News

Civil rights campaigner Reverend Jesse Jackson traveled to Dublin yesterday to rally voters to make their mark for equality, human rights and social justice in the the country's general election on February 25.

Reverend Jackson warned the gap between rich and poor will widen as the country's economic wonder turned into a nightmare, and criticised the bailing out of Ireland's banks with taxpayer funds while workers were punished with cuts.

British student Claudia Aderotimi died in America last week, the result of botched plastic surgery intended to give her a bigger bottom

Some commentators say that Claudia was a victim of “hip hop” culture. She was actually a victim of something much more universal. Sadly we live in an era when too many young women are brainwashed into believing that, artificially pumping up some aspect of their body, is the road to fame and fortune. And they will risk their lives to achieve this.

Change has come to Egypt and with it an opportunity for a more principled foreign policy approach – Ade Sawyerr

Islamic school closes early over TV show

A Channel 4 Dispatches documentary due to be aired tonight is causing controversy among community groups.

A Dispatches programme ‘Lessons in Hatred and Violence’ to be shown this evening, claims to have footage of a preacher at the Darul Uloom Islamic High School in Birminghm expressing extreme views.

The Government has made a new commitment to destroy millions of samples of innocent citizens DNA from the national criminal database.

Ministers have confirmed that rules around whose genetic fingerprints are stored will be radically altered as part of moves to restore traditional liberties. 

Under previous laws police could take a swab of DNA from any suspect and hold on to it indefinitely. 

Name calling landed two councillors in political hot water last week.

First, Lib Dems Reading Borough Councilor Warren Swaine resigned last Monday after a Twitter message he sent during MP Chuka Umunna BBC's Question Time appearance prompted a race row.

Swaine’s tweet said: “I am waiting for the Labour guy to claim, ‘Is it because I is black’ as a defence for being a muppet.”

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as leader.

After weeks of protests which have seen millions of Egyptians calling for the end of his regime and for him to go, the people of Egypt have got their wish; people power has been demonstrated in a most awesome manner.

Follow the live events in Egypt via Al Jazeera.

The Caribbean island of Trinidad has produced no shortage of notable figures – from great thinkers such as its first prime minister Eric Williams and the social theorist CLR James, to legendary sports personalities such as the Olympic gold medal winner Hasely Crawford, the cricketer Brian Lara and the sprinter Ato Boldon.

Mandy Howells: Gave a good account

On his last trip here, American activist Reverend Al Sharpton encouraged pupils at Archbishop Tenison’s school in Vauxhall to “make their life count.”

He explained through a personal story that he didn't realise he was poor until a session at school about poverty made him realise that living in a housing project meant he was among that strata of society.