How did it come to this? It was never inevitable that the Dutch parliament would vote in favour of banning religious slaughter, but once the animal rights ball started rolling, it became harder and harder to stop.

An Amsterdam court has acquitted Dutch politician Geert Wilders of inciting hatred against Muslims.

The 47-year old populist, who leads the right-wing Party for Freedom, was cleared and told his comments were "acceptable within the context of the public debate".

Michael Schwerner, or "Mickey" as he was known to his friends, and Andrew Goodman, were political rights activists – a job that caused their untimely death by the Klu Klux Klan.

Mr Schwerner and Mr Goodman met when they both joined the Congress on Racial Equality in Meridian, Mississippi to take part in Freedom Summer.

It was a game of two halves as tackling racism in British and Israeli football was the theme of a JCC and New Israel Fund forum in central London on Tuesday.

Guests first enjoyed a screening of After the Cup, a documentary about Arab football team Bnei Sakhnin in the year following its Israeli Cup triumph and also focusing on star midfielder and Israeli international Abbas Suan.

They are bright blue, three apples tall and make the perfect fancy dress idea. But according to a French writer, the Smurfs are actually antisemitic and racist.

Introduced in a French comic book in 1958, the Smurfs have appeared on television and film and will be in cinemas with actors Hank Azaria and Neil Patrick Harris once again this summer.

A rabbi who was arrested during civil rights demonstrations in America’s Deep South in the 1960s is to be honoured by Oprah Winfrey later today.

The talk show host has dedicated an episode of her popular show to the efforts of the Freedom Riders, who began their crusade for racial equality 50 years ago today.