Iceland legalises prostitution

Based on an article from Iceland Review see full article

Prostitution became legal in Iceland after a new provision in the Penal Code was accepted by parliament on March 17. It is both legal to solicit sex and to buy sexual services, but it is illegal for a third party to advertise, organise or take profit from prostitution.

The 206th article stated: Anyone engaging in prostitution for own upkeep shall be subject to imprisonment for up to 2 years. That paragraph has now been deleted.

The government argues most people who solicit sex do so because they have no other choice or because they are forced into prostitution by others.

By making soliciting sex legal, the government believes individuals who have been forced into prostitution would rather come forward and lead police to those responsible.

Buying sexual services was legal in Iceland before the adoption of the new law provision, and that remains unchanged.

According to an article accompanying the law provision is an explanation that the goal of making advertising prostitution illegal is to make prostitution less visible.

   
UK Children to be tested for criminal potential

I wonder if the system will be able to identify potential warmongers and zig-zaggers around political funding laws

From The Telegraph see full article

Checks will be made on all children to identify potential criminals under an extension of the "surveillance state" announced by Tony Blair.

A Downing Street review of law and order also foreshadowed greater use of sophisticated CCTV, an expanded DNA database and "instant justice" powers for police.

The review is intended to chart a course for the next 10 years by focusing more "on the offender, not the offence".

Vulnerable children and those at risk will be identified by "trigger" factors such as parents in jail or on drugs. They will be subject to measures including home visits from specialists. But the Government says the net should be cast as widely as possible "to prevent criminality developing".

The review document added: These checks should piggyback on existing contact points such as the transition to secondary schools.

The plan will be underpinned by a database for all children from next year. It will contain basic information identifying the child and its parents and will have a facility for practitioners to indicate to others that they have information to share, are taking action, or have undertaken an assessment, in relation to a child.

Some children who show signs of becoming criminals are already monitored. Those aged between eight and 13 may be referred to a Youth Inclusion and Support Panel if they are thought to be potential offenders and data about them is held on an information system.

More conditions and restrictions

Based on an article from The Times
See also UK strategy for border control [pdf]

Britons sponsoring visits by overseas relatives will be fined at least £1,000 if their relatives overstay or work illegally, under new immigration proposals published yesterday.

Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, published a range of proposals including reducing the length of a visitors visa to three months, raising the age for a marriage visa and the creation of an official forum that will offer guidance to ministers on the impact of immigration on existing communities.

Among the proposals were further measures to ensure that foreigners do not travel to Britain unless entitled to do so. Immigration overstayers will have their bank accounts frozen and families of overstayers will be barred from bringing in other relatives in future. Universities and employers will be banned from bringing in people in future if foreigners they have sponsored already fail to return home.

The measures are planned as the Government prepares for a huge increase in the number of people heading for Britain. In 2005 11.8 million travellers entered Britain from outside the European Economic Area and, in 2005-2006 two million visas were granted.

Britons who support a sponsored family vistor’s visa will also be expected to maintain and accommodate their family members during the visit. Under the Government’s proposals they will also be expected to fund non-emergency medical care. All visitors will be made to take out medical insurance.

Byrne said: I think a fine of £1,000 or more will encourage sponsors to take their responsibilities seriously. We need to consult with a number of organisations about how best this can be put into effect.

The plan also proposed raising the minimum age for a marriage visa from 18 to 21, supposedly in an attempt to bar forced marriages.

People who use false documents to apply for a visa may have any subsequent application rejected automatically.

The Home Office is considering reducing the length of a visitor’s visa from six to three months after research showed that only 2% of people with the visa intended to stay longer than three months.

The migration impact forum will be set up alongside another new committee, the migration advisory committee which will examine skills shortage. The new forum reflects concern about recent levels of immigration and the strain being placed on housing, schools and health services.

More restrictions and more expense

Based on an article from The Times

The minimum age at which foreign nationals can receive marriage visas to enter Britain is to be raised from 18 to 21 supposedly in an attempt to crack down on forced marriages.

It will mean that about 3,000 people a year, mainly women from India, will be prevented from coming to the UK. Their intended spouse will also have to be at least 21 for them to be allowed into the country.

The government also intends to introduce confidential interviews for people entering the country who might have been forced into marriage.

The move to raise the minimum age comes after a long campaign by Ann Cryer, Labour MP for Keighley. The government has previously raised the minimum age requirement from 16 to 18, but will now go further.

Also marriage (settlement) visa fees are being hiked massively from April 2007

Type of visa	Existing fee	New visa fees 1st April 2007
DATV and in transit	£30	£44
Visit 6 month	£50	£63
Student	£85	£99
Longer term visit	£85	£200
Work Permit	£85	£200
HSMP	£85	£200
Settlement	£260	£500

Update: Petition Tony Blair

If any UK residents or expats feel strongly about the above hike in visa charges then there is a petition to sign:

On April 1st 2007 Visa costs for foreign nationals increase massively and out of all proportion to costs. As an example anyone wishing to marry a foreign national and settle in the UK together would have charges increased from £595 on 31/3/07 to £1250 on 1/4/07 and the costs of naturalisation from £200 to £575. Far higher than inflation and any justification apart from another "stealth" tax.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Review Visa Costs for Foreign Nationals and Relate them to Costs not Massive PROFIT.

If you would like to let others know, the petition is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/VisaCostRise/

Inside Japan's Sex Clubs

Based on an article from Straight see full article
Pink Box is available from US Amazon

Sex is everywhere in Japan, but most tourists don't see it. They walk past the men handing out tissue packages at train stations, and assume the neon signs in entertainment districts point to karaoke bars. But many indicate hostess clubs, oral-sex parlours, and “soapland” bathhouses. Those tissue packets advertise to men and are also used to recruit female workers.

According to Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs, Japan's commercial sexual-services industry accounted for nearly US$20 billion in 2001. And although these clubs are a cultural phenomenon, they're strictly off-limits to foreigners.

