Archive for April, 2010
Thought police muscle up in Britain
BRITAIN appears to be evolving into the first modern soft totalitarian state. As a sometime teacher of political science and international law, I do not use the term totalitarian loosely.
There are no concentration camps or gulags but there are thought police with unprecedented powers to dictate ways of thinking and sniff out heresy, and there can be harsh punishments for dissent.
Man claims to have had no food or drink for 70 years
Mr Jani, who claims to have left home aged seven and lived as a wandering sadhu or holy man in Rajasthan, is regarded as a ‘breatharian’ who can live on a ‘spiritual life-force’ alone. He believes he is sustained by a goddess who pours an ‘elixir’ through a hole in his palate. His claims have been supported by an Indian doctor who specializes in studies of people who claim supernatural abilities, but he has also been dismissed by others as a “village fraud.”
Archaeologists baffled over ‘bizarre’ Viking discovery
A TEAM of Irish archaeologists is puzzled by the “bizarre” discovery of a 1,150-year-old Viking necklace in a cave in the Burren.
Excavations near Reading show evidence of Boudicca
Evidence found at the Roman site of Silchester could mean it was the site of one of Boudicca’s battles.
Parents recount flu jab nightmare
More and more parents from around the country are recounting horrific flu jab experiences amid mounting controversy over adverse reactions to the seasonal flu vaccine.
Australia’s chief medical officer, Professor Jim Bishop, has urged doctors not to use the vaccine on children under five, following more than 250 reports of adverse reactions – a figure experts and parents fear is being severely underestimated.
Archaeology of the East Kent Access Road
A new road is to be built on the Isle of Thanet in east Kent during 2010-11. The road will be 6.5 km long and will cross one of the richest archaeological areas in Britain.
GlaxoSmithKline profits climb on healthy sales of swine flu vaccine
GlaxoSmithKline profits increased 16pc in the first quarter, driven by better-than expected swine flu vaccine sales.
Sales of its H1N1 vaccine amounted to £698m on the back of last year’s swine flu crisis. Glaxo forecast another £200m in related sales in the remaining nine months of the year, with the threat of a pandemic having receded.
In hiding, the mother accused of abuse for cuddling her child
A mother alleged to have ‘emotionally abused’ her daughter by telling her she was born by caesarean has fled to Ireland with the child.
After allegations that included Mrs Malik cuddling Amaani for too long while dropping her off at nursery, social services placed the little girl on a ‘child protection plan’ and scheduled a child mental health assessment.
Remember that ash cloud? It didn’t exist, says new evidence
Skies fell quiet for six days, leaving as many as 500,000 Britons stranded overseas and costing airlines hundreds of millions of pounds.
Estimates put the number of Britons still stuck abroad at 35,000.
However, new evidence shows there was no all-encompassing cloud and, where dust was present, it was often so thin that it posed no risk.
Save our Anglo-Saxon stone!
Part of an ancient Northamptonshire monument to England’s first female hermit is up for sale. Should it be allowed to leave Britain?
Viking Thomasinas: Cross-gender name elements in Viking naming practices
Vikings had the same concerns about choosing their children’s names as we do, says a researcher from the University of Leicester who delivered his paper at a recent Viking conference. The sixth Midlands Viking Symposium was held at the University of Nottingham on April 24th, with eight talks by Viking experts.
Dr Philip Shaw, a Lecturer in English Language and Old English, offered his expertise on how the Vikings named their children. He discussed the practice of giving names derived from male names to female children, which was commonplace in the Viking Age.
UK home to 1m illegal immigrants
More than 1m illegal immigrants are living in Britain — double the government’s most recent estimate, according to a study.
The report warns that a proposed amnesty for illegal immigrants could add a total of 2.2m to the population because each of the 1.1m “regularised” illegals would be entitled to bring at least one spouse, child or other family member into Britain.
Flu shot fatality – toddler dies 12 hours after having vaccination
A FAMILY is in mourning after their toddler unexpectedly died less than 12 hours after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination.
Two-year-old twin Ashley Jade Epapara had been “perfectly fine” before dying at her Upper Mt Gravatt home, on Brisbane’s southside, on April 9.
Federal agents raid Mormon food storage facility, demand list of customers storing emergency food
