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News Brief

  • 25 Apr 2013
    Gove and Truss: an impoverished view of education

    The Department for Education and Skills appears to be channelling for some of Charles Dicken's more grotesque characters. Gradgrind Gove has long been preaching his gospel of 'facts' and rote learning. Now he has decided that children and teachers are not working hard enough and has called for longer school days and shorter holidays. His sidekick M'Choakumchild Truss, not to be outdone in ensuring that our youngest citizens should not be permitted to slack, has this week criticised nurseries which allow toddlers to “run around with no sense of purpose.”

  • 25 Apr 2013
    Lords back NHS regulations despite privatisation fears

    The House of Lords has backed regulations promoting privatisation of NHS services in England. An Opposition attempt to overturn the NHS (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No. 2 Regulations 2013) was defeated by a ruling Coalition majority of over a hundred votes. Holders of NHS budgets are likely to be forced to put more services out to tender, giving lucrative opportunities to private firms even if this harms patient care.

  • 25 Apr 2013
    Worldwide protests demand protection for Peru’s uncontacted tribes

    Survival International has held protests outside Peruvian embassies and consulates, calling for an end to expansion of the Camisea gas project in Peru’s Amazon rainforest.

  • 25 Apr 2013
    Scottish government warned over probationary tenancies

    Shelter Scotland has led a coalition of Scottish charities in criticising proposals by the Scottish Government to put all new social housing tenants on ‘probation’.

  • 24 Apr 2013
    Anglicans call for action to promote peace in Korea, East Asia and Pacific

    The threat of military escalation in Korea and Japan was one of many topics discussed by the Second Worldwide Anglican Peace Conference, held in Okinawa 16-22 April.

  • 24 Apr 2013
    Poll reveals 1 in 4 disabled rail passengers suffer hate crime or abuse

    One in four disabled rail passengers has suffered a hate crime or abuse, according to new research published today (24 April)) by the TUC's Action for Rail campaign

  • 24 Apr 2013
    WCC General Secretary condemns kidnapping of Syrian church leaders

    The World Council of Churches General Secretary, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, has condemned the abduction of two Syrian archbishops kidnapped on 22 April near Aleppo.

  • 24 Apr 2013
    New call for government to act over Shaker Aamer

    Amnesty International has issued a new call for the UK government to act on behalf of Guantánamo detainee Shaker Aamer.

  • 23 Apr 2013
    Protest targets drones operations centre at RAF Waddington

    Campaigners are calling on the government to stop using unmanned aerial vehicles or 'drones', as Britain prepares to start controlling them from a domestic base.

  • 23 Apr 2013
    Surge in demand for advice services as housing costs rise

    Shelter reports a surge in demand for advice services as the high cost of housing, living costs and cuts to housing support leave people struggling to pay for their homes.