Airport scanner companies queue for business after ‘underpants bomber’ Detroit bomb attempt opens $600m opportunities for Rapiscan and other full-body scanner manufacturers Andrew Clark New York guardian.co.uk Rapiscan body scanner on trial at Manchester airport. The Detroit bomb attempt by the ‘underpants bomber’ has opened prospects for rival scanner makers. Photograph: Christopher Thomond The alleged “underpants bomber” who tried to blow up flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas Day has triggered a vigorous commercial race to cash in on a $600m (£370m) opportunity to fit airports with full-body scanners detecting concealed explosives. Unnerved by terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s apparent … Continue reading Vampire companies queue for business after ‘underpants bomber’

Twitter terror arrest: cause for concern The arrest of a man for making a joke about terrorism on Twitter is the inevitable consequence of a paranoid, risk-averse society Ally Fogg guardian.co.uk, It seems one can no longer make jokes about terrorist bombs without risking arrest. At a juncture in history where terrorists have taken to sporting exploding underpants, this is unfortunate to say the least. It’s hard to muster much sympathy for the unnamed German airline passenger who was arrested recently for making a joke to security about the bomb in his underwear. He deserves his fine for wasting the … Continue reading The arrest of a man for making a joke about terrorism on Twitter is the inevitable consequence of a paranoid, risk-averse society

The reasons why many men pay for sex are revealed in the interviews that make up a major new piece of research Read the research project’s report on men who buy sex (pdf) Julie Bindel The Guardian, Seven hundred men were interviewed for the project, which aimed to find out why men buy sex. Photograph: Christina Griffiths/Getty Images/Flickr RM ‘I don’t get anything out of sex with prostitutes except for a bad feeling,” says Ben. An apparently average, thirtysomething, middle-class man, Ben had taken an extended lunchbreak from his job in advertising to talk about his experiences of buying sex. … Continue reading Why men use prostitutes

Hindu man takes open-air cremation battle to appeal court Davender Ghai campaigning for right to burn funeral pyres in accordance with religious beliefs Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent guardian.co.uk, Article history Davender Ghai, centre, is at the appeal court today to fight to have open-air cremations in the UK. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images A Hindu man will go to the court of appeal today as part of his ongoing fight to have open-air cremations in the UK. Davender Ghai, 71, from Tyneside, wants the right to burn funeral pyres in accordance with his religious and cultural beliefs. His court appearance, … Continue reading Open-air cremation should be allowed in the UK

Zeenia Satti The US-led occupation of Afghanistan brought a nuclear-armed Pakistan to its knees as a state. If the US follows the same policies in Yemen that it followed in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia will crack at its foundations. Just as the Pakistani nukes have no danger from Al Qaeda but plenty from Pentagon, the largest oil reserves in the world will be cited as dangerously vulnerable to Al Qaeda take-over, as the US positions to provide them security in return for purchasing oil at a discount that can be used in tough economic times. For this, all the US has … Continue reading US and the Yemeni mess