BNP members will not be banned from teaching

Teachers in England should not be banned from membership of the British National Party or any group which may promote racism, a review has concluded.

The government commissioned the report last September after a leaked list identified 15 BNP members as teachers.
Review author Maurice Smith added his recommendation should be reviewed every year, which ministers have accepted.
The BNP has not yet commented on the review's findings. Members are barred from the police and prison service.
Mr Smith, a former chief inspector of schools, said a ban would be "taking a very large sledgehammer to crack a minuscule nut".
Schools Secretary Ed Balls welcomed the report, saying the case for a ban would be kept "under active consideration and reviewed on an annual basis".
The schools secretary has now asked for a further review of the measures in place in independent schools to prevent the promotion of racism.

Legitimate organisation
Mr Smith said: "I do not believe that barring teachers or other members of the wider school workforce from membership of legitimate organisations which may promote racism is necessary at present."
Such a move would be a "profound political act", he said, and there was no consensus on the issue.

He said existing measures to protect children and young people from discrimination or political indoctrination were comprehensive enough to mitigate the risk, although some could be improved upon.

Mr Smith said there was currently "insufficient evidence of risk" to justify a ban on teachers joining organisations such as the BNP.

He said: "Although police and prison officers are banned, to ban more than half a million teachers - or six million public servants - from joining a legitimate organisation would take this to a different scale of magnitude."
He also said any ban was likely to have been challenged in the courts by the BNP.

Concern has been raised about independent schools staffed by unqualified teachers. Mr Smith said there were no details on how many staff in independent schools were unqualified.

Mr Balls said he wanted to know if the current situation struck "the right balance between allowing independent schools autonomy, operating in accordance with their ethos and values, and protecting the young people attending those schools from teachers displaying racist or intolerant views or behaviours that could be harmful".

He said there was "no place for racism in our schools" but that the report made it clear that incidences of teachers promoting racism were "extremely rare".
Mr Balls said last year he wanted this review to see if there were sufficient powers available "to keep racism and BNP activity out of schools".

British National Party leader Nick Griffin said at the time his members were victims of "political oppression".

Racist remarks
The NASUWT union, which has campaigned to have BNP members banned from schools, said it was disappointed by the review's findings.
General secretary Chris Keates said: "Maurice Smith has squandered a golden opportunity to advance the cause of ensuring good race relations in schools.

"The report is woefully inadequate and littered with contradictions."

She said too much attention was paid to the number of incidents in schools, saying "one incident is one too many".
Only six incidences of BNP membership by members of the teaching profession or governors were brought to the attention of the Department for Children, Schools and Families in six years, the report said.
It also found only nine incidents where teachers making racist remarks or holding racist materials had been referred to the General Teaching Council for England.

"The idea that a person who signs up to membership of the BNP can simply leave these beliefs at the school gate and behave as a 'professional' when they walk into school is risible, " said Ms Keates.

But the Association of School and College Leaders welcomed the findings.
Its general secretary Dr John Dunford said: "Of course people with racist views should not be working with young people in schools. However, it is much less clear that there should be a blanket regulation on the issue.

"The aim should be genuinely to challenge young people to think for themselves and to form their own opinions rather than to promote a particular ideology."

The review into independent schools will report in September.

BBC News

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

New film to tackle homophobic bullying is sent to schools (UK)

Copies of a new film designed to tackle homophobic bullying are to be sent to every school in Scotland this week.
FIT, which tells the story of six young people trying to come to terms with their sexuality, is being distributed to the schools by Stonewall Scotland, which campaigns for gay equality.
The film will be launched in Scotland at a premiere in Edinburgh tonight attended by pupils, teachers and campaigners. It will then be sent to every school in the country over the next few days with the help of Teaching and Learning Scotland.

Carl Watt, the director of Stonewall Scotland, said yesterday that he hoped the film would begin to reverse the problem of gay bullying in Scotland, which he said was still serious.

“The research that we’ve conducted shows that two-thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual people are bullied at school,” said Watt. “Those young people are more likely to skip classes and drop out of education and then there’s the impact it has on their own self-esteem and confidence.”

FIT has been described as a gritty take on Glee, and Watt said he hoped the film’s direct approach would speak directly to young people. “It’s a different way of getting across the message of the damage homophobic bullying is causing in schools. It looks at it from the young person’s perspective in a medium that they are used to in that style of something like Skins.

“Because of the legacy of Section 28, there’s maybe a generation of teachers who don’t have the confidence, or haven’t been trained or given the resources to tackle homophobic bullying in schools. There’s not a lack of will, it’s just a lack of confidence and the appropriate resources.

“I would hope that all schools will look at this. I would hope that it’s going to be seen in the vast majority of Scotland’s schools.”

FIT was funded by a number of organisations across the UK, including the Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland.

It is an adaptation of Stonewall’s play for schools, which was seen on tour at eight schools in Scotland in 2007-2008 and was written by the actor and performer Rikki Beadle-Blair.

Beadle-Blair said yesterday: “All bullying is rife and shocking and it stuns me that we seem to kind of accept it as if we’re still in Tom Brown’s Schooldays. Homophobia of any kind is archaic.”

Beadle-Blair said homophobic bullying also happened to people who aren’t gay. “People are attacked for not being enough of a boy, enough of a lad, and girls for not being the right kind of girl. It’s constant. The word ‘gay’ is in the hands of all these teenagers and young people and older people who thoughtlessly using it as a casual put-down for almost anything.”

