News

By Tayler Groom, Groundwork London Groundwork London and the London Community Resource Network (LCRN) have launched innovative new reuse hubs across five London housing estates. Known locally as ‘The Loops’, the hubs will collect, refurbish and redistribute unwanted furniture and household goods, reducing the number of re-useable items going to landfill. Fly-tipping across the capital is increasing every year, costing tax payers an estimated £20 million in 2015 (according to data analysis from UBRS). The aim of the new reuse...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A police officer has claimed that police improperly destroyed files complied on Green Party Peer Lady Jones. David Williams believes his unit destroyed records to prevent Jenny Jones from uncovering the degree to which her political work had been monitored. Williams claims it was part of a “highly irregular” cover-up. Lady Jones, who is also Deputy Chair of the committee that supervises the Met police, was kept away from the records regarding the surveillance operation...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Like everyone, I know people I agree with and those I don’t. To weigh up how to interact with them, I always go with the “do you prefer them inside the tent pissing out or outside the tent pissing in”. Well for Cameron and Corbyn today the choice was taken from them. For Corbyn it was because after a mammoth reshuffle three Shadow Minsters resigned anyway and in Cameron’s case his tent washed away during...

A new year, a new record-high price for wholesalers in Japan. Around this time every year a big fat tuna sells for an astronomical price in Tokyo's behemoth fish market, bringing a year of prosperity to the buyer. For the fifth time in a row, this year's highest bidder was Kiyoshi Kimura, president of a sushi restaurant chain, who bought a 200kg (440lb) endangered bluefin tuna for 14 million yen ($117,283; £80,000) at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor By his own admission President Obama has accepted he has not done enough to tackle gun control. He has made many passionate speeches on the matter before, but none of them have made any difference to the amount of guns available to Americans. Ironically, when he has made his pleas for gun use restraint after mass shootings; firearms sales actually increase. Now during a passionate speech, where Barack was reduced to tears, he has promised...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor As of yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 6th Jan 2016) business executives have made more money than the majority of people will make during the whole of this year according to the High Pay Centre. The research has discovered that fat cats have already passed the average UK salary of £27,645 a mere two working days into the New Year. The High Pay Centre, an independent think tank, reported that FTSE 100 chief executives receive an average...

The greatest democracy on earth had a troubled and divisive 2015. Unarmed African-Americans were killed by police with shocking frequency, a leading presidential candidate brought racism and bigotry into the political mainstream and America's influence abroad was further eroded by crises partly of the country's own making. America starts 2016 with the news that an armed white militia has taken over a government facility (it's a building on a wild life preserve in Oregon). The group, calling themselves patriots, demand...

Well, that was quick. One minute you’re draping the tinsel over the whiteboard, amazed that, remarkably, you’ve made it to the end of term with at least a few of your faculties still roughly in working order; the next, you’re back in the staff room wondering what happened to those 2 weeks off you were looking forward to. Such is the life of a teacher returning to work after the season of goodwill…and we are left under no illusions that...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor More countries have followed Saudi Arabia in closing off diplomatic relations with Iran following the row over the execution of a Shia cleric after a decision by the Saudi courts. Bahrain and Sudan have told Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hours. The execution has provoked a great deal of condemnation across the world, but Saudi Arabia's closest allies have come out in support. Bahrain demanded Iranian officials left Manama in 48 hours and the Sudanese...