London has an "appalling" rate of child poverty with about 50% of children in 16 boroughs living in or on the brink of destitution, a report claims.
The Campaign to End Child Poverty says 79% of children in Tower Hamlets, east London, are in families classed as "struggling" - 42,850 children. The Campaign to End Child Poverty is a coalition of more than 130 organisations.
There are hundreds of thousands of children living in our capital city who are being failed by the system - Martin Narey, Campaign to End Child Poverty
'High deprivation'
A Tower Hamlets council spokesman said: "We cannot underestimate the scale of the challenge. "Whilst high levels of deprivation should not mean reduced outcomes for children, we will be doing all that we can to ensure child poverty levels are significantly reduced here in Tower Hamlets," the spokesman said.
Related Links: Mapping child poverty | Children of Bangladesh
Cheshire farmer Anthony Houghton finally harvests his crop of barley after missing the perfect moment due to constant rain. Harvesting of crops across the UK has been delayed due to bad weather and constantly wet ground. Arable farmer Anthony Hough will now have to sell his barley at a lower price as it is now over ripe after missing the perfect window for harvesting.
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Health bosses have admitted they failed to tackle a hospital superbug that killed almost 6,500 people in one year. Health Minister Ben Bradshaw admitted the Government had not done enough in previous years.
The UK government published controversial new counter terrorism plans on Thursday which are likely to present Gordon Brown, prime minister, with a tough parliamentary test in the coming weeks. Opposition and Labour MPs, along with senior lawyers and human rights groups have criticised a key-proposal in the new Counter Terrorism Bill to extend the limit suspects can be held without being charged from 28 to 42-days.
Via FT
A new-guidance has been released by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on targeting extremism. It suggested universities with large numbers of Muslim students should try to avoid creating religious segregation on campus by rejecting demands for separate prayer-facilities.
Is this new guidance?
It updates guidance issued by the government in 2006, after the prime minister called for a new debate among universities last November about how to reconcile academic freedom with combating the threat of terrorism.
Background to the guidance?
Shortly after the London bombings on July 7, 2005, higher education minister Bill Rammell told vice-chancellors they would have to root out extremism in Britain by tackling the influence of Islamist groups on campus justifying terrorism.
Is there evidence to suggest terrorism goes on in universities?
Research published by the director of Brunel University's centre for intelligence and security studies, Prof Anthony Glees, in 2005 suggested that extremist or terrorist groups existed at more than 30 institutions, including high profile universities.
What's the legal situation?
The 2006 Terrorism Act came into force in April of that year, updating the 2000 Act. It made it illegal to: publish statements encouraging terrorism; disseminate publications.
Via Guardian-Unlimited
The U.K. government, struggling to find a buyer for Northern-Rock, said it will guarantee a sale of bonds backed by the bank's home-loans.
Mortgages, consumer loans and some investment-grade securities of the Newcastle, England-based bank would be packaged as debt and sold to investors, the Treasury has said. Northern Rock rose 46 percent in London trading on speculation the proposal will revive interest among potential buyers such as Richard Branson's Virgin-Group.
Via Money-Soft
Concerns about the safety of serving Muslim military personnel were raised yesterday after it emerged that their personal details were among those of 600,000 people held on a laptop-stolen from a Royal Navy officer’s car.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials fear that Muslims are particularly exposed to a potential threat following an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a serving British Muslim soldier in Birmingham last year.
“There’s a rumpus going on inside the MoD about the threat to Muslim recruits after this theft,” said a military insider. “They are very concerned about the Birmingham connection and of the alleged Birmingham plot.
The data loss is considered so serious that Des-Browne, the defence secretary, will make a statement on it to MPs tomorrow.
Via The Times
Theft of data on 600,000 people, including members of the Navy, Marines, and the RAF, was initially kept from the police and ministers. The theft of the laptop that contained the unencrypted-data was reported to the police immediately, it was only “later” that they were told.
The MoD-said it was writing to the 3,500 people whose bank accounts were included in the database and informing the banks.
"The Ministry of Defence can confirm that a laptop was stolen from a Royal Navy officer in Birmingham last week, on the night of 9/10 January, and as a result, a large quantity of personal data has been lost."
Via The Times
Richard-Branson boasted today that his Virgin empire has created a "winnable package" to take control of Northern-Rock.
"I believe it's the best option because we would re-brand it the Virgin-Bank, which is a very strong brand ... We feel we have a winnable package." Said Brandson.
As Alistair-Darling prepares to unveil the plan to MPs, Branson used his place on the prime minister's high profile Far-East trip to intensify his campaign.
The prime-minister said: "I haven't spoken in any detail to Richard Branson. The commercial decisions are not a matter for me."
Via Guardian-Unlimited
Why are human-animal embryos in the news?
UK scientists have won approval to create human-animal embryos.
Why create human-animal embryos?
Scientists developing these embryos say they will provide a source of stem cells - immature cells that can develop into many different types of tissue.
Who is trying to create them?
A team led by Professor Stephen-Minger, director of the stem cell biology laboratory at King's College London, has been offered a licence by the HFEA to use human-bovine embryos to study degenerative neurological diseases.
Dr Lyle Armstrong, of the Northeast England Stem Cell Institute, has been offered a licence to use cow eggs to research replacement tissues for treating conditions such as diabetes and spinal paralysis.
A third team led by Professor Ian Wilmut, the Edinburgh-based creator of the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, although it has yet to apply.
What happens next?
The research teams at King's College and Newcastle have to formally accept the offer of the licences. They must also meet certain criteria.
What are the objections?
There were 300 responses to the government consultation, with 277 opposed to the research, many of them from pro-life groups opposed to the research.
What does the law say?
A 2006 white paper to overhaul the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act-1990 proposed banning hybrid work. Under existing law, hybrid embryos could not legally be implanted into a woman's womb.
What is the situation in other countries?
In 2004 researchers at the Mayo-Clinic produced pigs with hybrid pig-human blood cells. Chinese scientists were reportedly the first to successfully create human-animal embryos. In 2005 researchers at the Salk-Institute in San Diego reported they had created mice with 0.01% human cells.
Via Guardian-Unlimited
The cost of household insurance is continuing to rise as insurers hike premiums following last summer's floods. Average premiums for home buildings cover rose by 1.4% during the final three months of 2007 to £218.60 a year, the AA said. The latest rise follows a 3% hike during the third-quarter of 2007, the largest increase since the group first began monitoring premiums.
Via PA
A passenger-plane has crash-landed short of a runway at Heathrow, ripping off part of its undercarriage. All 136 passengers and 16 crew escaped.
Via BBC
