Robots demonstrate their pole-dancing skills at the Kinetica Art Fair in London.
Source: BBC Day in Pictures
Joe Walker has another odd BBC photo.

About a month ago, a charming young woman named Cerrie Burnell (at right) became a presenter (host) on the BBC children’s TV show CBeebies. She has proved a very controversial choice, for the BBC soon received complaints from parents that Ms Burnell was scaring their toddlers.
How exactly does she scare children? It’s her appearance: [...]

A courageous Turkish father has sued the Education Ministry for inciting racial hatred after his 11-year-old daughter watched a film disputing claims that Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against its Armenian citizens in 1915. The film, shown in schools across the country, presents brutally graphic images and alleges that Armenians carried out atrocities against Turks.
The [...]

A new study has found that the probability of teenage motherhood is related to mandatory educational attainment. The longer students are required to stay in school, the lower the incidence of teenage child-bearing.
More compulsory schooling results in fewer teenage pregnancies. This is shown in a major survey carried out recently at the Norwegian School [...]

The latest issue of Relevant magazine carries a fascinating story on Mickey Rourke, who has won several awards for his role as Randy “Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler. As a child, Rourke attended the Catholic Church until his parents split when he was six. At 17, he returned to the church but, although [...]

The president of Tajikistan presumes to give Muslim clerics pointers in good grooming.  Among his sartorial tips: Dress “appropriately”; wear a suit and tie; and, by all means, wash and trim those mangy beards.
Speaking at a conference in Dushanbe on February 26 attended by religious leaders and scholars, President Emomali Rahmon said religious figures should [...]

Over three weeks ago, a small group of hooligans shouted down a pro-life presentation at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax.
The university issued a statement defending its decision to cave to mob rule by requiring the speaker and those interested in hearing what he had to say to move off campus.  The presentation continued at a nearby [...]

The collect for today, the commemoration of George Herbert (1593-1633), Priest, Poet (source):
King of glory, king of peace,
who didst call thy servant George Herbert
from the pursuit of worldly honours
to be a priest in the temple of his God and king:
grant us also the grace to offer ourselves
with singleness of heart in humble obedience to thy [...]

Didn’t Stephen Harper used to be a conservative?
The Harper government wants to set up a $3 billion “stimulus” slush fund, which the prime minister defends by quoting John Maynard Keynes.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed there are some long-term risks associated with the stimulus package — but he cited a famous economist to argue that the [...]

Last June, the Cambridgeshire Constabulary set up a helpline for issues related to honour-based violence and forced marriage. An average of 30 calls per month have been received, resulting in 61 investigations.
Chief Constable Julie Spence gives a few examples of calls to the hotline:

contact from women as young as 14 fearful of being [...]

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov last month launched his personal blog and ordered his ministers to do likewise. However, the PM seems to have some issues with a common blog feature— comments.
Since the launch, his blog has received thousands of comments, many of them critical of the government. So far so good.
But the [...]

The Madagascan Christian Council of churches has given up its attempt to mediate an agreement in the political conflict between President Marc Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina. Three days of meetings produced no progress and the two sides are deadlocked, said Catholic Archbishop Odon Razanakolona.
Immediately following that announcement, Mr Rajoelina’s supporters resumed street [...]

Ofsted, the British government’s education watchdog, has made an astonishing discovery.
Back to basics discipline in school would curb bad behaviour
[…]
Traditional rules such as banning children with shaven heads and those wearing designer trainers or gang colours have proved effective in maintaining order at the best comprehensives, according to a report by Ofsted.
[…]
The report examined how [...]

Immediately after his inauguration, President Barack Obama appealed to the Muslim world to “initiate a new partnership” with the United States “based on mutual respect and mutual interest”.
So, how’s that going so far?  Not well, as Charles Colson points out.
Egyptians were wildly supportive of Obama’s victory, seeing him as a symbol of justice.
But then came [...]

Recent Muslim attacks on Christians in Bauchi State, Nigeria, killed 14 people and forced 4500 to flee their homes. The state government waited five days before offering relief materials to internally displaced persons. That aid has now been refused and refugees are demanding that the governor pay them a personal visit.
Lamenting bitterly, the [...]