Month: May 2019

Protesters against LGBT teaching at a primary school have been banned from gathering outside the gates by a High Court injunction.

Birmingham City Council pursued the legal action after months of demonstrations outside Anderton Park Primary School.

The school had to close early before half-term due to escalating action.

The council said it sought the urgent injunction after the risk to children became “too serious to tolerate”.

It said the behaviour of demonstrators was “increasingly unacceptable”.

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The authority said it made the application in order to protect staff and pupils when they return from their half-term break on Monday.

Protesters were not made aware of the High Court application but told the BBC they still intended to gather next week on a street further away from the school.

The injunction will be in place until 10 June, when those against the diversity teachings will be given the chance to make their case in front of a judge.

The exclusion zone covers the streets around the school, which sits on Dennis Road, from Taunton Road, Yardley Lane and Birchwood Road.

Council leader Ian Ward said “common sense had prevailed”.

He said: “Children right across Birmingham should be free to attend school safely and without disruption.”

He urged parents and campaigners to “take this opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with the school”.

Parents began protesting over concerns their children were “too young” to learn about LGBT relationships. They also said the lessons contradicted Islam.

On Thursday, the former chief prosecutor for the north-west of England, Nazir Afzal, who was brought in to mediate the matter, said parents were being “manipulated”.

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Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Yardley, said the council had “done the right thing for the children”, adding “it’s just a shame it has come to this thanks to the bigotry of a few”.

She clashed with lead protester Shakeel Afsar, who does not have children at the school, outside the gates earlier in May.

Mr Afsar tweeted that he will be challenging the injunction, adding: “I will stress to parents – don’t back down. If you feel you are right, invoke your democratic rights.”

The injunction forbids organising or encouraging demonstrations and printing or distributing leaflets. Those in breach of it will be subject to arrest.

It also forbids posting offensive or abusive messages on social media about members of staff at the school in relation to equalities teachings.

Anderton Park head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson previously spoke of receiving threatening emails and phone calls.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds welcomed the injunction and said it was “not right to protest in front of schools”.

“This will allow children to return to school and parents to continue peaceful and constructive discussions with staff,” he said.

The protests spread to Anderton Park from Parkfield Community School in Alum Rock, where parents raised a petition in January claiming some of the teaching contradicted Islam.

The “No Outsiders” scheme, created by one of its teachers Andrew Moffatt, had been running at Parkfield since 2014.

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Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the French Open last 16 since 1983 after thrashing Slovakia’s Viktoria Kuzmova at Roland Garros.

Konta, 28, continued her fine clay-court season with a 6-2 6-1 late-evening victory on the new Court Simonne-Mathieu.

Despite suffering sickness this week, the 26th seed broke serve five times to seal an impressive win in 54 minutes.

Konta will play Croatia’s 24th seed Donna Vekic on Sunday.

The Briton had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros before this week, but now finds herself with a shot at the quarter-finals.

Anne Hobbs and Jo Durie were the last British women to get to the last 16 in Paris in 1983 with Durie going on to reach the semi-finals.

Stunning Konta outclasses Kuzmova

Konta has now reached at least the last 16 in all of the four Grand Slams.

That achievement was secured by a stunning performance against 21-year-old Kuzmova, where she won 80% of the points behind her first serve and hit 20 winners.

Konta showed exactly why she has surged back up the world rankings after a productive clay-court season which has seen her reach the Morocco Open and Italian Open finals, beating Sloane Stephens, Venus Williams and Kiki Bertens along the way in Rome.

The Briton would have expected to meet Bertens again in this match, but that did not materialise after the Dutch fourth seed retired from her second-round match against Kuzmova because of illness.

Konta has also been struggling with sickness in Paris, suffering with a blocked nose and sore throat after Wednesday’s win over Lauren Davis.

She needed strong mental resilience to win that match – this one was much more straightforward.

Kuzmova, ranked 46th in the world, offered little resistance in a first set where Konta rocked her with some pounding first serves and stunning winners.

Konta broke on her way to winning the opening three games and, after a blip when Kuzmova broke back for 3-2, refocused to rattle off the next three games for the set.

Kuzmova’s woes were summed up by a double fault on set point and continued to look edgy in the second set.

