‘Clients have to sign a contract, with the words “Agreement” in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, “that is, my immortal soul.” ‘

’ “If they don’t give it back, what can you do? They won’t have a soul, that’s all,” he told Reuters in a basement office, with one desk, a computer and three chairs.’

‘For more than two years a small group of experts have claimed that Operation Ore, the police inquiry into thousands of British men, was tainted because the database at the centre of the investigation contained evidence of widespread credit card fraud. Their allegations will be tested for the first time in the appeal court within weeks, when a judge examines a test case that could expose a huge miscarriage of justice, lawyers say.’

‘Chris Saltrese, the solicitor representing the convicted man, Anthony O’Shea, said: “If his appeal is successful the convictions of others for the same offence will fall too. We are talking in the hundreds and we say this is a huge miscarriage of justice.”

An estimated 39 men have killed themselves as a result of being arrested and prosecuted during the Ore inquiry, and the details of every individual who was convicted or cautioned have been placed on the sex offenders register.’

‘Contestants will ponder whether to believe or not to believe when they pit their godless convictions against the possibilities of a new relationship with the almighty on Penitents Compete (Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor in Turkish), to be broadcast by the Kanal T station. Four spiritual guides from the different religions will seek to convert at least one of the 10 atheists in each programme to their faith.

Those persuaded will be rewarded with a pilgrimage to the spiritual home of their newly chosen creed – Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for Christians and Jews, and Tibet for Buddhists.’

‘An Indian court today decriminalised homosexuality – but only in the country’s capital, Delhi.’

‘Major technical upgrades would be required for mobile broadband providers to even keep basic records of websites visited, said T-Mobile data protection chief Martin Hoskins.

“We’ve got no legitimate business reason to do that, so we don’t,” he told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Privacy, which is investigating the government’s Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP).’

‘In his evidence, Hoskins echoed the concerns of fixed-line ISPs - reported here - that the technology to carry out such data harvesting does not exist.

“Somehow we would be required to open up proprietory communications protocols,” he said. “We’re not sure that can be done.” ‘

‘Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another.

The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination.’

‘Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) were once native to South America. But people have unintentionally introduced the ants to all continents except Antarctica.’

(Via My Sentiments Exactly.)

’ During a study, the animals were shown footage of a trained chimp combining two components to construct a tool that enabled it to reach a food reward.

When given the same two components, the chimps made their own tools and used them to drag over a tasty treat.’

‘Under the sea, fish are growing abnormally large ear bones - and it’s all our fault.’

‘At some point this year, with a bit of luck and a good following wind, the new policing and crime bill should finally become law. This is the bill that proposes to change the way we deal with prostitution in this country, creating a new offence of buying sex from a person who has been “subject to force” and doing away with the archaic and offensive term “common prostitute” to describe those, mainly women, who are caught persistently soliciting.’

Afghan gang smuggled in compatriots to live and work in pizza takeaways | Guardian

‘The smuggled Afghans often lived above the shops sleeping on rugs and fed on pizza until their debts were cleared by baking and delivering pizzas. They earned as little as £150 a week, while their typical debt to the ring was £5,000.’

Comment on the Cif Article by ‘MozP’:

‘Can you imagine the hue and cry if all the customers of this store were arrested and charged with an offence because their pizza was delivered by someone ‘controlled for gain’? It is completely unthinkable.’