Pink Box captures their inner sanctums in a photographic collection. It's not a coffee-table book you'd want your mother to see. Photographer Joan Sinclair visited over 90 clubs and returned with images of women working in nude theatres, peeping rooms, “touch pubs”, and “image clubs” with elaborately decorated fantasy theme rooms. Examples include a train replica where men pay to grope women posing as schoolgirls, and a department-store elevator, equipped with a mirrored floor and a uniformed, pantyless attendant. In “fashion clubs”, women provide services in true-to-life costumes—such as chain-restaurant uniforms, nurse outfits, officewear—or even dressed as anime characters.

All I ask is that viewers not assume that this profession is inherently degrading. It's more complicated than that, Sinclair writes in the book. These women are not powerless, they are not on drugs. They have made conscious choices; they have their own dignity.

The clubs are a reflection of modern Japan, a literate society where the rules are written out, prices are not negotiable, and fantasies are predetermined, prescripted, and prepaid.

Softcore banned from Italian free to air TV

Based on an article from X Biz see full article

Italy’s TV porn rules have been thrown out as regulators issued a permanent ban on free to air broadcast of adult content.

Italy’s Ministry of Communications last week issued the ban outlawing softcore porn aired on more than 500 local channels that entertain an average of 1 million viewers nightly.

The decision also affects commercial spots for sex chat lines and online adult sites, as well as some vintage Playboy Channel content.

The current law allows the programs to air after midnight but the new decree will put a stop to that beginning in April. Violators of the ban could be fined between $6,600-$66,000.

In a statement, the ministry said it made the change in order to: guarantee Italian television suitable for entire families.

The move, however, is a boon to Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Italia, which was allowed to continue to air encrypted adult videos on its Hot Bird pay TV channels, and perhaps to online adult companies, which could funnel some consumers to IPTV, where adult content is streamed onto TVs via a broadband connection.

Italy’s TV softcore has been around since the 1980s when Silvio Berlusconi-owned channels began airing cult topless quiz show, Tutti Frutti.

Half price for pensioners in Cologne brothel

Based on an article from Spiegel see full article

"Life begins at 66," reads an advertisement aimed at old people in Germany. It's promoting a brothel which is offering a 50% discount to senior citizens.

The brothel "Pascha" in Cologne is now offering senior citizens a 50 percent discount on sex services, but only between the hours of 12 and 5 pm, and only upon proof of age. The offer is valid for clients aged 66 and over.

A normal session costs €50 (2200 Baht) with us, and we're now offering €25 (1100 Baht) for older guests, a spokesman for the brothel told Reuters.

Prostitution is legal in Germany.

The brothel tested the subsidized sex scheme by offering reductions once a week. The offer was so successful it has now been extended to every day. There's been plenty of demand and people have certainly been taking advantage of the offer, the spokesman said, adding, with a certain understatement: Older folks are more active than you think.

Don't buy on first leg of connecting flight

From The Times

Millions of pounds’ worth of alcohol and perfume has been confiscated from airline passengers in transit since the introduction of strict security rules.

Since August passengers have not been allowed to carry duty-free goods containing more than 100ml of liquid when changing planes. Passengers flying direct have not been affected.

At Heathrow, an estimated £750,000 of goods is confiscated every week from passengers transferring to connecting flights. The goods are destroyed because their complex tax status means that they cannot be sold on or returned to suppliers.

New rules being introduced at the end of this month will make it impossible to take a bottle of single-malt Scotch whisky to a relative in Australia. Passengers will be allowed to bring in bottles of liquid over 100ml only from their last port of call, and all flights from Britain to Australia stop to refuel.

The European Travel Retail Council is lobbying for global rules on the carrying of liquids so that passengers can take duty-free goods wherever they go. American and European officials are meeting next month to try to thrash out rules that will allow passengers transferring in major airports in New York and Los Angeles to carry duty-free liquids in their hand luggage.

In Europe, passengers transferring on the same day can carry duty-free liquids in a special tamper-free bag. The European Travel Retail Council is trying to persuade other countries to follow suit. Big hub airports such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore and JFK in New York are all being encouraged to sign up to a global scheme.

Alarming Polish moves to criminalise possession of all porn

From Poland Master Page

There is growing support for a bill in the Polish Parliament that would give you one year in jail for possession of pornographic material in Poland. And jail times would be a lot longer if you sell it.

The current Polish Government came to power with the promise to create a moral revolution. They have been pursuing that goal on many fronts.

They have not always been successful. A quest by the Polish President Lech Kaczynski, when he was the President of Warsaw, to shut down the brothels in Warsaw failed. They are open, visible and advertise freely.

But the Government is undeterred. The new law proposed will cover every form of pornography. Even pornography on the internet would be outlawed and subject both the viewer and provider to the penalties of the law.

No one will be excepted. Adults with their own, self made home movies or pictures would even be subject to jail time.

Mean minded Korean legislation does not stem demand

All the more customers for Pattaya.

Based on an article from Asian Sex Gazette see full article

Since the passing of a strengthened anti-prostitution law in 2004, which officially ended the country's traditional tolerance of sex buyers, the number of red light districts has gone down.

However, it is becoming apparent that shutting down brothels hasn't sated Korean's desire, with the still-strong demand for commercial sex spawning a massive underground industry of massage parlors, girlie bars, hotels and Internet sites that provide easier access to sex for sale.

Last week, police in southern Seoul arrested the two owners of three massage parlors in Nonhyun-dong and Yoksam-dong for hiring prostitutes. They booked another 170 people, including 120 customers who had visited more than 10 times.

The customer list of the three massage parlors extends to over 200,000 people, police said, with each shop roughly averaging 2,000 to 5,000 customers per month: The customer list included lawyers, doctors, university professors, journalists, civil servants, soldiers, office workers and a former lawmaker. We can find virtually every profession aside from pastors, priests and monks, said an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency: The real number of customers could actually be double of the number of names on the list.

The owners of the massage parlors competed for customers, police said, leading to unusual marketing programs and services. The rooms at the massage parlors were differentiated by theme. There are "classrooms" with sex workers wearing girl school uniforms and "Vietnam rooms" in which the women wear the Southeast Asian country's traditional attire.

In Seoul, the red-light districts in Yongsan, Chongnyangni, Chongam-dong and other areas are expected to be cleared up within the year through new urban development plans. Since the anti-prostitution law was passed, police have charged more than 40,000 brothel owners, pimps, prostitutes and customers.

