In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, roughly one in four Americans admit that they sympathize more with the Confederacy than with the Union

This figure that rises to nearly four in ten among white Southerners. Republicans were most likely to say that they admired the leaders of the southern states during the Civil War, with eight in 10 Republicans expressing admiration for the leaders in the South.

On average around 50% of marriages in the Muslim world are between close relatives

In Pakistan, around 70% of marriages are between close relatives. In Britain, around 55% of Pakistani immigrants marry their relatives.

Christianity or genes?

Why has Europe - and its offspring the United States of America - been more successful than China and other parts of the world? Is it due to Christianity or to genetic differences between white Europeans and the rest of the world?

Caucasian and Asian brains

Researchers have studied the brain waves of people with Caucasian and Asian backgrounds and found that cultural differences in how they think about other people are embedded deep in their brains, challenging a commonsense notion that culture is only skin deep.

The most dangerous city in Mexico had 39 killings in a few days, including the murders of three police officers, the Chihuahua state prosecutor's office in Ciudad Juarez said

In one of the most high-profile homicides, Ismael Sergio Apodaca, coordinator of the Police Station "Chihuahua," was executed. Hours earlier, a municipal official was attacked and taken to the hospital in serious condition, the state prosecutor's office has said. In all, eight people were killed in one day. The next day, another 16 people were killed, including six victims shot dead at a workshop and another four killed in front of a garage. The victims, all male, were between 20 and 30 years old. The following day, nine people were executed. Juarez municipal police officers were operating on high alert after finding "narcopintas" - graffiti messages left by suspected drug traffickers - on public walls near a local park. By day's end, another two police officers had been killed by suspects thought to be involved with organized crime, the prosecutor's office said. Perhaps the most gruesome recent homicide was that of a man whose torso was the only body part found. The body had no head or limbs, officials said. He was one of six killed that day, and has not been identified. According to unofficial estimates, as many as 600 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez since the beginning of 2011. More than 3,000 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2010. The city's newly appointed top cop in Juarez - Julian Leyzaola - has yet to give an interview even though he has been in office a little over a month. He's received several public death threats since he took office on March 10, 2011.

Genes, twins and child-rearing

Bryan Caplan says that parents put too much stress on themselves because they wrongly believe that their parenting styles has a long-term effect on their children. In reality, genetics plays a greater role than upbringing in how our children will turn out.

Racist plants?

Scientists have found that plants discriminate in favor of siblings and against strangers.

The number of bodies found in mass graves in north-eastern Mexico recently has risen to 88, after 16 more corpses were discovered

Investigators found four new graves in San Fernando, not far from the United States border. They were tipped-off by a suspect who was being detained. Police said that he had confessed to the kidnapping and subsequent killing of dozens of victims, who were traveling through the area on buses. Recently police found 59 bodies in eight mass graves in San Fernando, in Tamaulipas state. Thirteen more bodies were discovered the following day in two other graves. Officials say that 16 people have been arrested in connection with the discovery of the mass graves, but the motive for the killings remains unclear. The gruesome find resembles the discovery in August 2010 of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants, who were killed in the same town for refusing to join the ranks of the cartel which had abducted them. Tamaulipas state, where the mass graves where found, is at the center of a bloody battle between rival drug gangs for the control of lucrative drug-smuggling routes.

Porn and the Muslim politician

An Indonesian MP who helped pass a tough anti-pornography law has resigned after being caught watching sexually explicit videos on his computer during a parliamentary debate. A photographer saw the man, a member of the staunchly Islamic Prosperous Justice Party, gazing at the porn sites. The blurred images have been published on the front pages of newspapers and commentators said that the MP, who uses the single name Arifinto, should be prosecuted under the terms of the law which he helped pass. Arifinto, 50, has apologized to his constituents and said he is stepping down from parliament immediately. "It's my decision," said the father of five, insisting he was not acting on the orders of his party. "Nobody tried to coerce me." Indonesia, with a population of 237 million people, has more Muslims than any other country in the world. The pornography law calls for prison terms of up to 15 years and fines for everything from kissing in public and exposure of a woman's "sensual" body parts to displaying "erotic" artworks. Broadcasting, possessing and storing pornographic material also is prohibited. Arifinto, who oversees a parliamentary commission dealing with transportation, telecommunications and rural development, was an outspoken supporter of the law. He was caught watching the video clip for several minutes as fellow legislators debated plans to build a new parliament building. The anti-porn law was used in January 2011 to sentence Nazril "Ariel" Irham, lead singer of the country's most popular band Peterpan, to 40 months in jail after two home-made sex tapes found their way to the Internet. The editor in chief of Playboy Indonesia was sentenced to two years behind bars in 2011.

A black mother is to go on trial for assault after using a box cutter and a pair of pliers to circumcise her three-month-old son

Keemonta Peterson told police that she had watched YouTube videos on how to carry out the surgical procedure. The mother-of-four left her baby son bleeding for two hours before finally calling emergency services. Peterson was arrested and charged with first and second degree assault. Her four children are being looked after by social workers and Peterson is to go on trial in June 2011.

