Kate Middleton & William Sidelined by Posh & Becks

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After all the Royal Wedding fever has died down and with the patter of a little baby Posh on the way, it would seem that the royal couple have been sidelined…

A new survey by House Exchange, the mutual exchange website for social housing tenants, reveals that nearly twice as many Brits said they would rather swap homes and lives with David and Victoria Beckham (13%) than with Kate Middleton and Prince William (7%). The poll shows that it is in fact the glamorous jet-setting lifestyle of the Beckhams that us Brits really hanker after rather than the down to earth, low-key approach favoured by Kate and Wills.

The British public, however, were quite happy to move into some rather Royal properties with Buckingham Palace (12%) and Warwick Castle (10%) coming top of the list of famous House Exchanges, closely followed by Monica’s flat in friends (9%) and Mum and Dad’s House (5%).

The survey results also show that many people are happy in their current homes, especially the over 55s, of which more than half (55%) said they wouldn’t want to swap homes. This is in direct contrast to the 16-24 age group, where only 19% were happy to stay were they were.

Kim Doran, House Exchange Manager, said: “Young people often struggle to find their ideal home due to high rents and difficult lending conditions. However, the situation is much bleaker for social housing tenants who are not on the property ladder. We estimate nearly 500,000 of the UK’s 3.9 million social housing tenants would like to move home but can’t.

“They end up stuck on transfer lists for years and this is why we have developed House Exchange, a mutual house exchange database for social housing tenants anywhere in the UK.”

The House Exchange website currently has around 70,000 properties listed around the UK and makes around 1,000 successful swaps per month. Over half the social housing tenants that sign up have been trying to move for more than two years, yet 80% of tenants using House Exchange find their perfect match within six months, and many move within only six weeks.

House Exchange boasts two exciting features to make it easier for tenants to find their perfect match.

Three way swap

If tenants can’t find a direct swap, they can find a third property to complete the house exchange. A three way home swap is a good way of completing more house exchanges. It also helps more people move into homes that are appropriate for their needs.

Real-time matching

House Exchange matches all properties instantly. This means that when a perfect property match is found, tenants are notified immediately by email.

Visit House Exchange at www.houseexchange.org.uk

Frost Interviews: Angelina Jolie

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angelinajolieFrost loves Angelina Jolie, she’s talented and open, an amazing mother and a brilliant role model. For her searing honesty, read on….

On Brad Pitt: I met this amazing person, and we realized we had very similar views on how we wanted to live our lives. It’s happened quickly, with so many children. Yesterday, picking up the kids from school, Brad turned around in the car, and there were three of them. He couldn’t stop laughing. We love them and are having a great time.

On Brad with the kids:
“I keep telling Brad he owes me. He’s had a few months off in one of the most beautiful cities in the world with the children. And he’s such an artist and goes to the stone yards and the art exhibits, and loves being in such a cultural place.”

On her busy schedule: “I love it. I like being active, I love being busy and answering a lot of questions. And the children, well, that’s not work. It never is. They are always a pleasure.”

On being open with the media:
I like being able to be really honest. I’ll share everything always because it’s what I want. It helps me continue to do my work that way. And I’ve got nothing to hide and I like sharing with people and I like it when people come up to me and tell me things about themselves. So I’ll never change. And of course there are always going to be things that sound weird or aren’t explained so it’ll probably just get worse, but that’s okay.

On visiting Iraq: Well I came to the region about 6 months ago, I first went to Syria because I work with U.N.H.C.R. and there are 1.5 million refugees in Syria alone from Iraq and while I was there, I went inside and met with some internally displaced people. And this trip is to get a better picture of the internally displaced people and to discuss with the local government, with our government, with the NGOs and with local people, the situation and try to understand what is happening, because there are over 2 million internally displaced people and there doesn’t seem to be a real coherent plan to help them and there’s lots of good will and lot’s of discussion –but there seem to be a lot of uh — just a lot of talk at the moment and a lot of pieces need to be put together. So, trying to figure out what they are.

On plastic surgery: “I haven’t had anything done and I don’t think I will. But if it makes somebody happy then that’s up to them. I’m not in somebody else’s skin to know what makes them feel better about themselves. But I don’t plan to do it myself.”

On nudity: The thing is, [if] it’s important to the film. I never did one before because I thought I had to. It’s not a big deal to be naked. I think it’s a bigger deal to be emotionally naked. I think a woman’s breasts are a woman’s breasts; they don’t freak me out or shock me. It’s just not a big deal. I think it’s appropriate to the story.

On why she acts “I desperately need to communicate with people through films. It’s why I’m alive.”

