News

The Evening Standard published their list of London's 1000 most influential people of 2011.

There are a number of interesting figures featured on the list from all parts of society, with money men Lakshmi Mittal and James Caan mentioned alongside political figures like Chuka Umunna MP, Keith Vaz MP and Priti Patel MP.

OBV director Simon Woolley also gets a mention as one of the most influential people in the Faith and Philanthropy category alongside Pastor Nims Obunge.

At the start of the trial at the Old Bailey, Doreen and Neville Lawrence sat a few feet away from the two men, Gary Dobson and David Norris accused of killing their son Stephen. They hope, as do the whole country that British justice will at last be done and their son’s killers brought to justice. It’s been a long wait.

Kevin Julien is currently taking part in OBV’s Lewisham Civic Leadership programme. Here, he writes about the Eurozone crisis and whether the single currency can survive.

It is without doubt the greatest cliché of the Black British experience. Grandparents told their children, our parents informed us, and now we as the next parental generation owe it to our children to firewall them against the inevitable with those immortal words; ‘Child! If you want to get on in this society you have to better than the rest’.

Last week saw thousands of demonstrators take to the streets of central London to show their opposition to the government austerity measures. The protest was directed against cuts in education funding and rising student tuition fees. Between the students and their supporters, thousands of people participated in the rally, which marched from Russell Square to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The country's second most senior judge has given his support to a new law which could help increase the number of women and ethnic minorities at the top of the judiciary.

Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury believes there is no reason why female or ethnic minority candidates shouldn't be favoured over white men when the two applicants are otherwise equal.

A row has broken out over an educational conference which will take place in central London tomorrow.

Furious campaigners are set to demonstrate outside the Insitute of Education near Russell Square after accusing the Mayor of London for hijacking a conference which was set up and run by Diane Abbott MP.

They are angry that Boris Johnson has, in their words, hijacked the London Schools and the Black Child (LSBC) conference, which was set up to deal with the increasing problem of educational underachievement in the Black community.

There are so many stories about the global economic troubles and how we all face an uncertain future that sometimes we fail to appreciate those who work tirelessly every day and make a contribution to the economy.

But there was a reason to celebrate this week with the annual Asian Trader Awards held in London which highlighted success stories of countless individuals and organisations who have made invaluable contribution to Britain's economy and society.

Africa's first female president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been re-elected as Liberia's president following a landslide victory on Thursday.

Johnson-Sirleaf picked up 90.2 percent of the votes though there have been claims her government was not legitimate because the opposition boycotted the poll.

Opposition leader Winston Tubman had called on his supporters to avoid the presidential runoff on Tuesday and stated he would not accept the outcome of the vote.