UK Grooming Row: UK MPs back tougher safeguards for children amid grooming row
'Safeguarding'LONDON: UK lawmakers on Wednesday backed better safeguards for home-schooled children following the brutal murder of Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl, in a vote overshadowed by the recent row over grooming gangs .MPs progressed the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to the next stage of the parliamentary process without the need for a further formal vote.That came after MPs rejected an amendment that threatened to derail the legislation.The opposition Conservative party had sought to use the debate to force the establishment of a new national inquiry into sex offences dating back decades against children in northern England.Controversy has swirled around the issue over the past week after US tech billionaire Elon Musk made repeated incendiary attacks against Britain's Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer about it on his X platform.Starmer has rejected calls for a new inquiry, arguing it is time for "action" to implement the almost two dozen recommendations made in an earlier seven-year-long inquiry with a broader focus.He said Wednesday that the children's bill, which would require all local authorities to hold a register of children who are not in school, forms part of wider efforts to protect vulnerable youngsters.Sharif was found dead in her home outside London in August 2023 with extensive injuries including broken bones, burns and even bite marks after being subjected to years of abuse.Her father Urfan Sharif and step-mother Beinash Batool were convicted of her murder last month and given life sentences in prison.Months before Sara's death, Sharif had taken his daughter out of school to be taught at home, after the girl's teacher reported her bruises to child services.At the time, child services had probed the incident but did not take any action.Once enacted into law, the legislation would remove a parent's right to take children out of school for home education if the child is suspected of being at risk of significant harm.The law would require a unique number for children -- similar to how adults are required to have a national insurance number to work and receive benefits -- to better monitor at-risk cases.The bill represents "the single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation", Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC.Lawmakers rejected the Conservatives' amendment by 364 votes to 111 in a widely expected defeat owing to the Labour party's massive parliamentary majority.Demands for a new national inquiry into widespread sexual abuse of primarily white British girls by men of mostly Pakistani origin in various northern English towns, spanning several decades, has long come from far-right UK figures including the notorious agitator Tommy Robinson.But Musk, who has called for Robinson to be released from prison, as well as the Conservatives and Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage's Reform UK party have joined the calls for a probe in recent days.The row has piled pressure on Starmer, who was chief state prosecutor at the time of the scandals. He hit out this week at "lies and misinformation" around the issue.On Monday, his government announced new curbs including that legally require professionals to report claims of sexual abuse against children.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 10:01 UTC
UK universities join retreat from Elon Musk's X, citing misinformation on platform
London Business School continually reviews its communications channels and decides which to use based on levels of effective audience engagement," LBS told Reuters.It last posted to its 182,000 followers on X in September. It is one of the top-ranked business schools in the world.Reuters was first to report in October that several British police forces had quit X or cut their usage. The university survey points to a broader withdrawal among public institutions, even though many universities still post regularly to X.At least seven of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges have stopped posting to X. "We know this platform is becoming increasingly toxic, so we will continue to assess our presence on X and monitor emerging alternatives," said Homerton College, the university's largest in terms of student numbers.The University of Cambridge told Reuters it continued to use X alongside other channels.At Oxford, Merton College - the university's top-ranked college academically - has deleted its X account. It did not respond to a request for comment.Harris Manchester - another Oxford college - last posted on Nov. 15 and asked followers to find it on other platforms.The University of East Anglia said its audience engagement on X had plunged by 80%.X did not respond to a request for comment.Falmouth University last posted to X in September, while Plymouth Marjon University said it will no longer use it.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 09:10 UTC
Reform level with Labour in new poll as Treasury responds to gloomy economy update: Politics live
✕ Close Lammy declares ‘post Cold War peace is well and truly over’ as he takes aim at PutinSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policySir Keir Starmer has been dealt a further blow with a new poll predicting Labour would lose its overall majority if an election was held now. The poll by FindOutNowUK has put Reform level pegging with Labour on 25 per cent and the Tories five points behind on 20 per cent. According to the calculations, if the result was repeated in a general election Labour would lose 173 seats but remain the largest party on 238. And with government borrowing costs also increasing, Treasury minister Darren Jones has warned that “public services will have to live within their means”.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 08:25 UTC
Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi gets a 'true' reaction from Elon Musk as she vents on UK PM's 'Asian' remark
NEW DELHI: Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday seconded Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi after she objected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for using the generic term 'Asian' with reference to child sexual abuse scandal across different parts of England. The accused gangs involved men of Pakistani origin.In a social media post on X, Chaturvedi said, "Repeat after me, they aren’t ASIAN Grooming Gangs but PAKISTANI grooming gangs . "Meanwhile, British Indians and other South Asian communities in the UK are voicing growing frustration with UK PM Starmer. “We are dismayed that the PM chose to whitewash this heinous atrocity with the word ‘Asian,’” said Krishna Bhan, Chair of the Hindu Council UK. “Our Hindu and Sikh girls were also victims of these grooming gangs, and using this vague term insults all Asians.”