On her first time working with Johnny Depp: “It turns out we are both a bit reclusive. . .That’s why our paths had never crossed — neither of us attends many parties or goes out very much. Neither of us seems to take ourselves too seriously. And maybe there’s something about being in a place in your life where your family is so central to you that you have a good perspective on it all . . . We got together as families . . . Brad, Vanessa and all the kids; that was lovely. Just family stuff.”

Pippa Middleton likes it fresh from Le Pain Quotidien

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Photo by: Barcroft/Fame Pictures

Pippa Middleton was spotted this week grabbing a fresh orange juice from organic bakery and patisserie, Le Pain Quotidien, in London. The girl-of-the-moment chose to pick up the refreshing drink, full of vitamin C, to take-out as a healthy option to maintain her enviable figure.

G8: Governments Move To Crack Down on Internet Freedoms but Zuckerberg Issues Warning

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It was the opening day of the G8 summit today and one of the main issues on the agenda will be the future of the internet. Governments will discuss how and whether it’s possible to regulate and censor the internet.

Governments have become increasingly worried. China now operates a huge firewall which blocks any internet site with an anti-government line. The power of the internet was evidenced during the Arab spring, where social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, were major factors in causing uprisings and toppling regimes.

The talks also follow the super injunction scandal and British legal crisis. Thousands defied the law and defended the right to free speech using the websites twitter, including a many celebrities such as Dom Jolly, Piers Morgan and Boy George. Even now lawyers may seek to prosecute them. The situation has government’s worried and they may try and clamp down on internet freedoms in the future. This might start with certain regulations on companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook.

Today Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg warned against any attempt to regulate the internet. He said any interference would damage the internet’s power to spread freedom.

Google leader Eric Schmidt said any regulation wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of technology, ‘Technology will move faster than governments, so don’t legislate until you understand the consequences.

J’s thoughts

Whatever the outcome, it is all our duty to defend the right to free speech. The internet is the defining feature of our generation. It is wonderful in many ways and it has done a great deal of good for democracy, knowledge and dare I say peace. It has its darker sides of course but so does any product of humanity.

At some point some our governments will try and control the internet. They will twist it, manipulate it and use it as means to control us. In some cases like China it is already too late. It is all our jobs to stop this from happening.

 

Hillary Clinton Launches "Muslim Civilization" Science Exhibition

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Opening May 27th at the California Science Center with a Special Message

Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, Hillary Clinton, launched an award-winning exhibition about scientific achievements from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization, with a special video message at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The 1001 Inventions exhibition, which has attracted more than 1 million visitors over the past year during an international tour, opened for a VIP launch day on May 25th attended by LA County Sheriff Lee Baca and Ambassadors from LA-based foreign consulates.

In her pre-recorded message, Secretary Clinton praised the work of the 1001 Inventions initiative for “celebrating a millennium of science and innovation in the Muslim world,” and described the launch of the exhibition as “an exciting day.”

Mrs. Clinton remarked that “the Muslim world has a proud history of innovators” and highlighted the achievements of pioneers like Fatima Al-Fihri, who founded the world’s first modern university, and master engineer Al-Jazari, who created the crank mechanisms that drive every plane, train and automobile on the planet.

Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, Chairman of 1001 Inventions, commented, “We’re honored that Secretary Clinton agreed to launch our exhibition here at one of the most prestigious science museums in the world. California Science Center has an international reputation for excellence in providing engaging and entertaining science experiences for young and old alike.

“The goal of 1001 Inventions is to highlight the astounding contribution that Muslim civilization has made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and how those advances still affect our lives today. More than a million people have already visited the 1001 Inventions exhibition during the first year of its global tour and that is the greatest endorsement we could ever hope for.”

The 1001 Inventions exhibition is currently on a five-year global tour, sponsored by ALJ Community Initiatives. Following blockbuster runs in London, Istanbul and New York, it will open to the public at the California Science Center, in Los Angeles, on May 27, 2011 for a seven-month run. The exhibition explores the scientific contributions made by men and women during the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization. Through interactive displays, guests will explore basic science principles that are often taken for granted, in such fields as optics, time-keeping, hydraulics, navigation, architecture and mathematics.

1001 Inventions highlights the contributions of scholars from a diverse region stretching from Spain through China during the 7th to 17th centuries. Visitors will discover how scholars from this region, of various faiths and cultures, preserved, nurtured, and advanced the world’s knowledge in science and technology.

The 1001 Inventions exhibition was recently crowned “Best Touring Exhibition” of the year at the annual Museums and Heritage Excellence Awards in London – considered by many to be the “Oscars” of the Museum world – fighting off stiff competition from some of the world’s biggest names in exhibitions.