Beadle-Blair said he was reluctant to criticise schools, but that more needed to be done. “I don’t want to criticise schools. I just want them to be better now. Yes, I think schools have been too slow to deal with it but I think we’ve all been too slow to deal with it.”
herald Scotland

BNP plans to vet would-be members at their homes

Party's revised constitution would require all applicants to submit to a two-hour home visit, court is told

The British National party plans to send officials to vet all would-be members in their homes, a court heard today.
A clause in the far right group's revised constitution would require all applicants to submit to a two-hour home visit by two party officials, Central London county court was told.
That could operate as a form of indirect discrimination against non-whites, said Robin Allen QC, representing the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which is challenging the party's membership rules. "One way the provisions could operate would be to intimidate someone who wanted to join the party," he said, adding: "Of course, it could simply be a greeting."
BNP members last month voted to scrap the whites-only membership criteria after it was warned it faced legal action under equality laws.
The EHRC is arguing that the new constitution remains indirectly racist, even though the colour bar has been removed. That is rejected by the BNP, which argues that ever since it officially opened its doors to all ethnic groups it has acquired a "waiting list" of black and Asian would-be members.

The party's new constitution, which has yet to be published, remains prejudicial because it requires members to agree to clauses including that they are "implacably opposed to the promotion, by any means, of the integration or assimilation" of the UK's indigenous white population, Allen said.
"It would be jolly difficult for a mixed-race person to join the BNP without effectively denying themselves," he argued.

Gwyn Price Rowlands, representing the BNP, described the EHRC argument as nonsense and claimed the party already had a "significant number" of non-white members, all of whom were "welcome".

"I am informed that there is a waiting list of black, Asian and Chinese people to join," he said.

Judge Paul Collins is to rule on whether the new BNP constitution is indirectly racist on Friday.
An internal BNP memo seen by the Guardian tells members: "We don't expect any more than a handful of people of ethnic minority origin to apply to join the party nationally, and we will not let this deflect us from our political objectives of saving Britain and restoring the primacy of the indigenous British people."

The legal wrangling comes amid claims of a renewed challenge to the BNP from other extreme rightwing groups. The National Front says it has seen an upsurge in membership enquiries in recent months – mainly from BNP supporters who feel the party is "selling out".
National Front's spokesman, Tom Linden, said there had been a 70% increase in inquiries since Griffin appeared on BBC Question Time and the NF is expected to stand around 25 candidates at the general election.

"The British National party is no longer a white racist party, it is becoming a multi-racial party by giving into the race industry," he said.
guardian

SLOVAKIA SAYS ROMA KIDS 'MUST BE TAKEN' FROM HOMES FOR 'INTEGRATION'

Slovakia's prime minister said on Monday children of the European Union member's large Roma minority "must be taken" from their impoverished settlements and put into boarding schools to hasten integration. Robert Fico's comments follow last week's criticism from U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who rapped the Slovaks and their Czech neighbours for a worsening situation in the treatment of their Roma, sometimes known as gypsies. With his SMER party leading opinion polls ahead of a June general election, the leftist prime minister said the schools were the only way to break a cycle of exclusion in which most Roma grow up without any hope of joining mainstream society. "The (next) government's agenda must include a programme designed to gradually put as many Roma children as possible into boarding schools and gradually separate them from the life they live in their settlements," Fico said. "It seems that there is no other system. Many things have been tried... If we don't do it, we will raise another generation of Roma which will not be able to integrate." Slovak deputy Prime Minister for minority issues Dusan Caplovic said the plan had received preliminary approval from top Roma officials and children would only attend boarding schools if their parents agree.
The financial crisis has raised concern over a potential rise in intolerance and discrimination across Europe as economic hardship increases social tension and could embolden radical groups such as Hungary's anti-Roma, far-right Jobbik party. Up to around 10 percent of Slovakia's 5.4 million people are Roma. Most live on the margins of society in squalid settlements with limited access to education, electricity and running water. In many communities, unemployment runs at well over 50 percent. Violence is also a problem. Last year, Slovakia faced criticism after a video showed police abusing a group of Roma boys, while in 2008 a court sentenced two officers for beating a Roma man to death at a police station in 2001. Fico said he expected the proposal to draw criticism from human rights groups and Ivan Ivanov, Executive Director of the European Roma Information Office in Brussels reacted cautiously to the plan. But Ivanov said if it meant Roma children would attend Roma-exclusive boarding schools, and not regular Slovak schools, it went against the principles of the European Union. "If this is what they say, this is a very bad development," Ivanov said. "This is against all principles of the European Union because we are talking about desegregation, about the integration of this Roma community."
reuters

