Europe

School Wins Muslim Dress Appeal.  [England] A British school has won its appeal against a ruling that had given a Muslim teenage girl the right to wear full Islamic dress in class.  Britain's highest court, the Law Lords, on Wednesday overturned a lower court decision that had cleared the way for Shabina Begum to wear a jilbab, which covers the body except for the hands and face.  Begum, 17, won a Court of Appeal ruling last year establishing that Denbigh High School in Luton, north of London, had infringed on her human rights by not allowing her to wear the traditional Muslim dress.  The school appealed the decision to the Law Lords.  Lord Justice Bingham said in his ruling Wednesday that the key question was whether the school denied effective access to education to the girl, The Associated Press reported.  "In my opinion, the facts compel the conclusion that it did not," he said.  Bingham said the school "had taken immense pains to devise a uniform policy which respected Muslim beliefs but did so in an inclusive, unthreatening and uncompetitive way."
Camilla: No Longer 'Wicked Witch'.  [England] For courtiers carefully choreographing the rebranding of Prince Charles' new wife, the couple's latest overseas tour was the perfect opportunity for a "Camilla makeover."  And it worked.  Britain's royalty-obsessed tabloids, who once vilified Camilla as the mistress who broke up the heir to the throne's marriage to the late Princess Diana, have now decided she is the acceptable face of the House of Windsor.  "It is extraordinary how well she has done for a novice," said Hello Magazine's Judy Wade who dubbed their trip to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and now India "The Togetherness Tour."  "She is making him easier to deal with.  She jollies him along," she said of the middle-aged couple who celebrate their first wedding anniversary next month after a tortuous 35-year love affair.
Sex Industry Awaits World Cup.  [Germany] Some 1 million foreign visitors are expected to flood into Germany from June 9 and many expect large numbers of male spectators to wind down after a match in the arms of a prostitute or in the red light districts of the 12 host cities.  Hamburg's St. Pauli quarter, the country's largest and most famous red light district, is bubbling with optimism that it could be a bumper season for the legal sex industry.  But others have raised concerns that vulnerable women could be forced into prostitution to meet the expected demand.
German Women's Soccer Team Beats US in the Algarve Cup.  [Germany] The German Women's team is continues to sweep all before them.  With the focus on the World Cup in Germany this summer, the German women soccer players deserve more credit.  The women's team is ranked number one in the world, but is generally overshadowed by male counterparts.  The Germans -- World and European champions -- beat the United States 4-3 Wednesday to take the Algarve Cup for the first time.  The game remained goalless after 120 minutes, with the match ending in a penalty-shot shootout.  Despite their 16 shots on goal during regulation time, the Americans were unable to win the title.  "It was a good game by both teams," said US head coach Greg Rayn.  "It think we played much better this year.  Last year, I thought Germany dominated the game and we were fortunate to score the goal and defend well.  I think in this match we were the aggressive team, attacking throughout the game."  The game was a rematch of last year's final, which the world's number-two-ranked American team won 1-0.
Dutch Consider Burqa Ban to Muslim Dismay.  [Netherlands] Last December, parliament voted to forbid women from wearing the burqa or any Muslim face coverings in public, justifying the move in part as a security measure.  The cabinet is awaiting the results of a study into the legality of such a ban under European human rights laws, before making its final decision.  The results are expected in the second half of this month.  "This is an enormous victory for traditional Dutch decency," said Geert Wilders, the populist member of parliament who first proposed the burqa ban, after hearing parliament had backed it.  "The burqa is hostile to women, and medieval.  For a woman to walk around on the streets completely covered is an insult to everyone who believes in equal rights."

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