A BBC-commissioned survey reveals a worrying trend in England's schools. Nearly one in five teachers experienced physical aggression from pupils this year. Incidents of spitting, swearing, and chair-throwing are increasingly common, with a rise in pupil violence and abuse since the Covid pandemic. Teachers like Lorraine Meah, with 35 years of experience, have observed a deterioration in student behaviour, especially among younger children. In response, schools like St John Fisher Catholic Academy in West Yorkshire are implementing strict behaviour policies, including rewards for good attendance, restricted corridor access, and banning mobile phones. The survey found that 30% of teachers witnessed pupil fighting, and 15% of secondary teachers experienced sexual harassment from students. Patrick Roach of the NASUWT union has said the rise in violence has been exacerbated by cuts to specialist behaviour and mental health services. The DfE is taking measures to improve pupil behaviour, including expanding mental health and wellbeing programmes.

Abdul Ezedi, the Clapham chemical attacker, received a Muslim funeral and burial in London, despite previously claiming to have converted to Christianity. Ezedi, who was granted asylum in the UK based on his supposed Christian faith, was found dead in the Thames following the attack on his ex-girlfriend and her children. He had been a controversial figure, with doubts cast over his religious conversion. Court documents revealed he failed to correctly answer Home Office queries about his faith. However, an immigration judge granted him asylum, influenced by testimony from Rev Roy Merrin, who believed in his genuine conversion. Ezedi, who had a criminal history including sexual assault, had been placed on the sex offender register and needed to be escorted during church services. His case has stirred debate on the process of deciding asylum claims, with concerns raised about potential exploitation of religious conversion. Justin Welby recently addressed these concerns, stating there was no evidence of the Church of England facilitating fraudulent conversions.

UK farmers, feeling betrayed post-Brexit, have protested in London against trade deals and new regulations that jeopardise their livelihoods. The demonstrators, accompanied by tractors, converged on Parliament Square, voicing their distress over trade agreements that permit imports of lower-standard foods, undercutting local agriculture. Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, criticised the Government for securing 'the worst trade deals in the world’, leading to severe challenges for farmers. The Brexit transition has brought significant upheaval to the UK's agricultural sector, causing bureaucratic issues, exporting challenges, and a decrease in available labour due to reduced migrant workers. The pandemic worsened these effects. Despite initially supporting Brexit to escape the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, farmers now face intense competition from cheaper imports from countries like Australia and New Zealand. The protest also criticised misleading labels that allow non-UK products to bear the Union flag. A recent survey shows a majority in the UK now believe Brexit was economically detrimental, with few feeling personal or national benefits.

The death toll from an attack on a Moscow concert hall on 22 March has risen to 143, making it the deadliest attack on European soil by IS and the worst in Russia in twenty years. At least 360 were wounded; eighty of them, including six children, remain in hospital. The number could be even higher because many people in shock had initially not returned to the hospital for treatment. A Moscow court has ordered the suspects - four radical Islamists from Tajikistan and seven accomplices – to be held in pre-trial detention until 22 May. Although IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, Russia still alleges a link to Ukraine, a claim Kyiv denies. Russia has for some years been targeted by IS owing to its role in suppressing unrest in regions with a substantial Muslim majority, as well as its support for the regime in Syria's civil war.