DUTCH FAR-RIGHT MP TO TAKE COUNCIL SEAT IN THE HAGUE

Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders will take a seat on the municipal council of The Hague where his party came second in municipal polls last week, the city said Monday. "I can confirm that Mr Wilders will take a seat on the council," a spokeswoman for the municipality, Tina Ehrami, told AFP. Wilders had listed himself in the 20th and last spot of his Party for Freedom's (PVV) list of candidates for elections in The Hague, where it took 16.8 percent of the vote and eight seats out of 45 on the municipal council. The PVV had contested only two cities: The Hague, the seat of government, and Almere near Amsterdam where it came first with 21.6 percent of the vote in a show of strength ahead of June general elections. Wilders, whose party is said by polls to now be the most popular nationally with its campaign to "stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands", won 13,636 votes for himself in The Hague while the head of his PVV list in the city, Sietse Fritsma, got 16,229 votes. The candidate in third place received 612 votes. "I didn't initially want to do it (sit on the council), but I realised Friday that I received quite a few preferential votes," in his own name, Wilders was quoted as saying Monday by Dutch news agency ANP. "For that reason, I will do it." He will remain a member of the Dutch lower house of parliament. The new municipal council of The Hague, where the Labour party PvdA came first with 21.2 percent of the vote and 10 seats, will be inaugurated on Thursday. Negotiations to form a coalition government in the city were well underway, said Ehrami. Wilders, who faces hate speech charges for calling Islam a fascist religion, campaigns for a ban on headscarves for public servants, a halt to immigration from Muslim countries and a moratorium on the erection of mosques. His party currently has nine out of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament.

expatica

INHUMANE PUSHING OF GYPSY FAMILIES BETWEEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CONTINUES

Roma migrants are returned by force to places where they are at risk of human rights violations, according to Thomas Hammarberg, European Commissioner for Human Rights. Roma reportedly migrated mostly from Indian subcontinent to Europe many centuries ago. In his viewpoint published on his official website, Hammarberg says: European migration policies discriminate against Roma people. Of particular concern is the fact that some Roma who have been forcibly returned have ended up in the lead-contaminated camps of esmin Lug and Osterode in northern Mitrovica, inhabited for a decade now by Roma families, including children, with deeply serious effects on their health. Expulsions of Roma have been carried out in contravention of European Union law. In other cases destruction of Roma dwellings has been used as a method to persuade Roma to leave voluntarily. Discrimination of Roma in migration policies has met with little or no opposition in almost every country. This may not be surprising in view of the lingering anti-Gypsyism in large parts of Europe, Hammarberg adds. To push Roma families between countries, as now happens, is inhumane. It victimizes children many of whom were born and grown up in the host countries before they were deported,Human Rights Commissioner points out. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was shocking to see how inhumanely Europe was treating its about 15 million Roma brothers and sisters. It was clearly reprehensible, hazardous and immoral and a blatant failure of Europe to meet its international obligations. When it came toRoma, Europe frequently failed to implement its own laws distinctly mentioned in its own books. Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that besides the absence of any serious efforts at their inclusion,Roma were being used as punch bag and blamed for the social ills of Europe. European neglect was trapping Roma in cycles of persecution and poverty. Roma issue should be one of the highest priorities of human rights agenda of Europe and world, thus reversing the history of persecution, Zed stressed.
aniin

FEARFUL IN MOSCOW (Russia)

In just three weeks, one Korean student lost his life and another nearly did so presumably by ultranationalists in Russia. Going further back, an average of one Korean has been killed or injured by Russian neo-Nazis and other thugs every year since 2005, showing foreigners' security in the former leader of the socialist bloc has reached an intolerable state. Diplomats may be tempted to think the six Koreans are just part of the hundreds of victims stabbed, strangled or beaten to death by more than 70,000 skinheads belonging to about 20 ultra-right organizations in the socially and economically unstable country over the years. Sunday's incident shows, however, it might not be entirely incidental. Various circumstantial evidences seem to indicate that the two assaulters carefully planned the crime, considering the victim, a 29-year-old cinema-student-cum-TV-cameraman, had taken part in producing a program on neo-Nazi skinheads not long ago. It also means Koreans have emerged as a group noticeable enough to become targets of premeditated attacks. This should be a rude awakener to both Korean and Russian diplomats in a country where up to 15 percent of local youths are sympathetic with the xenophobic, racist groups, which believe everything bad in their country is ascribable to foreigners, as these aliens are exploiting Russia's wealth and resources while taking away local people's jobs. Regretful are the reports that Moscow appears not very eager to crack down on these anti-social, anti-human elements ¯ even if one acknowledges this is neither a problem peculiar to Russia nor an easy one to root out ¯ not least because such xenophobic trends would drive foreign investors and tourists further away, which will in turn lead to even greater economic difficulties and a wider income gap among the Russians in a vicious circle.


None other than Korean residents in Russia are reportedly expressing not just shock and anger but fear, raising questions whether Russia is a law-abiding, civilized state where law enforcement authorities are operating normally. These ethnic Koreans have already been suffering enough from inconveniences with visas and other consular problems there. The foreign ministry is considering issuing a travel warning for more regions of Russia, while telling Koreans to avoid pleasure quarters especially after dark as well as to travel in groups. This ``take-good-care-of-yourself" advice may be better than nothing, but Koreans in Russia are asking, ``Does it mean we'll have to personally hire bodyguards?" Seoul must go way further from this and call for Moscow to thoroughly investigate these incidents, punish the criminals and promise to do its best to prevent their recurrences ¯ not just in words but in deeds. If these requirements are unmet, there is no reason President Lee Myung-bak shouldn't make a personal call to either Russian President Dmitri Medvedev or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and show them what summit diplomacy is supposed to be. Concerns about possible diplomatic frictions must give place to the safety of his own people, which is the foremost duty of any government.
The Korean Times

BNP member rules discriminate indirectly, court told

The BNP's new membership rules "indirectly" discriminate against black and Asian people, the UK equalities watchdog has told a court hearing.