However, sex transactions at massage parlors, bars, saunas, hotels and other businesses are growing, despite the government's warning. Massage parlors in particular, are quickly becoming the center of the underground sex trade.

US AIDs funds only available when morally correct

From Examiner

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Bush administration can deny funding to nonprofit AIDS groups that don't publicly disavow prostitution and sex trafficking.

Overturning a lower court's decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that the AIDS groups' free speech rights would not be violated if the money was linked to a pledge to uphold government policy.

At issue is the case of DKT International Inc., which provides family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention programs in 11 countries. The group, which helps distribute condoms to prostitutes and other sex workers in Vietnam, has refused to sign a pledge to support the Bush administration policies.

In 2005, DKT sued the U.S. Agency for International Development, contending its free speech rights were violated by a 2003 law requiring groups to explicitly oppose prostitution and sex trafficking in order to qualify for part of a $15 billion AIDS program. A U.S. District Court ruling last year agreed, saying the funding conditions insist that groups "parrot" the U.S. government's position on prostitution.

But U.S. Circuit Judge A. Raymond Randolph said Congress has authorized the Bush administration to assist non-governmental organizations like DKT on such terms and conditions as the president may determine.

The act does not compel DKT to advocate the government's position on prostitution and sex trafficking; it requires only that if DKT wishes to receive funds it must communicate the message the government chooses to fund, Randolph wrote in the decision reversing the lower court's ruling. This does not violate the First Amendment.

Immigrants to demonstrate Britishness by 'volunteering' for slave labour

From The Telegraph

Gordon Brown has declared that immigrants should be required to take part in community work before they are granted British citizenship.

Gordon Brown wants to make 'Britishness' one of the themes of his premiership, if and when he becomes PM. The Chancellor argued that people who want to become British citzens needed to enter a new "contract" which showed their willingness to contribute to their new home.

Speaking in London, he said aspiring citizens must be ready to learn to speak English, as well as having a good understanding of Britain’s history and culture.

But he added: In any national debate on the future of citizenship, it is also right to consider asking men and women seeking citizenship to undertake some community work in our communities - introducing them to a wider range of institutions and people in our country prior to enjoying the benefits of citizenship.

The proposals were dismissed by opposition parties as little more than empty rhetoric designed to grab a few newspaper headlines. There was also a guarded response from charities, who warned that it would be unacceptable to force immigrants to take part in "voluntary" work.

Volunteering England, the national organisation to promote voluntary work, said that unpaid community work was a crucial part of British life. But it voiced concern about any moves to compel people to take part in such activities.

We would assert that volunteering is not just a tool for delivering public services, developing citizenship and delivering educational outcomes, said a spokesman. There should be no compulsion to volunteer; volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. Freedom to volunteer therefore also implies freedom not to become involved.

   
Brits to flee Britain

From The Times

One in seven of Britain’s most affluent people plans to move abroad because of the high cost of living, excessive taxes and fear of terrorism, new research has found.

Some 350,000 people with investable assets such as cash and shares of more than £100,000 will form a new “wealth exodus” over the next decade, the study suggests.

The evidence indicating that the most well-off are becoming less attached to their country is contained in a report published tomorrow by Barclays bank and the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Ledbury Research, which studies the spending habits and aspirations of “high net worth” individuals, found that 14% of those questioned said they were so unhappy with life in Britain they planned to move permanently abroad during the next 10 years.

The 350,000 wealthy would-be refugees have a combined spending power of £26 billion a year. This would be largely lost to the British economy if they lived overseas. They also have total liquid assets of ?140 billion — enough to run the National Health Service for a year and a half. Experts say some of this may be taken offshore.

The research reveals a rising scepticism and wanderlust among the country’s wealthy, said Mark Kibblewhite, managing director of Barclays Wealth, a private bank. Retaining wealth within the UK may prove a far bigger challenge than creating it.

Most of the would-be rich migrants cited the desire for a better lifestyle (94%) and better weather (81.5%) as reasons to leave. But 57% said they saw business or career opportunities abroad; 55% were motivated by a dislike of the government; 57% said they wanted to pay less tax. 40% said fear of terrorism made them want to emigrate.

Berlin looks to daily tax on sex workers

From China Daily

Berlin plans to levy a flat rate daily tax on prostitutes from April to raise some extra revenues for its strained finances.

Following a model used by Cologne, which collected over $1 million (514,000 pounds) last year with its own flat tax, the German capital plans to tax prostitutes 30 euros (20 pounds) per working day. Berlin has rising debts of more than 60 billion euros.

Prostitution is legal in most places in Germany and sex workers are required to pay income tax as well as value-added tax (VAT). However, tax collectors have long suspected their income and VAT was not being fully reported on tax returns.

Local leaders in the Verdi service sector union have warned that the 30-euro tax will push up prices in Berlin, Germany's biggest metropolis with some 3.4 million inhabitants.

Katharina Cetin, of the prostitute support organisation Hydra, said sex workers earn less than city leaders estimate: The income level here in Berlin is rather low. A daily tax rate of 10 to 15 euros would be more appropriate.

Cologne, home to roughly 1 million, has been a worldwide pioneer in taxing prostitution at a flat rate of 150 euros per month. It earned 828,000 euros in 2006.

Israel mandates biometric checks for adult web surfers

From X Biz

Members of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require Internet service providers to restrict access to websites with adult content.

The bill, which calls on ISPs to block minors from accessing adult websites that contain sex, violence or gambling, moved through the Knesset with unanimous support. Only one lawmaker from the 25 member body abstained.

According to the language of the bill, access to adult websites would require physical or biometric age verification in addition to a password.

The bill’s sponsor, Amnon Cohen, said newer computers have the capability to institute his proposal. Cohen said he proposed the bill because of national studies concluding that 60% of Israeli children between the ages of 9 and 18 have seen porn online.

The legislation also calls for a fine of nearly $5,000 for ISPs that fail to comply.

Absent from the bill is a definition of how sites would be classified as adult. Nor does the bill contemplate the technical or financial feasibility of its requirements.

