A community centre in Rochdale hosted a men-only course on the correct understanding of an Islamic State. Posters for the ‘Khilafah Course’ promised discussion on foreign policy, the judicial system and the treatment of non-Muslims in an Islamic caliphate and lectures entitled ‘Is fighting the method to establish a state?’ and ’The conditions of a Khilafah.’ Those attending the course at Castlemere community centre in Rochdale were also encouraged to attend the Manchester Khilafah Conference organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir, which government ministers have threatened to ban but remains legal. See also: http://www.hizb.org.uk/report/the-islamic-khilafah-a-manifesto-for-change

The Government intends to ban smoking in all prisons in England and Wales to reduce health risks. It is currently allowed in prison cells and exercise yards. The move follows a series of legal challenges by prison officers and inmates who have complained about passive smoking. Ministers are drawing up plans to convert the first jails to be smoke-free next year. Prison Governors’ Association president Andrea Albutt cautiously welcomed the move but said it must be done in a safe and staged way as 80% of prisoners smoked. An ex-prisoner said, ‘There is a black market in any banned goods. Tobacco will be a currency. Tobacco is a way of dealing with stress. If you take away tobacco it’ll become a war of attrition within the prison system and there will be violence. They tried it in Australia recently and there was an immediate riot.’

Sixteen potential human trafficking victims were rescued in south Armagh. Officers searched premises in Newtownhamilton last Friday and spent a number of days working with colleagues in partner agencies to identify the individuals who may have been trafficked. The operation focused on eastern Europeans working in the agricultural sector. Detectives from the PSNI Human Trafficking Unit are working with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs, the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority, the Health and Safety Executive and local police. The potential victims, men and women aged between 18 and 45, are being cared for by Migrant Help and Women's Aid as part of the Department of Justice's human trafficking support network. They will be assessed for referral to the UK Human Trafficking Centre, which is run by the National Crime Agency. In a separate investigation, in Belfast, five potential victims of trafficking were identified and are being looked after by police and partner agencies.

David Cameron has set out the Government's strategy to defeat the ‘poison’ of Islamist extremism in the UK. He pledged to tackle conditions that lead to hundreds of Britons joining IS militants. Mr Cameron said the four areas needing attention are: countering warped extremist ideology, the process of radicalisation, the drowning out of moderate Muslim voices, and addressing the ‘identity crisis’ among young British-born Muslims. The BBC assistant political editor noted, ‘Tackling the ideology of IS in the UK involves confronting people over intolerance, prejudice and hostility to British values, and Mr Cameron’s speech offered relatively few specific policies’. The Muslim Council of Britain urged the Prime Minister to ‘put his words into action’ and engage with ‘all sections of the community including mainstream Muslim organisations and those who have differing views’. See also article below.