The BNP has voted to admit non-white members but still requires them to sign up to its principles, the Central London County Court was told.

A judge will rule on Friday whether the new rules contravene race laws.

The BNP, which voted on the new rules last month, denies its planned new constitution is discriminatory.

Party members backed changes to its constitution to allow "non-indigenous Britons" to join, after the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) took legal action.

'Disadvantage'
The court heard that prospective members had to sign up to principles including a duty to oppose the promotion of any form of "integration or assimilation" that impacted on the "indigenous British", and a requirement to support the "maintenance and existence of the unity and integrity of the indigenous British".

Robin Allen, QC, representing the EHRC, said: "That is something which we would submit is indirectly discriminatory.

"They will put persons who do not fall into the indigenous British category at a disadvantage."

He argued the principles could be interpreted to oppose mixed marriages and could force people to deny their own identity.

Mr Allen said: "We simply say from the commission's point of view we are statutorily obliged to encourage diversity and recognise diversity as part of the British state in its widest sense.

"We're indifferent as to the expression of views as long as they are lawful. It's the condition of access that we take exception to."

'Welcome'
The new, 12th, version of the BNP constitution states that members have to agree to two party officials - one male and one female - visiting their home for up to two hours, the court heard.
Mr Allen said this could be used to enable potential members to be intimidated, although there was no evidence it had been used in that way.

But Gwynn Price Rowlands, for the BNP, told the court there were "significant numbers" of members who were mixed race or in mixed marriages, along with "several" Jewish members.
He said: "They (the BNP) make it clear that they would welcome more applications from ethnic minorities."

Mr Rowlands told the court he "could not understand" how a black or Asian person supporting the concept of British nationalism could be discriminatory.
He added that the BNP was "simply putting their principles forward and allowing any ethnic minority member to join and support and espouse those principles".
Judge Paul Collins said he would issue his judgement on the issue on Friday.

BBC news

BNP awaits court decision on membership change

The British National Party will find out on Friday if its decision to end its whites-only membership rule means it complies with race relations laws.

The party voted last month to let black and Asian people join.

This came after the Equality and Human Rights Commission had threatened the BNP with a possible court injunction over its membership policy.
London Central County Court will give a judgement on whether the change means the party now complies with the law.
The BNP has not revealed the exact nature of its membership change, but it is thought it has removed references to "indigenous British" people.

This would pave the way for black and Asian people to be admitted to the party for the first time.
BBC News

SPANISH BOOKSHOP OWNER JAILED FOR SPREADING NEO-NAZI PROPAGANDA

A Spanish court has sentenced a bookshop owner to two years and nine months in prison for spreading racist propaganda, justice officials said Monday. Pedro Varela spread ideas favourable to genocide that denigrated Jews, blacks and other groups, the court said. He apparently did this through the books he sold at his Barcelona bookshop, and by organizing lectures. Prosecutors had asked for a four-year prison sentence. Varela was also ordered to pay a fine of 2,880 euros (3,945 dollars). His defence had argued that Varela belonged to no political party and that there were no banned books in Spain. Varela had already been handed seven months in prison on similar charges, in 2008. At that time, he avoided being jailed, because he lacked a criminal record.

DPA

Welsh Branch of English Defence League Lies Are Exposed.

A video has been uploaded on to the You Tube website today that exposes the hypocrisy of the Welsh branch of the EDL.
The Welsh Defence League maintained that the neo-Nazi salutes and anti-Nazi flag burning that were done during its Swansea march were not carried out by any members of the group, but rather it had been infiltrated by outsiders.
This video proves their claim to be a total fabrication.



The user who uploaded this is called BNPInfo and hs channel and great videos can be found by
Clicking here

ANTI-FASCIST, ROMA GROUPS HOLD DEMO AT HEROES' SQUARE (Hungary)

Anti-fascist groups were joined by Roma representatives and NGOs for a demonstration against discrimination, violence and extremism on Saturday. The event attracted around 5,000 people, the organisers said. Participants including Helmut Scholz, MEP of the Party of the European Left, stood in front of the central monument in Budapest's at Heroes' Square to pay tribute to six Roma who were killed in the series of attacks targeting their community. Laszlo Teleki, the prime minister's commissioner in charge of Roma affairs, said that legislation which bans hate speech against minority groups had, unfortunately, not been a cross-party affair. Surprisingly, the amendment to the Penal Code on punishing Holocaust denial by up to three years imprisonment on February 22, spearheaded by the ruling Socialists, had been opposed not only by Fidesz as a whole, but by a Fidesz Roma MP and two other opposition Roma MPs, he said. The demonstration was organised in protest against a commemoration by Hungarian and German neo-Nazi groups which had been planned to take place today at Heroes' Square. The neo-Nazi party called off the demonstration at the last minute even though a court had overturned a police ban of the event. Groups of young skinheads in black uniforms and boots appeared during the event in Heroes' Square. Police checked their identity cards and asked them to leave. In another incident, a group of anti-government demonstrators shouted abuse at a participant of the event, who said he was Jewish, but police intervened.

