Zitat:Horrifying Aftermaths of British Troops' Uranium Munitions in Iraq

TEHRAN (FNA)- The depleted-uranium bombs and munitions used by the British Army against the Iraqi people in the 2003 invasion of the country have caused growing congenital deformities and mental retardation, not just for the present, but for the next three generations in Iraq, an Iranian lawmaker said.

"The existing proof and evidence in Iraq show that Britain has used depleted uranium against the Iraqi people," Head of the parliament's Human Rights Commission Zohreh Elahian told FNA on Monday.
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Elahian further pointed out that these shocking phenomenon will be seen in three future generations in Iraq and will damage the Muslim population for the long years to come due to the longevity of the depleted uranium.

Recent medical reports indicated that cancer is spreading like wildfire in Iraq. Thousands of infants are being born with deformities. Doctors say they are struggling to cope with the rise of cancer and birth defects, specially in cities subjected to heavy American and British bombardment.
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Zitat:Die britische Regierung hat die Aufhebung des gesetzlichen Rentenalters beschlossen. Die Bürger können künftig frei entscheiden, wie lange sie arbeiten.

Als weiteren Eckpfeiler veröffentlichte die konservativ-liberale Regierung am Donnerstag auch das Pensionsgesetz, das die schon unter Labour eingeleiteten Reformen fortführt. Dazu gehört die Erhöhung des Mindestalters für den Bezug der staatlichen Rente für Frauen (bisher 60 Jahre) und Männer (bisher 65) auf 66 Jahre ab dem Jahr 2020.

Schneemann schrieb:Naja, das wirkt für mich wie ein endgültiger Abgesang auf ein "Sozialsystem"

Samun schrieb:Ich glaube nicht dass das relevant ist. Wenn man Japan und Deutschland betrachtet, müssten sie nach reiner Wirtschaftskraft auch in Regionen agieren, wo sie Russland, Frankreich oder UK spielend abhängen.

Referenz sind die tatsächlichen Fähigkeiten der Streitkräfte und darauf bezog ich mich auch.

Zitat:EDL and UAF stage rival protests in Luton

Protests by the English Defence League (EDL) and Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in Luton have ended without major incident amid a huge police presence.

About 1,500 EDL supporters and 1,000 UAF protesters were involved in the protests. There were seven arrests. After the demonstrations ended police escorted the protesters back to their buses following marches and speeches in the town centre. [...]

The EDL group chanted "Muslim bombers off our streets" and held banners aloft, some of which read "No more mosques".

Zitat:Prince Andrew pulls out of Saudi Arabia trade trip

Buckingham Palace says trip 'postponed' because of safety concerns rather than cancelled in light of revelations
The Guardian, Saturday 12 March 2011

Prince Andrew has pulled out of a proposed trip to Saudi Arabia after almost three weeks of damaging revelations about his personal integrity and links with corrupt and repressive regimes. The Duke of York was due to travel next week to boost defence contracts in his role as Britain's trade envoy.
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The duke's connections to Colonel Gaddafi and his family, the president of Azerbaijan and arms smuggler Tarek Kaituni have also drawn public criticism from human rights organisations and MPs.

Zitat:Prince Andrew's relations with Tunisian dictator's son-in-law in spotlight

Andrew's role as government's special trade representative is controversial – but to some in government he is secret weapon
guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 March 2011 19.39 GMT
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"President Ben Ali's extended family is often cited as the nexus of Tunisian corruption."

Such suspicions seemed not to matter to the British government and the Duke of York, however. Just over a year later, the 29-year-old Tunisian was sitting down to eat again, this time in Buckingham Palace at a lunch arranged for him by the Queen's second son. The function was part of Prince Andrew's duties as the government's special trade representative. Materi was joined by around 15 bosses from British multinationals.

Only three months later, the Ben Ali regime was overthrown, Materi fled, and he is now under investigation for money laundering. This weekend the judgment of both Prince Andrew and his political masters is being severely questioned.

Other meetings and lunches held by the duke with Colonel Gaddafi and other senior figures in the Libyan regime have only added to the pressure and the instability sweeping through the Middle East is exposing his network of autocratic contacts.
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Zitat:Human rights groups demand review of trade with corrupt regimes

Call for action follows concerns over Prince Andrew's dealings with despotic leaders
The Observer, Sunday 13 March 2011
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Signs that the pressure may be getting to Buckingham Palace emerged yesterday when the prince pulled out of a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia this week, citing security concerns rather than the media criticism. Pressing questions remain over a private meeting between Prince Andrew and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2008 amid evidence of a close relationship with the country and UKTI, including an office in Tripoli. The prince has also faced allegations that he has a "very close" friendship with Saif Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader, and that he met a convicted gun smuggler from the north African state.

Natasha Schmidt, assistant editor of Index on Censorship, said people were angered by links between the UK's special trade envoy and the president of Azerbaijan, whose country is one of the most corrupt in the world. Prince Andrew is last known to have lobbied for Azerbaijan six days ago, despite allegations involving torture of political opponents and rigged elections by President Ilham Aliyev's regime.

"It is absolutely appalling that a member of our royal family would have such close links with Aliyev, an authoritarian ruler who has shown himself to be completely intolerant to criticism and is an enemy of free speech," she said.
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Zitat:Protestkultur in Großbritannien
Die Rache des smarten Mobs

26.03.2011, 14:32

Von Maria Fiedler und Johannes F. Laubmeier, London

Banken werden mit Milliarden gerettet, dafür Sozialleistungen gestrichen: Viele Briten fühlen sich von Politik und Wirtschaft betrogen und protestieren. Einige greifen zu einer besonders cleveren Methode.

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Statt auf der Straße zu demonstrieren - wie es an diesem Samstag in London Zehntausende getan haben - , gehen die Aktivisten einen Schritt weiter: Sie beherbergen Obdachlose in Banken, behandeln Kranke zwischen Geldautomaten, halten Vorlesungen in der Schalterhalle und eröffnen Kindergärten vor den Augen der Filialleiter - bis die Polizei kommt.

Die Liste der Aktionen ist so lang wie die Liste der gekürzten Sozialleistungen, gegen die die Anhänger von UK Uncut protestieren.
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