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 08:08 UTC
AK Wildlife Cruises, Falmouth named best in UK by the Times
AK Wildlife Cruises, which is based in Falmouth is a boat trip business which offers people an opportunity to see Cornwall’s coastline and surrounding waters. Here’s what the Times had to say about AK Wildlife Cruises: “Keith Leeves, aka Captain Keith, has a wealth of Cornish wildlife knowledge. This award comes on the heels of AK Wildlife Cruises also being named the "Most Trusted Wildlife Tour Operator in South West England" at the Acquisition International Global Excellence Awards. Adding to the excitement, AK Wildlife Cruises will launch its brand-new, custom-built catamaran, the R/V Spirit of Our Seas, on March 1. AK Wildlife Cruises is offering a 15% discount to anyone who books a trip before March 1.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 05:32 UTC
Merton named as one of the best places to live in England
The Times has named Merton as number four on a list of the UK’s best places to live, with Richmond and Sutton as number one and number eight respectively. According to data gathered by The Times, 26 per cent of Merton schools are outstanding. Merton has 15 outstanding schools, with seven of them being primary schools, along with five secondary schools, two special schools, and one independent school. Merton is one of south London’s more expensive places to live, with the average house price costing £579,000. Merton was named one of the best places to live by The Times and one of the best places to retire by The Telegraph.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 05:10 UTC
Let the new year sale of UK plc begin…
Glance at the latest research from Canaccord Genuity’s Quest team and you can’t help conclude that UK-listed companies are on sale every day. To boot, on its analysis, plenty of household names are ripe for takeover: the likes of Marks & Spencer, Tate & Lyle and ITV. Headed “M&Ade in the UK”, the 82-page note from analyst Graham Simpson not only looks back at 2024’s “bumper” year for mergers and acquisitions but forward to undervalued companies with just the free cashflow metrics to appeal to private equity. And, while punting on takeover targets can be a ruinous way to build a share portfolio, Simpson’s appraisal has rigour. It’s depressing, too, for anyone who wants a thriving UK stock market.
Source:The Times
January 09, 2025 00:04 UTC
Elon Musk: Musk uses memes to call out UK PM Starmer over Pakistani grooming gangs: '... this could get you sent to prison'
It highlights the ongoing issue of Pakistani grooming gangs in the UK, who have been responsible for numerous sexual assaults on women, with many families receiving little to no justice.Musk, who has recently become vocal about UK politics, has condemned the failure of the government to address these groups effectively. In the post, he directly calls out the UK’s apparent focus on arresting people for sharing memes, rather than taking action against the actual perpetrators. His involvement in UK politics has sparked significant backlash, particularly following the release of jailed political activist Tommy Robinson. UK leaders have urged Musk to stay out of their political affairs, with many arguing that he is "misinformed" about the issues occurring in the UK. However, Musk continues to actively use his own platform, X, to criticise the UK government and its actions.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 19:15 UTC
Dinosaur Highway: 166-million-year-old dinosaur highway unearthed in England
A window into the pastInsights from dinosaur footprintsOxfordshire’s Jurassic legacyPreserving a piece of historyA groundbreaking discovery has been reported from Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, where more than 200 dinosaur footprints have been unearthed, which marks the UK’s largest-ever dinosaur footprint site. This extraordinary find sheds light on the movements and behaviours of dinosaurs that roamed Britain during the Jurassic Period, over 166 million years ago.The footprints were remarkably detailed and formed five large trackways. His increased understanding allowed him to collaborate with experts from the University of Birmingham and Oxford to conduct a week-long excavation in June 2024. Researchers have captured over 20,000 images, allowing them to analyze factors like size, gait, and group dynamics of these ancient reptiles.Oxfordshire was a lush, tropical region with shallow seas and lagoons during the Jurassic Period. A peek into the past was erased when landfill covered similar trackways at the neighboring Ardley Quarry.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 19:03 UTC
U.K. Special Forces Allowed to ‘Get Away With Murder’ in Afghanistan, Inquiry Told