The bill's definitions are flawed and it constitutes a violation of the right for privacy and freedom of speech, said Dr. Michael Birnhack of Haifa University's Faculty of Law. The bill does not define what is a site that deals with sex, and so it would appear that it is also meant to block access to sites explaining about human sexuality, open sex, gay and lesbian sites, or sites explaining about martial arts because they deal with violence.

   
New York bans the use of the word 'nigger'

From New Zealand Herald

New York City symbolically banned use of the word 'nigger' today, the latest step in a campaign that hopes to expunge the  racial slur from hip hop music and television.

The City Council unanimously declared a moratorium that carries no penalty but aims to stop youth from casually using the word, considered by most Americans to be the most offensive in the English language.

The New York City measure follows similar resolutions this month by the New York state assembly and state senate, and supporters of the ban are taking their campaign to The Recording Academy, asking it not to nominate musicians for Grammy awards if they use the word in their lyrics.

Many rap artists and young New Yorkers toss the word around as a term of endearment or as a substitute for black, angering some black leaders who consider those who use it as ignorant of the word's hate-filled history in slavery and segregation.

Councilman Leroy Comrie, a sponsor of the moratorium, said the campaign against the word has gained strength since comedian Michael Richards spewed it in a racially charged tirade in Los Angeles.

Comrie also asked TV network Black Entertainment Television to stop using the word in its shows.

A Grammy spokesman said he doubted the academy's 11,000 voting members would support any measure that might censor artists: They are not going to be supportive of something that excludes someone simply because they are using a word that is offensive, said Ron Roecker, vice president of communication for the Recording Academy.

   
Scottish MPS pass law to criminalise buying street sex

From the BBC see full article

MSPs have approved new legislation which for the first time will allow the prosecution of kerb-crawlers.

The bill will give police the power to arrest men in cars or loitering with the intention of buying sex services.

SNP MSP Fergus Ewing called for driving bans to be added to penalties. However, ministers said this area was reserved, and Westminster may consider them.

The Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill will see men who buy sex face prosecution and fines of up to £1,000.

During the final debate on the bill at Holyrood, Deputy Finance Minister George Lyon said it would provide Scotland with the toughest legislation on kerb-crawling in the UK.

Ewing lost his bid to amend the bill so that kerb-crawlers could lose their licences and have their cars seized. He said: If a burglar's tools can be confiscated because they assist him in committing crime, so I would argue for persistent offenders.

Liberal Democrat backbencher Mike Rumbles said a potential £1,000 fine would act as a sufficient deterrent on its own.

Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who had efforts to legislate for formal prostitution tolerance zones rejected in 2003, said Ewing's amendment would risk driving prostitution underground and therefore putting vulnerable women at further risk. MacDonald also called for the bill to be "quietly voted down", arguing that it had changed radically since it was first introduced to Holyrood.

But MSPs voted in favour of the bill by 103 votes to four with eight abstentions.

   
Moving onto to federal court to decide if porn can be rated R18+

Based on an article from Australian IT see full article

The pornographic film industry will tomorrow begin a creative Federal Court action to have adult films that depict actual sex between consenting adults stripped of their X-rating.

The industry argues that such films should be rated R18+, meaning they could legally be sold in all Australian states and shown in cinemas.

Lawyers for AdultShop.com will argue that the federal Government's Classification Review Board routinely applies an X-rating to sex films that would not offend a "reasonable adult".

The OFLC is required to take "community standards" into account when classifying films but classifies most sex films as X18+, meaning they can be sold only in the ACT and Northern Territory and shown only in licensed premises in those territories.

Adultshop.com CEO Malcolm Day, whose publicly listed company is valued at $9 million, said standards had changed since the guidelines were drafted in 1984: Most reasonable adults would not regard an adult film, depicting sex between two consenting adults, with no violence, as offensive.

The test case is the decision in November by the OFLC and confirmed by the review board to give an X18+ rating to the film Viva Erotica, which contains close-ups of sex between men and women and between two women, but no violence or fetishes.

Day said an ACNeilsen survey conducted on Adultshop.com's behalf in September showed that 70% cent of adults were not offended by explicit sex films. But the review board said in its Viva Erotica decision that many would be offended by even the most fleeting of sexually explicit scenes.

AdultShop.com will present the court with an opinion from University of Sydney media academic Catharine Lumby, who argues most Australians are more concerned about violence than about sex.

It will also call on Alan McKee from the Queensland University of Technology to argue consumers of sexually explicit materials in Australia can fairly be described as reasonable adults: A film involving various forms of actual sexual activity, including close-ups, but with no violence would be unlikely to cause offence.

The Australian Family Association, which has been accorded friend-of-the-court status, will submit that a legal victory by AdultShop would render the X classification meaningless. Straight pornography would be classified R. Porn would be able to be sold through ordinary video outlets and adult shops

Texas police raid a Chippendales show

From abc13.com

Texas Police arrested eight Chippendales dancers and three others during the first of three sold out performances accusing them of violating the Lubbock's adult entertainment ordinance.

Officers raided Jake's Sports Cafe about 30 minutes after the show started and the venue was closed. They arrested the venue's manager, the show's promoter and the dancers' manager along with the dancers in front of a disgruntled crowd of women.

Shortly after, several hundred women began chanting, Bring them back, bring them back and the City Council sucks, the City Council sucks.

Authorities say the dancers violated a city ordinance which bars contact between entertainers and patrons. Lt. Greg Stevens of the Lubbock Police said the dancers were simulating sexual positions with audience members.

Comparatively, it's a classy production, said Greg Jackson, Jake's Sports Cafe booking agent, adding that Chippendale dancers do not take off all their clothes.

Spain backs away from decriminalisation

From Expatica

Proposals to go some way towards legalising prostitution were rejected in Spain recently. A report on the issue instead said more attention should be paid to the women involved in the trade, by offering them more protection and trying to help them to find different work.

In a debate in the Spanish congress, deputies voted to offer more public help particularly to women who have been trafficked as sex slaves. One measure suggested was aimed at trying to get men to stop using prostitutes. It will also aim to persuade the media not to publish contact details of prostitutes.

The socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is against legalising prostitution at present but favours tougher measures against mafias which trade in women.