A black clergyman who poured boiling water over a homeless man before stabbing him after he took shelter outside his church, has been jailed

Reverend Friday Archy, 51, screamed at his victim: 'I told you to go, if you stay here you will die,' before plunging the knife into his neck, armpit and chest. The clergyman claimed the injuries to Ben Donetus were karma for being a sinning homeless person. The 25-year-old, who suffered severe burns and four stab wounds, spent two days in hospital with a collapsed lung. Archy was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent following a trial at Inner London Crown Court. The green-robed Nigerian, of the Christ-Choosing Church of God in Peckham, southeast London, clashed with the victim after failing to move rough sleepers away. There are two other rough sleepers who also sleep there every night. The injured man was taken to nearby Kings College Hospital for treatment for stab wounds, a collapsed lung, a fractured rib, and two burns on his torso following the incident on May 2, 2010. Archy had two previous convictions for making threats to kill in 1991, the court heard.

A woman has died after undergoing a medical procedure from two Hispanics who are now facing murder charges

Police say that the incident took place at a small office. The victim, 42-year-old Elena Caro, arrived for a buttocks enhancement, but was pronounced dead at a hospital hours later. Fifty-five-year-old Ruben Dario Matallana-Galvas and his wife, 47-year-old Carmen Olfidia Torres-Sanchez, were then arrested at McCarran International Airport as they attempted to board a flight to Colombia. The couple originally had plans on flying to Colombia on April 22, 2011 but decided to leave earlier. Caro was a mother of three children. Her daughter says her mother previously visited the doctor for Botox injections and everything was fine. She went back for a buttocks enhancement. Caro's daughter dropped her off but when she returned a few hours later, the office was locked, furniture was gone and her mom was missing. She filed a missing persons report with police. Police believe that the suspects may have dropped the victim off at a street corner where she begged bystanders for help. Paramedics were called, but by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was pronounced dead. The self-described doctor leased out the space from a tile shop owner. Police say that owner is also being questioned. People who live and work in the area say the office was always very busy. Friends of Matallana-Galvas and his wife say the couple have been doing this for a while. They make frequent trips from Colombia to Las Vegas. Matallana-Galvas also admitted to police that he injected the victim with a gel substance six times. The suspect is not licensed as a doctor in Nevada. He told police that he is a homeopathic doctor in Colombia. Police are looking for more victims. The two are now in jail and are due in court on April 13th, 2011.

A Hispanic man faces two counts of cruelty to animal charges after police say he tied two dogs to a tree and let them hang there

Jorge Guzman-Zubiaur, 49, faced a judge who ordered him held on $20,000 bond. Police say that two people screamed and yelled at Guzman-Zubiaur to bring down the two dogs that appeared to be in distress when the incident occurred. “Both witnesses stated they screamed and yelled at [Guzman-Zubiaur] telling him to cut the ropes and free the dogs,” the police report states. After they threatened to call police, Guzman-Zubiaur agreed to free both dogs. It turned out to be too late for one of them. Police say that the Doberman pincher died because of the cruel treatment. The other dog – a Dalmatian – was injured and taken by animal services.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows that 19% of the nation's voters strongly approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president

In addition, 39% of voters strongly disapprove. Currently, just 37% of liberals strongly approve of Obama’s performance. Some liberal commentators have expressed disappointment with Obama over the extension of the Bush tax cuts, the military action in Libya, and, most recently, the budget deal to avert a partial shutdown of the federal government. While liberal enthusiasm may be declining, 57% of voters believe that Obama is more liberal than they are. By a 48% to 37% margin, voters recognize that to significantly cut government spending would require making major changes in National Security, Social Security, and Medicare. Those items make up a majority of all federal spending. Just 31% rate their own personal finances as good or excellent. Overall, 22% say their finances are getting better while 46% say the opposite. Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of Obama's performance while 55% disapprove. Most voters continue to favor the repeal of Obama’s health care law and 61% believe that enforcing immigration laws would reduce poverty.

British police hid the abuse of 60 girls by South Asian takeaway workers linked to the murder of a14-year-old

