tagged w/ UK
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If You Are Anti War Please Share This!
If you are Anti War, if you believe that the U.S., Great Britain and France should stay out of Iran, that there should be NO Sanctions NO War! Please Share this! Think of all the children that we WILL save by ENDING WARS!
http://freedividual.com/2012/02/06/if-you-are-anti-war-please-share-this/If You Are Anti War Please Share This!
If you are Anti War, if you believe that the... more
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critic
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added this
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4 days ago
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From 1979 onwards, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance against the Arts and freedom of expression, resulted in Iranian cinema gaining a reputation for visual asceticism and extreme economy of expression in its storytelling.From 1979 onwards, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance against the Arts and... more
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– (UK,Leeds) I often wonder how America views our European Union. On the face of it we are a land mass much like the US, lots of Countries (States) joined together – Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany etc, with my litte Britain laying just off shore (a bit like Hawaii). If America can exist with States, side by side, not falling out with each other why can’t Europe? I will enlighten you.– (UK,Leeds) I often wonder how America views our European Union. On the face of... more
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Virgin boss appears before Commons committee to argue for regulation of drug and diversion of resources to crime-fighting
The market for cannabis in Britain should be regulated and taxed, and responsibility for drug policy moved from the Home Office to the health department, Sir Richard Branson has told MPs.
The Virgin Group head said the 20% of police time and £200m spent on giving criminal sentences to 70,000 young people for possession of illegal drugs in Britain each year would be better spent going after the criminal gangs at the centre of the drugs trade. "It's win-win all round,'' he told the Commons home affairs select committee.
Asked about his personal history of drug use, Branson replied: "I would say 50% of my generation has smoked cannabis. I would say 75% of my children's generation has smoked cannabis … If I was smoking cigarettes, I would be very worried."
He said that in his own Virgin companies he did not think staff who were found to be taking drugs should be dismissed but instead treated as having a problem, and helped. "There are many people in companies with drink problems or smoking problems," he said.
Branson was part of a global commission on drug policy, which includes five ex-presidents and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general. The body concluded last year that the war on drugs had failed and called for experiments in decriminalisation.
He was the first witness at the Commons home affairs inquiry into drug policy.
Branson argued that the policy of switching responsibilty for drug policy from the Home Office to the health department had worked in Portugal, where nobody had been jailed for using or possessing drugs in the last 10 years.
Portugal was the only country that had decriminalised all drugs. As a result of treating drug users rather than imprisoning them, he said, heroin use and heroin-related deaths had fallen by more than 50%.
In Britain, 100,000 young people a year were arrested for drug offences, and 75,000 of them were given criminal records, which meant they had problems in later life in travelling to some countries, he said.
"If next year those 100,000 people are not prosecuted for taking drugs, but they are helped, I think the commission would welcome Britain doing that."
He said if the sale of cannabis and other drugs were regulated and taxed, then the quality of what was being taken could be controlled. He contrasted the lack of deaths in Portugal with the recent deaths of three teenagers in Britain from taking tablets they wrongly thought were ecstasy, citing the fatalities as an example of the consequences of failing to regulate the illegal market.
The Virgin chief admitted he had not read the UK Home Office drug policy statement, which emphasises diverting drug users from prison, but said the 100,000 arrests each year were evidence the policy was not working in practice.
Pressed by some Conservative MPs on the committee to come down on one side or the other in the debate over methadone maintenance versus abstinence, Branson said he was no expert, and it was for the MPs to establish what worked best.Virgin boss appears before Commons committee to argue for regulation of drug and... more
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Dear friends,
In the Spotlight this week is the Canadian Film Centre's 18th Annual CFC WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (WSFF), a premier event for the exhibition and promotion of short film in North America and one of the leading short film festivals in the world. Presenting the largest marketplace for short film on the continent through its Digital Marketplace LibraryDear friends,
In the Spotlight this week is the Canadian Film Centre's 18th... more
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Bristol's experimental act Allflaws have released a new EP called R Complex.
You can check it out at
http://www.allflaws.comBristol's experimental act Allflaws have released a new EP called R Complex.... more
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Gee, I'm old lol!
I remember where I was when I first heard this record. As a matter of fact, I didn't even hear this record before I bought it.
I bought the record simply because it had such a cool cover and and was a UK import and figured that it must be cool.
Turned out to be not only a great record, but one of great classics in dance/rave history!
