US Representative Elijah Cummings, a staunch defender of human rights and Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in the House of Representatives, died on Thursday in Baltimore, in his hometown, he was 68. Born on Jan. 18, 1951, he graduated from Howard University in Washington where he was student government president, with a degree in a political Science. He also earned a law degree from the University of Maryland, he has serve in congress since 1996 and has campaigned tirelessly for stricter gun control. He was married to Maya Cummings, who was elected chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party in December 2018 and they are blessed with three children. Cummings underwent surgery to repair his heart in May 2017 and was absent from Capitol Hill for two months. In July 2017 he developed a surgery-related infection, and has continued to suffer from a heart-related health challenges since then. He died at the famous Johns Hopkins Hospital from complications concerning longstanding health challenges, according to his spokeswoman.
Council forced to apologise for directing parents of special needs children to porn site
Surrey County Council inadvertently directed parents of children with special needs to a porn site. The administrative error with the website was discovered when parents who sort assistance with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, hoping to find help with related website, found themselves looking at explicit pornographic photos instead. The Council have now apologised for the embarrassment and says it has now taken steps to ensure it does not happen again. Oops!
Bored of the ‘B’ word yet? The UK has now agreed a deal with the EU in a last minute manoeuvre of statecraft negotiations. Although almost immediately as the announcement was made, the DUP, the party that propped up the Conservative government has refused to support the deal. This put in jeopardy the likelihood the deal will pass in Parliament, we may be back to square one, yet again!
China’s Yongqing Bao was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year for capturing what has been termed “quite simply the perfect moment”. The timing of the photograph couldn’t be more captivating, the photograph captured the marmot’s shocking reaction in a split second of life and death as the Fox prepares to pounce. Early Christmas for Mr Fox eh!?
Negotiations have broken down between the GMB Union and Asda executive
Thousands of Asda staff are set to loose their jobs next month over their refusal to sign new contracts which they believe puts them at a disadvantage. The staff who have already been put on 12 weeks notice will loose their jobs if they do not sign the contract by next month’s deadline.
UK Government warns it may remove EU citizens who had not applied to stay in the UK by the end of 2020
Even if EU citizens meet the conditions necessary for a resident permit, they may still be removed from the UK if they fail to apply to stay, the warning comes after Security Minister Brandon Lewis told a German newspaper of its willingness to apply the rules after Brexit. The Home Office have revealed that 1 million out of the 3 million EU citizens have not yet applied for settled status. If you are an EU citizen, you can click on the following link to apply for settled status and beat the government’s deadline https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status
BAME women are more likely at risk of nil support from Local Housing Authorities
Two London based women’s groups, Latin American Women’s Aid and the London Black Women’s Project organised a joint project termed Women Against Homelessness and Abuse (WAHA), they have uncovered systematic failings by public authorities including Local Housing Authorities. The study reveals that Black and Minority Ethnic domestic abuse survivors get little or no help from their local authorities. By implication they are more likely to sleep rough and sometimes return to their abusers because of lack of options, a result of a broad systematic failings and discrimination by public authorities the project uncovered. This failings also extend to the police and local councils. According to the report released today, it “reveals a cycle of victimisation that goes beyond the violence perpetrated by their direct abusers”, this is not helped by “systematic and institutional failures and discrimination in the ways in which public authorities (the police and local housing authorities in particular) deal with their cases of violence”.
This is one more proof of the prejudice BAME people endure on a daily basis in a society that prides itself modern. The WAHA project is holding a stakeholders meeting on November 12 at the Trust for London to discuss recommendations in the report. A Domestic Abuse Bill has been sponsored by former Home Secretary and the Current Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid. The Bill is currently been considered for amendments and should receive a Royal Assent soon, once passed into Law, it will ensure that BAME survivors and their children get the support that they need to build their lives”.
Scottish Parliament has taken a stance against physical discipline, is it helpful though?Spanking instils discipline in children, Scotland now wants a different and untested approach.
Spanking or applying physical discipline to a child is now a disciplinary mechanism taken away from parents and guardians, the Scottish Parliament voted 84 to 29 in favour of the move. Many parents fear this may allow children go rogue if that right to I still discipline via moderate scolding is taken away from them. What other approach can be taken in behavioural management in children; starve them, deprive them, other barbaric methods? Clearly not, what do you think, did the Scottish Parliament get this right? Share your thoughts below!
Satnam Ner sharing a discuss with Sir Geoff PalmerMembers of UNISON delegateSir Geoff Palmer was Guest SpeakerSir Palmer with delegatesL-R, Tina, Layl-Roxanne, Prof. Emejulu and Dr SobandeA STUC delegate supporting a motionGuest Speaker; Mary Senior, is STUC Vice PresidentProfessor Akugo Emejulu and Dr Francesca Sobande were also guest speakers at the event.EIS STUC delegate share a poseGuest Speaker; Amarjite Singh on the anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh MassacreA STUC delegate seconds a motion.STUC Vice President, Mary Senior shares the stage with other delegates.Another STUC delegate moving a motion
The fall out of the Supreme Courts’ decision of founding the Prime Minister’s suspension of Parliament unlawful has drawn more questions than answers. Any suggestion that the integrity of holders of judicial offices is unquestionable is to imply that they are above the law. Surely, every one is subject to public scrutiny and no one: including Justices of the Supreme Court should be exempted. This does not and shouldn’t affect the perspective that the finality of Supreme Court is Sacrosanct, or that the judiciary is independent. Indeed, it isn’t uncommon for Supreme Court Justices to change their mind when they realise a mistake in their decision, in the United States for instance, the Supreme Court has overturned more than 200 of its decisions. The political hemisphere in the United Kingdom at the moment is hardly not revolved around Brexit. The Supreme Court in giving its judgment did what no court in the country has ever done before, it ventured into political territory and by so doing also infringed on the principle of Separation of Powers. Parliament have its own inherent ways in resolving political juggernaut, if the Prime Minister does anything they deemed unlawful, they can call a vote of no confidence, they can hold him in contempt of Parliament, they can pass laws.
The Supreme Court declared that the Prime Minister acted unlawfully by Proroguing (suspending) Parliament, yet, there is no law around Prorogation, how can an action be unlawful if there isn’t a law that was breached. The fact remains that it is Conventions that gives the Prime Minister the power to suspend Parliament, the discretion is with the Prime Minister to determine how long this last. In centuries past, Prime Ministers used the power of Prorogation to suit their own purposes, both summoning Parliament so it could authorise taxes, and proroguing it to limit its activities and power, if the most recent Prorogation is unlawful, are the past ones unlawful too? It’s hypocrisy of the highest rank. The problem the Supreme Court Justices created when they delved into political territory is that it brings to the forefront their opinions on Brexit, are they Brexiteers or remainers, could their Brexit stance have affected their decision? This is the reason why they should not have stooped in political arena, now that they have, it is right that they face scrutiny, after all, the independence of the judiciary is only guaranteed if the Judiciary is not politicised.
