News

According to press reports, the English Defence League (EDL) has formed an alliance with the British Freedom Party (BFP), a breakaway group of the British National Party (BNP) which has an openly fascist agenda.

It was only eighteen months ago that the EDL was making the headlines as an ‘all inclusive’ organisation claiming to have members from various faiths, races and sexual orientation and claiming to be only against ‘militant Islam’.

Almost three million public sector workers are set to strike today in response to government austerity measures and pension reform.

The N30 “Day of Action” is orchestrated by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and will include workers from UNISON, the biggest public sector union which has over 1.3 million members. UNISON voted in favour of striking on November 3 in the biggest trade union ballot ever held.

At the 4th United Nations Conference on minority rights, OBV has been asked to participate and offer some thoughts around political participation.

Over 500 delegates from around the world will bring their stories of inequality, but also wonderful stories of triumph over adversity. High on the agenda will be discussions about the racial prejudice towards Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Additionally, perhaps in Latin American countries such as Columbia, perhaps for the first time, there will be a clear acknowledgement of racism towards people of African descent.

A shocking report from a leading BME women's organisation suggests that more than 3,000 girls in London are at risk of genital mutilation every year.

The report, produced by Imkaan and came out on Friday to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, found that around each year, 3,500 baby girls in the capital are born to mothers who have suffered female genital mutilation (FGM), an increase of 65 percent in the past decade.

The results from the Guardian’s analysis of court records this weekend aren’t really surprising.

The paper's analysis of over more than a million court records found that offenders from ethnic minorities were more likely than their white counterparts to be sentenced to prison for certain categories of crime such as driving offences, possession of a weapon and drugs possession.

Scotland has implemented a new law which protects people from being married against their will.

The news will be welcomed by victims of forced marriages as they will have greater help and protection from the law.

The new legislation, which came into effect today, gives courts the power to issue protection orders to those at risk and breach of such orders could result in a two-year prison sentence.

Just before you pack up for the weekend, I’d like you to get in the practice of voting. This has nothing to do with our democratic institutions; I’ll be talking about that in the New Year. No, this is about The X Factor and in particular Misha B.

It was a clear and unequivocal message, sincerely put, and above all timely.

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, on behalf of the Government, gave the Scarman Trust lecture at Brixton, the spiritual capital of Black Britain, to say: Yes, we have made progress, ‘we are in a very different place to where we were 30 years ago,’ but ‘if you are from an ethnic minority you face unfair hurdles when you strive for success’.

While most people are demanding for the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter following his comments on racism in football, one person has come up with a more novel idea.

Lord Herman Ouseley, who is chair of anti-racism and social inclusion group Kick It Out, has put out an invitation for the under-fire boss of world football to join in the fight against combating discrimination.