Europe was the birthplace of mankind, not Africa, scientists find and this going to piss the African's off

An artist's reconstruction of Graecopithecus freybergi, left, with the jawbone and tooth found in Bulgaria and Greece

The history of human evolution has been rewritten after scientists discovered that Europe was the birthplace of mankind, not Africa. 

Currently, most experts believe that our human lineage split from apes around seven million years ago in central Africa, where hominids remained for the next five million years before venturing further afield.

But two fossils of an ape-like creature which had human-like teeth have been found in Bulgaria and Greece, dating to 7.2 million years ago.

The discovery of the creature, named Graecopithecus freybergi, and nicknameded ‘El Graeco' by scientists, proves our ancestors were already starting to evolve in Europe 200,000 years before the earliest African hominid.

An international team of researchers say the findings entirely change the beginning of human history and place the last common ancestor of both chimpanzees and humans - the so-called Missing Link - in the Mediterranean region.

To some extent this is a newly discovered missing link

Professor Nikolai Spassov, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

At that time climate change had turned Eastern Europe into an open savannah which forced apes to find new food sources, sparking a shift towards bipedalism, the researchers believe.

“This study changes the ideas related to the knowledge about the time and the place of the first steps of the humankind,” said Professor Nikolai Spassov from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

“Graecopithecus is not an ape. He is a member of the tribe of hominins and the direct ancestor of homo.

“The food of the Graecopithecus was related to the rather dry and hard savannah vegetation, unlike that of the recent great apes which are living in forests.  Therefore, like humans, he has wide molars and thick enamel.

The species could be the first hominid ever to exist

"To some extent this is a newly discovered missing link. But missing links will always exist , because evolution is infinite chain of subsequent forms. Probably  El Graeco's face will resemble a great ape, with shorter canines."

An artist's impression of Graecopithecus  

The team analysed the two known specimens of Graecopithecus freybergi: a lower jaw from Greece and an upper premolar tooth from Bulgaria.

Using computer tomography, they were able to visualise the internal structures of the fossils and show that the roots of premolars are widely fused.

"While great apes typically have two or three separate and diverging roots, the roots of Graecopithecus converge and are partially fused - a feature that is characteristic of modern humans, early humans and several pre-humans,", said lead researcher Professor Madelaine Böhme of the University of Tübingen.

The lower jaw, has additional dental root features, suggesting that the species was a hominid.

The species was also found to be several hundred thousand years older than the oldest African hominid, Sahelanthropus tchadensis which was found in Chad.

"We were surprised by our results, as pre-humans were previously known only from sub-Saharan Africa," said doctoral student Jochen Fuss, a Tübingen PhD student who conducted this part of the study.

Professor David Begun, a University of Toronto paleoanthropologist and co-author of this study, added: "This dating allows us to move the human-chimpanzee split into the Mediterranean area."

During the period the Mediterranean Sea went through frequent periods of drying up completely, forming a land bridge between Europe and Africa and allowing apes and early hominids to pass between the continents.

The jawbone of Graecopithecus

The team believe that evolution of hominids may have been driven by dramatic environmental changes which sparked the formation of the North African Sahara more than seven million years ago and pushed species further North.

They found large amounts of Saharan sand in layers dating from the period, suggesting that it lay much further North than today.

Professor Böhme added: "Our findings may eventually change our ideas about the origin of humanity. I personally don't think that the descendants of Graecopithecus die out, they may have spread to Africa later. The split of chimps and humans was a single event. Our data support the view that this split was happening in the eastern Mediterranean - not in Africa.

"If accepted, this theory will indeed alter the very beginning of human history."

However some experts were more skeptical about the findings.

Retired anthropologist and author Dr Peter Andrews, formerly at the Natural History Museum in London, said: "It is possible that the human lineage originated in Europe, but very substantial fossil evidence places the origin in Africa, including several partial skeletons and skulls.

"I would be hesitant about using a single character from an isolated fossil to set against the evidence from Africa."

The new research was published in the journal PLOS One.

The Looney party UKIP with their suicide election Manifesto

Burkas must be banned because Muslim women are not getting enough sun – and 13 other eye-catching Ukip policies

A Ukip rosette 

 Laura Hughes, political correspondent  Christopher Hope, chief political correspondent
25 MAY 2017

Ukip has pledged to ban the wearing of the burka in public places and full face coverings in public places on the grounds that they "prevent intake of essential vitamin D from sunlight" in its General Election manifesto.

