Oscar-winning actress, Marion Cotillard, was left in pain yesterday after France’s culture minister accidentally stuck a pin into her chest as he decorated her with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) in a ceremony in Paris. (Watch what happens below) France’s culture minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, had earlier praised Cotillard’s “charm, natural grace and beauty” before then going on to skewer the actress as he pinned the medallion on to her blouse.  The French actress is no stranger to picking up awards after she bagged an Academy Award for her performance as the … Continue reading Beautiful Marion Cotillard Stabbed by France’s culture minister, Frédéric Mitterrand

Historian Manan Ahmed has a must-read column up at The National on a strengthening grassroots conservative Islamist ideology in Pakistani society, encouraged, he says, by the political thinking of the likes of TV host Zaid Hamid. “A new narrative is ascendant in Pakistan. It is in the writings of major Urdu-language newspaper columnists, who purport to marshal anecdotal or textual evidence on its behalf. It is on television, where the hosts of religious and political talk shows polish it with slick production values. “The basic elements of the story – which has often, and erroneously, been called a conspiracy theory – are simple. Local agents (or … Continue reading Defining Pakistans Future – Mullahs? or Pakistanis?

Nawaz Sharif threat to Pakistan’s stability: Musharraf By Our Correspondent  Dawn.com Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. — AP Photo WASHINGTON: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has slammed PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and labelled him as a ‘closeted Taliban’, media reports said. The reports claimed that while talking to journalists at a dinner reception near Seattle, Mr Musharraf said that the former prime minister was a great threat to the stability of Pakistan. Mr Musharraf also said that Pakistani politicians were being hypocritical on the issue of the NRO as those who favoured the controversial ordinance when it was issued were … Continue reading Nawaz Sharif ‘Closet Taliban – Pro-Takfiri Mullah’ threat to Pakistan’s stability: Musharraf

All quiet on the Eastern Front: The amazing photo album which shows how our boys fared in India in WWI By Daily Mail Reporter An amazing photo album of a World War One soldier’s military campaign has been unearthed – and shows the men having a roaring time. Unlike the traditional images of corpse-laden trenches in northern Europe, these pictures show the men swimming, dressing up for a concert party and enjoying a whist drive. Private Wally Langrish travelled from Aldershot in Hampshire in 1915 through India and Mesopotamia – now Iraq – during his service, before he returned home … Continue reading The amazing photo album which shows how our boys fared in India in WWI

‘I’d rather employ a paedophile than a hero’: Company boss compares British troops to child molesters in rant at job agency By Daily Mail Reporter A company boss has refused to consider former soldiers as potential employees A company boss has compared British soldiers to paedophiles and drug dealers after refusing a request by a recruitment service to provide jobs for former troops. Karl Winn, 60, said he would rather ‘recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and child molesters’ than employ former servicemen or women. His comments came after he was contacted by Forces Recruitment Services and asked if he would consider … Continue reading Company boss compares British troops to child molesters in rant at job agency

Black boys are too feminised Tony Sewell guardian.co.uk Martin, a mixed-race 15-year-old south Londoner, had just downed half a bottle of vodka. The boy was already known for attention-seeking, bad behaviour and aggressively challenging authority figures. But in his drunken state, with his inhibitions gone, he wasn’t more threatening. He was crying – violently sobbing – for his father. “I want my dad. It’s not fair. I’ve only spoken to him once on the phone. Why does he hate me? I fucking want to see him now.” Martin was taking part in a residential summer camp run by my charity, … Continue reading More than racism, the absence of father figures is the main problem holding back black kids in school

Islamism: why the west gets it wrong Roger Hardy guardian.co.uk “The west is ill at ease with Islam“, a BBC colleague remarked, long before 9/11. “Even communism was more familiar.” Communism, after all, came from within the western intellectual tradition. Islam, in contrast, is alien as well as threatening. Our mistake is to see Islam as monolithic. We think of the Saudi brand as the norm – as if cutting off hands, outlawing the building of churches and denying women the right to drive were the norm across the vast sweep of the Muslim world. After 30 years’ experience travelling … Continue reading Islamism is widely misunderstood in the west. It has its roots in a reaction to the global politics of the 20th century

Don’t be put off ‘bothering’ your GP Ann Robinson guardian.co.uk, The Times leads today with the not-very-exciting headline that people go to their GP too often with minor complaints. The “story” is based on a letter in the paper signed by a host of signatories who have set up the Self Care Campaign. The chief executive of Diabetes UK is among the leading lights of the group. The signatories, who include some very eminent and sensible doctors, are publishing a manifesto saying that people should be encouraged to manage their minor ailments on their own and not visit the GP … Continue reading British Doctors are not your superiors! Bother them NOW!

Alison Flood guardian.co.uk, Martin Amis Photograph: Suki Dhanda Martin Amis might have expressed negative views about Islam in the past, but the author told an Abu Dhabi newspaper this week that he believed that if his sister, Sally, an alcoholic who died in 2000, had converted to the religion she might still be alive. Interviewed by Abu Dhabi English-language newspaper The National, Amis said he wished his sister had converted to Islam. “To this day I have this wish – she was always religious and she converted to Catholicism. I wish she had converted to Islam. She might still be … Continue reading Islamophobe Martin Amis: ‘I wish my sister had converted to Islam’