It's a harsh penalty because the guy is of muslim origin - the authorities clamp down harder on muslims.

Is it me, or does the intro guy have his fingers glued together? His hands seem to say "look down here" - creepy.

British pubs have been organising meat raffles for years. Sadly, it's a dwindling tradition, but you can still find them if you look hard enough:

http://www.thegeorge-silsoe.co.uk/12.html

Does this 'miracle' balance out the 26 elderly Polish pilgrims who died on their way back from Lourdes in a coach crash in 2007?

Given that the shrine gets about 5 million visitors a year, it's surprising how few miracles we hear about.

Perhaps most of them are just not praying hard enough. Come on, pilgrims, put some effort in.