Tag: Featured

    The Dalai Lama made his first appearance at Glastonbury on Sunday, spending an hour in the rain addressing festival-goers on how the world could be a happier place. The Tibetan spiritual leader called for a more "holistic education" from kindergarten to university, which "should bring a sense of care" and help "promote human love". "Everyone has the right to achieve a happy life," he told hundreds gathered at the Greenfield site, an area of calm away from the madness of the main music stages. The elderly Buddhist monk hailed the "full joy" of the revellers present, and got into the spirit himself by wearing a Glastonbury t-shirt on his head against the rain. He was treated to a rendition of "Happy Birthday" by the crowd in honour of his 80th year, and urged them to "t...

    Heathrow has hit back against its rival Gatwick by upgrading its profit forecast and predicting that an extra 300,000 passengers will pass through its terminals this year. Both airports are hoping to get the backing of Sir Howard Davies’ Airports Commission, which is expected to publish its final report next week and recommend one of three options: build a new runway at Heathrow; expand one of the existing two there; or build a second runway at Gatwick. On Thursday the chief executive of Gatwick, Stewart Wingate, warned that approval for Heathrow would be a “retrograde step” and “politically undeliverable” because of bitter opposition from senior ministers with constituencies under the flight path. He said: “We’re expecting that Davies, rather than making the same mi...

    Anger as 26 Romanian migrants found crammed into house after noise and rubbish complaints FOUR families of Romanians have been found crammed into a three-bedroom house in London. Four families were discovered in the three-bedroom flat by the council. Council staff discovered the 26 Romanians, including a toddler, in the home near the Olympic Stadium following a raid by staff. The enforcement visited the east London property on Friday after neighbours complained of loud music, pests and garden rubbish. Officers discovered seven people sleeping in a windowless basement which had blocked up air vents, with the other 19 sleeping in three "very overcrowded" bedrooms. Those living in the basement were being charged just £20 a month while the families staying in the bedroom...

The ousting by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government and an independent commission of lawyers of Lutfur Rahman, who was twice Elected as Mayor of Tower Hamlets suggests that we expect different levels of behaviour from Bangadeshi politicians and those of the general white British political culture, argues Paul Thomson. Now the general election is over, it’s worthwhile trying to understand the nature of political consent in Britain by looking into recent events in Tower Hamlets. In late 2014, Eric Pickles, then communities secretary, took over administration of the borough through commissioners, pending a judicial report on electoral corruption. The majority party in the most recent mayoral election was declared dissolved and banned from standing in future electi...

The ousting of Lutfur Rahman suggests that we expect different levels of behaviour from Bangadeshi politicians and those of the general white British political culture. Now the general election is over, it’s worthwhile trying to understand the nature of political consent in Britain by looking into recent events in Tower Hamlets. In late 2014, Eric Pickles, then communities secretary, took over administration of the borough through commissioners, pending a judicial report on electoral corruption. The majority party in the most recent mayoral election was declared dissolved and banned from standing in future elections. None of the four commissioners – Sir Ken Knight, Max Caller CBE, Chris Allison or Alan Wood – is Bangladeshi, the largest ethnic group in the borough representing one third ...