The opposition conservative Popular Party is against relaxing of the current laws. The left wing IU-ICV alliance have called for legalisation.

In Catalonia, there is a pilot programme to regulate prostitution in the same way as in Germany or Holland. Sex workers would manage the brothels and prostitution would be legal for people over 21.

A bill to decriminalise prostitution in Hawaii

From NewsMax.com
See also decriminalisation bill
see also campaigners supporting bill

A bill to legalize some prostitution in Hawaii has the backing of at least 14 state lawmakers and many women's rights advocates.

Supporters say they mainly want to start debate of the sensitive topic and explore alternatives to decades of selling sex on Honolulu streets. They include 13 co-sponsors in the House, one sponsor in the Senate and the Hawaii Women's Coalition, whose members represent more than 200 organizations.

But House Bill 982 (and companion Senate Bill 706) might not pass this year. It appears unlikely the bill will get a hearing this session.

The decriminalization bill would permit sexual favors done in private, and it would designate areas where prostitution is allowed.

In general, talking about sex is scary for people, said the Rev. Pam Vessels, of the United Church of Christ in Kalaupapa on Molokai. Do we really care if consenting adults are engaging in sexual acts for money?

The bill's advocates hope more lawmakers will support it as time passes. A resolution could be introduced asking the Legislative Reference Bureau to study the proposal.

It's one of those bills you do it for public dialogue instead of trying to get it passed, said Rep. Bob Herkes (D, Volcano-Kainaliu), one of the bill's co-sponsors.

   
No compensation for ruined holiday after police detain innocent travellers

Surely the state should compensate travellers who are incorrectly detained

From Muslim News

An innocent Muslim couple from Cardiff was left frustrated when they became the latest victims of the stop and search anti-terror laws at Cardiff International Airport.

Aisha Prichard, a Hijab wearing white Muslim convert and her husband Sadi Elhaloul lost out on their holiday because of anti-terror laws and were told there was “nothing they can do about it.”

The couple missed their non-transferable flight to Dubai on December 14, 2006, after they were repeatedly searched and questioned by over stringent South Wales constabulary officers only minutes before take-off.

The couple arrived at the airport at 8.30am and queued at the KLM desk 22 minutes before check-in opened. By 10.25am they were issued with their E tickets and had their luggage checked and made their way to departure lounge. Having been successfully searched the couple made their way to the boarding gate at 10.30am. But as they approached the gate they were met by two Special Branch officers, who asked about their destination to which they replied they were going to Dubai via Amsterdam.

They were asked for their passports and boarding cards and told by the officers to accompany them to a room for further questioning. On the way to the room they were asked why they were heading to Dubai, if they had anything in their possession, and how much money they carried. Once in the room, they were asked for their residential address and contact numbers. The officers left the room and returned to repeat their initial questions of why they were heading to Dubai, if they had family members there and if they were employed. They were then asked for their martial status and dates of birth.

They were then told to empty their hand luggage for inspection. Again the same set of questions was repeated for a fourth time.

At 10.45am, five minutes before take off, the officers left the room only to return a few moments later to announce they were going to remove the couple’s luggage from the aeroplane to search it.

Having searched their luggage and found nothing unauthorised, Aisha and Sadi were told the plane had taken off. It was at this point Aisha became upset and burst into tears telling them that they can’t do this to us and that I would be going to a solicitor to sort this whole affair. Sadi then told them that they were in the wrong and had not done their job properly. They also told the officers that they had since 8.30am to question us and our luggage had been on the aeroplane since 9am. The officers both replied by saying ‘we had arrived late'.

Their interrogator told the KLM adviser to put them on the next flight but to the couples shock, they were told they had to pay £1,500 for new tickets. I said you must be joking, I’m not paying that. The officer went to a separate room with the KLM employee. When he emerged Aisha told him it was his responsibility to eradicate the problem he created. The officer left and returned to say my boss said we can’t do anything for you.

In a statement to The Muslim News South Wales Police confirmed the incident took place but said it was done under powers set out by national legislation, which is used to carry out our duty to protect the public. After questioning, searches were carried out, and they were allowed to continue on their journey.

Well don't dream about going to Britain then!

From The Telegraph

Spouses hoping to move to the UK could face English tests before being allowed to join their husbands and wives, under plans proposed today by a Government body.

Workers hoping to come to Britain could also face language tests, and translation services could be cut back to prevent new immigrants using them as a “crutch” excusing them from ever learning English.

The proposals have been put forward by the Commission on Integration and Social Cohesion, which was set up last year in the wake of the July 7 bombings. In its interim report, published today, the Commission says that language barriers within the UK are the single biggest impediment to a cohesive British society.

The Commission says that if immigrants do not learn English very shortly after arriving, it can be too late. Foreign-speaking spouses joining husbands and wives can lead to households where English is never spoken, isolating the family from the wider British society.

Commission chairman Darra Singh said the Government should perhaps consider testing spouses and workers before they come to Britain, to check they have at least a working knowledge of the language.

The Commission will present its final conclusions to Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly in June.

Visiting a Greek brothel becoming more dangerous

From Kathimerini

Three men who allegedly ran a bar in northwestern Athens where dancers serviced customers sexually and even filmed the encounters with hidden cameras were arrested yesterday, police said.

Six women, all foreign nationals, who were working at the bar in Menidi were also arrested, police added.

After inspecting the nightspot, police also uncovered 13 hidden cameras placed in different parts of the bar, including the room where the dancers engaged in sexual activity with customers.

Police said they are holding further investigations to determine how the suspects, who are Greek, were intending to use the footage.

Western Australia to legalise brothels

From News.com.au

The West Australian government plans to decriminalise prostitution as part of a bid to regulate the industry.

WA Attorney-General Jim McGinty says he will introduce legislation into state parliament this year which would allow brothels to operate legally.

McGinty said the move would protect the health and safety of sex workers and provide clarity for police: It is time we sorted out the prostitution laws in WA to deal properly with the sex industry, which has been a reality of life for a long, long time.

He said the government had begun drafting legislation based on the recommendations of the Prostitution Law Reform Working Group. The group recommended a decriminalised model, where approved operators of brothels and escort agencies would be regulated under a certification system. Brothels would also be subject to to local government planning approvals and controls.