politics

LATVIAN RULING PARTY TO APPEAL AGAINST BAN ON WAFFEN SS MARCH

Latvia's ruling New Era party said on Sunday it would appeal against a decision by the Latvian capital's legislature to ban a demonstration by Waffen SS veterans and their supporters on March 16. The decision to ban the Waffen SS veterans demonstration was made by the Riga Duma on Friday. The New Era party argued on its web site that the ban on the Waffen SS march violated the fundamental democratic rights of the freedom of meetings, incited national strife and exacerbated relations in Latvian society. Latvia annually holds demonstrations by former legionnaires of the Latvian Waffen SS legion on March 16. The Baltic state's president said two years ago that he did not consider the legionnaires, many of whom participated in mass killings of Jews, to be Nazis. The country's antifascist organizations and opposition parties hold protests and try to prevent demonstrations, which sometimes results in clashes. The Riga Duma banned all events dedicated to the anniversary of the Latvian Waffen SS legion's establishment after being advised to do so by law enforcement agencies. The WWII continues to be a contentious issue in relations between Russia and both Estonia and Latvia, over the Baltic states' perceived glorification of Nazi collaborators. Parades in honor of Waffen-SS veterans, involving veterans from the Latvian Legion and the 20th Estonian SS Division and their supporters, are held annually in the two Baltic states. In April 2007, Tallinn was hit by mass protests after the Estonian authorities ordered the removal of a Soviet WWII monument, along with the graves of Soviet soldiers who fought against Hitler's forces.

en.rian

ALGERIA PROTESTS FAR-RIGHT FRENCH POSTER

Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front issued the poster in southern France ahead of regional elections that start Sunday and end March 21. The poster shows a woman in a black face-covering Muslim veil next to a map of France covered over by an Algerian flag. Minarets dot the map. "We have officially protested," Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said. "It is up to the French state to take the necessary measures when foreign countries' symbols are denigrated." France has the largest Muslim population in western Europe, estimated at 5 million. The center-right government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy has spoken out against head-to-toe veils and is moving toward banning them in many public places. Critics contend the move is a political ploy to divert attention from more substantial issues and is aimed at attracting far-right voters in the regional elections.

ap.org

Decision on BNP 'whites-only' rule

The British National Party (BNP) is due to find out if the decision to scrap its whites-only membership policy was enough to meet race relations laws.

Last month the far-right party voted to approve changes to its constitution to allow black and Asian people to become members.

The vote followed the threat of a possible court injunction over its whites-only membership by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The BNP will be back at Central London County Court on Tuesday, where a decision is expected on the legality of the new constitution.
Following the change in the constitution, millionaire Asian businessman Mo Chaudry said he would apply to join the party to "fight them from the inside".

But he was told his application would be blocked. Speaking ahead of Tuesday's hearing, Mr Chaudry, 49, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, said: "I'm hoping the court will take a robust approach and question the real intent of the change in the constitution.

"They have no real intention of allowing people like me into the fold. It is just a camouflage to appease the system."
Pakistan-born Mr Chaudry, who is worth £60 million, runs a string of businesses around Stoke-on-Trent, which has eight BNP members on the city council.

The decision to change the BNP constitution came after the far-right party held an extraordinary general meeting in Essex on February 14. Following the meeting, BNP leader Nick Griffin said he soon expected to welcome the party's first non-white member, a Sikh called Rajinder Singh.

Lawyers from the EHRC have been considering the precise wording of the new rules to decide whether they believe the constitution is still discriminatory
rugbytoday

Extremist party wants international observers at Czech elections

The far-right Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS) wants international observers to monitors the Czech general elections due in May, its election leader Tomas Vandas said after a DSSS regional meeting Saturday.

The DSSS is a party to which the members of the extremist Workers' Party (DS) have been moving since the recent court decision on the DS's dissolution.

Vandas said previously that he expected some 90 percent of the nearly 1000 DS members to join the DSSS.

The DSSS has the same address as the dissolved DS. Since December 2006 its official head has been Hana Pavlickova, mother of Vandas who is the leader of the dissolved Workers' Party.

Vandas said the DSSS plans to demand international observers at the elections in the next weeks after the party decides on its candidates.

"We logically believe that we cannot trust the current bodies in the Czech Republic and we will be therefore happy to have also international observers monitoring the elections," Vandas said.

He said he was concerned about possible discarding of ballots.
The Workers' Party won 1.07 percent of the vote in the EU polls. Though it did not get a seat in the European Parliament, this support made it eligible for a state subsidy of 760,000 crowns.

The Supreme Administrative Court dealt with the case based on the proposal of the government.

In its verdict issued on February 17 it concluded that the DS's programme, ideas and symbols contain the elements of xenophobia, chauvinism, homophobia and a racist subtext, and follow up national socialism, the ideology connected with Adolf Hitler.
The Workers' Party plans to file a complaint against the verdict with the Constitutional Court
praguemonitor

Rapist jailed for 35 years over murder of girl he met on Facebook

A convicted sex offender was sentenced today to at least 35 years in jail after admitting the kidnap, rape and murder of a teenager he met through Facebook.
Peter Chapman, 33, of no fixed address, received a mandatory life sentence with the minimum tariff at Teesside crown court for the killing of Ashleigh Hall. He changed his plea as he was due to face trial.

The body of the 17-year-old childcare student was found dumped in a field near Sedgefield, County Durham, in October. Miss Hall, from Darlington, was strangled and left near a known lovers' lane. Chapman also admitted failing to notify police of a change of address, as required by the sex offenders register.

When Chapman entered the dock, Ashleigh's mother Andrea Hall began to weep and was embraced by friends.

It emerged after his guilty pleas that Chapman had a long history of sex offending. In 1992, aged 15, he was the subject of a sex assault investigation. In 1996, he was jailed for seven years for attacking two teenage prostitutes.