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In the early '90s, "What were the skies like when you were young?" was the new, "Can you pass the acid test?" — the question that separated the turned-on from those left behind. Britain's 1988 Summer of Love and acid house's ascent as the soundtrack the English anti-mainstream updated hippie-spiritualist concepts for an increasingly digital generation.
But the Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds" took this druggy-cum-artsy utopian outlook, fed it through new technological methodology, and came out with a masterpiece. It not only framed it’s own epoch, but continues to successfully soundtrack everything from yoga classes and James Campbell readings to Animal Collective rave after-parties.Gee, I'm old lol!
I remember where I was when I first heard this record. As a... more
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A uniquely British movie release, The Spirit of Albion explores a number of hard hitting issues affecting 21st Century society, set against a backdrop of tale and legend summised in the music of British folk musician Damh the Bard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXH4qlq2Ksw
For more information and background on how the production team came together and how the storyboard was inspired check out the main site...
http://www.thespiritofalbionthemovie.comA uniquely British movie release, The Spirit of Albion explores a number of hard... more
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Julian Assange has been granted an appeal to the UK Supreme Court to halt his extradition to Sweden over sex crimes allegations. If the appeal had been denied the WikiLeaks founder would have been en route to Stockholm within 10 days.
Assange himself says he is thankful for this opportunity, and “the long struggle for justice for him and others continues.”
“The issue of extradition safeguards is a concern to many people. There are many aggrieved families in the UK and in other countries in Europe that are struggling for justice,” Julian Assange said. “This afternoon the parliament of the United Kingdom is considering in depth the matters that arise from various extradition cases in the UK, including my own. Today the High Court has decided that an issue that arises from my own case is of general public importance and may be of assistance to other cases and should be heard by the Supreme Court. I think that is a correct decision and I am thankful.”
As for now, the team of his lawyers has 14 days to petition the Supreme Court for appeal, RT’s Laura Smith reports from London. Should it be unsuccessful, they can still turn to the European Court of Human Rights.
One of Assange's lawyers, Gareth Pierce, says the judges have accepted his argument that police and prosecutors may not have the power to issue extradition requests under European law as they are not judicial authorities.
For Assange, the latest developments mean that his stay in Britain — where he lives under house arrest at an affluent supporter's rural mansion — is likely to last for many more months.
The 40-year-old Australian whistleblower has spent almost a year on bail in Britain fighting extradition and previously both courts he has appeared in have ruled against him.
In order for his case to be forwarded to the Supreme Court of Britain, Assange’s lawyers had to persuade two High Court judges that the case raises a question of “general public importance”.
His lawyers have argued that he cannot be extradited as the European arrest warrant is invalid, having been issued by the incorrect authority, and because he has not been charged with any crime.
Assange's hearing on Monday came on the same day as a parliamentary debate on Britain's extradition rules. The House of Commons debate will be based upon demands to change controversial extradition agreements.
Earlier on Sunday, Assange told AP that he was heartened that lawmakers are tackling the issue of extraditions, saying that all people ask for is “the right to not be shipped off to foreign lands without formal charges or the presentation of even the most basic evidence."
Assange had been accused by two women he was involved with during a visit to Sweden in August 2010. One of them accused him of coercion and molestation, the other alleged that he had sex with her as she slept. This happened shortly after WikiLeaks released secret US files regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Although Assange has not been charged by Swedish prosecutors with any crime, they demand that he return to Scandinavia for questioning. Assange denies all accusations, saying the sex was consensual and the investigation is politically-motivated by US officials and other governments angry about their secrets being leaked.
http://rt.com/news/wikileaks-assange-granted-appeal-045/Julian Assange has been granted an appeal to the UK Supreme Court to halt his... more
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Dershowitz is desperate. In a recent TV appearance, in a mere seven minutes the notorious Zionist mouthpiece, manages to exhibit just about every single ugly Hasbara symptom.
And what is Dershowitz so desperate about? Dershowitz, is desperate to stop ‘The Wandering Who’. Why? Because ‘The Wandering Who’ is probably the only contemporary text that offers a complete and comprehensive reading into, not only Jewish Identity politics in general but also into Dershowitz’ own particular psychosis and duplicitous behaviour.
Speaking of duplicitous behaviour, being a prime Hasbara agent and well used to ‘the ways of deception’, Dershowitz fails to produce a single truthful statement in the entire program. He lies all the way through. But lies and deception are not going to help Dershowitz.
itz, a largely despised supremacist Zionist, wants to ‘shame’ two of America’s most distinguished professors. However, in pleading with academics and students to carry out the ‘shaming’, Dershowitz actually follows one of the most disturbing of all Talmudic rituals - the Cherem.