This will mean that for the first time, local councils and the WA Planning Commission can control where brothels are located and ensure they are not operating in inappropriate areas. Regulation of brothels would also remove the risk of police corruption in the industry, he said.

   
Confusion about why hardcore should be illegal to sell in Australia

From AdultShop.com

Raids carried out this week by the NSW police on 7 sex shops in Sydney's King Cross area, have highlighted the inconsistency in laws governing the sale of X18+ material.

These raids have no doubt sparked confusion amongst the general public as to why X18+ films can be legally purchased in ACT and NT, but not in the States of Australia, such as Sydney's red light district area King's Cross.

The Sydney Morning Herald is also running a poll X rated films should they be legal? AdultShop.com encourage you to cast your vote and send a strong message to the government and OFLC who are responsible for the classification and consequently distribution of X18+ films.

After 4273 votes the poll was showing 83% in favour of X18+ being legal to sell

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Magistrates, politicians and police are regular buyers of X-rated films even though it's illegal to sell them, complains Australia's erotic industry body.

The Eros Association today called on both sides of NSW politics to show consistency in regulating X-rated material, saying it was a criminal offence to sell the films but legal to buy and own them.

The association's chief executive Fiona Patten, said there was "massive confusion" over the issue, which was highlighted this week by raids on seven Kings Cross adult shops.

Police yesterday said they had in effect shut almost all of the sex shops in the red-light district after raiding the stores searching for child pornography and other X-rated material.

However, Patten said officers were arresting adult shop owners one day and buying films for themselves the following week: There is nothing illegal in police officers buying X18+ rated films from adult shops and taking them home. Magistrates and even politicians are regular clients at many Sydney adult shops.

   
Better than the coy lap dancing found in Britain

Based on an article from Sky

As new laws to make prostitutes safer are considered in the wake of the Suffolk murders, some British men are travelling abroad to buy sex.

The Czech capital of Prague is a good example where British men are among the biggest buyers of sex. This beautiful European city is said to be overrun with young British guys on a mission - to get drunk, have fun, and visit a prostitute. A Sky correspondent reports:

I met up with one stag group who told me they were on their way to a "steak and tarts" night. This evening of entertainment involves eating a steak dinner while a woman lap dances on top of you - nice.

The guys were friendly enough and happy to talk. That is, until they saw the camera. Then it was a case of - what if my mum/girlfriend/sister sees it? Turns out many of them had been to a brothel the night before and were feeling rather sheepish.

Then I found Danny. He told me if I bought him a lap dance he'd tell me everything. And he did. He can't remember how many prostitutes he's slept with - he may have lost count - but he knows that he enjoys it and he doesn't understand why other English guys are so scared to admit it.

More than half of British men who admit paying for sex have done so while abroad. In Prague I can see how easily it can happen. Many of the lap-dancing clubs are also brothels.

The "no-touching" rule certainly doesn't apply here. And if a man pays for a "private" dance, he can get a lot more for his money. Many of the men I met told me they wouldn't dream of visiting a brothel in Britain, but somehow doing it abroad seems different.

As one of them put it: In England, it's more frowned upon, but if you go abroad and pay for sex everyone is like, oh that's fine.

   
Spies in the back of airline seats

Based on an article from the Daily Mail

Tiny cameras linked to specialist computers are to be used to monitor the behaviour of airline passengers as part of the war on terrorism.

Cameras fitted to seat-backs will record every twitch, blink, facial expression or suspicious movement before sending the data to onboard software which will check it against individual passenger profiles.

Scientists from Britain and Germany are spending £25million developing a system which they hope will make it virtually impossible to hijack an airliner by providing pilots and cabin crew with an early warning of a possible terrorist attack such as 9/11.

They say that rapid eye movements, blinking excessively, licking lips or ways of stroking hair or ears are classic symptoms of somebody trying to conceal something.

A separate microphone will hear and record even whispered remarks. Islamic suicide bombers are known to whisper texts from the Koran in the moments before they explode bombs.

We're trying to develop technologies that indicate the differences between normal passengers and those who may be a threat to others, or themselves, said Catherine Neary of BAE Systems.

Neary, team leader of the Onboard Threat Detection System for the Paris-based Security Of Aircraft In The Future European Environment (SAFEE) project, added: Blink rates come from lie-detection research and suggest the stress level is higher than normal.

Neary said that under the Data Protection Act, all video, audio and other recordings would be destroyed at the end of every flight so that passengers' civil liberties were not infringed.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, said: Watching people constantly on aircraft and trying to work out patterns of behaviour is a difficult road to travel. I suspect that it will put people off flying because they will feel uncomfortable if their every blink and twitch is being monitored.

   
British Airways postpone extra bag extortion

From The Guardian

British Airways handed a temporary reprieve to passengers facing a £240 excess baggage bill yesterday by postponing its new luggage policy until September.

BA said its check-in staff would apply "discretion" to passengers unaware of the policy, which was introduced yesterday, under which it would charge customers for checking in more than one bag.

Until September economy-class passengers will be allowed an extra bag if the total weight is no more than 23kg.

Under the new rules, economy-class passengers travelling on half of BA's long-haul routes were supposed to pay £120 a bag to check in an extra piece of luggage. For short-haul flights, it was £60 each way and £30 for domestic flights.

The airline said: BA recognises customers may be uncertain about the details of the new policy, so check-in staff will treat sympathetically requests from economy-class passengers to check in more than one item of luggage provided the total weight is within the overall 23kg limit. [Uncertain because British Airways bloody-mindedly kept the new shitty policy secret]

John Strickland, an air transport consultant, said the discretionary treatment underlined BA's mishandling of the rule change . BA is not trying to pull a fast one on passengers but I think it may have lost something in the communication. [Bollox!]

Nutters oppose vaccination against HPV

From AVN

On Feb. 2, Texas Governor, Rick Perry, ordered that all schoolgirls in his state be vaccinated with a new anti-HPV vaccine, Gardasil, as part of the health regimen mandated for public school children. What he didn't count on was Religious Right groups across the nation vehemently condemning the order and calling for it to be rescinded.