In 2002 he was arrested for the rape and kidnap of a prostitute in Ellesmere Port, but the case was discontinued.
This is London

German anti-Nazi campaigners call for crisis meeting to fight far-right crime

Activists from the „Show your Face“ campaign on Monday demanded a national effort to curb rising far-right crime, saying government plans to cut funding will only serve to worsen neo-Nazi problems.

The German anti-Nazi campaign “Show your Face” on Monday demanded concerted action to curb the rising influence of neo-Nazi ideology, notably among young Germans.

“We need a national effort that goes beyond mere words of concern whenever another case of rightwing violence occurs,” said Uwe-Karsten Heye, the head of the campaign.

Heye pointed to rising far-right crime rates, which had more than doubled in the course of the past ten years.

In 2001, some 10.054 recorded crimes were committed by German neo-Nazis. According to Heye, such cases have since skyrocketed to reach 20,422 in 2008. In addition, some 149 people have been killed by neo-Nazis over the past 20 years.

Neo Nazi Ideology takes root
Heye added that rightwing organizations, such as the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), are increasingly targeting the younger generation.
According to a recent opinion poll, 4.9 percent of all 15-year old boys and 2.6 percent of all girls of that age are already involved with a far-right group.
“The NPD is seen as a revolutionary protest party, which offers activities that are hugely attractive for young people,” Heye said.
Within the past seven years the neo-Nazi NPD has increased the number of seats it holds on German municipal councils from a few dozen to more than 300 now.
“But wherever neo-Nazis face resistance from the general public, their outreach is limited.” Heye said.

Funding in doubt

Joerg Wanke, campaign leader in the small town of Zossen, south of Berlin, said the aim of the intitiative was not only to prevent acts of far-right crime.

“We also want to strengthen democracy and tolerance among the population at large to be able to undermine the foundation of rightwing extremist views,” he said.
Wanke and Heye both criticized plans by the conservative-liberal government in Berlin to cut funding for anti-Nazi projects, including the “Show your Face” campaign.
The government believes that more funds must be devoted to rising left-wing crime, and Muslim fundamentalism in Germany.
But Uwe-Karsten Heye disagrees. “Attempts to equate right-wing violence with Muslim fundamentalism and left-wing extremism, plays down the neo-Nazi threat to German security. The far right problem is still much bigger.”
DW-World

White supremacist admits producing ricin for terrorism (UK)

A white supremacist today admitted producing deadly ricin while preparing for acts of terrorism.
Ian Davison's home in Myrtle Grove, Burnopfield, County Durham, was raided by anti-terror officers who found the killer substance in a jam jar in his kitchen.
At Newcastle Crown Court he admitted producing a chemical weapon - ricin - and preparing for acts of terrorism.
He also admitted three charges of possessing a record containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing acts of terrorism.
The charge related to copies of three texts including The Anarchist's Handbook, which detailed instructions on making explosives.
Davison, who wore a pale blue, short-sleeved shirt and was flanked by four prison officers, also admitted possession of a prohibited weapon which related to a spray canister found during the raid on his home.
He will be sentenced after the trial of his son Nicky Davison, 19, who denies two charges of possessing material containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing acts of terrorism.

The case will be heard on April 12.

The father, a truck driver and ex-DJ, was remanded in custody and Judge John Milford warned him: "Doubtless you have been told only custody can follow."

Nicky Davison was granted bail until his trial.

The Independant

Sweden slammed over sexual violence inaction

Sweden and its Nordic neighbours have been slammed by human rights group Amnesty International for failing to combat sexual violence, a new report shows.

"In spite of all the progress towards equality between women and men in many fields in the Nordic societies, when it comes to rape the legal measures are still not adequate," the human rights group said in a report.

"Rape and other forms of sexual violence remain an alarming reality that affects the lives of many thousands of girls and women every year in all Nordic countries," it added.

The report, entitled "Case Closed," said that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden all suffered from gaps in their legal systems, making it complicated to sufficiently prosecute and punish sex crimes.

Across the region, only a small percentage of rapes are ever reported, and even when they are reported, only a few make it to court, where the acquittal rate is very high, the report showed.

"There is therefore a common cause for concern about the lack of legal protection for victims of rape in the Nordic countries," it said.

In Finland the situation was especially egregious, with only between two and 10 percent of rapes ever reported, compared to 25 percent in Denmark.

In most respects, Finland figured at the bottom of the list when it came to protecting victims' rights, the report said.

"Compared to the other Nordic countries, it is clear that Finland has been slower to reform its legislation on violence against women and rape."

One concern, according to Amnesty, was that instead of following the European Court of Human Rights definition of rape as all non-consensual sexual acts, all four countries allowed the "use of violence or threats of violence define the 'seriousness' (and thus the criminal liability) of rape."

If there is little or no violence involved, Finnish law for instance defines the crime merely as "coercion into sexual intercourse," which is only prosecuted on explicit request from the victim and which is often punishable with mere fines or a few months in prison.

In one case documented in the Amnesty report, a man had forced a woman to have sex in a car park toilet by banging her head against the wall and twisting her arm behind her back.

The prosecutor argued the violence was of a "lesser degree", and the man was sentenced to seven months behind bars for coercion.

By comparison, Amnesty said, Finns who refuse the compulsory military draft face a minimum of six months in prison.