Why does Dershowitz believe he has the moral authority to ‘shame’ two of the world’s leading humanists? Is it because he believes himself to be intellectually or morally superior, or is it that he is just, quite simply ‘chosen’?
It’s about time that Dershowitz accepts that American universities are not Yeshivas and he should rein in his mediaeval rabbinical approach to political and intellectual discourse.
Being an ex-Jew, I ask no-one to ‘shame’ Dershowitz in return. This sad, vindictive man brings more than enough shame on himself – and on anyone within the Jewish community who identify so disastrously with his repellent behaviour.
'The Wandering Who' is now a best seller, it is endorsed by a huge list of academics and humanists and its message spreads like fire in a field. Needles to mention that I am thankful to Dershowitz and other Hasbara agents for their free publicity.Dershowitz is desperate. In a recent TV appearance, in a mere seven minutes the... more
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Two main things are dominating the British Media this week (apart from the X Factor, of course). One being the “National Strike”, across the UK held on Wednesday, the other being the imminent collapse of central Europes flawed Monetary system – “The Euro”. As I am putting fingers to keyboard writing this article, Britains very own financial “expert” – Sir Mervyn Allister King,Two main things are dominating the British Media this week (apart from the X Factor,... more
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Protesters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have broken into the UK embassy compound during an anti-British demonstration, reports say.
Militant students are said to have removed the British flag, burnt it and replaced it with Iran's flag. State TV showed youths smashing embassy windows.
The move comes after Iran resolved to reduce ties following the UK's decision to impose further sanctions on it.
The UK's Foreign Office said it was "outraged" by the actions.
It urged Iran to honour international commitments to protect diplomatic missions and their staff.
The students clashed with anti-riot police and chanted "the embassy of Britain should be taken over" and "death to England", AP reports.
Students were reported to be ransacking offices inside the building, and one protester was said to be waving a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth II.
Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said documents from the embassy had been seized and set alight. Embassy staff fled by the back door, the agency added.
Outside the embassy's walls, several hundred other demonstrators were gathered.
TV footage showed Iranian riot police gradually clearing the protesters away from outside the embassy.
The UK Foreign Office issued an angry statement urging Iran to quickly restore order.
"We are outraged by this. It is utterly unacceptable and we condemn it," the statement said.
"Under international law, including the Vienna Convention, the Iranian Government have a clear duty to protect diplomats and embassies in their country and we expect them to act urgently to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of our staff and security of our property".
On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted by a large majority to downgrade diplomatic relations with the UK after the UK Treasury imposed sanctions on Iranian banks the previous week, accusing them of facilitating the country's nuclear programme.
Iranian radio reported that some MPs had chanted "Death to Britain" during the vote, which was approved by 87% of MPs.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Background: UK-Iran ties
After a series of ups and downs in relations following the 1979 Iranian revolution, London and Tehran restored full diplomatic ties in 1988.
Iran broke off relations the following year after Ayatollah Khomeyni's fatwa on the author Salman Rushdie. Partial diplomatic relations were restored in 1990 and these were upgraded in 1999 to ambassadorial level.
In 2001, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited Iran.
In March 2007, Iranian forces seized eight Royal Navy sailors and seven marines from their patrol boat on the border between Iran and Iraq, saying that the sailors had entered Iranian waters. They were freed the next month.
In June 2009, Britain said it had frozen Iranian assets worth almost £1bn under sanctions imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear programme, and later Iran and Britain each expelled two diplomats. The same month, Iran accused Britain of involvement in the post-presidential election unrest in Iran.
In November 2011, Britain imposed new financial sanctions on Iran, a move which appears to have led to the current situation.Protesters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have broken into the UK embassy compound... more
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pdy
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added this
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2 months ago
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The TriBeCa Film Festival’s organizers announced the appointment of a new artistic director: Frederic BoyerThe TriBeCa Film Festival’s organizers announced the appointment of a new... more
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A lawmaker from the same party as the president is asking for an investigation of Obama’s suspicious $433-million contract with a democratic donor’s pharmaceutical company for an unapproved, experimental smallpox drug.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, a democratic representative from the state of Missouri, has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to look into the White House’s recent deal inked between the Obama administration and Siga Technologies Inc, the manufacturer of a smallpox pill that is coincidently owned by a major campaign donor and crony of the commander-in-chief.