Full Text of Secretary Clinton’s Speech

I’m delighted to send greetings to each of you at this year’s 1001 Inventions, celebrating a millennium of science and innovation in the Muslim world. This exhibition honors the remarkable accomplishments of Muslims throughout history. From a woman who founded a University in the ninth century, to a thirteenth century inventor and mechanical engineer, to a surgeon whose writings influenced European medicine for hundreds of years, and so many more.

And of course, we’re looking at the impact of technology in the Muslim world right now as young people throughout the Middle East and North Africa find new ways to use social networking to get organized and to express their aspirations. Connection technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity. A platform through which everyone, from farmers to students to entrepreneurs, can exchange ideas and hatch plans for the world’s next great invention.

But technology does not decide the future. People do. So as this exhibition shows, the Muslim world has a proud history of innovators. Now is the time to tap in to that legacy to harness the power of science and technology, and to create new pathways to prosperity. This is an exciting day and thank you for letting me share it with you.

Actress and model Danielle Lineker spearheads Four Paws campaign

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Actress and model Danielle Lineker spearheads Four Paws campaign to ban battery cages for farmed rabbits in the UK

Up to 1 million rabbits are often confined in tiny cages before being slaughtered

Danielle Lineker is spearheading a Four Paws animal charity campaign to ban battery cages for farmed rabbits in the UK.

Many people in Britain are completely unaware that so many rabbits are suffering in terrible conditions before they end up in a pet food tin or on a dinner plate. Farmed rabbits are being kept in barren cages in similar conditions to factory farmed battery hens. Hundreds of rabbits may be housed in rows of tiny wire cages in windowless sheds. They have little room to move, no daylight and usually nothing to chew or gnaw on except the bars of the cage. The boredom and stress can lead to the development of abnormal repetitive behaviours and the wire flooring can cause painful sores on the rabbits’ feet. This is the everyday life for some rabbits kept in battery cages across Britain. Barren cages for hens will be illegal from 2012 but there are currently no such plans to end their use for rabbits.

A FOUR PAWS investigation has exposed the hidden truth behind farmed rabbit battery cages in the UK. Investigators visited several UK farms and were shocked by what they found – cramped, dark, inadequate housing systems where animals are kept hidden away.

It’s estimated that between 250 000 and one million rabbits are reared for meat in the UK each year. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) does not publish any statistics on rabbit farming, and there is no commercial body representing the UK rabbit farming industry, so accurate data is currently not available.

Danielle Lineker and Four Paws are calling on the Government to phase out the keeping of farmed rabbits in cages and to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds the UK rabbit farming industry. Four Paws wants key statistics and information made publicly available. Four Paws is very concerned that rabbit factory farming is continuing to grow in the UK.

Actress and model Danielle Lineker says: “It’s Rabbit Awareness Week so let’s do all we can to help these beautiful and intelligent creatures by supporting a campaign that helps to protect them from suffering. It’s appalling that rabbits on UK farms are imprisoned in these barren wire cages that fail to meet even their most basic welfare needs. Rabbits need freedom of movement and opportunities to express natural behaviours such as foraging for food and digging in the earth. Rabbits are popular companion animals and most people would be horrified to learn that these gentle creatures are being kept in these conditions. I support a call to ban all battery cages for UK farmed rabbits.”

Angelique Davies, Head of Programs at Four Paws, said: “Many people would be shocked to learn that rabbits can legally be kept in tiny barren cages that severely restrict their movement and natural behaviour. Legal protection for farmed rabbits is woefully inadequate. British people feel strongly about animal welfare and we believe the majority of people would agree that keeping rabbits in cramped barren cages can no longer be tolerated. We must join together in calling on the Government to end the keeping of farmed rabbits in cages.”

www.four-paws.org.uk

AUNG SAN SUU KYI RECORDS MESSAGE FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S 50TH BIRTHDAY

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The world’s best known political prisoner pays tribute to the world’s largest human rights organisation and looks forward to the day Amnesty no longer exists

Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organisation, is celebrating 50 years of work on Saturday 28 May 2011. In a message to Amnesty International, Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s iconic pro-democracy leader who was released last year after having spent 15 of the last 20 years under house arrest, paid tribute to the work that Amnesty had done over the last half a century and said how happy she will be when there is no longer any need for such an organisation.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said:

“I wish, on this 50th anniversary of Amnesty International, that its work will continue to be so successful, that there will no longer be any need for such an organisation.

“So I hope that we shall be able to cooperate together to bring about this sad, this happy day when Amnesty International no longer needs to carry on its work. “

Aung San Suu Kyi went on to talk about her early awareness of the organisation, and how she became increasingly aware of its importance when she herself became the focus of Amnesty’s campaigning.

