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Atheists, secularists, and supporters of free speech rallied in London today to protest what they feel is an "increased confidence of Islamists to censor free expression publicly". Around 200 people gathered on the steps of the memorial to King George V in Old Palace Yard opposite the House of Lords in Westminster. Anne Marie Waters from the 'One Law for All' group, which protests against sharia law in the United Kingdom, said that freedom of expression was "the greatest freedom we have" and included "the freedom to offend". Accusations of Is

__NOTOC__ Standard & Poor's downgraded Egypt's currency rating for the second time in four months based on the country's shorfall in foreign reserves and shaky political transition. It's the latest development for a nation facing mounting economic diffuclties. Egypt's foreign reserves fell by over 50 percent last year to about US$16 billion. Egypt has requested US$3.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund to bolster its reserves and prevent a devalation but that could take months. Experts say that Egypt's problem of attracting foreign

A judge in Germany has ordered a man from Kosovo to be jailed for life for carrying out the "first Islamic-motivated terror attack" within the country. Arid Uka, 22, killed two US Air Force (USAF) men and wounded two more in a gun attack on their bus in Frankfurt. He was convicted today. Uka, a Kosovan who has lived in Germany since he was four, worked in Frankfurt Airport's mail room. He became attracted to Islamic radicalism in a matter of months and would later cite a video appearing to show US soldiers raping women in Afghanistan as his mo

Karen Handel, who was vice president of public policy for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, resigned yesterday, one week after the organization took flak for its decision not to fund Planned Parenthood. At her announcement, Handel criticized Planned Parenthood for leading an "orchestrated, clearly pre-meditated attack on Komen." The Komen Foundation is known for raising awareness of breast cancer and for its funding of breast cancer screening. Handel was a former Republican candidate for governor in the state of Georgia where she took a pro-life s

The cold weather across Europe has already claimed around 400 lives, and cold temperatures there could last another week, according to forecasters. The weather in Europe has been caused by the "negative Arctic oscillation," whereby the warmer weather of Europe and the colder weather of the Arctic are switched, said Omar Baddour of the UN's World Meteorological Organization. Ukraine has reported the highest number of deaths now at 135. Many among the high death toll across the region were homeless people. Some villages in Bosnia are receiving

A neologism coined in advice columnist Dan Savage's column Savage Love in response to comments made by former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum about homosexuality has gained prominence during the ongoing election cycle in the United States. After Santorum spoke out against LGBT rights in the United States in 2003, readers of Savage’s column voted to define the word "santorum" as "the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex." The prominence of this term's association with Santorum, a current candidat

The United Nations Security Council did not pass a resolution supporting Arab League actions pursuing peace in Syria. The resolution was vetoed by Council Permanent Members Russia and China. This is the second time in the past four months that a resolution to control violence in Syria has been vetoed by Russia and China. All of the other members of the Security Council voted for the resolution. The Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Loulichki who sponsored the resolution said that he was "frustrated and sad" that it did not pass. United States ambas

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has announced it will continue to fund breast cancer screening and educational programming on breast health run by fellow US-charity Planned Parenthood and its affiliates. This news comes shortly after Komen announced it would cut funding to Planned Parenthood due to an ongoing investigation. Komen has changed its internal criteria for grant funding. Previously, it would not support any organization under investigation of any kind; now it says it will only cut support if the investigation involved is "criminal and c

Mark Nathaniel Anderson, a 16 year-old resident of New Chapel Hill, Texas entered into a plea agreement today relating to the shooting death of his sister. The boy stands accused of killing his 19 year-old sister in their home in September 2010. Autopsy reports showed the woman died from 4 gunshot wounds to the head. He was sentenced to serve a 20-year prison sentence by Judge Jack Skeen, Jr. in the 241st District Court in Tyler; reports note that he will receive credit for time served. The prosecuting attorney noted during proceedings today

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has stopped funding breast cancer screening and educational programming on breast health run by fellow US-charity Planned Parenthood and its affiliates. The Komen institute cites an ongoing investigation, while Planned Parenthood blame political pressures. Planned Parenthood received nearly $700,000 from the Komen Foundation last year alone. In the last five years, the funding from the foundation has granted 170,000 women breast exams. Leslie Aun, a spokesperson for the Komen Foundation, said the organization ad

An elementary school teacher of 30 years was arrested Monday in Los Angeles, California on the charge of 23 counts listed in the arrest warrant of performing a "lewd act on a child". The bail for Mark Berndt, 61, was raised from $2.3 million, which is $100,000 per count, to $23 million today. The original bail amount had been a mistake, said a spokesperson for the district attorney. Authorities were tipped off by a photographic developer. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office said it had investigated and surveilled the teacher for almost a

Spokespersons for New York City Police Department [NYPD] and Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations [UN], Thursday released statements confirming a police seizure of a shipment of two bags, containing sixteen kilograms of cocaine, at the mail intake centre for the United Nations Headquarters on January 16. The shipment consisted of fourteen hollowed-out books with the cocaine inside, according to ABC News Australia. Although the shipment, which had been sent from Mexico City, Mexico via Cincinnati, Ohio, had no addresses or names