At least 60 schoolgirls were groomed for sex by workers at seedy takeaways linked to the murder of a 14-year-old girl. Children as young as 11 were targeted by mainly South Asian staff at fast food outlets in Blackpool. They were offered food, alcohol and cigarettes in return for sexual favors. An police report produced after 14-year-old Charlene Downes vanished in 2003 found that the girls, most if not all white, had been victims of the honey pot premises. Apparently the report was suppressed for reasons of political correctness. The revelations about the scale of grooming centered around the downmarket cafes comes amid growing concern at disturbing cases involving mainly South Asian gangs exploiting young white girls for sex in the Midlands and North of England. The Home Office commissioned a nationwide investigation into the problem, which has long been considered taboo by police officers fearful of being branded racist. Indeed, a former senior detective at Lancashire Police has blamed political correctness for its failure to highlight its 2003 findings in Blackpool. Shocking claims made in court over Charlene’s murder revealed fears that her body had been put through a mincing machine, with takeaway staff said to have joked that her remains had gone into the kebabs. Following Charlene’s disappearance in 2003, police found more than 60 girls were being groomed for sex by non-white men centered around 11 Blackpool takeaways. They were mainly aged between 13 and 15, but some were as young as 11. Former Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell warned that research into the problem was being hampered by political correctness and concerns about upsetting community cohesion. Details of court cases in 13 towns showed that out of 56 men convicted of multiple offences of grooming girls for sex, 50 were Muslim, mostly of Pakistani heritage.

Only a third of Florida independents approve of Obama's performance

A new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll found that only 34% of independent voters in Florida — always the key to winning — approve of Obama's performance, and that either former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee would beat Obama in Florida if the election were held today. The telephone poll found Romney slightly leading Huckabee among Republican primary voters, 23% to 18%. Overall, 43% of voters surveyed approved of Obama's performance and 56% disapproved. Independent voters helped narrowly deliver Florida to Obama in 2008, but the poll showed 56% of independent voters disapprove of his performance. In hypothetical general election match-ups, Romney beat Obama 48% to 43%, and Huckabee beat Obama 49% to 44%.

Black man indicted for making threats against city hall and police

U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wiggington says a former O’Fallon, Illinois man has been charged with conveying false threats to O’Fallon Police and City Hall in November, 2006. 28-year-old Justin Lamar Kidd, an African American, is accused of mailing a letter to O’Fallon PD stating, “Get all the blacks from Chevy Chase Apartments from out of O’Fallon before we burn the hole [sic] complex down. KKK warning.” Another letter, mailed to the O’Fallon City Hall, reads, “Get all the blacks out of O’Fallon before we start burning the[ir] houses down.” The indictment claims Kidd sent the threats knowing them to be false. The charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and $250,000 fine.

A 26-year-old convicted black felon has been charged with murdering a Tampa man

Jontavis Devon Williams is being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail facing one count of 1st-degree murder with a firearm. According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office report the suspect turned himself in. Witnesses say that Williams shot Courtney Untwon Yates to death. A few hours earlier Yates got into a fight with a friend of Williams. When the friend told the suspect about the altercation, Williams became upset and went back to where the fight took place – the Columbia Palms apartment complex – to find Yates. Investigators say that when he found him he pulled a gun from his waistband and shot Yates in the chest. According to witnesses the suspect shot him two more times even though the victim begged for his life. Williams is no stranger to law enforcement in Hillsborough County and was already on felony probation at the time of this arrest. Since 2002 the suspect has been arrested four times on a variety of charges including burglary, robbery, petit theft, trespassing and drug possession.

Hispanic males, including a father and son, face charges in the death of a Rio Hondo teacher

Cameron County Sheriff's Deputies say that Julio Cesar Perez along with at least five other men plotted to kill Perez's wife, Sonia Perez. Alfredo Castaneda, Daniel Castaneda, and Daniel Garza have been arraigned on capital murder charges in the Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty. Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said the men plotted to kill Sonia Perez; however, the sheriff did not say what role these three men played in the murder-for-hire. Sheriff Lucio did say the mastermind of the plot was the victim's husband. Julio Cesar Perez served as a pastor at a small neighborhood church in San Benito. Investigators believe he wanted access to more than one-hundred-thousand dollars from his wife Sonia Perez's life insurance policy. To date, a total of six men stand accused of involvement in the murder. Sheriff Lucio said investigators continue to look into the case.

A 23 year-old woman was murdered in a New York City apartment - her head nearly decapitated - after a heated argument with her black Hispanic boyfriend

Sarah Coit was heard arguing with Raul Barrera, 33, shortly before she was viciously stabbed in her apartment, cops and neighbors said. "Her whole neck was cut all the way," said Briana Andalore, 20, who lives downstairs from the blood-stained apartment and saw the young woman get hauled away on a stretcher. "Her head was almost cut off." The roars of their fighting echoed from their apartment for about 20 minutes, neighbors said. "I heard them arguing," said Jason Figueroa, 15, who lives just above the woman's apartment. "She was arguing with her boyfriend." Figueroa, who appeared shaken by the incident, said he could hear Coit, who grew up in Connecticut, being attacked, so he called the police. "She was like 'Stop, get off of me,'" he said. "And she was yelling and then she just got quiet," he said, "That's when I called 9-1-1." Authorities said that they responded to a call about a woman being stabbed and found Coit lying in a pool of blood. She was taken to hospital, where she died over an hour later. Barrera turned himself in after the vicious stabbing, police said. He was charged with second-degree murder. Neighbors said that the warring couple had lived in the apartment for about two years. They have heard the couple argue before, but it was not immediately known if police had ever been called to the residence.