The party has pledged to introduce a "social attitudes" test as part of a points-based immigration system and to scrap VAT on fish and chips.

Here are some of the most eye-catching manifesto pledges.
 Ukip | 2017 manifesto key points
Immigration Foreign aid Religion Justice NHS Tax Education Housing Pensions & welfare Jobs Defence, crime & security Brexit
To introduce a "one in, one out" immigration system and set a target to reduce net migration to zero over a five-year period.
Place a moratorium on unskilled and low-skilled immigration for five years after the UK leaves the EU.
No amnesty for illegal immigrants.
To introduce a "social attitudes" test as part of a points-based immigration system which would stop people who believe women or gay people are "second-class citizens" from entering the country.

Nuttall launches Ukip manifesto

Burka ban to boost vitamin D intake 

Ukip would introduce a ban on the wearing of the "dehumanising" burka and full face coverings in public places partially on the grounds that they "prevent intake of essential vitamin D from sunlight":

UKIP will ban wearing of the niqab and the burqa in public places. Face coverings such as these are barriers to integration. We will not accept these de-humanising symbols of segregation and oppression, nor the security risks they pose.

Suggestions that UKIP is undermining liberty with this policy are absurd. There is no human right to conceal your identity. If anything prevents liberty, it is the niqab, by preventing women from being perceived as individuals in their own right.

We want to open opportunities to all women, so that they can participate fully in life and in the workplace.

Clothing that hides identity, puts up barriers to communication, limits employment opportunities, hides evidence of domestic abuse, and prevents intake of essential vitamin D from sunlight is not liberating.

Ukip would introduce a ban on the wearing of the "dehumanising" niqab and burka C
New social attitudes test

The party have pledged to introduce a "social attitudes" test as part of a points-based immigration system which would stop people who believe women or gay people are "second-class citizens" from entering the country:

In Britain, we do not believe in treating women or gay people as second-class citizens, and we hold to a fundamental belief in democracy and free speech.

UKIP’s points-based immigration system will therefore include one further major principle: we will test the social attitudes of migration applicants to foster community cohesion and protect core British values.

Ukip have pledged to introduce a "social attitudes" test  CREDIT: REUTERS/ERIC VIDAL
Tighter controls on alcohol licensing

Ukip would repeal licensing laws allowing more relaxed opening hours for pubs, clubs and bars:

To protect emergency workers from abuse, we will repeal the 2003 Licensing Act and bring in new legislation to reduce the density of alcohol outlets and restrict trading times.

Drinkers at the Black Boy public house in Winchester

Opening times would be restricted if Ukip won the election
NOSH: New hospital ship to assist armed forces

Ukip have called for a new dedicated British Hospital Ship (NOSH) to serve as a "highly visible ambassador" for Britain:

To increase the contribution Britain can make in times of global crises, UKIP will commission, equip and staff a Naval Ocean-Going Surgical Hospital (NOSH).

As 95 per cent of the world’s largest 100 cities are port cities, and 90 per cent of the world’s population live within 200 miles of the sea, this will be an extremely useful way to deliver large-scale relief to our armed forces on active operational duties, to civilians and refugees in war zones, or to undertake humanitarian missions in peacetime.

The new ship will also provide useful reinforcement in case of emergencies here at home. The new NOSH will have at least 500 beds, a flight deck and large hangar to support several helicopters, as well as vehicle decks.

It will be a highly visible ambassador for Britain, and will replace the Royal Navy’s current sea-borne medical capability, RFA ARGUS, which is set to retire in 2020.

It will not carry weapons, giving it the full protection of the Geneva Convention in times of war. This flagship project will help confirm Britain’s status as a force for good in the world, while simultaneously expanding our naval capabilities.

A British Union Flag
A hospital ship would fly the flag around the world and help Britain contribute in times of global crises CREDIT: JASON ALDEN/BLOOMBERG
Take on "lad culture"

The party would tackle "lad culture" and review advertising editorial codes to ensure the media promote healthy body images:

The "lad culture", which treats young women as sex objects and the "red circle of shame" in celebrity magazines that hold women to unattainable levels of physical perfection are just two examples.

