There are still significant problems at the five Birmingham schools placed into special measures following concerns about a hard-line Islamist takeover. England's schools' watchdog Ofsted says the action plans are still ‘not fit for purpose’ in some of the five. At one, ‘staff do not trust each other’, it says, and ‘safeguarding remains a serious concern’ at another. The inspections took place early this term. The Department for Education described them as ‘a snapshot’. The five schools were inspected - on an unannounced basis - between 8th and 12th September, and in some cases new governors and heads had only just started work. Inspectors raised concerns that it had taken too much time to appoint new governors and senior leaders at these schools. This meant ‘very little action’ had been taken to address the serious concerns raised about their performance. Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said, 'Too much poor practice remained unchallenged during the summer term’.

Euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands have risen by 151 per cent over the last seven years, prompting fears about ‘steady extension’ if Britain legalises assisted suicide. According to Dutch media reports, the number of euthanasia deaths last year increased by 15 per cent to 4,829, compared to 4,188 in 2012. Last year 3,600 people in the Netherlands were euthanised because they had cancer, and there were 42 reports of euthanasia due to severe psychiatric problems, compared with 14 in 2012 and 13 in 2011. In 97 euthanasia cases, dementia was the reason given. These patients were mainly in the early stage of the condition, when they were able to communicate properly their wish to die. Dr Peter Saunders, Campaign Director of Care Not Killing,  highlighted statistics from Switzerland and Belgium, which show similar steep increases in cases of assisted suicide since the practice was legalised. (See also Prayer Alert 33-2014)

New education standards which may politicise the curriculum pave the way for schools being sued over what they teach, according to a senior QC. In a legal opinion for The Christian Institute, John Bowers QC said the regulations break the ‘seal’ that prevents schools facing legal action over what is taught. The standards, which came into force last month, require academies, free schools and independent schools in England to ‘actively promote’ the rights defined in the Equality Act 2010, including sexual orientation and transsexual rights. Bowers said the regulations provide ‘mechanisms in the law for disgruntled pupils, parents and campaigners’ to sue individual schools. He warned that teachers may face legal action if their attempts to simplify complex religious or philosophical topics are ‘deemed to undermine respect for some people’s beliefs. The standards could result in religious and political discussion being curtailed,' Bowers said

New cracks have been found in one of the reactors at Hunterston B nuclear power station in North Ayrshire. Two of about 3,000 graphite bricks in the core of reactor four are affected. Plant operator, EDF Energy, said the cracking had been predicted to occur as the station aged and it would not affect the safe operation of the reactor. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the issue was ‘hugely concerning’ to the public and that the Scottish government was seeking reassurances. ‘The Scottish government is seeking the information we need to assure the public about safety, because safety is absolutely paramount and cannot be compromised,’ she said. The cracks were found during a routine inspection which began in August. They have appeared since the last inspection in 2011

This week leading international scientists will warn a Parliamentary inquiry that the Government’s 3-parent baby plan raises serious public safety concerns and should not be permitted to go ahead. Currently, the proposed technique - known as ‘mitochondria replacement therapy’ - can only be used for research purposes, and involves transferring both parents’ DNA into a donor egg. Ministers say the procedure will help prevent mothers from passing mitochondrial disorders to their children. But in a letter to the Commons science and technology committee, the group of scientists will warn: ‘The safety of mitochondrial replacement therapy is not yet established sufficiently to proceed to clinical trials.’  An editorial in the New Scientist magazine warned that ‘we may have seriously underestimated the influence that mitochondria have’ in light of new research which ‘suggests that they play a key role in some of the most important features of human life.’

Growing numbers of domestic violence victims are being quizzed by their former partners in court due to cuts in legal aid which have led to a rise in litigation-in-person cases, family law specialists are warning. Emma Pearmaine, a family law specialist at Simpson Millar and director of the Leed's Law Society, said: ‘The number of women being cross-examined by abusive ex-partners in court has doubled in my experience since 2013. Judges do their best to step in and control cross-examination situations where it is a case for an injunction, or non-molestation order, for example, but they should be there to adjudicate on the case – not manage behaviour as a priority. These women are some of the most vulnerable in society and they now have no real protection. They are let down from start to finish. They suffer abuse at home then, torment from their abuser in court. For them there is no sense of justice.'

More than 2,000 care homes looking after elderly or disabled adults have no registered manager, according to figures to be published this week.12 per cent of all care homes in England lack the leadership required to ensure that vulnerable people, including frail pensioners with dementia, are cared for properly. According to a study presented at the Liberal Democrat conference on Tuesday this meant that Paul Burstow, the Lib Dem MP and former health minister who obtained the figures, said they showed that ‘a revolution’ in care homes was needed. ‘It is hardly surprising that people fear ‘going into a home’, he said, ‘We would never accept this in a healthcare setting and there is no reason why we should be prepared to accept it for people living in residential care.’ He called for ‘a lot more’ care home places to be created to meet demand from Britain’s ageing population.

The number of ritual child abuse cases linked to witchcraft being investigated in London is increasing. A total of 24 cases were passed to the Metropolitan Police in 2013, 19 in 2012 and nine in 2011. There have been 27 allegations in the past year, including two claims of rape. Allegations included a child being swung around and smacked on the head ‘to drive out the devil’ and youngsters being dunked in water. A number of child killings have been linked to these beliefs, including the murder of Kristy Bamu, 15, who was tortured and drowned by his sister and her boyfriend in 2010; and the death of Victoria Climbie in 2000. Since 2004, 148 cases have been referred to the Met

The Christian Legal Centre says proposals by the Conservatives to stop British laws being over-ruled by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg could cause problems for Christians. The Tories have said if they win the election they will change the law to say British courts wouldn't have to listen to the European Court of Human Rights. But the Christian Legal Centre says it could mean that believers who feel they've been discriminated against won't get a fair deal. Andrea Williams said, ‘What we have seen coming out of Europe when we've taken our Christian interest cases there is that the European Court gives the Christians more rights than we've been seeing in our national courts. It was the European Court of Human Rights that actually recognised the cross as a Christian symbol.

Twelve studies into the link between breast cancer and abortion have shown that on average, women who have had a prior abortion have a 54% greater risk of developing the disease. The President of the Population Research Institute (PRI), Steven W. Mosher, reports the findings from studies conducted in the Indian subcontinent between 2008 and 2013. He says the main reason the findings are so important ‘is that women in India and neighbouring countries are simply ideal subjects for studies; they marry early, do not use the pill, have multiple pregnancies, and breastfeed their babies.’ In other words says Mosher, ‘all of the other major risk factors for breast cancer are absent; such as marrying later in life, the use of oral contraceptives at a young age, the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy when older, having only one or no full-term pregnancies and not breastfeeding their babies.’