News

— Premier League vows to clamp down on internet racism

   (Wednesday, 22 February 2012 22:01)

Clubs will work with specialist police officers to tackle racist and homophobic abuse on forums and social networking sites

Premier League clubs have promised to work closely with specialist e-crime police officers to clamp down on racist abuse on internet message boards and Twitter aimed at footballers, pundits and fans.

It was one of several initiatives to emerge from a No 10 summit convened to discuss racism and homophobia within the game that also included a new scheme to encourage more coaches and managers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

The meeting brought together football governing bodies, ministers,...

— Letters: The UKBA and child asylum seekers

   (Tuesday, 21 February 2012 21:00)

The compensation payment to child asylum seekers who were unlawfully detained (Report, 18 February) is a symptom of a deeper problem affecting, at any one time, thousands of young asylum seekers claiming to be children who arrive in the UK. The current system for assessing the age of these vulnerable young people unable to prove their age has led to an unprecedented level of legal challenge through judicial review in the high court. However, it is also true to say that there is no "magic bullet" for assessing age correctly.

We are working closely...

— How my BNP-voting dad came to love his mixed-race grandson

   (Saturday, 04 February 2012 00:05)

One year ago, a father's racist politics had poisoned the relationship with his son. Now, the birth of a child has brought about a subtle change

After more than a day of labour, Baby Finn forced his way into the world: 5lb 11oz, beautiful, healthy and wondrous. Dizzy with pride for my partner and son, I wanted to tell the entire world, one by one. Except, that is, for my own father.

He'd made clear his lack of interest in our mixed-race child, so what must be life's greatest phone call was taken from me...

— The myth of 'race' was invented by racism, and racism keeps it growing | Deborah Orr

   (Friday, 17 February 2012 21:00)

Racism is incredibly successful, despite having no basis at all in fact. There is only one race – the human race

Racism, quite clearly, has not been "shown the red card". Racism, quite clearly, has not been "kicked out of football". David Cameron this week praised previous initiatives that had set out to rid Britain's dominant sport of this specific kind of prejudice. But that hasn't stopped him from announcing a "summit" on racism in football some time in the next month. This was in direct response to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez's refusal to shake the hand of Patrice Evra,...

— Honduran president pardons murderer who saved hundreds from jail inferno

   (Wednesday, 22 February 2012 13:49)

Marco Antonio Bonilla used keys to open locks and a bench to smash down doors as fire raged and prison guards panicked

The Honduran government has pardoned a convicted murderer who helped save hundreds of inmates during a fire that killed 360 people last week.

President Porfirio Lobo announced he would pardon Marco Antonio Bonilla, also known as Shorty, for releasing trapped prisoners from the horrific blaze that destroyed Comayagua jail.

While guards panicked and left screaming men to die, Bonilla – who had been outside his cell when the fire began – used a set...

— Better Life project allows older people to tell it like it is

   (Tuesday, 21 February 2012 14:15)

New initiative aims to counteract the stereotype of older people as dependents or burdens by putting their testimonies online

When it comes to the lives of older people we don't have to look far for repeated references to troubles such as how to fund adequate care in later life, neglect within the health service or financial struggles. In fact, the list of challenges facing many older people is a very long one made even worse by cuts to services. But sometimes it's the things we don't hear much about that are deserving of attention. Things that...

— Climate change sceptic thinktank not 'influential' enough to reveal funder

   (Tuesday, 21 February 2012 18:02)

Court denies freedom of information request for charity body to name seed funder of GWPF chaired by Lord Lawson

The climate sceptic thinktank chaired by former chancellor Lord Lawson, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), has been ruled not "influential" enough to warrant making the Charity Commission disclose its seed funder, an information rights tribunal ruled on Tuesday.

The verdict followed a freedom of information request to identify the individual or organisation that gave the GWPF £50,000 when it was launched in 2009 to lobby against action on global warming, just days before a major...

— Rowan Atkinson: BBC should have been allowed to drop Miriam O'Reilly

   (Wednesday, 22 February 2012 17:12)

Actor says former Countryfile presenter's successful ageism case was an 'attack on creative free expression'

The BBC should have been free to drop Miriam O'Reilly from Countryfile without attracting any accusations of age discrimination, according to comedian Rowan Atkinson, in a controversial intervention into the debate about the lack of older women on television.

The 57-year-old Blackadder, Mr Bean and Johnny English star said – in a letter to Radio 4's The Media Show – that O'Reilly's successful age discrimination case against the BBC amounted to an "attack on creative free expression" and that television...