Boys too are increasingly developing eating disorders and body image issues.

UKIP will review advertising, broadcast and editorial codes, seeking commitments that editorial coverage and advertising campaigns will treat men and women with dignity and promote healthy body images.

'Lads' magazines
"Lad" magazines which treat young women as sex objects would be subject to a review under Ukip
Halve the number of MPs

Ukip would dramatically reduce the number of politicians in Parliament and abolish the House of Lords:

The size of the House of Commons will be halved to 325 directly elected members from across the four nations of the United Kingdom, according to a system of proportional representation.

These changes will reduce the number of politicians eligible to sit in the legislator from 1475 to 700.

Prime Minister's Questions
Ukip wants fewer MPs
A "Brit disc" for foreign vehicles 

The party would ensure all foreign vehicles entering Britain were identified with a pre-purchased "tag":

We will keep a record of all foreign vehicles entering the UK by introducing a windscreen mounted identification tag, which can be purchased prior to entry.

This will help identify overseas drivers who break UK traffic laws and facilitate enforcement action, which can be taken prior to exit from the country.

A British motorway
Foreign vehicles would need a special "tag" before being allowed on British roads 

Seek closer relationship with Russia

Ukip's manifesto states that it would seek to forge closer ties with Vladimir Putin's regime and sees Russia as a "potential important ally":

UKIP will seek better relations with Russia, but only on the basis of Russia changing its approach to international relations, no longer seeking to intervene in and manipulate the conduct of politics in western nations, and having respect for the territorial integrity of other countries.

We see Russia as a potential important ally in the struggle against Islamist terror, and believe Russia should immerse itself in global rules-based relationships instead of seeming to glory in renegade status within the international community

Russia's President Vladimir Putin
Ukip will seek better relations with Russia's president Vladimir Putin 

MP for Gibraltar

The party would oversee the creation of a new space in the House of Commons for an MP representing The Rock:



UKIP will stand up for the territorial integrity of British dependencies and territories. We remain fully committed to upholding the right to self-determination of the people of the Falkland Islands who overwhelmingly wish to remain British. We will offer the citizens of Gibraltar a referendum on becoming fully British, and having their own MP in the House of Commons.

Gibraltar
Ukip may give Gibraltar its own MP in parliament

Employers given new rights to employ British workers

Under Ukip, employers would be given the legal right to employ young British workers over foreign applicants with more experience:

We will also ensure employers are legally free to choose to hire a young unemployed British person under the age of 25 ahead of a better qualified or more experienced foreign applicant.

Employers who wish to back British workers and give local young people a chance on the first rung of the career ladder should not face the threat of legal action, as they presently do.

No VAT on fish and chips

Britain's most popular takeaways would be cheaper under Ukip:

We will remove VAT from hot takeaway food such as fish and chips.

Fish and Chips
Takeaway fish and chips would be cheaper under Ukip

New post-Brexit blue passports

In 1988, the blue British passport was scrapped and replaced by a smaller burgundy EU one, a clear step towards the creation of a United States of Europe. The British people roundly rejected this plan on 23rd June 2016. UKIP will take the opportunity to re-instate the classic blue passport when the British passport contract comes up for renewal in 2019.

A blue British passport

A new version of the old blue British passport would be introduced
Brexit to me marked with a new bank holiday

Ukip has  called for June 23 to become an "Independence Day" bank holiday:

We will declare 23rd June Independence Day, and make it a bank holiday.

Sunlight shines through a Union flag

Britain's break with Europe would be celebrated with an annual bank holiday
Scrap tuition fees for science subjects

Ukip have pledged to scrap tuition fees for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine students:

Despite our national doctor shortage, nearly 800 straight "A" students are turned away from medical school every year.

UKIP will lift the cap on medical school training places from 7,500 to 10,000 and make sure no British suitable "A"-grade student fails to get a place.

Provided medical students commit to working within the NHS for at least 10 out of the 15 years after they qualify, we will cover the cost of all their tuition fees.

Scrap tuition fees for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine students.

1st Malaysia , China and Korea International Friendship Piano Open Competition 2017 October 2 - 4 , 2017

New BMW 8 Series: The Germans' most luxurious (and expensive) car ever?