A report from earlier this month revealed that Siga had secured a $433-million deal with the White House to manufacturer an unapproved drug to be kept in America’s surplus stockpile of smallpox medication. The president’s relationship with controlling shareholder Ronald O Perelman has raised eyebrows, but it has also been divulged that Siga was offered the sole contract for the drug without the government seeking out any competition from fellow pharmaceutical companies.
The United States currently has $1 billion worth of smallpox vaccines on the ready, which is more than enough to aid the entire country in case of an epidemic. While the experimental drug, ST-246, has yet to be proved effective, it has also yet to be evaluated or approved by the FDA and is being purchased at a whopping $255 per pill.
As the Siga scandal develops, Sen. McCaskill has asked the DHHS to investigate, citing “serious questions” over their contract. McCaskill also serves on the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting and Oversight; she was also one of the first senators to back Barack Obama during his campaign for the presidency in 2008 and was rumored to be a potential candidate for running mate.A lawmaker from the same party as the president is asking for an investigation of... more
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It's been a sliver under a month since UK ISP British Telecom was ordered to cut all ties to filesharing site Newzbin 2. Now, a European court decision deals a counter blow to media owners by denying their demands to hustle ISPs into tracking freeloading downloaders. Specifically, the court held that it was illegal to force an ISP to install and maintain a system filtering all of its traffic as it could infringe customer privacy rights. While the decision will prove unpopular in big-wig boardrooms, joe public will no doubt be pleased with the court's upholding of both net neutrality, and of course not having to shred quite as many strongly worded letters from his or her ISP.It's been a sliver under a month since UK ISP British Telecom was ordered to cut... more
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200 competitors dress up as Santa in a Charity Fun Run through Rochester Kent, UK.
Over £4,000 was raised for the "Demelza Hospice Care for Children" charity.
More can be seen here
http://www.demotix.com/news/931768/santa-fun-run200 competitors dress up as Santa in a Charity Fun Run through Rochester Kent, UK.... more
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Mosh
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added this
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3 months ago
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what are the costs of more people being added to the planet? Place to start learning about those costs.what are the costs of more people being added to the planet? Place to start learning... more
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As the Leveson Inquiry looks at media standards, we should investigate the lies written about cannabis in the British press.
By Peter Reynolds
In the mid 1930s, after the end of alcohol prohibition, Harry Anslinger, former assistant commissioner at the Bureau of Prohibition, was settling into his exciting new job as head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and working on his next campaign.
"This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with negroes, entertainers and any others," he wrote in one of Randolph Hearst's newspapers. Hearst was behind the organised campaign against cannabis hemp, then one of America's most successful crops, by timber, oil and paper interests. The strategy was to slur the plant with the racist term "marijuana", demonise it, outlaw it and wipe it out.
Come forward about 80 years to the present day. In the US there is the White House drugs czar Gil Kerlikowske and the head of the DEA, Michelle Leonhart. In Britain we have James Brokenshire, the Home Office minister. These people are faithful in style and message to their role model Anslinger. They use arguments and propaganda of exactly the same type and value but adjusted to politically correct 2011 terms. Their weapon is deceit and their strategy is intransigence. The prejudice, discrimination and media scaremongering continues. As Anslinger had Randolph Hearst's media empire, so Brokenshire has the Daily Mail.
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The Mail came out all guns blazing last week in response to the Global Initiative on Drug Policy Reform and the ex-head of MI5, Baroness Manningham-Buller, calling for legal regulation. Despite the furious propaganda war it has waged against cannabis and cannabis users the issue won't go away. Why? Because millions of British citizens regularly use and enjoy cannabis with no ill effects and many find it of enormous therapeutic benefit for conditions such as chronic pain, MS and Crohn's disease. Also, because this war on cannabis is just another war on people. It is futile, expensive and causes far more harm than it prevents. It has created the modern phenomenon of rented property being destroyed, electricity being stolen with human trafficked gardeners and intensive production of high potency cannabis.
(much more at link)As the Leveson Inquiry looks at media standards, we should investigate the lies... more
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The U.S. and Western allies accused Iran on Friday of deceiving the world on nuclear arms, as the U.N. atomic agency passed a new resolution criticizing Tehran’s nuclear defiance.The U.S. and Western allies accused Iran on Friday of deceiving the world on nuclear... more
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