SecularCafe - Politics & World Events

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

Secular Café: WTF is happening in English schools?

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

WTF is happening in English schools?

Mar 27th 2013, 09:24

This article doesn't say whether any of the schools running with this nonsense are publicly funded. I hate the idea of children being taught blatant lies like this. And why import rubbish from Texas, of all places?

UK NARIC's recognition of these qualifications as equivalent to A-L is a scandal. I'm not sure, however, of the status of UK NARIC. Does anyone here know more about it?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ion-curriculum

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Secular Café: 10-Year-Old Christopher Stanlane Accidently Shot and Killed While Father Cleaned Shotgun

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

10-Year-Old Christopher Stanlane Accidently Shot and Killed While Father Cleaned Shotgun

Mar 27th 2013, 00:34

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/socie...m_medium=email

Another senseless gun death which would not have happened had there not been a gun there.....

Quote:

Christopher Stanlan, Jr., 10, was shot in the head and killed Sunday when the shotgun his father was cleaning went off.

Christopher Stanlane Sr., 34, was wiping down a loaded shotgun in his living room, police said, when it discharged, shooting his son in the back of the head while he watched television in their Fairmont, N.C., home.

Realizing what he had done, Stanlane Sr. then took his 8-year-old daughter into the next room. His wife, who was cooking in the kitchen at the time, called 911. When paramedics arrived, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Robeson County District Attorney will decide what charges, if any, will be brought against the parents. Capt. Anthony Thompson with the Robeson County Sherriff's Office said no charges have been filed against Stanlane Sr. so far.

I can't see any point in charging the guy....he'll have to live with it anyway.

Secular Café: Heavily criticised UK Border Agency to be scrapped

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Heavily criticised UK Border Agency to be scrapped

Mar 26th 2013, 21:25

No-one thinks it's any good, but whether bringing its functions back within the Home Office will be an improvement is doubtful.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21941395

Quote:

Last year, Mrs May announced that the UK Border Force - responsible for day-to-day operations - would stop being part of the agency and become a separate law-enforcement body.

Addressing the House of Commons, the home secretary said the improvement in performance of the Border Force since the split showed the benefits of having smaller, more focused structures.

She said: "But the performance of what remains of UKBA is still not good enough. The Agency struggles with the volume of its casework, which has led to historical backlogs running into the hundreds of thousands.

"The number of illegal immigrants removed does not keep up with the number of people who are here illegally. And while the visa operation is internationally competitive, it could and should get better still."

Mrs May said: "UKBA was given agency status in order to keep its work at an arm's length from ministers. That was wrong. It created a closed, secretive and defensive culture."

She said a board would be formed to oversee all the organisations in the immigration system - immigration policy, the Passport Service, Border Force and the two new entities...

...The agency was created in 2008 by the merger of the Border and Immigration Agency, UKvisas and parts of HM Revenue and Customs.

This followed Labour Home Secretary John Reid's 2006 declaration that the Home Office's immigration directorate was "not fit for purpose".

The UK Border Agency is responsible for securing the UK border at air, rail and sea ports and migration controls, such as the issuing of visas.

It employs the full-time equivalent of 23,500 people across the world, including 13,100 in the UK.

Secular Café: Snow chaos in Europe

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Snow chaos in Europe

Mar 26th 2013, 21:29

This has been a difficult winter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21946402

Quote:

A pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on a snow-hit Austrian motorway has left at least one person dead.

Emergency officials said the crash scene on the west-bound A1 west of Vienna stretched for more than 2km (1.2 miles)...

...Elsewhere, record-breaking snowfall in the Ukrainian capital Kiev has caused traffic chaos and seen many residents taking to skis instead, AFP news agency reported

Heavy snow blanketing three regions of Romania has closed schools and disrupted road traffic.

The freezing weather has also caused chaos on Serbia's northern border with Hungary where lorries queued for hours amid heavy snowfall.

Black ice coating roads in neighbouring Croatia has caused a spate of accidents, national TV reports said.

Secular Café: First woman head of US secret service

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

First woman head of US secret service

Mar 26th 2013, 21:19

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21947708

And it's not Judi Dench!

Secular Café: Socus looks at same-sex marriage

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Socus looks at same-sex marriage

Mar 26th 2013, 21:16

Actually, it's more complicated than that, but the ruling will be of great interest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21932682

Quote:

The justices of the US Supreme Court have questioned the meaning of marriage and the government's role in defining it, as they weigh whether the state of California may ban same-sex nuptials.

Following Tuesday's arguments, the court could uphold the 2008 ban, narrowly overturn it, or invalidate all state same-sex marriage bans in the US.

The ban's defenders argued the issue should be decided by individual states.

Recent opinion polls have shown a rapid rise in support for same-sex marriage.

Read the whole report.

Secular Café: Campaign continues to bury Richard II in York

Secular Café

For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Campaign continues to bury Richard II in York

Mar 26th 2013, 21:54

I wouldn't have thought that his relatiives would have much clout after 5+ centuries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21936327

Quote:

Relatives of Richard III are to seek a judicial review into the decisions authorising his reburial in Leicester.

Earlier this year, skeletal remains found beneath a car park in the city were confirmed as the king's by a team at the University of Leicester.

Since the find, a disagreement has surfaced about whether he should be buried in Leicester or York.

The last Plantagenet king's descendants say they should have been consulted by the government over the re-burial...

...the Plantagenet Alliance, which includes 15 of Richard III's relatives, want the licence to be overturned and the king to be laid to rest in York Minster.

Stephen Nicolay, a 16th great nephew of the monarch, said: "We have every hope that they [the solicitors] will succeed in these cases and help us significantly in our quest to have Richard's remains buried at the most appropriate site, York Minster."...

...More than 8,000 people have signed an online petition in favour of keeping the king's remains in Leicester, but over 26,000 have signed up to support re-interring his remains in York.

The youngest son of Richard Duke of York, Richard III grew up in Yorkshire and had strong-connections to the city of York.