The new BMW 8 Series

25 MAY 2017 • 6:52PM

The world’s most beautiful car show is happening this weekend on the shores of Lake Como in the grounds of the Villa d’Este. Making a bid for early headlines is this, the new BMW 8 Series. On sale next year and looking close-to-identical to this “concept”, the new 8 Series will be BMW’s flagship car; its most luxurious, clever, quite possibly most expensive yet, but it’s also the car it hopes will take the brand back into the winner’s circle at Le Mans.

BMW Eight Series

The number eight is a potent one at BMW. The 8 Series of the 1990s was a technological tour-de-force that trail-blazed a new era of electronics in cars. With V8 and V12 engines, pop-up headlamps and a singular profile it ploughed a rare groove, but is currently ripe for reassessment and reclassification as a solid gold classic.

The BMW Z8 followed and was similarly misunderstood. The Z8 heralded a new era of narrative design - widely described as retro-futurism - by very deliberately aping the look of BMW’s 507 roadster from the 1950s. It was and is a drop-dead beautiful car. Clever too with its aluminium structure, yet it failed to make as many friends as it might for, of all things, not being quite as dynamic as a Porsche 911. As if that mattered in a car as beautiful as the Z8.

So here, after a break of nearly 14 years, is the new 8 Series and in spirit at least, it’s the child of both its predecessors; intelligent in the way it’s put together and in electronics, and possessed of an elegance that while solidly forward-looking has an undeniably classical form. I think it’s absolutely beautiful, but then again I am a sucker for front-engined GT cars.

BMW Eight Series
The classic form of the new car

The new 8 Series ticks all the boxes it should for men and women of a certain understated profile that know mid-engined cars belong on the race track. It’s appropriate that BMW has chosen to introduce the new model at the Villa d’Este and its annual Concorso d’Eleganza, an invite-only garden party for the world’s most beautiful cars.

The Villa d’Este exudes a glamour lost, or if not then rapidly disappearing, in travel. GT cars hang on to the notion of long journeys undertaken for their own sake and always in intimate company with beautiful luggage, carefully packed and stashed behind. Mid-engined cars are great for the day; GTs are made for longer relationships.

 BMW Eight Series
The all new model

Not that the new eight is in any way soft. It will in fairly short order spawn an M8 derivative and this will form the basis for BMW’s factory return to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24 Hour race, which it won in 1999, and in partnership with McLaren in 1995. The M8 racer will compete in the GT classes of the WEC against cars like reigning Le Mans champions Ford with its purpose-built GT and WEC champions Ferrari with its 488GTE. Not that old-school front engined cars have been left behind by the mid-engined cars. Before Ferrari and Ford were slugging it out, the battle for Le Mans honours was fought between Chevrolet Corvettes and Aston Martins.

And oddly if the new 8 Series brings any comparisons to mind it is Aston Martin’s DB9. And that’s reassuring; the 8 Series is based on the aluminium and carbon-fibre dense structure of the 7 Series. BMW could so easily have made it closer in spirit to a two-door 7 Series, as Mercedes-Benz does with its own S-Class Coupe. That the BMW clearly has just token rear seats, and a profile and stance that speak of its ambition on the race track scream “proper GT” and not “two-door limo". The definitive production car will be shown later this year but don’t expect to see anything radically different to this car.  BMW spent last year celebrating its centenary by looking forward as well as back. As a statement of future intent I’d say the new 8 Series embraces that strategy just about perfectly.

bmw.co.uk

Why female sex robots are more dangerous than you think

Robots could replace sex between couples, according to experts

 Tabi Jackson Gee  28 APRIL 2017

I was going to start this article about robots with a reference to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. But then I spoke to Blay Whitby, a philosopher concerned with the social impact of emerging technologies and the trivialisation of robots in the media - and I decided otherwise.

Because when it comes to robots, it’s simply no use discussing them through the lens of our favourite film or science fiction book. Cliched as it may be, the future is here; we can and should talk about reality. Within a matter of decades we’ve become entirely reliant on technology and robots are increasingly part of our everyday lives.