British special forces soldiers used extreme methods against militants in Afghanistan, including covering a man with a pillow before shooting him with a pistol, as well as killing unarmed people, according to testimony released Wednesday by an inquiry into the actions of British troops during the war there. “During these operations it was said that ‘all fighting-age males are killed’ on target regardless of the threat they posed, this included those not holding weapons,” one officer said in a conversation with a fellow soldier in March 2011 that he confirmed in testimony given during a closed-door hearing. Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced in 2022 that it would institute the inquiry to investigate allegations of war crimes by British armed forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. In 2023, it confirmed that the allegations related to special forces troops. The hundreds of pages of evidence released Wednesday, which includes email exchanges, letters and witness statements by senior officers and rank-and-file soldiers, painted a disturbing portrait of an elite fighting force with a culture of impunity, which placed body counts above all other benchmarks.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 19:02 UTC
British-Indians condemn use of 'Asian grooming gangs' by UK PM Keir Starmer
(You can now subscribe to our(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channelBritish-Indians are outraged over the use of the term “Asian grooming gangs” by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the media during the ongoing sexual grooming debate, reported TOI. They argue they are being unfairly smeared for crimes in which they have no involvement.On Monday, Starmer used the phrase “Asian grooming gangs” while defending himself against criticism from Elon Musk, despite the fact that the perpetrators are largely of Pakistani descent. "We are dismayed that the PM chose to whitewash this heinous atrocity with the word ‘Asian’," said Krishna Bhan, chair of Hindu Council UK . "Sikh Youth UK, which has spent 15 years supporting Sikh victims of grooming gangs, criticized the blanket term. "We have dealt with thousands of cases of Sikh victims," Deepa Singh, head of Sikh Youth UK told TOI.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 19:01 UTC
Stroud named by The Times as one of best places to live
The Times - using data from different categories including crime rate, education, NHS, waiting times and house prices - named the Stroud district as the third best local authority to live in England. "But this Christmas, we at the Times data team decided to try out a different approach. What if, instead of using our esteemed judges, we let data decide the best place to live? "To do this, we combined nine different data sets covering a range of different categories for every local authority in Britain. "We used three NHS measures: satisfaction with GPs, waiting times and treatment targets.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 18:56 UTC
Manchester United are exploring a loan move for PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani - Paper Talk
The top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday's newspapers...TELEGRAPHManchester United are one of several clubs exploring a loan move for PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani and the deal would not hinge on exits. ATHLETICMarcus Rashford's representatives have held exploratory talks with AC Milan about loaning the Manchester United forward in the January transfer window. DAILY MAILChelsea are leading the race to sign Kobbie Mainoo in a sensational deal if the Manchester United midfielder leaves Old Trafford. Chelsea defender Renato Veiga is attracting interest from Premier League sides Wolves and Bournemouth. David Luiz is in talks to return to European football during the January transfer window, with Olympiakos keen to sign him.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 18:56 UTC
Shocking moment drunk driver almost four times over limit swerves into oncoming traffic in front of terrified motorists – The Sun
THIS is the terrifying moment a drunk-driver weaved across a busy motorway onto oncoming traffic. Walerij Mirosznikow, 53, was nearly four times over the legal limit when he swerved along the M25. Mirosznikow gave two no comment interviews following his arrest - even after being shown the footage - but later admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and driving without a licence. "It was a prolonged piece of dangerous driving over at least ten minutes. 4 Mirosznikow driving in the wrong direction on the M25 Credit: SWNS
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 18:38 UTC
The Times urges UK minister Tulip to resign
It also criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for appointing Tulip to the role as city minister. “The Times view on questions over City minister: Siddiq Saga” expressed scepticism about Tulip’s suitability for the role of Labour’s city minister, questioning both her qualifications and potential conflicts of interest. It added that “Tulip Siddiq was not an obvious choice to be Labour’s City minister. “At a critical moment for the economy, with growth stalling, Ms Siddiq cannot do her job. “The only sensible course is for Ms Siddiq to stand aside while the investigations proceed.
Source:The Times
January 08, 2025 16:39 UTC