Some schools in east London are being taken over by Muslim extremists who are trying to convert pupils and staff to their hardline ideology, according to a report in The Sunday Times. The newspaper spoke to a contact within the Department for Education (DfE) who claims the problem there is even worse than in Birmingham, where a 'Trojan Horse' plot to take over schools was revealed this year. ‘Tower Hamlets is expected to be the next Birmingham,’ said the DfE source, ‘but even worse, because the problems surrounding Muslim fundamentalists imposing their views on education seem to be more embedded.’ One of the schools highlighted in the report is Marner Primary School, which has been inspected by Ofsted following the raising of concerns by the Home Office. The council said it expects Marner to be given a ‘clean bill of health’ within the coming days.
Radical Islamist extremists and neo-Nazis could be banned from making public appearances, including on television, under a gagging order proposed by the Conservatives with echoes of the broadcast ban that once applied to the voice of Gerry Adams. Theresa May will announce the measure as part of a widely drawn counter-extremism strategy that is intended to catch so-called hate preachers such as Anjem Choudary, who was released on bail last week after being arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism. The home secretary’s new orders would be aimed at those who undertake activities ‘for the purpose of overthrowing democracy’, a wide-ranging definition that could also catch a far wider range of political activists. The ‘extremist asbos’ are reminiscent of the 1980s broadcasting ban under which Sinn Féin spokesmen such as Adams were banned from the airwaves. Actors were used to voice the words of republicans and others with links to paramilitary groups in news reports
For some time now, England and Wales have had a semi-decriminalisation programme for cannabis. And it has ended up criminalising more cannabis users than ever before. But it doesn't criminalise all cannabis users: it primarily targets people who are young, black or Asian. It is a story of muddle-headed government initiatives, skewed police incentives, racism, drug wars and the old, old habit of treating white people more leniently than everyone else. In 2004, when cannabis was made Class C, cannabis warnings were introduced. These were spoken warnings given by a policeman on the street if you were caught with a small amount of weed for personal use. Five years later the drug was returned to Class B, but the cannabis warnings remained. This effectively gave the police discretion in how they treated cannabis possession. The result of this discretion has been s the disproportionate targeting of black and Asian youths.
A liquid bone tissue is being developed by scientists that could help regenerate weak and fragile bones in patients suffering from osteoporosis. The paste is made up of porous calcium phosphate microspheres which contain stem cells to trigger new bone growth. This would be injected into specific areas of concern, providing a minimally invasive treatment for thinning bones. Calcium phosphate, which is the principle mineral in bones, provides a protective casing for the stem cells, which are very delicate and often die after being transplanted. The treatment is being developed by a team from the University of Nottingham, who hope to target the growing number of older people at risk of fracture, reducing hospital visits and easing the financial burden on the health system. Dr Ifty Ahmed, a researcher at Nottingham University, said his team wanted to provide a preventative treatment, strengthening the bones of those at risk before they suffered a fracture.
Crack cocaine’ betting machines to hit arcades
26 Sep 2014Amusement arcades are being converted into betting shops in order for highly addictive gambling machines to be installed, The Independent on Sunday has reported. The fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) allow gamblers to bet up to £100 every 20 seconds and have been dubbed the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling. A Gambling Commission report earlier this month found that half of adult gaming centres (AGCs) allowed people under the age of 18 to use their machines without challenging them to prove their age. Emails seen by The Independent on Sunday revealed that the arcade industry is already converting arcades in order to use FOBTs. In Watford, part of an arcade owned by gaming firm Praesepe is being converted into a betting shop, allowing it to apply for licences for up to four FOBTs. Praesepe is the country’s fastest growing AGC operator, with 159 premises across the UK.
More than a thousand people have attended a service for reconciliation in Scotland after last week's independence referendum. It was led by the Church of Scotland moderator at Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral. Rt Revd John Chalmers told the congregation, including Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney and Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander there would be no quick fix. He said: ‘The Church here and in congregations across the country are playing their part in making it a little easier to stretch out that hand of friendship to those who are our fellow Scots who did not support the side we supported. How we voted on one particular day does not define who we are. How we work together to put in place the democratic will of the Scottish people will be defining - both for us as individuals and for us as we work to redefine our place within the United Kingdom.’
Disability hate crimes
26 Sep 2014Data from Crime Survey England and Wales estimate that, on average, 62,000 people per year are discriminated against on the grounds of their disability. Home Office statistics reveal police recorded 1,841 reports of disability hate crime in 2012-13, with 810 incidents going to court. This led to 349 convictions, but only seven of these resulted in an increased sentence with the victim's disability being considered an aggravating factor. Reviews by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary show that police often feel uncomfortable asking an individual about their disability and that not enough officers are trained to deal with people with learning disabilities. Kelly, one of the thousands of disabled abuse victims, said, ‘I'm getting bullied in the shops, when I walk home and then I get bullied in the pubs’. After a passer-by poured a fizzy drink over Kelly in the street, she says the police officer's response was ‘Just ignore it.’
Parliament is expected to be recalled on Friday to discuss the UK's role in air strikes against the Islamic State, the BBC understands. There has been no official confirmation but an announcement could come later. It is understood there has been a reluctance to make the announcement while Labour's conference is under way. There has now been a formal request from the Iraqi Prime Minister for the UK to join in air strikes. David Cameron told NBC News in the US that the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militants was one ‘you cannot opt out of’. IS has taken control of large areas of Iraq and Syria in recent months. ‘It has oil, it has money, it has territory, it has weapons and there's no doubt in my mind it has already undertaken and is planning further plots in Europe and elsewhere’, Mr Cameron said.