Britain’s ‘most unfortunate names’ disclosed in new survey By Andrew Hough Experts said some parents might not realise the implications of their new child’s name. Photo: REUTERS Stan Still, Anna Sasin, Hazel Nutt, Barb Dwyer and Justin Case are among some of the country’s unluckiest people who have been given the unfortunate names by their parents, it found. In what may sound like a bad joke to some, others to make the “Most Unfortunate Names in Britain” list include Mary Christmas, Paige Turner, Chris Cross and Barry Cade. Some of the more curious American names, uncovered by a parenting group … Continue reading Britain’s most embarrassing and bizarre names have been disclosed in a new survey.

Spooks bullied by appeal court The judgment on Binyam Mohamed’s mistreatment gives our security services a kicking – and lets the politicians off scot-free Crispin Black guardian.co.uk MI5 director-general Jonathan Evans. Photograph: PA I have in the past been a strong critic of the intelligence services. They are not as good as they think they are and are prone to all kinds of special pleading over their failures. MI5 director general Jonathan Evans’s persistent unwillingness to accept that his agency could have thwarted the 7/7 bombers if they had been more on the ball shows the petulance of a losing … Continue reading Why attack MI5? Why not the politicians?

Nigel Farage’s rampage of rudeness The Ukip MEP is desperately trying to get noticed, and some have risen to his bait Martin Kettle guardian.co.uk Ukip MEP Nigel Farage attacks Herman Van Rompuy in the European parliament Nigel Farage is a character in search of an audience. Desperately, even manically so. There’s almost nothing the ex-Ukip leader (and still the party’s most prominent figurehead) wouldn’t do at the moment to get himself noticed and talked about. This week alone he made a well (and in my opinion, rather softly) reported attack on the European council president Herman Van Rompuy, then managed … Continue reading UKIP Fanatic desperately trying to be obnoxious

Farhat Taj The public perceive the police as as much an innocent casualty as the innocent civilians in the state’s pursuit of strategic goals in Afghanistan. They see an ethnic discrimination behind the lack of equipment, and training of the police A considerable public perception in the NWFP puts an alarming ethnic perspective on the rising police casualties in the province. They note that the police disproportionally suffer more casualties than the army in the province. They observe that public entry into the cantonments is restricted, thus enhancing the security of the army in there, whereas the policemen are left … Continue reading The dauntless heroes of NWFP Police

Mohammad Jamil How can one put highly professional military personnel, dealing with sensitive information, under non-professionals who are not competent enough to do the job? Politics is said to be the art of the possible and some say it is the art of compromise, but in Pakistan it is the art of deceit and deception, as the nation has witnessed how the partisans conducted themselves during the late 1980s to the 1990s. The Charter of Democracy (CoD) was signed by (late) Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif in London on May 14, 2006, which was reflective of unity in ‘adversity’. … Continue reading Has the The Charter of Democracy become irrelevant? —

Salman Tarik Kureshi It is a truism that a state, if it is to remain a state, must establish an uncompromising monopoly over weaponry and the power of the gun. But, in Pakistan, there are at least four kinds of actors (other than the ‘legitimate’ state actors) who bear arms…and, all too frequently, use them Those of my readers who have been huntsmen will know the feeling. You raise your shotgun, sighting along the steel barrel, and press the trigger. The goose, or bustard, or pheasant seems momentarily to shudder. And then it drops, stilled forever by the awesome power … Continue reading Gun power! Thug power!

On Tuesday in London, a revered Muslim scholar will announce a fatwa against suicide bombing in the name of Islam. Here, Allegra Mostyn-Owen talks exclusively to Dr Tahir ul-Qadri as he outlines his historic vision… I meet Dr Tahir ul-Qadri in a neat, terraced house in Barking where he emerges from his studies resplendent in an elegant silk striped grey and white juba and a black woollen hat. I am honoured to be in his presence because he is considered a living saint by his followers. All Sunni and mainly Pakistani, they celebrate his birthday and his photograph adorns all the … Continue reading Is this a triumph for the Islamic peacemakers?