Search results

While Yukos deserve to be punished for dodgy business practices this looks increasingly like politically revenge for Khodorkovsky's support for Putin's rivals. A worrying development for Russian democracy.

It's nice to see democracy being used to solve a political problem in the Balkans.

It seems that Turkey is slowly changing for the better thanks to the carrot of EU membership.

I think we should give up the rebate in exchange for a reform of the CAP.

England currently does not have a national anthem. At sporting events we have recently being using Land of Hope and Glory. However there are many alternatives to this and I would like to throw it open to the people of CFC. What do you think should be the English National Anthem?

I think it's fair to say that young people are far more likely to be left-wing (i.e. socialist/communist) than older people. The evidence is for all to see on these boards. Now, I was wondering why this might be the case. Is it because young people are more idealistic than older people? Are they...

Speaking from a strictly constitutional point of view the President has very little actual power. Now some of you are immediately thinking that is wrong because he is commander-in-chief. However armies need to be paid and the House of Representatives controls the budget. The President cannot...

Here you go. All those who wish to discuss the European constitution from an American perspective can do it in this thread.

Do animals have rights? Why is it that some animals such as cats and dogs are protected by the law and other animals such as flies and ants are not? Do you think that is right? Who decides whether animals have rights? Are they inherent or are they given by humans? What rights should animals...

Ministers revealed plans yesterday to tidy up 400 years of charity legislation. But they will struggle to iron out the many anomalies still found in the world of British charities, report Maxine Frith and Nigel Morris. In the fiercely competitive charity world, the Slade Farm Donkey Sanctuary...

This thread aims to answer those two great footballing questions of the summer, who is going where and for how much? In England: Man Utd have bought Alan Smith from Leeds United for £7 million. Concidentally Alan Smith has been banished from the city of Leeds and his Yorkshire accent has...

If you had the pick of every single footballers in the world at this very moment with money being no object, who would you pick and why? You can have any formation you like. You can have any nationality of player. You can select as many players from the same team as you like. The only condition...

The coalition in Iraq wants its troops to remain immune from prosecution by Iraqis after the handover of power. BBC correspondent Jonathan Beale says UK and US forces want to remain under their own jurisdictions, even after the creation of a sovereign Iraq. The Foreign Office said the...

The Black Death, which killed 23m people in the middle ages, could be lying dormant and could strike again, say researchers. Their claim is based on the theory that the pandemic was triggered not by bubonic plague but by another virus. The theory is outlined in a new book by Professor...

What do you think is the political legacy of Bill Clinton? This can range from increasing the power of the Executive to free trade agreements to introducing permanent campaigning to lowering the respect for the Office of the Presidency to anything else you consider his political legacy. After...

With Michael Moore's new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, earning a 15-minute standing ovation when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and is favourite to win that festival's highest honour, the Palme d'Or, what do you think of Michael Moore? Is he a propagandist spinning the truth to fit his...

A fully restored World War II Spitfire has gone on the market for £1.35m. The plane is one of three, fully airworthy, Spitfires being offered for sale at the Historic Flying company based at Duxford near Cambridge. The other two are offer at £850,000 and £1.1m. Only around 30 airworthy...

The International Olympic Committee chose London, Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow to go forward to the final vote next year. Paris, which hosted the Games in 1900 and 1924, is currently seen as the favourite, just ahead of London. France staged the football World Cup in 1998, and the...

In recent years there have been increasing calls for unhealthy advertising (i.e. sugary foods and drinks) aimed towards children to be banned. This is in response to the growing problem of child obesity and the health risks that poses. Do you support such a ban? What about a sugar tax on these...