‘Sexist' Venus bronze removed from Berlin government building
The replica of the classical sculpture of the goddess of love covering her nakedness with her hands found favour with the pilot and art thief Goering, who exhibited her in his Carinhall country estate outside Berlin for eight years.
In the dying days of the Second World War, when the SS blew up Carinhall to stop it falling into the hands of the Soviets, she was thrown into a nearby lake, along with other unwieldy art treasures amassed by the Nazi.
After 45 years in the murk of
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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Should we be concerned about multiple tiers of British justice?
Stories about 'two-tier' policing and justice have become a frequent feature in the news. Just this week, there's been yet another 'two-tier' policing row over a pro-Palestine protestor dressed as a holocaust concentration camp inmate and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, no less, has said allegations of 'two-tier' justice are 'disgusting '. Then there's the ongoing reports about Lucy Connolly. She was sentenced to 31 months in prison for an ill-judged post on X about asylum seekers (which she later deleted). The appeal to reduce her sentence failed, but when serious offences receive lesser sentencing, there are legitimate grounds for concern. Everyone must be treated equally before the law, but public perception as to whether this remains the case is being harmed and presents a crisis of trust in our institutions. So, is the Attorney General wrong to express his criticism of those speaking up on the status quo? My new report for Civitas delves into examples of 'two-tier' policing and justice. My findings indicate public perception around police impartiality and justice have indeed been eroded over the decades. None of this should be taken lightly, given impartiality is central to the police's commitment to discharge their duties, 'without fear or favour' – but there are examples of where policing might be viewed as operating, 'with fear and favour'. Are some groups, like the white working class, treated differently to others? Are they treated equally to Black Lives Matter (who Starmer took the knee for, whilst in opposition), climate protestors or Muslim counter protestors following the Southport tragedy? Last summer's disorder was a focal point, but racial and religious sensitivities have long impacted justice for grooming gang survivors. A hierarchical hate crime policy for Britain's faith groups, plus allegations of two-tier policing since October 7, give rise to further questions about impartiality. The existing policing approach reflects that rather than operating on a colour-blind or community-blind basis, the attempt was made by police to compensate for the allegation stemming from the Macpherson inquiry of 'institutional racism' – by policing different communities in different ways. Although this is well intentioned, it is not without consequence. The Government have pushed back on this framing. In fact in April, the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry into the 2024 riots referred to 'unsubstantiated and disgraceful claims of 'two-tier policing''. The state's decisive action to quell disorder, post Southport against so-called 'far-Right thugs' (a narrative later proven to be false) was of course necessary, but it contrasts with the approach to the Roma riots in Harehills (Leeds) where at one point, the police retreated after becoming the target of the mob themselves, or disorder by predominantly Muslim counter-protestors in Bordesley Green (Birmingham) where journalists were targeted and a white man attacked outside a pub. Remarkably, Leeds City Council issued a joint statement (a day after Harehills) praising the Romanian/Roma community contribution to, 'the diversity and richness of the Harehills'. Meanwhile, despite the serious public disorder in Birmingham, reports indicated 'a lack of police presence'. West Midlands Police consulted 'community leaders' prior to the disorder, and Harehills was largely viewed as a community issue. The 'community leader' gatekeeper concept, when applied to some groups, but not others, introduces an element of police bias. Worst still, the Home Office X account referred to the post-Southport protestors as 'criminals' even before they had been tried in court, removing the legal principle of presumption of innocence. Justice for them was indeed swift – the disorder broke out on 30 July, with the first prison sentences announced a week later. Meanwhile, a suspended Labour councillor who pleaded not guilty to encouraging violent disorder last summer is going to trial in August 2025 – a year on. But allegations of impartial policing or policy aren't restricted to how the state deals with public order. Take the recording of hate crime, or Orwellian non-crime-hate-incidents (NCHIs) for religion. Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are prioritised. The Government's secretive 'Islamophobia' working group, tasked with putting together a new definition should really pause until completion of the national grooming gang inquiry. That's because allegations of so-called 'Islamophobia' could stifle open discussion. But why does the Government not also define anti-Christian, anti-Hindu and anti-Sikh hatred, whilst they're at it? Or better still – treat them all on one equal footing? After the targeting of a mosque in Southport last summer, the Government announced additional 'emergency' security funding for mosques to build on the existing £29 million fund in place last year, allocated to the standalone Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. But no 'emergency' funding announcement came forth when a Hindu temple in Leicester (and one in Birmingham) was targeted during the Hindu-Muslim disorder back in 2022. Standalone funding schemes dedicated to protecting places of worship exist for some religious groups, but not others. Although the Government will continue to dismiss claims of 'two-tier' justice, in April it was forced to introduce emergency legislation to kibosh guidelines specifying preferential treatment for 'minority' communities to, 'prevent potential differential treatment arising from the Sentencing Council guidelines and avoid any unintended discrimination'. As I discovered, there are many examples of where identity politics and progressivist causes have trumped impartial policing. It is time to reinstate equality before the law for all citizens, regardless of their politics, religion or identity grouping.
