Women workers who are angry over poor pay and conditions on farms and vineyards supplying UK supermarkets will dramatically confront South Africa's ANC president today.

An event to explore the role of civil society groups in creating spaces for dissenting voices, both in the UK and globally, will take place in a major London church tomorrow.

British Quakers have given a warm response to a call by the academic and writer Richard Wilkinson for a more economically equal society. Speaking at their annual conference in York, he insisted that more equal societies almost always do better.

Claims about the economic benefits of the arms industry have been grossly exaggerated, according to evidence highlighted by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). They are challenging the argument that the industry is good for British jobs.

If there's anything more disheartening than this week's report on social mobility, it's the government's response to it. Their timid proposals for higher education are unlikely to do anything to challenge the way that the education system functions to maintain privilege and inequality.

Conservative Party leader David Cameron has suggested that a Tory government would forcibly remove the Christian peace activist Brian Haw from Parliament Square.

Campaigners are today awaiting a High Court ruling on the use of control orders. The court will examine the cases of two individuals who are subject to the orders, key aspects of which were last month declared to be illegal by the law lords.

Despite the growing death toll in Afghanistan, a combination of unemployment and aggressive advertising is pushing a record number of young men in Scotland to join the army.

High levels of neglect and poor quality care in UK mental health wards have been revealed in an official report published today. 39% of suicides by hanging were undertaken by patients who were supposed to be under close observation.

The government has attracted derision after apparently changing a key nuclear policy twice within 24 hours – leaving it back where it started. The Ministry of Defence say decision-making on Trident will not be delayed.

Public criticism and campaigning has led to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown announcing a delay to plans for the renewal of the controversial Trident nuclear weapons system. Decisions will now be made after an international nuclear summit.

The Prime Minister has today said that he wants to “make the world safer” through new global agreements on nuclear weapons. His critics say this is not consistent with the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

The government’s decision to revoke five arms export licences to Israel has been described by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) as “far too little, far too late”.