The Governor's order forces little girls to be shot with a sex virus vaccine, said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America. While we support the vaccine itself, a government mandate that little girls must be shot with it well before they're sexually active, with the likely consequence they would have to get another expensive booster before they're sexually active, is an outrageous assault on girls and their parents.

Wright's statement is, to say the least, disingenuous. In order to be fully effective, the vaccine must be administered before the girl has contracted HPV, which is usually transmitted during sexual intercourse.

Merck Pharmaceuticals has stated that its vaccine is 100% effective against four strains of HPV (two of which together cause 70% of cervical cancer cases and two of which cause 90% of genital warts) if administered to young girls (9-15). The vaccine is 90% effective for girls/women 16-26 who may already have indulged in intercourse. Even in women who have contracted one or more of the four strains targeted by Gardasil, it can protect against infection from the non-contracted strains. Other companies are working on similar vaccines which target other HPV strains.

But Wright's disingenuousness is even deeper than it might appear from her statements. Wright is one of several dozen Religious Right leaders who for years have warned adolescent girls that one of the most important reasons for avoiding pre-marital sexual intercourse is that they could in the process contract HPV, even if their partners use condoms. (Condoms are in fact somewhat protective against HPV.)

But now, with the arrival of anti-HPV vaccines which are most effective if administered before the girl has become sexually active, that "reason" to abstain from sex is gone – or would be if the girl is vaccinated early enough. So for Wright to attempt to prevent those girls who would derive the most benefit from the vaccine from obtaining it through a school vaccination program can only be interpreted as a callous disregard for the health of the women these girls will grow up to become.

And Wright is hardly alone in her condemnation of this life-saving program.

Vision America president Rick Scarborough said: Nor we can not overlook the moral dimension, The governor's action seems to signify that God's moral law regarding sex outside of marriage can be transgressed without consequence.

There's only one legitimate conclusion that can be drawn from this widespread opposition to the life-saving vaccine: That Religious Right groups are so concerned with squelching all pre-marital sexual activity, and secondarily, despite protests to the contrary, with keeping women subservient to men, that they want to prevent the most vulnerable women – adolescent girls – from receiving medicine that will help prevent their deaths at an early age from a particularly virulent and deadly form of cancer.

   
BA Introduce £240 surcharge for 2nd case

Based on an article from The Telegraph

British Airways has sparked controversy by adding £240 to the cost of a long-haul return flight if a passenger puts two bags in the airline hold.

The rule, which comes into effect on Tuesday, will also add £120 to all domestic flights and journeys to Europe.

But the first that many BA customers will know about the change will be when they check in at airports next week.

The airline confirmed yesterday that its sales staff were not instructed to tell customers in advance when they booked their tickets: They will tell people if they ask about our baggage policy, said a spokesman.

The rule means that customers will be able to put a bag with a maximum weight of 23kg into the hold. But if they put two, even if the combined weight is below the 23kg limit, they will have to pay £120 per item or £240 if it is a long-haul flight.

However, bulky sporting equipment such as golf clubs, scuba diving equipment, skis and bicycles are not covered by the excess bag rule.

The change has been instituted after profits at the low-cost airline Ryanair rose by 30% in the last quarter, helped by its decision to charge passengers £7 for each bag that goes in the hold.

Flights to America, Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico will be exempt from the change but all other long-haul routes will be restricted to one bag in economy class. All European destinations will be hit unless passengers fly Club class.

Update: A Case of Bad PR

From The Guardian

British Airways handed a temporary reprieve to passengers facing a £240 excess baggage bill yesterday by postponing its new luggage policy until September.

BA said its check-in staff would apply "discretion" to passengers unaware of the policy, which was introduced yesterday, under which it would charge customers for checking in more than one bag.

Until September economy-class passengers will be allowed an extra bag if the total weight is no more than 23kg.

Under the new rules, economy-class passengers travelling on half of BA's long-haul routes were supposed to pay £120 a bag to check in an extra piece of luggage. For short-haul flights, it was £60 each way and £30 for domestic flights.

The airline said: BA recognises customers may be uncertain about the details of the new policy, so check-in staff will treat sympathetically requests from economy-class passengers to check in more than one item of luggage provided the total weight is within the overall 23kg limit. [Uncertain because British Airways bloody-mindedly kept the new shitty policy secret]

John Strickland, an air transport consultant, said the discretionary treatment underlined BA's mishandling of the rule change . BA is not trying to pull a fast one on passengers but I think it may have lost something in the communication. [Bollox!]

   
Committee of Scottish MPs agree to criminalisation of paying for sex

Based on an article from the BBC

Measures to extend new prostitution legislation have been backed by a committee of MSPs. In addition to the criminalising of paying for sex on the street, the proposed new law will be extended to cover kerb-crawlers, who could face fines of up to £1,000.

The Scottish Executive is also in talks with Westminster about proposals for kerb-crawlers to be disqualified from driving and have their car confiscated.

The committee agreed to changes after the bill was criticised by moralists for not punishing people who pay for sex.

The bill, which went before the local government and transport committee, means that for the first time people who buy sex could be prosecuted.

Originally the bill would have criminalised both soliciting and loitering for the purposes of prostitution when it would cause alarm, nuisance or offence.

The changes mean that if it can reasonably be "inferred" that somebody was loitering on foot or in a car in a bid to buy sex they can be prosecuted.

The nutter SNP MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber said: If it is the case that men will now be prosecuted for going to women for sex then that sends out a very clear message indeed that we do not accept prostitution in Scotland.

I believe that it is morally wrong but I also believe that as well as that it has been the source of the perpetration of abuse of women and violence against women since time immemorial.

By sending a very clear message that this conduct will be criminalised that is bound to deter many men who currently go to prostitutes from doing so in the future and if we achieve that we will have achieved something very worthwhile indeed.

Deputy Public Services Minister George Lyon gave executive backing to amendments that removed any reference to alarm, offence and nuisance and to changes which made buying sex an offence in itself. The nutter minister said the changes would lead to tougher laws than those recently agreed in England and Wales.