Campaigners are worried about humanoid sex robots
Dr Kathleen Richardson and fellow campaigners are worried that they will inspire misogynistic attitudes and unrealistic sexual expectations
They've started a campaign called the Campaign Against Sex Robots
They say “We propose that robots are a product of human consciousness and creativity and human power relationships are reflected in the production, design and proposed uses of these robots. As a result, we oppose any efforts to develop robots that will contribute to gender inequalities in society.”
Matt McMullen is on the other side of the coin
McMullen, CEO of Realbotix, is a sex robot developer. Initially they will be sold for £40,000, but the technology will become more mainstream and less expensive to implement. He believes that sex robots will be good for us, and that as any technology grows, humans will inevitably use it for sex.
The latest chapter comes courtesy of RealDoll. The California-based company is about to unveil a $15,000 life-size, hyper realistic, silicone sex doll. She can talk, blink, smile, regurgitate facts about your life - and, of course, have sex with you. Her name is Harmony and she is being hailed as the most significant development thus far in the $30 billion sex tech industry. 

According to Dr Trudy Barber, a pioneer in the impact of technology on sexual intercourse, our growing immersion in technology means that it is only a matter of time before it takes a mainstream role in sex. Put simply: sex between couples will increasingly be saved for special occasions as  robots step in to satisfy our everyday needs.

Speaking at the International Congress of Love and Sex with Robotics last year, Dr Barber predicted that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) devices in the bedroom will be socially normal within 25 years - and that the machines would enable people to appreciate 'the real thing'.

"I think what will happen is that they will make real-time relationships more valuable and exciting", she added.

Devices such as Rocky or Roxxxy True Companion can currently be bought for around £7,000, but advances in the field are predicted to make sex robots increasingly lifelike and affordable. Indeed, in April last year, a man figured out a way to make a robot in his own home that resembled a woman they don't know.

Ricky Ma, 42, a Hong Kong-based man with no formal training in  robots, spent £35,000 to create a robotic woman who looks exactly like Scarlett Johannson. And there’s absolutely nothing she can do about it.

Unlike the vivacious and intelligent actress, his robotic counterpart was programmed to respond to questions like ‘you are very beautiful’ and ‘you’re so cute’ with little more than a coquettish smile and a wink.

The 'Mark 1' robot that looks like Scarlett Johansson

It's a disappointing reflection of the way women are portrayed in society - Ma’s clever three dimensional creation is about as one dimensional as you can get.

Is all this cause for concern? Of course. Because right now more money is being spent on making these things than thinking about the ethical and societal ramifications. We already know porn provides a terrifying reflection on how society views women, which can manifest itself in real life.

But what happens when machines start contributing to the objectification of women too?

There's also a real worry that people will abuse robots assigned human traits - whether it be in a sexual or physical way. Whitby thinks it's a legitimate concern: “Will people mistreat robots? Oh yes, I’m sure. The reason I’m sure is because they already do. The way people first meet artificial intelligence is in a character in a video game that they’re shooting at.”

As we are yet to truly understand the effect that playing violent video games has on young minds, it will be years before we even begin to comprehend the knock-on effects that the mistreatment of human-like robots has on our behaviour towards each other.

“How would you feel about your ex boyfriend getting a robot that looked exactly like you, just in order to beat it up every night?”
Blay Whitby
Dr Kathleen Richardson, a Senior Research Fellow in the Ethics of Robotics at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, has done extensive research into this area - especially in regards to women. She says: “A machine, like the portrayal of women in pornography, prostitution and the media are entirely objects for male gratification. But women aren't like what males see in pornography or in prostitution or in popular media.

“In these areas women are coerced or told how to be have act or behave with a threat of money or violence. In real life, women really have their own thoughts and feelings and preferences and desires. It seems logical that if this extreme control can't be experienced by men with real women, the only next step is to create artificial objects.”

The people creating these robots are also partly to blame. A 2014 Nesta study titled ‘Our Work Here Is Done: Visions of a Robot Economy’ examined how gender is assigned to machines in the workplace. Researchers found that ‘male' robots are thought to be better at repairing technical devices while 'female' robots are thought to be more suited to domestic and caring services.

In other words: people with gendered ideas make robots that conform to gender norms, which then perpetuates existing stereotypes.

As long as these norms go unchallenged, and robots are designed to fulfil perceived gender roles (has anyone yet talked about a male 'sex robot'?) this vicious cycle will continue.