With Kuzmova’s body language indicating she was there for the taking, Konta continued to pummel her opponent and conceded just nine points as victory was quickly wrapped up.

‘A seriously impressive performance’ – analysis

BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Roland Garros

This was a seriously impressive performance by a woman high on confidence.

Kuzmova is having a fine season, but proved erratic in her first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam.

And that was hardly surprising – as Konta served superbly and hit a lot of heavy balls deep in the court to put enormous pressure on the 21-year-old.

A quarter-final opportunity now knocks for either Konta or Donna Vekic.

There is a little to choose between them: they have split their six meetings to date, and Vekic is seeded just three places higher.

A repeat of their Wimbledon second-round match of 2017 would not go amiss. Konta won 10-8 in the final set, as flying ants descended on The All England Club.

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There were “opportunities galore” to identify that the London Bridge extremists were plotting an attack, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Patterson, the lawyer representing several victims’ families, said there was evidence the attackers had been in contact since January 2017.

Eight people died in the attack on 3 June 2017.

But investigating officer Acting Det Ch Insp Wayne Jolley denied there had been missed opportunities.

Mr Patterson told the hearing at the Old Bailey in London that “any reasonably competent investigation” had the chance to detect the planning that was going on between the three men.

It would have taken the trio a “significant period of time” for them to become close enough to trust each other with planning an attack, he said.

Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, left 48 people injured when they attacked passsers-by near London Bridge with a van and knives, before being themselves shot dead by armed police.

Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, died in the attack, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

Six months after the attack, a major review of whether MI5 could have stopped it revealed that Butt, the ringleader at London Bridge, was under “active investigation” from mid-2015.

At the inquest, Mr Patterson challenged the Metropolitan Police’s investigating officer, suggesting the nature of the repeated contact between the attackers should have raised suspicions.

The inquest heard that Zaghba had started going to Butt’s gym in January 2017 and that the two men were in telephone contact after that time.

Zaghba also visited Butt’s home and had been allowed to drive his car, the inquest heard.

In March, all three attackers were at the Ummah fitness centre in east London.

It was in the same month, Mr Patterson said, that Butt had possibly been trying to buy a gun.

There was then a barbecue at Butt’s home in May, which Redouane attended, and those two men were in contact “again and again for months”, Mr Patterson said.

The court heard that, the day after the barbecue, Redouane bought three identical knives.

“Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit,” Mr Patterson said.

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Metropolitan Police

Det Ch Insp Jolley said he did not agree that there had been missed opportunities to stop the men and said police would have been working with the intelligence they were given.

The court heard that the three men were extremely careful with how they communicated, and even when their phones and other devices were examined after the attack, there was no evidence of their planning.

Mr Patterson said that there was one occasion in May when all three men were at the gym “in the dead of night” and were speaking together in the street, but one of them employed a “classic anti-surveillance technique” of leaving his telephone on the ground while they walked away and talked.

“The attack planning was there to be detected,” he suggested.

The court also heard that Zaghba had held extremist views since childhood.

He celebrated the 9/11 attacks and had the Islamic State group flags on his Facebook page, according to information from his mother.

Zaghba had also tried to flee abroad to fight for IS and had jihadist material on an SD memory card seized from him when he was stopped at an airport.

But Richard Horwell, the lawyer representing the Metropolitan Police at the inquest, asked: “In the months leading up the attack was there any evidence of any attack planning?”

Mr Jolley said: “Not that we uncovered, sir, no.”

The inquests continue.

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Mexico’s president has insisted his government will not be provoked, after President Donald Trump announced escalating tariffs on all goods unless Mexico curbed illegal migration.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador described Mr Trump’s slogan “America First” as a fallacy and said universal justice was more important than borders.

Stock markets saw sharp losses following Mr Trump’s announcement.

Mr Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border in February.

He said it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis with thousands of undocumented migrants crossing the US southern frontier.

On Thursday, US border authorities in El Paso, Texas, said they had detained a group of more than 1,000 migrants – the largest single group agents had ever encountered.

Robert Perez, customs and border protection deputy commissioner, said their apprehension “demonstrates the severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our south-west border”.

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In tweets later on Friday, President Trump said the tariffs were also to encourage Mexico to “take back” the country from drugs cartels.

What did Mr López Obrador say?

The president said he had ordered his foreign minister to travel to Washington on Friday.

