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And it’s all animal-products and alcohol-free! which to many of you would sound like a great thing as we are all so environmentally conscious these days.

Halal meat for Muslims has been readily available in the UK for years, but now a business woman has gone a step further by launching a range of halal make-up. The cosmetics – which includes everything from lipstick to eyeliner and blusher – are made in strict accordance with Islamic law, using plant extracts and minerals instead of alcohol and animal products.

The business was started by a muslim lady named Samina Akhter living in the UK. Samina, who runs the business from her home in Birmingham, started importing the make-up from Australia six months ago.  She now has more than 500 customers as well as interest from America and Indonesia. The cosmetics are shipped in from Australia and certified by the independent Halal Certification Authority Australia. Prices range from lipsticks for £8 to full make-up packs for £65.

Samina Pure make-up is the first company in the UK to sell halal certified make-up however I think Annita Roddick of The Body Shop got in first with the animal-friendly cosmetic range…

Popularity: 7% [?]

Just while there’s a slight lull in the self-righteous screams of a few posturing Americans over the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in May, shall we at this point remind President Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder of a little incident called the ‘Bhopal Disaster’ in India back in 1984…?

Maybe this has slipped the minds of a few American executives – but this tragedy in India at the hands of American Gas giant Union Carbide rates as the worst industrial catastrophe of all time. While Obama calls for British heads to roll over the BP oil spill, let’s revisit a few facts that he might do well to consider…

11 people killed in accident on oil rig leased by British company BP, resulting in 4 presidential visits, a $1.6bn clean-up bill and the establishment of a $20bn compensation fund in 2 months.

15,000+ people killed in accident at Indian Bhopal plant owned by American company Union Carbide, resulting in O presidential visits, O clean-up bill and just $470m compensation in 25 years.

Now, shall we say Pot. Kettle. Black…?

Popularity: 15% [?]

Immigration has become the most contentious issue for the United Kingdom in recent times and played a large part in the way the people voted in the recent election. The Tories have announced a long-awaited intention to tackle the numbers of migrants coming to work and live in the UK however it will only address those migrants coming from outside the EU. Obviously the new Govt has taken into consideration the social and economic problems facing the UK resulting from the vast numbers of people who have migrated here, however the new measures will fail to tackle the most significant issue – the one million citizens of EU countries who have come here since 2002 and those will continue to come here in the future.

EU nationals have the right of ‘freedom of movement’ which allows them to move to, and work in, any country within the European Union – the UK by far is the most popular choice for them to make. The benefits system is favourable to them as they have the same rights to welfare benefits and free healthcare as a British person but without the requirement to have paid tax and contributions. This has to be addressed so that the UK comes into line with other EU countries like France and Spain who require ALL citizens to have paid social contributions for FIVE YEARS before any claim to benefits can be made. The UK system is too lax, too generous and too open to abuse.

Many of the EU nationals arriving have very poor English language skills, are very often employed before a British worker at minimum rates (stay in any hotel around the UK and you will almost certainly be met at reception or have your room cleaned by eastern Europeans), the NHS has a dire problem in that it has employed thousands of non-english speaking staff from EU and non-EU countries…why? add to this the desperate situation since Romania was accepted into the EU and the crime wave that has resulted since their gypsie population have set up shop in the UK and are now running child-beggar syndicates. Here in Northern Ireland it is commonplace now to be accosted by Roma women begging (above) for change outside shops, ATM’s and in carparks. EU nationals coming here cost the British taxpayer millions of pounds in social welfare (housing, healthcare, child benefit…) whereas non-EU migrants almost always have to work and pay tax…so who is more beneficial to the UK?

EU nationals are not counted as migrants owing to the freedom of movement policy, they are not counted ‘in’ and they are not counted ‘out’ when they leave so statistics counting them are often conservative. As it stands for example, a well qualified Australian or New Zealand citizen – Commonwealth citizens no less – will find it extremely difficult in the future to secure a working visa to come to the UK whereas illiterate, poorly-skilled Polish, Slovakians, Romanians will be able to enter the UK, and work, at will. Is this really what is best for the UK…? by all means cap migration for a period but by the same token measures MUST be taken to make the UK a far less lucrative option for those coming here from impoverished EU nations simply to take advantage of a welfare system British taxpayers work hard to finance. The UK cannot afford it any longer, regardless of anyone’s right to be here.

Popularity: 7% [?]