Inventor Douglas Hines with his True Companion sex robot 

But it doesn't have to be this way. What if the people programming and designing these robots didn’t have such stereotypical views? What if they used this amazing new platform to defy gender stereotypes, and rather than serving as a poor reflection on society, instead inspired us to look at ourselves in new ways?

It’s a nice thought. But as long as manufacturers stand to make a profit from robotics, and see these types of characterisations as a means to creating more humanised, relatable machines that sell better, not much is going to change.

At the 2016 AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science - the world's largest scientific society) annual meeting, Yale ethicist Wendell Wallach spoke of his concerns about AI. He said: “There’s a need for more concerted action to keep technology a good servant - and not let it become a dangerous monster.”

While codes exist to guide the creation of machines, the lack of law in place means that time and effort is being ploughed into manufacturing and programming, and no one is thinking twice about the effects this will have on living and breathing humans. Being cautious isn’t sexy in the business of technology - and it rarely comes with financial rewards.

Whitby urged us to act now, before it’s too late. “We need to have these discussions instead of waking up one day when robot companions are normal and question whether it was a good idea or not," he says.


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And as this kind of technology is rolled out around the world, he had a stark warning about where the democratisation of technology is taking us: “How would you feel about your ex boyfriend getting a robot that looked exactly like you, just in order to beat it up every night?”

It’s a shocking idea, isn’t it? On the one hand, it’s a machine - it isn’t you. But then, it is you, because it stands for you, and who you are.

Whitby added: “I mean, it might be alright, it might mean he can be calmer and more normal with you - think about Aristotle’s theory of catharsis. But we really haven’t discussed this as a society. We’re drifting towards it and the technology is very close to being available, but we just aren’t talking about it.”

It’s time we started having these conversations, before those oft quoted science fiction dystopias become a nightmarish reality.

How can decent Muslims be held accountable for the wicked few?

Judith Woods 25 MAY 2017 • 7:45PM

 Members of the Muslim community attend a candlelit vigil, to honour the victims of Monday evening's Manchester terror attack

Armed soldiers at Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Downing Street; a shocking sight to some but not to anyone who grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, when squaddies patrolled our streets, their semi-automatic rifles resting on one shoulder.

Does placing the nation on a critical threat footing and deploying troops at iconic landmarks make us feel more protected or less safe? Both, however contradictory that sounds. But we live in deeply conflicted times.

In the terrible wake of the Manchester Arena horror, amid the churn of anguish, the unplumbable depths of sadness and bereavement has come an outpouring of animosity towards Muslims and a reported spike in hate crimes.

People stop to observe a minute's silence in St Ann's Square, Manchester

Quite apart from being illegal, it’s illogical, irrational and bigoted. Adding insult to injury only ever results in more, different injuries. How can anyone expect the ordinary decent many to be held accountable for the wicked, warped few? What does burning the door of a mosque or yelling abuse at a veiled woman achieve?

Nothing, apart from the twisted objective of extremists, whose stated aim is to foment hatred and schism and civil war so they might rebuild broken Western societies in their barbaric image.

This week Fawzi Haffar, trustee of the Manchester Islamic Centre in Didsbury, spoke with fierce eloquence when he condemned this “evil crime of epic proportions”.

Then he added: “But let’s also be clear about this – why do we then have to stand up and say: ‘we apologise’? It’s not my fault. It’s not the fault of the religion.

“We’re sick of having to apologise and being the first to condemn it. What more can we do? Tell me what more can we do?”

I understand that outrage, that helplessness. I am from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, where I was defined by my religion; back then you could instantly tell from a person’s face whether they were Catholic or Protestant, one of us or one of them.

A march to Cappagh, Co Tyrone, last month commemorating the 30th anniversary of the shooting dead of eight IRA members and bystander Anthony Hughes in an SAS ambush in Loughgall, Co Armagh. 

As a child, no-go areas for each religion seemed perfectly normal; the clue was whether kerbstones were painted green, white and orange or red, white and blue. We walked through “their” estates at our peril; if we were only subjected to stone throwing and name calling we got off lightly.

In my teens I was beaten up by a former primary school classmate and as soon as I left to go to university my faith became public property. I would be asked my religion almost daily, but never my politics.

