Belgium will soon become the second country in Europe to ban the burqa in public places, after the parliament approved legislation forbidding full veils, the bill’s author said today. The legislation quietly cleared the Senate last week after it was overwhelmingly approved by the lower chamber of deputies last month, when only one Green lawmaker voted against it and two abstained. The new law... 

Former head of the CIA Michael Scheuer talks about Osama bin Laden at the Hay Festival. David Cameron and Barack Obama ”don’t have a clue” about dealing with the war on terror, a former senior member of the CIA has claimed. Speaking at The Daily Telegraph-sponsored Hay Festival, Michael Scheuer said western politicians had to accept that the conflict in the Middle East was caused... 

Russian police detain American gay rights activist Dan Choi on Saturday in central Moscow. More than 30 people were arrested Saturday in central Moscow during the sixth attempt by gay rights groups to hold a parade in the city. According to the group, Gay Russia, far right groups clashed with activists who were gathered in front of the Kremlin wall and city hall. A total of 18 gay activists and 14... 

Breaking the rules: Kathy Witterick, right, with two-year-old son Kio. Behind her is husband David Stocker, holding Storm as Jazz looks on. Meet Storm. With those big blue eyes, fair hair and chubby cheeks, the four-month-old is certainly adorable. But whether this baby is a bruising boy or a blushing girl is, the parents say, a secret. In fact, they’re leaving the decision up to him – or her. The... 

One of the big threats from the global warming moonbat types is that a rise in temperature will melt the polar ice caps causing the oceans to rise, with the cataclysmic result of skyscrapers being under water. Let’s face it, if you think that the commute into Manhattan is bad now… just wait. There is only one problem with this scenario, Mother Nature isn’t being cooperative. You see it is... 

Inmates sit for dinner at the California State Prison in Lancaster. A federal overseer of the state’s prison system has suggested freeing the sickest inmates as a way to cut costs. The 5-4 decision represents one of the largest prison release orders in U.S. history. The court majority says overcrowding has caused ‘suffering and death.’ In a sharp dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia warns... 

Two defectors from Iran’s intelligence service have testified that Iranian officials knew in advance about the attacks of September 11, 2001, says a US court filing that seeks damages for Iran’s ”direct support for, and sponsorship of, the most deadly act of terrorism in American history”. One of the defectors also claimed that Iran was involved in designing the attacks, the... 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has this week sparked a wave of outrage across Europe by calling on Portugal, Spain and Greece to raise their retirement ages and reduce their leave. She warned that German aid to these countries could be cast into doubt should southern European countries fail to adopt the work ethic of her countrymen. “It’s not just about getting any further into debt in... 

The influx of migrants from former Soviet republics has long been out of control. It is understandable because the illegals receive “assistance” from employees of the involved agencies and ordinary citizens. The latter marry illegals without love, but with profit and no liability under the law. MPs have decided to shut down the marriage business. Each year the quota for migrant workers... 

“Josephine” is 12 years old and several months pregnant. She’s a member of the Samburu tribe, living in a small village in a remote part of Isiolo in Kenya’s Eastern Province. The pre-teen, whose identity is being protected, claims she had sex with a relative — a rape sanctioned by the Samburu, through a practice called “beading.” Intricate beaded necklaces... 

Last year, MSNBC and other so-called “news” outlets mercilessly attacked Kentucky Senatorial candidate Rand Paul for giving an honest libertarian answer to Rachel Maddow concerning the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On Friday’s “Hardball,” Chris Matthews tried the same tactic on Paul’s father Ron, but the elder Texas Congressman was ready for the question and ended up... 

The Cologne Archbishop Joachim Meisner has withdrawn the license to teach from the gay author David Berger . The 77-year-old cardinal said on Thursday that Berger’s criticism of the church had destroyed his confidence in Berger. Berger made sharp criticisms of the Church in his book Der heilige Schein (Cathcon- double meaning- The Halo or The Holy Sham). The 43-year-old told of a “Catholic... 

In this May 5, 2011 photo, Justin Van Fleet stands at the site of where his home once stood before the flood of 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Van Fleet is among thousands who have received letters in recent weeks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency notifying them they received too much money from the agency dating back to 2005 and now must pay it back. After the raging Cedar River filled his... 

Detainees at an immigration detention centre in Sydney stage a rooftop protest about their living conditions. Australia’s latest initiative to deter asylum-seekers by sending them to Malaysia was roundly condemned yesterday, with critics noting that Kuala Lumpur has refused to sign the United Nations Refugee Convention and has a record of mistreating refugees. Under pressure to act tough on “boat... 

Surely not: A baby being searched by TSA Agents at Kansas City airport. A disturbing photograph which shows a baby being subjected to a full body search by airport security has caused outrage after it was posted online. The picture, which was uploaded to a social networking site, appears to show two TSA agents at Kansas City International Airport laughing as they pat down the child, who is being held...