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Jewish flotilla to break Gaza siege

German Jewish group prepares flotilla to protest Israel's blockade on Gaza. 'Activists frightened, but not by Hamas,' member of organization says

The German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East is preparing a Jewish flotilla to the Gaza Strip. "We intend to leave around July," a member of the organization, Kate Leitrer, said to Ynet. "We have one small craft so far, in which there will be between 12 and 16 people, mostly Jews."

Bilderberg 2010: Plutocracy with palm trees

The shadowy global elite is meeting in Sitges – and Charlie Skelton is there, hoping for a new spirit of CamCleggian openness

Another year, another Bilderberg. The first "participants" (as the delegates are known) won't be arriving until Thursday, but already the Hotel Dolce in Sitges is buzzing with anticipation. This Catalan seaside town hasn't hosted an event as large and politically sensitive as Bilderberg since the legendary 2008 Foam Party at the Mr Gay Sitges awards night.

Woman who walked onto highway sues Google Maps

A Utah woman is suing the search engine Google, claiming its maps function gave her walking directions that led her onto a major highway, where she was struck by a car.

The lawsuit seeks more than $100,000 in damages.

Lauren Rosenberg sought directions between two addresses in Utah about 3 kilometres apart. The top result suggested that Rosenberg follow a busy rural highway for several hundred metres. The highway does not have sidewalks. One stretch is blocked by a noise barrier that pushes pedestrians closer to the roadside.

After walking on to the highway, Rosenberg was struck by a car. The driver, Patrick Harwood, is also named in the suit.

Gaza hopes to welcome blockade-busting flotilla

Preparations are under way in Gaza to receive a convoy of ships that is trying to break Israel's economic blockade of the Palestinian territory.

The ships, carrying up to 10,000 tonnes of aid and human rights activists from around the world, will try to reach Gaza on Sunday.

Israel is adamant it will not allow them into Gaza.

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Fatwa: find wives in Britain not Pakistan and India

Muslim men have been told to marry women born in Scotland rather than import wives from Pakistan and India.

Shaykh Amer Jamil, a Glasgow-born Islamic scholar, warned that Asian women who have grown up in Scotland are being left on the shelf in favour of wives from outside the country.

Parents often prefer their sons to have arranged marriages with women who grew up in the Indian sub-continent, as they are seen as better partners. But this means there are increasing numbers of British women unable to find a husband.

UK family shot dead in eastern Pakistan

Three Britons - all members of the same family - have been shot dead in a marriage dispute in eastern Pakistan, local police have said.

Mohammad Yousaf, 51, his wife Pervez, 49, and daughter Tanya, 23, were killed at a cemetery in a village near Gujrat.

The three, of Nelson, Lancashire, were shot by four gunmen - understood to be related to them - after an argument broke out. Another woman was killed.

One man has been arrested and two other suspects are on the run.

Eyewitness Muhammed Anwar described how two groups of attackers had been waiting for the family - inside and outside the cemetery.

video of Cartoonist Lars Vilks "being attacked"

A few things before I get to the video:

1. The few seconds before the demonstrations start WILL offend Muslims.
2. The rest of the protest seems like straight forward civil disobedience to me - people shouting slogans.
3. Trying to offend people which the few seconds of the shown video clearly show as the aim is not the same as free speech.

">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2IHnWY-i6Y]

Identity cards set to be scrapped

Identity cards will be scrapped under plans announced by the new Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government.

Their abolition is among measures the parties have agreed to reverse what they say was "the substantial erosion" of civil liberties in recent years.

Other proposals include reforms to the DNA database, tighter regulation of CCTV and a review of libel laws.

Since their 2008 introduction, Labour argued ID cards helped tackle benefit fraud, identity theft and other crimes.

The Tories and Lib Dems have both opposed ID cards from the outset, arguing they are expensive, intrusive and have done little to tackle the most serious threats to society such as terrorism and organised crime.

Smoke bomb at Manchester United in anti-Glazer protest

Angry Manchester United fans have set off a smoke bomb outside Old Trafford as part of a mass protest against the club's American owners, the Glazers.

Hundreds of fans congregated outside the ground ahead of the final game of the season against Stoke, chanting and brandishing placards.

The smoke bomb was set off outside the club's Megastore.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed one smoke bomb had been set off but said there were no injuries or arrests.

Green and gold

The Glazers took over at Old Trafford five years ago. Critics said the family borrowed money to buy the club and saddled it with massive debts.

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