News

Rochdale Liberal Democrats have been thrown into turmoil by the resignations of eight local Councillors amidst accusations of racism.

Councillor Mohammed Shariff (pictured), who represents Milkstone and Deeplish, quit the Lib Dems on Monday morning accusing some members of being racist. His resignation has brought the LibDem party to its knees as it’s now forced to go into opposition after ruling with Conservatives in a local coalition.

Hopes that legislation increasing student tuition fees would be blocked in the House of Lords were dashed last night as peers voted in favour of the motion.

Last week, the vote to increase the fees limit to £9,000, passed in the Commons by a mere 21 votes, with 6 Tory MPs and 21 Liberal Democrats voting against the measures.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to announce the immediate closure of the family wing at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire.

He will say that no child will spend this Christmas in an immigration detention centre.

The move has been widely welcomed by human rights campaigners who have cited the inhumanity of detaining children in ‘prison like’ conditions.

The first black Polish parliamentarian has been sworn in; John Abraham Godson (pictured), a Polish citizen born and raised in Nigeria, is a former councillor in the city of Lodz. He has taken up the parliamentary seat left vacant by Hanna Zdanowskaafter after she became mayor of Lodz.

The 40-year-old university lecturer said he wanted to: "ensure Poland had found a place in Africa" and that he hoped to promote race relations in the overwhelmingly white country.

Allegations of racism in Russia have surfaced again. Footballer Peter Odemwingie, from West Bromwich Albion, says he believes the amount of discrimination in the country is on the rise and is a real concern for the 2018 world cup.

Operation Black Vote expressed incredulity over the lack of concern FIFA showed about racism in Russia when deciding on who win the bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Octavia Goredema, founder of the Twenty Ten Club, writes exclusively for OBV about her tireless efforts to nurture the next generation of Black business women and her new mentoring project due to be launched in 2011.

Earlier this year I had an idea. I decided I was going to start a business networking group.

The Conservative Party have confirmed Kashif Ali as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Oldham East and Saddleworth By-election.

In the third incident of its type 24 grave stones have been vandalised in a section of a Leeds cemetery used by Muslims. Plaques were ripped off graves and some head stones were pushed over at the city’s Harehills Cemetery on Sunday night.

Describing the attacks as ‘vile and despicable’ Inspector Michael Lawrenson, from West Yorkshire Police, said that:

Fath leaders from across Stoke-on-Trent have come together in a show of solidarity after an arson attack on a local Mosque. Members of North Staffs Forum of Faith were among those that met at the Muslim Welfare and Community Association last Friday 10th December. They then walked across to the mosque in Regent Road, which was the target of an arson attack recently.

Labour has selected Debbie Abrahams - pictured above - as its candidate in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.

Abrahams beat Riaz Ahmed and Councillor Abdul Jabbar, who were also shortlisted.