However, Independent MSP Margo MacDonald said the legislation discriminates against street prostitutes because it will not criminalise those who work indoors: If any of the committee members imagine if by passing this legislation they are going to reprioritise the police operations I think are going to be disappointed in that.

6000 lashes & 2 years in prison for selling porn in Saudi

From This Day

...And that was just the first offence

A Nigerian was yesterday arrested in Makkah, Islam's holiest city for possession and distribution of pornographic materials.

The religious police, (The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention), arrested the Nigerian man who was living in the Saudi Arabia illegally for using kids to distribute pornographic DVDs to Saudi homes.

The Nigerian whose name has not been disclosed was not a first offender in the crime as he was said to have previously committed the offence and after serving out his prison terms was deported back to the country. The suspect had then been sentenced to two years in prison and 6,000 lashes on conviction commission of the first offence.

The Nigerian was allegedly passing business cards with his name and number printed, where prospective customers later reached out to him. The suspect then used children to home-deliver the pornographic material. Many of the man’s customers were young Saudis.

Eventually one of these business cards ended up in the hands of authorities, which then set up an easy sting operation by simply ordering some DVDs. A search conducted on his residence after his arrest, revealed a cache of 800 pornographic DVDs.

Annual press freedom survey 2007

From Reporters without Borders see full article
See Thailand Annual Report 2007

The report lists the worst violations in repressive countries, including major culprits North Korea, Eritrea, Cuba and Turkmenistan, but also looks at democracies, where progress needs to be made too.

A disturbingly record number of journalists and media workers were killed or thrown in prison around the world in 2006 and we are already concerned about 2007, as six journalists and four media assistants have been killed in January alone.

But beyond these figures is the alarming lack of interest (and sometimes even failure) by democratic countries in defending the values they are supposed to incarnate. Almost everyone believes in human rights these days but amid the silences and behaviour on all sides, we wonder who now has the necessary moral authority to make a principled stand in favour of these freedoms.

The publication by a Danish newspaper of cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed focused the world’s attention in 2006 on the issue of freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs. Democratic countries did not defend Denmark, whose embassies were attacked, or the journalists who were threatened and arrested. Europe especially seemed to choose silence for fear of offending Arab or Muslims regimes.

Media workers in the Middle East were once again the victims of the region’s chronic instability. 65 journalists and media assistants were killed in Iraq and kidnappings were more frequent there and in the Palestinian Territories. Despite repeated promises, the region’s governments have not introduced significantly greater democracy.

In Latin America, the murder of nearly a dozen journalists in Mexico with virtual impunity, the continued imprisonment of more than a score in Cuba and the deteriorating situation in Bolivia (nevertheless the best-ranked country of the South in the Reporters Without Borders annual press freedom index) are all signals to the international community to be very vigilant.

Press freedom violations in Asia peaked with 16 media workers killed, at least 328 arrested, 517 physically attacked or threatened and 478 media outlets censored in 2006. Censorship is very widespread and complete freedom to speak and write is rare in Asia.

Many African governments, especially those in the Horn of Africa, distrust media workers. The killers of journalists are also not being punished and are still being protected by governments and all-powerful politicians in Gambia and Burkina Faso.

Dictatorships also seem to be tightening their grip on the Internet and at least 60 people are in prison for posting criticism of the government online. China, the leading offender, is being copied by Vietnam, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Iran and more and more bloggers and cyber-dissidents are in jail.

   
Airline again take offence at terrorist Bush T-shirt

From the BBC

A passenger barred from a Qantas airlines flight for wearing a T-shirt depicting US President George Bush as a terrorist has threatened legal action.

Allen Jasson said he was sticking up for the principle of free speech by challenging the decision by the Australian flag carrier.

Jasson was stopped as he was about to board the flight from Melbourne to London last Friday. Jasson had previously encountered difficulties with the same T-shirt on an earlier Qantas flight in December.

Qantas said the T-shirt had potential to offend other passengers. The T-shift features an image of President George W Bush, along with the slogan "World's Number One Terrorist".

After clearing the international security checks at Melbourne Airport, he reportedly approached the gate manager to congratulate him on the company's new-found open-mindedness.

At that point, Jasson was ordered to remove the T-shirt after being told it was a security threat and an item which might cause offence to other passengers. He was offered the chance to board the flight wearing different clothing, but refused.

I am not prepared to go without the t-shirt. I might forfeit the fare, but I have made up my mind that I would rather stand up for the principle of free speech, he told Australian media.

   
Knowingly passing on an STD may lead to grievous bodily harm prosecution in the UK

From the Daily Mail

People who recklessly infect their partner with a sexually transmitted disease could soon be jailed for up to five years.

Those who do not warn their lover they have chlamydia, syphilis or herpes will be targeted under proposals from the Crown Prosecution Service.

The policy, due to be unveiled by Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald next month, will also focus on hepatitis, gonorrhea and other sexual infections, in addition to those who transmit the HIV/Aids virus.

Some doctors argue that criminalising transmission of sexual infections could deter people from seeking a test because they may think confirmation will put them at greater risk of prosecution. As a result, they will not receive the treatment they need.

The CPS, in a consulation document published last year, said action was needed against people who fail to give a proper warning of their condition before having sex.

Before a prosecution is mounted, the CPS will have to assess whether a person knew about their infection, their knowledge about its potential impact and whether they told their lover. Cases where a person knows of their infection but fails to reveal it, leading to their partner contracting the disease, are likely to be classed as examples of "reckless" transmission that can be prosecuted.

The charge in these cases will be one of inflicting grievous bodily harm - an offence which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail for each person infected. In more serious cases, where there is clear evidence that transmission was intentional, a more severe charge carrying a maximum life sentence could be brought. But the difficulty of legally proving deliberate transmission means that most offenders are likely to be prosecuted on the lesser charge.

A person will not be exempt from prosecution if they wear a condom but do not inform their partner they have an infection - particularly if it was not used properly throughout the sexual encounter. However, proper use of a condom will be a factor in deciding the seriousness of the offence and whether to bring a case.

Offenders will also be brought to trial even when their victim declines to testify, as long as it is judged to be in the public interest by preventing any future lovers being infected. All that will be required in such cases will be me