"Over the last ten years, British holidaymakers have rediscovered the national tradition of world exploration thanks to the ease and speed of internet booking and cheaper flights. This means that, more than ever, the British public are embracing different cultures from across the globe.” (Metro, UK) Elena Antoniou, of lastminute.com comments on a new study revealing that British women consider German men to be ‘sexiest in the world’.

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Saudi Cleric Tackles Two Eyed Temptresses

A leading Muslim cleric has called for women to wear veils that reveal just one eye, explaining that ‘showing both eyes encourages women to use eye make-up to look seductive’ (BBC).

Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan, said to have ‘wide influence among religious Saudis’ by the BBC, made his sartorial suggestions on top Muslim satellite channel Al-MAdj, just as the Independent reviewed new dating guide 'How to Make Anyone Fall in Love With You: 85 Proven Techniques for Success'.

Writing in the guide, romance expert Leil Lowndes specifically emphasizes the importance of ‘sticky eyes’, in an uncanny endorsement of the Sheik’s suggestions.

“When you are talking to your quarry, let your eyes stay glued to his or hers a little longer than necessary - even during silences,” he advises, “A gaze that lingers awakens primal, slightly disturbing feelings. It induces the same "fight or flight" chemicals that race through our veins when we feel infatuation,” he added.

The guide however, also recommends further seduction tips that could work with one eye.

“For girls, take sneak peeks at his body - and when he sees you pretend you are a little embarrassed,” Lowndes suggested, “This should really get his juices flowing and is a great way to get a friend to think of you sexually.”

In more religion/ romance news, Muslim cleric Professor Is-haq Akintola addressed the thorny issue of homosexuality in Nigeria this week, calling on authorities to introduce rehabilitation centers for homosexuals.

Intriguingly, the cleric blamed Nigeria’s notoriously overcrowded ‘stone age barbaric’ prison system for turning more and more men gay, citing ‘body contacts that stir up lust as their emotions, sentiments and sensibilities go hay-wire’, and proposed a final solution for eradicating both prison over-crowding and gays.

“Homosexuality is a great sin in Islam. It is as grievous as adultery, and the punishment is the same,” the Professor told the Sunday Sun, “Homosexuals are to be condemned to death.”

Meanwhile in Cameroon, authorities continue to arrest and jail people for being gay, according to a report on RadioNetherlands this week, causing terror in the West African country (which borders Nigeria)

"If you wear an earring, if you are too handsome, too nice, too cute, very elegant, or wear very trendy clothes, just that could land you in prison on charges of homosexuality,” leading Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom told the Dutch station.

In related news, London Stock Exchange vicar Rev Mr Mullen was accused of being homophobic this week after he wrote on his blog that gays should be tattooed with health warnings on their bodies.

"Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with FELLATIO KILLS,” he suggested.

The vicar subsequently claimed he was ‘only joking’ and added ‘anybody with an ounce of sense of humour or any understanding of the tradition of English satire would immediately assume that they're light-hearted jokes’. (Daily Telegraph).

http://tinyurl.com/3fj46a (How to make anyone fall in love with you’)

http://www.hrw.org/prisons/africa.html (Human Rights Watch: prisons in Africa)

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http://tinyurl.com/3pa2nq (Rep. Brad Sherman on Martial Law: scary scary Youtube footage)

http://tinyurl.com/49sz64 (‘Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control" By Naomi Wolf’)
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Sudan’s Tight Trouser Terror

30 Girls wearing tight trousers were arrested and beaten by cops in Sudan this week after being suspected of being members of youth gangs ‘known for drinking, fighting and public nudity’. (Edinburgh Evening News).

The girls faced three months in jail for violating new laws criminalising ‘bad behaviour and the importation of illicit cultures’, though were released after Gender Minister Mary Kinden Kimbo stepped in.

"Girls were picked up from points like in the church and were hurled into police lorries and taken to the police station, some of them were beaten up, that is why the girls were very distressed," the Sudanese politician told the BBC.

"I am against the police taking action single-handedly to round up everybody and start beating them because that is not their job,” she added.

The dangers of tight trousers were previously emphasised in 2003 when Canadian scientists published a paper on women suffering from paresthesia, described as a tingling, burning nerve sensation experienced by women whose trousers were pinching a nerve.

A survey of British men in 2000 also revealed that half were putting their health at risk by squeezing into too right trousers, in order to deny the grim reality of their expanding waistlines.

"Men tend to stand in front of the mirror and pull in their stomachs, and then think they look okay,” Professor Stephen Gray, of Nottingham Trent University told the BBC.

"For the same reason, they will squeeze into trousers which are too small because they don't want to admit they have put on weight,” he added, “But wearing trousers too small often means they are worn under the gut, and that only exacerbates their stomachs."

The Guardian also revealed some years ago that trousers are the garment ‘responsible for more accidents than any other in the UK’, with an estimated 3,695 visiting hospital emergency wards a year, according to ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

While 700 men were treated for accidents caused by zips in their pants in 2002, many more hurt themselves by "accidentally tripping because of a wide-flared trouser" and "putting your trousers on too quickly, losing your balance, and falling over", ROSPA spokesperson Karen Blanchette told the BBC.

Tight trouser issues were also highlighted by Sex Pistol singer Johnny Rotten in an interview with the Sun in 2005 in which he taunted rival pop star Bono from U2.

"Bono, Sting and Bob have formed this ridiculous blessed trilogy – stop preaching, please,” he begged.

"Every time I see Bono in those big fly glasses and tight leather pants I just can't hack it. I can't see that as solving the world's problems. He's crushing his testicles in tight trousers for world peace,” said Lydon.

http://tinyurl.com/3zdk69 (Sid Vicious interview, with Nancy)