That pat assumption was made without the need for further interrogation; if I was Catholic I was Republican and Republican meant pro-IRA.

As a result, I would regularly find myself lambasted or lauded according to my interlocutor’s politics, not my own.  The truth was I wasn’t Republican and I felt nothing but revulsion for the terrible crimes being ostensibly carried out “in my name”.

But private feelings weren't enough. Those around me expected - demanded - public denunciation. Whenever an atrocity was carried out, particularly on the mainland, again and again I would be required to explain myself -  condemning the perpetrators and defending my religion against aspersions.

Members of the army join police officers outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after Scotland Yard announced armed troops will be deployed to guard "key locations"

Yes I am a Catholic, no I am a Unionist, yes that is unusual, but real life is far more nuanced than the standard narratives would have you believe.

This whole oft-repeated rigmarole was taxing and tiresome and egregiously unfair. Why was I suddenly expected to represent my religion?

It wasn’t a role I chose, I just happened to be a Northern Irish Catholic and, although unqualified to give anything but my own personal opinion, so was treated as a religious spokesperson.

So, I entirely empathise and sympathise with British Muslims who feel intimidated, disheartened - exasperated - by the covert intimations and overt accusations that, amid suspicions of guilt by association, it is their duty to prove their innocence.

I recall the sense of shame I felt after every IRA bomb blast and shame is a hard emotion to live with. Members of the Libyan community in Manchester interviewed in these past days have talked in just those terms.

So what are they to do? I believe the onus is on imams and leaders like Haffar to be vocal, unequivocal in their ongoing condemnation of violence and their implacability towards extremism.

Irfan Chishti speaks during a multi-faith vigil outside the Town Hall in Manchester

During the Troubles, with a few fine exceptions, the Catholic clergy were at best supine and at worst downright complicit; at my own church, the priest asked the congregation to pray for the souls of “those poor dear boys gunned down in cold blood by the occupying forces”.

He omitted to mention the fact that the poor dear boys had been driving a car filled with explosive into the barracks at the time. My entire family stood up and walked out of the church. Nobody followed.

It’s impossible to make a stand like that every day, to pluck the sleeve of every passing stranger begging for collective forgiveness. After the Westminster attack, Muslim women formed a human chain across the bridge to demonstrate their solidarity with the victims.

Must they stand there every day, expiating crimes they did not commit, just so the rest of their faith can go about their business in peace? I think there are some who will only be satisfied once they do just that.

Religious leaders must make that statement for them, over and over if necessary, until the naysayers appear ridiculous when they question where British Muslims’ allegiances lie. It is their responsibility.

Those opposed to British foreign policy (an opinion by no means confined to Muslims) are free to do so and can make their views known at the ballot box; the intolerant, the inadequates and the brainwashed who would resort to the bullet, the bomb packed with ball bearings have no place here.

Terrorism feeds off alienation and disaffection. Which is why we – all of us – must treat one another with kindness, with respect and a shared sense of purpose. To do otherwise is to play into the hands of those who would slaughter and maim our children.

Interpol red notice issued for former Panama president

 May 25, 2017

Ricardo Martinelli

By Kenneth Rijock

MIAMI, USA -- Multiple reports from Panama, including case numbers, confirm that an Interpol 'Red Notice' has been issued for the fugitive former president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, who faces at least a dozen criminal charges, including the operation of an illegal electronic surveillance program, where he spied upon prominent Panamanians. This means that he is subject to arrest, and removal, to Panama.

The Red Notice was issued notwithstanding that Martinelli has been the subject of an outstanding extradition request since September, 2016, and has been living openly in Miami. 

For some unknown reason, the US State Department has ignored Panamanian demands, raising questions about whether he is cooperating with US law enforcement or intelligence agencies, and if those agencies have interfered with Martinelli's extradition petition, which was filed at State.

Rumors continue to fly around his native country that he may actually run for vice president, or mayor of Panama City, while facing serious criminal charges.

Kenneth Rijock is a banking lawyer turned-career money launderer (10 years), turned-compliance officer specialising in enhanced due diligence, and a financial crime consultant who publishes a Financial Crime Blog. The Laundry Man, his autobiography, was published in the UK on 5 July 2012.