“I want to insist that we are not going to fall into any provocations, that we are going to act prudently with respect to the authorities of the United States [and] with respect to President Donald Trump,” he said.

In a letter to his US counterpart, Mr López Obrador said Mexico was complying with its responsibility to avoid “as far as possible and without violating human rights, the passage [of migrants] through our country”.

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“President Trump: Social problems are not resolved with tariffs or coercive measures,” he added.

“With all due respect, although you have the sovereign right to express this, the slogan ‘United States [America] First’ is a fallacy because, until the end of time, and even over and above national frontiers, universal justice and fraternity will prevail.”

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What did Mr Trump say?

The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people. Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum.

In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%.

The tariffs would stay at that level “unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory”, he said.

“For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly – but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation,” the statement said.

The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a “total dereliction of duty” over border security.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration.

What will the tariffs affect?

Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (£275bn), according to Goldman Sachs.

• The agony over an American dream
• In pictures: : A river of people moving north

It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies.

The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies.

US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals.

On Friday, the three main US financial markets opened almost 1.5% down, with General Motors falling 5%.

The president’s statement comes amid a trade war with China.

After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country.

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HP Sauce has taken a cue from its namesake – with a redesign of its famous label.

Bottles of the quintessentially British condiment, named after the Houses of Parliament, usually show the Elizabeth Tower – commonly known as Big Ben.

But the firm behind the piquant garnish has added scaffolding to the design to reflect current restoration works.

Heinz claims it is the first change to the butty booster’s bottle design in 123 years.

Bosses at the US food giant revealed the change on the tower’s 160th anniversary.

HP’s history, potted

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• HP Sauce got its name as it was reputedly served at Parliament
• It was rumoured the brown sauce, made with a malt vinegar base and a blend of fruits and spices, was much-loved by MPs in the early 20th Century
• In the 1960s and 1970s it became known as “Wilson’s Gravy” because the wife of then prime minister, Harold Wilson, told The Times he would smother his food in it
• A bottle of centenary HP Sauce made for him sold for £250 in an auction this month
• The sauce was made at a factory in Aston, Birmingham, from 1875 when the Midland Vinegar Company was started by Edwin Moore
• Mr Moore bought the recipe from a Nottingham grocer who owed him money
• Heinz bought the company amid mass protests, and moved production to Holland with the loss of about 125 jobs
• The last bottle made in Birmingham came off the production line in 2007
• Its West Midlands factory – along with its famous HP tower – was demolished in the same year

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The redesigned bottles will be available nationwide from June until the restoration of the tower is complete.

Reaction to the move on social media included a number of tweets praising the “clever marketing”.

Others, however, pointed out that HP Sauce was no longer produced in the UK.

But for some, no amount of effective PR was enough to improved their opinion of the product.

Big Ben – the name given to the bell inside the Elizabeth Tower – fell silent in August 2017 before repair works began.

Its new temporary look has confused tourists, who have arrived disappointed to find their selfies scuppered by scaffolding.

The works are due to be completed in 2021.

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A member of Labour’s ruling body, the NEC, has been suspended over remarks he reportedly made about the party’s anti-Semitism row.

LBC radio reported that Peter Willsman was recorded saying the Israeli embassy was “almost certainly” behind the row.

Various Labour MPs, including deputy leader Tom Watson, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have condemned the remarks.

The BBC has approached Mr Willsman for comment about the recording.

The remarks are understood to have been recorded in January during a meeting between Mr Willsman and American-Israeli author Tuvia Tenenbom.

• A guide to Labour anti-Semitism claims
• Labour pressure over Corbyn ally’s remarks

Mr Willsman is accused of saying: “This is off the record. It’s almost certain who is behind all this anti-Semitism against Jeremy [Corbyn], almost certainly it’s the Israeli embassy.”

The Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl called for Mr Willsman’s expulsion from the party, saying he had “not only denied anti-Semitism in the Labour Party but has resorted to a well-known anti-Semitic trope to make his point”.

Mr Watson condemned the remarks and said they illustrated “how serious the problem of anti-Semitism is in our party”.

The Labour Party said: “Peter Willsman has been suspended from the Labour Party, pending investigation.”

A spokesperson said the party took complaints of anti-Semitism “extremely seriously” and was “committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms”.