The human rights group also highlighted that in Finland and Denmark, having non-consensual sex with someone who has rendered themselves helpless, through alcohol for instance, is not considered rape.
This "sends out a message that raping a person who is unable to give her free agreement is a less serious crime than raping a person who is able to resist," Amnesty wrote, insisting this definition of rape rests on "discriminatory gender stereotypes."
The report called on all the Nordic nations to improve protection for victims of sexual crimes, insisting they needed to "ensure that all legal procedures in cases involving crimes of rape and other sexual violence are impartial and fair, and not affected by prejudices or stereotypical notions about female and male sexuality."

This is not the first time the human right group has slammed Sweden on its rape record. The Local reported in April 2009 that the country had been accused by the UN and Amnesty of allowing rapists to "enjoy impunity".

Futhermore an EU study published in the same month showed Sweden at the top of a "European rape league" with 46 incidents reported per 100,000 residents - twice the figure recorded in the UK and four times higher than its Nordic neighbours.
The Local

Three migrants die after jumping from high-rise flats 'to escape deportation'

Three immigrants facing deportation died after jumping from the 15th floor of a high-rise flat yesterday.

The horrific incident happened at a notorious tower block complex in a run-down district of Glasgow.
The bodies of the victims - two men and a woman - were found after a cupboard was thrown from a balcony to break protective netting.

Although the victims' identities have not been released, locals said they may have been Kosovans who faced being kicked out the country.

Detectives said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The bodies were discovered at the Red Road flats at Petershill Drive, Springburn, at about 8.30am.
Strathclyde Police blocked off the street and officers stood guard. The area around the flat was cordoned off and two white tents were erected by forensic officers.

Elizabeth Neilson, 42, who lives in the opposite block, said: 'I opened my blinds and saw them lying there this morning at about 8.30am. I saw two concierge staff standing there and three bodies lying on the ground. It is horrible.
'I phoned the concierge and he said he couldn't say much but that three people had thrown themselves off the veranda.'

Elaine Sandford, 40, said she believed the deceased were from Kosovo and faced being deported.

She said: 'I think they had a letter through the door that said they were coming back for them.'
The victims' neighbour said they had lived there for two months but she did not know them.
A UK Border Agency spokesman said the agency was aware of the deaths but refused to comment any further.
The Red Road flats complex features eight high-rises which were once the highest flats in Europe.
In recent years, they have been used to house asylum seekers from Kosovo, Africa, Asia, the former Soviet Union, Iran and Iraq.
Daily Mail

International Women's Day puts spotlight on domestic violence

As the world marks Women’s Day, a poll of over 24,000 adults in 23 countries found that one-in-four people still believe a woman's place is at home. Millions of women across the globe still face discrimination and domestic violence.

Women head governments, run companies and comprise about half the world's workforce, but a global poll shows that one in four people, most of them young, believe a woman's place is in the home.

The survey of over 24,000 adults in 23 countries, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos and released on the eve of International Women's Day, showed that people from India (54 percent), Turkey (52 percent), Japan (48 percent), China, Russia, Hungary (34 percent each) and South Korea (33 percent) were most likely to agree that women should not work. And, perhaps surprisingly, people aged between 18 and 34 years are most likely to hold that view, not those from the older, and more traditional, generation.

However, the majority, or 74 percent, of those polled believe a woman's place is certainly not at home.

"Over the past century, women, collectively, have made great gains not only in terms of societal participation - from politics to the workplace to sports and the media and to intellectual pursuit - but there are still barriers to many," said John Wright, senior vice president of market research company Ipsos.

"This poll has a fundamental expression embraced by a full majority that women, individually or otherwise, should have the ability to choose to do what and where they believe they can make their greatest contribution" he said.

In countries where most people believed women should stay at home, or where the majority held the opposite view, there was little difference between the sexes, the survey showed. For example, in India, the country where more than half of those polled said women should stay home, an almost equal number of men and women held this view.
France24

Government attempts to keep torture case secret (UK)

The government will attempt today to have a case about torture heard entirely behind closed doors in a move that some lawyers say would extend secrecy to a new area of hearings, overriding ancient principles of English law.
This morning a case will come before three appeal judges in London in which seven men are seeking damages against the government for mistreatment during what they say was their "extraordinary rendition" and torture facilitated by the British security services.
The men include former Guantánamo Bay detainees Binyam Mohamed and Moazzam Begg. But the government is seeking to have the case held in secret, less than two weeks after the court of appeal ruled that seven paragraphs of secret evidence in the case of Mohamed should be made public.
Lawyers for the men say that if successful, the government's application would extend closed proceedings into findings of fact in the civil courts for the first time.
"This would set a very serious precedent," said Louise Christian, a partner at Christian Khan who represents Martin Mubanga, one of the claimants, who was also detained at Guantánamo Bay. "If you allow evidence in ordinary civil cases to be kept secret, there is no doubt it will be endlessly used by the government. As the Binyam Mohamed case illustrated, this is really about the government avoiding embarrassment for the reality of their collaboration with the US and all that happened, rather than any real national security issues."

The claimants have never been charged with an offence and are pursuing a claim for a range of civil wrongs including torture, false imprisonment and misfeasance in public office.

Last month the court of appeal heavily criticised the security services in a ruling in Mohamed's case. Publicising their judgment after an attempt by government lawyers to have damaging remarks about the security services edited out, three of England's most senior judges said British agents "appear to have a dubious record when it comes to human rights and coercive techniques".