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Kyiv hits Russian airbase after Moscow pounds Ukraine with hundreds of drones
Ukraine said it has struck a Russian airbase, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the war. Ukraine's military General Staff said Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk airbase in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the 'home base' of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Advertisement Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and 'possibly other aircraft'. It was a rocky start to the day, with more than 500 Russian attack drones and missiles. Difficult, but a significant number were shot down. Interceptor drones demonstrated important performance today and we are scaling this up to the hilt. Today marks an important decision in… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2025 Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. Such attacks on Russian airbases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Advertisement Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Metro stations are used as bomb shelters in Kyiv (AP) According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, killing one person and wounding at least 26 others. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he had a 'very important and productive' phone call with US President Donald Trump. Advertisement I had a very important and fruitful conversation with @POTUS . I congratulated President Trump and the entire American people on the US Independence Day. We - in Ukraine - are grateful for all the support provided. It helps us protect lives, safeguard our freedom and… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2025 The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader U.S-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Mr Zelenksy. Asked on Friday night by reporters about the call, Mr Trump said: 'We had a very good call, I think.' When asked about finding a way to end the fighting, the US leader said: 'I don't know. I can't tell you whether or not that's going to happen.' Strikes have continued on Kyiv (AP) The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Advertisement Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Mr Zelensky says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Russia's defence ministry said it shot down 94 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, along with 12 further drones on Saturday morning. No casualties were reported.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
My customer's neighbours REFUSED to cut down their hedge... so here's what I did next
A man who was fed up with his neighbour refusing to cut down their large hedge took drastic action. In a video shared on TikTok, the irritated homeowner, posting under the username @gardenyardzmowing1982, showed how something as mundane as a garden border can cause conflict. In the clip the frustrated gardener showed off the huge shrub separating his and his neighbour's homes. Panning across the garden TikTok users could see the metres-long shrub standing almost twice as tall as the neighbour. The TikToker claimed that the house next door had 'refused' to cut it back and he had been forced to take matters in to his own hands. His video then showed a time lapse of the content creator, dressed in navy trousers and a T-shirt, using a hedge trimmer to cut down at least a foot of growth. By the end of the video, the guerrilla gardener had taken off a considerable chunk from the top of the shrub and seemed satisfied with the transformation. And while the TikTok user was pleased with his handiwork, others were less than impressed and took tot he comments under his video to express their concerns. One user suggested the neighbour might sue and wrote: 'By Law in the UK you are allowed to cut anything overhanging your garden but not the entire hedge. If I was your neighbour I'd sue'. Another TikTok user echoed this, commenting: 'If it the hedge belongs to a neighbour you can cut anything over hanging on your side of the boundary but you are not allowed to reduce the height without permission. Criminal damage'. One voiced concern over local wildlife and asked whether the TikToker had considered nesting birds before shopping off the overhanging branches. They commented: 'I hope you avoided the nesting season?' and another joined in the sentiment, adding, 'Hedges are for wildlife as much as anything else. you could have simply trimmed the top not hacked it off. But then I suppose most people don't consider others, least of all the natural world.' While the TikTok user was pleased with his handiwork, others were less than impressed and took tot he comments under his video to express their concerns. While another suggested that the neighbour might have been growing the hedge tall for privacy reasons, writing, 'Maybe the neighbour wanted it tall for a reason. Probably to block out annoying neighbours'. Others criticised the keen gardener and asked why he had cut the hedge down and limited his own privacy with users writing: 'The hedge is great for privacy and wind protection', 'You should have left it, was more private' and 'why did you do his side you can't do it some people like privacy!'. According to the website you can only trim a hedge up to the property boundary. If you do more than this your neighbour could take you to court for damaging their property.