Mr Willsman was involved in another row last year, after he was recorded saying he had never seen anti-Semitism in the party ,and suggesting Jewish “Trump fanatics” were behind the accusations.

He later apologised and said not all his remarks had been accurately reported but that he would refer himself for equalities training.

Mr Willsman was re-elected to the NEC – the body acts as Labour’s governing body and oversees the direction of the party and its policy-making process – last year.

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A seven-year-old boy believed to have fallen from a rollercoaster is in a critical condition, police have said.

Witnesses said he fell from the Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Thursday.

People reported hearing screams and seeing him “hanging backwards” from the carriage.

North Yorkshire Police said the boy was taken to hospital with head injuries and “is now described as critical”.

He is being treated at Leeds General Infirmary.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating.

Eyewitness Mark Charnley said the boy was “hanging backwards outside the actual carriage”.

“Everybody started shouting to get the attention of the guy running the machine,” he said.

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It is the second incident involving the same ride at the theme park.

In June 2001, 20-year-old Gemma Savage died when two of the rollercoaster’s cars collided.

Ms Savage, from Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, was on a day out with friends from Durham University, where she was studying medical sciences.

Her mother, Linda Savage said she was “devastated” to hear about the boy being injured.

“Our thoughts go out to this little boy and his family,” she said.

“It’s unbelievable that this has happened on the same ride, 18 years on. Why wasn’t the ride shut down?

“It’s incredibly distressing for us in the run-up to the anniversary of Gemma’s death.”

The theme park’s owner, the manufacturers of the ride and an electrician were all later fined for health and safety breaches over Ms Savage’s death.

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A man has admitted causing the death of his 12-year-old relative by dangerous driving.

Abbie Mclaren died after being hit by a car on The Loaning in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, on 12 February.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Martin McGuire, 38, from Hamilton, had been travelling at 51mph on the road, which has a 30mph speed restriction.

McGuire is a cousin of Abbie’s father John Mclaren, who was a passenger in the car when Abbie was hit.

The court heard that Abbie had no contact with her father and did not know McGuire.

McGuire provided a negative breath test, but admitted he had no licence and no insurance at the time of the crash. It also emerged that he had never had a full driving licence but was the holder of an expired provisional licence.

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Abbie, who was a pupil at Dalziel High School, was hit by McGuire’s Citroen D3 car at 16:08 after she and a friend got off a bus outside the U-Save shop.

The 12-year-old’s friend had stopped half-way across the road but Abbie had continued to run across and was hit by the car.

The court was told that it was coincidental that McGuire and Abbie’s father had been driving along the road at the time.

The court heard that the speed at which the vehicle was travelling caused Abbie to be projected forward onto a nearby parked car. She suffered multiple fractures and died in hospital the next day.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice said: “He [McGuire] drove the vehicle well in excess of the 30mph speed limit.

“It was calculated from CCTV footage that he travelled at an average speed of 51mph while the vehicle was braking.

“There was nothing obscuring his view and no reason for him not to observe her just before the point of collision.

“The speed travelled did not allow sufficient reaction time to an obvious hazard such as a person crossing the road.”

McGuire, a father-of-seven, had stopped the car and remained at the scene.

Previous convictions

During court proceedings it also emerged that he had previous road traffic convictions for offences including drink driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

Sentence was deferred to 28 June for reports to be prepared.

McGuire, a roofer from Hamilton, was released on bail but was warned by Judge Lady Scott: “Please don’t misunderstand that you must appreciate you are facing a prison sentence.”

McGuire was also banned from driving in the interim.

Mr Prentice told the court: “Abbie McLaren lived with her mother and stepfather and brother and sisters and was especially close to her 13-year-old sister.

“She was a very popular girl and enjoyed life to the full. She often went on sleepovers to her grandparents. Her grandparents are going to miss her deeply.”

The prosecutor added that Abbie loved football and swimming.

Six days after her death, almost 1,000 people turned out for a torchlight vigil to call for safer roads in Motherwell.

The silent march lined the road where Abbie died.

Campaigners are calling for North Lanarkshire Council to put traffic control measures on The Loaning and organised a petition which gained more than 12,600 signatures in less than a week.

At the time, the local authority said it would be working with Police Scotland throughout the investigation and would take appropriate action based on the findings.