Officers will hand out the rock sweets, which bear the messages ‘Quiet Please’ and ‘Shush’ to drinkers

Police have bought 10,000 sweets to hand out to students to remind them to be quiet when they come home from a night out.

Officers will hand the rock sweets, which bear the messages ‘Quiet Please’ and ‘Shush’, to drinkers in Durham.

These will be reserved for busy nights in the city and handed out when officers feel revellers need a reminder to keep the noise down as they make their way home.

The idea follows complaints about rowdy students in residential areas.

Late-night noise is a genuine issue for a number of our residents and we hope that this initiative will make a difference.

'It also provides another way for our officers to engage with students and other revellers when they are out on the town.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2069630/Police-10-000-sweets-bi…

Figures obtained by the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (Ikwro) showed at least 2,823 incidents of "honour-based" violence, with the highest number recorded in London.

The charity said the statistics do not give the full picture of the levels of "honour" violence in the UK , but are the best national estimate so far.

"'Honour' attacks are punishments usually carried out on women who have been accused of bringing shame on their family and in the past have included abductions, mutilations, beatings and murder," the report said.

"The number of incidents is significant, particularly when we consider the high levels of abuse that victims suffer before they seek help."

In the 12 force areas that could also provide statistics for 2009 there was a 47% increase in incidents on the previous year.

In London the number of incidents rose from 235 to 495, and in Greater Manchester from 105 to 189.

http://m.sky.com/skynews/article/news/16122893

Those of you who are Huffadh or Hafidh (preservers or memorisers) of the Holy Qur'an, please try to contribute to the following survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LY78WWT

Many thanks. Please pass on the survey link to people you know.

Grenadier Guardsman Daniel Crook jailed and dismissed from the army after bayoneting boy, 10, in kidneys for no reason

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/02/british-soldier-stabbed-afghan…

Youth in Pakistan don't want to marry their cousins

How do you explain this to a non-believer?

Do you attempt to explain the nafs?

"Is it magic?"

How does the devil 'get inside you/your mind'?

Any way of making it sound rational? (I don't think so)

Men are hopeless at depression, but they are terribly good at suicide. That is what the sad statistics tell us. One in every 100 deaths is the result of what Hamlet called self-slaughter, and the vast majority who die that way are male. Women attempt suicide more often than men, but tend to choose methods that leave room for second thoughts or rescue. For a man hellbent on leaving this life, there is often no turning back.

Hanging is not a cry for help. It’s the opposite. Decisive, quick, resolutely masculine. An exit that brooks no argument, no pleas to think again. Small wonder Speed’s death has caused such widespread bewilderment and anguish. A distraught Alan Shearer asked, “Why, Speedo? Why didn’t you give me or one of your other close mates a ring if you were feeling so bad?” Colleagues queued up to testify to the 42-year-old’s upbeat character. Presenter Dan Walker said Speed had been in a “bubbly” mood on BBC1’s Football Focus hours before he killed himself. Commentators pointed out that, blessed with matinee-idol looks, a beautiful wife and two sporty kids, in addition to growing professional success, Speed had everything to live for. His agent, Hayden Evans, went so far as to assert: “Gary did not suffer from depression and he was happily married.”

Read full story here

I still find Gary Speed's death very sad and I didn't really know him (I mean in terms of a football 'fan'...yes I'm not that big of a fan really! :shock: ). He just seems great and looked happy/normal too in his appearance on football focus, just a day before he took his own life.

But the point of this topic is the stigma attached to men being emotional.

"Men don't cry!"
"wuss'"
"they need to 'man up'"
"attention seekers!"

Just some of the kind of comments, I'm sure we've all heard.

I will admit, that I find it weird seeing guys share their emotions, sometimes. And it's quite shocking seeing grown men cry but these things don't make guys any less of a man. (generally, depending on context :p ) It's horrible that guys feel so pressured into being these macho men, that it can cost them their lives 🙁

These views need to change and men feeling depressed etc shouldn't be stigmatised. It shouldn't be a taboo for them to share such feelings! :/

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pardoned a rape victim who was jailed for adultery, after she apparently agreed to marry her attacker.

The woman, named as Gulnaz, gave birth in prison to a daughter who has been kept in jail with her.

Read more @ BBC News

I recently watched a bbc documentary which followed a young woman who suffered from cystic fibrosis in the days around her wedding day and then organ transplant which saved her life. It just got me wondering whether Muslims are allowed to become organ donators after death and whether of not some Muslims say yes and others say no. I would also like to hear about blood donations. I hope that someone can answer these questions of mine.

A passenger hurls Racist abuse on public transport

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47HoiM0Au8]

Emma West, 34, appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.

She cried as the three magistrates watched the footage, which has now been seen more than 11 million times online.

An administrative error earlier led to Ms West entering a not guilty plea.

The court file was later amended to show she has not yet pleaded.

Ms West was remanded in custody until 3 January.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16051120