The government responded furiously to the comments, and to the court's decision to release the seven paragraphs, which it said had damaged intelligence-sharing with the US.
But today lawyers for the men bringing the civil claim will argue that the attempt to hold an entire damages case in secret goes far beyond any previous rulings. The government applied to have the case heard behind closed doors last July, when lawyers for government bodies including MI6 the Secret Intelligence Service, the Foreign Office and the attorney-general, argued that more than 250,000 documents would have to be provided, more than half of which were marked "secret", and disclosure would take up to 10 years.

If successful, the application could open the way for a range of civil claims to be held in private using a system of "special advocates" – specially vetted lawyers appointed by the court – who would not be able to discuss the case with clients
"This would have serious implications for other actions against the state, such as civil actions against the police or immigration services where they are accused of breaches of human rights or unlawful detention, actions against police usually about assault and imprisonment," said Christian. Experts are describing the attempt as a challenge to open justice – a central principle of English law strengthened by the European convention on human rights, and to the adversarial nature of English trials, which dates back to at least the 13th century.

The claimants will argue that such changes would have to be approved by parliament, with strong safeguards in place. Lawyers also say the case would have drastic implications for the rest of the UK's legal system, creating "severe practical difficulties," because they would be unable to advise clients or reach settlements out of court. Concerns have also been raised that English common law – which depends on precedents from previous cases being followed by lawyers and judges – will be unable to develop if hearings and judgments are kept secret.
Last November the high court judge Mr Justice Silber said the government could have the case heard in secret, stating that the court had the power to order a closed hearing because of the scale and complexity of the case, and the "high proportion of very sensitive material".
The government will defend that decision today, and denies that the attempt to have the case heard in secret was part of a cover-up. "The government is not seeking to cover up information or relevant material in these cases. Quite the opposite," a Foreign Office spokesperson said. "We applied for a closed procedure so that the court will be able to fully consider the large volume of relevant material already identified that cannot be disclosed openly without a real risk of causing substantial harm or real damage to the public interest."

But today lawyers for the men bringing the claim will argue that Silber's judgment was "founded on a misunderstanding"."Allegations of collusion in torture and extraordinary rendition are some of the most serious that could possibly come before a court and the government," Christian said. "The court is very aware of the tactics in trying to avoid proper disclosure in these sorts of claims."

Th Guardian

Far-right party Jobbik makes gains in Hungary

With just over a month before general elections in Hungary, popular interest in taking part in the vote is on the rise. The far-right Jobbik party seems to be profiting the most, according to the latest Median poll, although the conservative opposition party, Fidesz, remains favorite to form the next government after eight years of Socialist rule.

Fresh results of a Median poll commissioned by the HVG weekly show that, some 40 days before the April ballot, the intention to vote has climbed seven points to 58 percent.
Four years ago, the figure stood at 52 percent at this point in time although participation in the actual elections rose to 67.8 percent.
Around 8 million of Hungary's 10 million inhabitants are eligible to cast their vote. The increase in interest was strongest (plus 10 points) among citizens under the age of 30, according to the Median survey, which was based on a 2,400-strong sample.
Experts say this could explain Jobbik's two-point increase. Overall, the radical right-wingers came third in the poll, with nine percent pledging their support. Fidesz' popularity and that of the ruling Socialist MSZP were almost stable at 44 and 14 percent respectively.
Among the under 40-year olds, Jobbik is now the second strongest party, ahead of the Socialists. In addition to the three parties practically assured of clearing the five per cent hurdle, two smaller groupings are struggling to make the cut.
The centre-right MDF has been in parliament since 1990, the greenish LMP was only founded before last summer's European elections. Their hopes rest with the large number of still undecided voters.
The Median survey was carried out in two installments in February
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German minister says headscarf ban could backfire

Following calls in several European countries to ban Islamic head-to-toe veils, Germany's interior minister said he was "cautious" about the idea of outlawing headscarves in the face of a possible backlash.

"The more that we try to repress symbols of other religions in public life, the more the danger grows that there will be successful attacks on Christian symbols in public, everyday life," Thomas de Maiziere told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere urged caution

The minister, who is a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU), said that he would have no problem with a female worker in his ministry wearing a headscarf as an expression of religious belief.
But if the headscarf was being used to express an aggressive stance "that sets itself against what a federal interior ministry represents," Maiziere said it should be forbidden.

According to the CDU politician, the decisions should be based on whether the behavior and appearance of an employee was "appropriate."
He added that the same principles on what is correct should be applied as they would be to the wearing of flip-flops or Hawaiian shirts.
In Germany, most states have passed laws that ban teachers from wearing headscarves in schools.

Prohibition across Europe
Maiziere's comments came as several European countries were considering imposing bans on the head-to-toe Islamic veil.

A French ban on the wearing of full-body coverings in public is already being sought by Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who wrote to the country's highest administrative court asking it to "study the legal solutions enabling us to reach a ban."
In the Netherlands, the anti-immigration Freedom Party (PW) and its controversial leader, Geer Wilders, have called for such veils to be banned in many public buildings. Even though the PW scored gains in local elections last week, there are doubts about whether a proposed ban in city council buildings would be legal.
Denmark has rejected an outright ban but schools, businesses and other organizations have been allowed to put their own restrictions in place.
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