riverScrap

What mercy for Lockerbie victims?

As evidence of trade deals with Colonel Gaddafi emerge, Britain releases a Libyan mass murderer from jail on "compassionate grounds". But who gave mercy to the victims of Flight 103?

The release of Abdel Baset al Megrahi, the man responsible for the murder of 270 civilians in Lockerbie in 1988, is directly linked to oil negotiations with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

That's according to Seif al Islam, the son of the Libyan leader, who told state television that the "liberation" of the mass murderer – who is terminally ill with prostate cancer – was a direct consequence of top-level trade deals between his father and the former Labour Party administration.

Britain vehemently denied suggestions of a quid quo pro deal with Libya, insisting the release was handled solely by the devolved Scottish parliament. But with mass murderer al Megrahi receiving a hero's welcome in Tripoli, what mercy is there for the families torn apart by the atrocity?

The myth of the Islamification of Europe

An alarming Youtube video that has received more than ten million views is stirring up anxieties about the Islamification of Europe, but as this report shows much of its data appears to have been fabricated.

Muslim Demographics makes some unsettling predictions about Europe's future, including that the continent will have an Islamic majority in a few decades. It bases its forecast on declining indigenous fertility rates, offset against the alleged Muslim average of 8.1 children per family.

"In a matter of years, Europe as we know it will cease to exist," an ominous sounding American speaker declares on the seven-and-a-half minute long Youtube hit, talking over Terminator-style doomsday beats.

BNP mission statement praises immigration

With news of Nick Griffin's not-so-shocking election to the European parliament, it befalls the British public to take a long and hard look at precisely what the British National Party stands for.

Of course the media and the rest of the political spectrum have made their views clear – 'thugs' and 'racists' are two of the words most commonly bandied about – but to truly understand the BNP we must look at its own statements. Listening, after all, is a greater skill than talking.

And with that in mind your humble reporter shimmied his way down to bnp.org.uk, where he made a discovery that is nothing short of astonishing: the BNP supports immigration to the British Isles.

British media too quick to write Brown's obituary

While the past 48 hours have undeniably been a low-point in Gordon Brown's career, they've also served as a timely reminder of just how shallow, dim-witted and self-serving our beloved media can be.

It is no exaggeration to say that James Purnell's dramatic resignation on Thursday night left Mr Brown in a precarious situation. Having the fastest-rising star in your Cabinet jump ship and openly call for your resignation would be sure to unnerve even the sturdiest of PMs.

But while many believed that the vultures circling above included other senior figures, it now appears the flock was largely restricted to the usual band of suspects: opportunistic Tories, hackneyed Labour backbenchers, and – of course – our shamelessly trigger-happy press.

NUJ abandons objectivity over BNP row

While the media was busy today ranting about an inconsequential decision to invite Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party (BNP), to Buckingham Palace, a far more pressing debate over the advertising rights of extremist groups has gripped the blogosphere.

It emerged yesterday that several websites run by regional newspaper publisher Newsquest have carried banner advertisements for the BNP, which is attempting to raise its profile ahead of the European elections on June 4.

What is troubling is that the ads, which appeared on the online editions of otherwise innocuous papers such as The Bromsgrove Advertiser, have provoked an outcry from the reputedly objective National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Recession spells comeback for Looney Tunes politics

Newly published figures have confirmed that the UK is officially in recession, with economic output contracting by 1.5 per cent in the final quarter of 2008.

That amounts to the steepest quarterly fall since 1980, and it comes on the heels of an earlier 0.6 per cent dip. Economists say all the criteria for a recession have now been met.

And while that undoubtedly spells doom for consumers, pundits fear it could also herald the return of the long-gone era of Looney Tune politics.

Cameron: We're all economists, hurrah for cynicism

Conservative leader David Cameron has apparently grown weary of droning on about Anthony Wells, opting instead to give the nation a lesson in economics.

Dopey David told a group of distinguished experts at the London School of Economics that the government's £20 billion splurge on public spending is "seriously flawed".

Insisting the measure will stifle economic growth, Mr Cameron argued that consumers and businesses will be reluctant to increase outgoings because they know a tax hike is just around the corner.

BNP 'outrage' at threatening behaviour

Members of the British National Party (BNP) have expressed outrage after being targeted by abusive and not-very-nice prank callers.

Unknown individuals thoroughly hurt the feelings of several members of the far-right party, seemingly drawing from its own modus operandi for nuisance-making.

The victims were targeted after the personal details of around 12,000 party members - including doctors, teachers and at least one policeman - were leaked into the public domain.