Aung San Suu Kyi, said:

“The work that Amnesty International has done for all those who are suffering as prisoners of conscience is great – all over the world.

“I was quite young when I first learned about Amnesty International and was struck by the fact that it had been founded simply because one thinking man had read about the arrest of two young students in Portugal. One man in the UK decided because of what had happened to two young men in Portugal, that there was a need for such an organisation as Amnesty International.

“From that day I have harboured great respect for the organisation and after I was placed under house arrest and many of my colleagues were imprisoned for their political beliefs, my appreciation for Amnesty International increased by the day.”

Amnesty was started in London, in 1961, when British barrister Peter Benenson read an article about two Portuguese students who had been arrested for raising a “toast to freedom”. In the 1960s, Portugal was one of the remaining European colonial powers in Africa, ruled by the authoritarian Estado Novo regime. Anti-regime conspiracies were vigorously repressed by the Portuguese state police and deemed anti-Portuguese. The simple toast was deemed insurgent and a challenge to the government and the two were sent to prison.

Benenson wrote an article entitled ‘The Forgotten Prisoners’, in which he highlighted the plight of similar prisoners who had been jailed around the world for peacefully expressing their views. In an impassioned plea, he coined the term ‘prisoner of conscience’ and called for like-minded people across the world to unite in an appeal for amnesty on their behalf. The response was immense, and within weeks Amnesty International, a coordinated movement of ordinary people standing up for justice, had been born.

Today Amnesty has more than three million supporters, members and activists working at the forefront of human rights issues in more than 150 countries and territories across the globe. Amnesty’s purpose is to protect people when their human rights are denied, calling for an end to the discrimination, persecution and harassment that individuals face.

Aung San Suu Kyi, said:

“Basic to the strength of Amnesty International is the fact that so many ordinary people from so many countries in the world have been persuaded to take part in its work.

“The letters written by ordinary housewives, by school children, by retired people, by active young businessmen – all over the world – for the rights of those who have been imprisoned, makes a great difference.

“One single postcard means a lot, and it’s this kind of idea; that great things start from small beginnings – that has made Amnesty International such an unusual and such a globally relevant organisation.”

Speaking from Rangoon, wearing her trade-mark huge, bright flower in her hair, the political leader known simply as “The Lady” by her Burmese supporters, looked straight into the camera and smiled as she said what a happy, sad day the end of Amnesty would mark for the world. She acknowledged how vital Amnesty had been in conveying the dire situation of human rights in Burma, and asked that Burma is not neglected after the elections last November.

Aung San Suu Kyi, concluded:

“We should be sorry not to be in touch anymore with all those people who have made this such a very, very valuable organisation, but we should also be very happy when we know that there is no need for Amnesty International any more.”

For more information about Amnesty’s work; past, present and future, and to obtain a copy of the message from Aung San Suu Kyi, contact the press office.

Pefect Wine For Father's Day

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Unsure what to get your father for Father’s Day? Frost has done the (ahem) hard work and tested a collection of wine that would make a great Father’s Day present. If you’re feeling generous, buy a few….

– Nottage Hill Pinot Noir: A fruity, refreshing wine. It’s quite sweet and really takes the edge off a hard day! Sweet flavours of cherry and strawberry with hints of mint and fennel are complemented by spicy notes and sweet cigar box oak characters. Perfect with an oriental menu or thoroughly enjoyable with roast duck. RRP £6.73.

– Kumala Cabernet Shiraz: Perfect if your father likes chocolate. It’s a good, rich wine.and tastes good with red meat. A rich nuttiness follows through on the palette, with a lingering aftertaste with a touch of chocolate. The wine will make a perfect partner to fillet steaks, lamb chops and hearty stews. RRP£6.79.

– Kumala Sauvignon Blanc: A refreshing white wine that is citrus and tropical fruit flavors with very aromatic notes of green chilies, herbs, asparagus and gooseberries. It really hits the spot. A light-bodied, dry wine with hints of gooseberry and lime on the nose. Floral, crisp, pungent fruit on the palate with good concentration and length. Perfect with meats and seafood. RRP£6.79.

– Fish Hoek Sauvignon Blanc: Some wines taste too acidic. This one doesn’t – with no bad aftertaste. One of my favorites. Attractive New World mouth-filling style. Tropical fruit salad spiked with a sweet and sour twist of lime mingles with a good green fig and nettle intensity. On the palate, there are hints of gooseberry, a nice acidity and a lovely lingering aftertaste – made for easy quaffing. This is a wine that can be sipped, but will also lend itself beautifully to seafood, light poultry dishes and salads. RRP£6.99.