Day: March 24, 2016

    The Council of European human rights commissioner has told British ministers to stop referring to illegal immigrants, claiming they should use the term irregular migrants for foreigners who enter this country without permission. Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, described Britain's immigration laws as draconian and insisted key policies introduced by the Government should be scrapped. Mr Muižnieks singled out David Cameron, the Prime Minister, for criticism, suggesting he had scaled up the alarmist rhetoric targeting migrants in official speeches. In an official memorandum to James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, Mr Muižnieks said: "The commissioner is worried by the dominant political discourse in the UK which is tainted by alarmism...

    New Zealand has voted to keep its current flag by 57 percent to 43 percent in a nationwide poll. More than 2 million people voted in the ballot to decide whether to keep the British Union Jack on their flag or replace it with a silver fern. The results were announced Thursday. The current flag has been the national symbol since 1902. It was up against a new design that was winnowed from more than 10,000 entries submitted by the public. Those advocating change argued the flag was a relic of the nation's colonial past and too similar to Australia's flag. Those favoring the status quo said the new design was uninspiring or an attempt by Prime Minister John Key to create a legacy.

    Victims of the terror attacks in Brussels that left 31 people dead are starting to be identified. The death of student Leopold Hecht in the bombing at Maalbeek metro station was confirmed with immense sadness" by the rector of Saint-Louis University in the Belgian capital. Branding Tuesday's atrocities "barbaric acts", Pierre Jadoul said: There is no word to describe our dismay in the face of this news. All our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones. Olivier Delespesse also died at the station. His death was confirmed by the French Community of Belgium, of which he was a member. Earlier came confirmation that a Peruvian mother of three-year-old twins was one of those killed in the double suicide bomb attack at Brussels airport. The girls are said to have gone off to ...