "deeply discriminatory, deeply divisive and a thoroughly unfortunate step for Switzerland to take." The Organisation of the Islamic Conference has also urged Swiss authorities to annul the vote. Most recently, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi called for jihad against Switzerland over its ban on new minarets.
AFP