British Airways Immigrant In Court Over Terrorism Charges

Bangladesh born Rajib Karim, 30, of Newcastle upon Tyne has appeared at the Old Bailey this week accused of planning a suicide bombing and raising funds for attacks.

The allegations include sending money to Yemen and Bangladesh and saying he would go to Pakistan to receive terrorist training.

He was arrested whilst working in BA's Newcastle call centre.

The BA computer expert will be remanded in custody until his trial in January 2011.

Flag Ban In Wallsend

North Tyneside council have ordered Wallsend businesses to take down their flags and bunting due to 'health and safety concerns'.

The residents and shop owners thought it would be nice to decorate the town centre for the duration of the World Cup to show support for the national football team - North Tyneside's Labour council did not share their enthusiasm.

The council had said that the decorations could 'put people in danger'.

Paedophile Escapes Prison Sentence

Michael Fraser, 50 was arrested by police in May after his mobile phone, containing a series of disgusting images was found on the number 100 bus between the Metro Centre and Newcastle city centre.

The phone was traced to Fraser after records showed he topped it up at Tesco in Jesmond.

After searching his home, police found a further 14 mobile phones, all filled with indecent images.

Fraser, now living in Seaham, Co. Durham admitted 9 counts of possession of indecent images of children and 5 of making indecent images of children.

The judge sentenced him to a three year community order for his horrific crimes, he was not sent to jail as he is 'eligible for sex offenders treatment'.

There should be no place in society for this man, and protecting the public should be the main priority within the justice system.

New BNP Summer Campaign: 'England Is for Life, Not Just for football'

"England is for life, not just for football." That is the strong, patriotic message that the British National Party will be pushing hard this summer.

“While everyone will be engrossed by the impending World Cup tournament, BNP activists the length and breadth of the country will be working round the clock to highlight the terrible state of modern day England,” said national elections officer Clive Jefferson.

“A special new leaflet has been produced by the Communications and Publicity department that is available for download by all supporters,” said Mr Jefferson.

“It is imperative we get as many of these leaflets distributed as possible: to family, friends, through letter boxes, in high streets and shopping centres, from BNP town centre stalls, and so on.

“The enemies of our country never rest, and neither must we. That is why everyone reading this must print off some of these leaflets and spread the word,” he said.

The leaflet reads: "As well as cheering on our team during the World Cup, we are also celebrating our English identity. We English have a great history which we should be proud of. When this football tournament finishes keep the flags flying, because England is for life -- not just for football."

As part of this campaign, The BNP is also launching a petition to collect as many signatures as possible to make St George's Day a public holiday.

Download and print off as many copies of the petition as you can manage and ask your friends and family to add their voice to the growing campaign for a St George's Day public holiday. Remember to post the petition to the address listed at the bottom of the form.

You can order 1000 leaflets for £10 + P & P (Free delivery on orders over 4000) by emailing dispatch@bnp.org.uk.

Click here to view the leaflet.

Courtesy of bnp.org.uk

Northern Rock Will Axe Up To 650 Geordie Jobs To Aid Privatisation

Newcastle based Northern Rock have announced that 650 people will lose their jobs, the vast majority of  whom will be based in Newcastle, as well as many in Sunderland.

These cuts are thought to be related to the governments wishes of re-privatising the bank only years after it failed in the private sector, causing more redundancies and fears that savings would be lost.

It is not fair that banks, as well as public transport and utilities, which people depend on are operated with the sole objective being to make money off already hard-pressed people - These services should be ran by the government with a sole business objective of being able to provide a public service which doesn't cost the earth.

If all of the banks were in the public sector and greedy bankers were not exploiting the savings of ordinary people to push up their profit margins, the economic crisis would not have been as bad and these 650 people as well as countless others elsewhere would not shortly be out of work.

Evidence such as the rising prices of public transport and utilities, the poorer quality service and just to rub salt in the wounds - the ever increasing profits for the very few at the top of these companies - shows that the privatisation experiments of successive governments have failed.

The only way to guarantee that the ordinary, decent people of Britain get a fair deal and to increase people's job security so this does not happen in these companies is to bring our utilities, transport companies and of course banks back under government control and not to privatise those services already in the public sector.

Common-Sense Prevails In Sunderland

Elite Home Improvements were told by Sunderland's Labour council that flying the St. Georges Cross was not allowed, following a complaint from a member of the public.

The council's excuse was that bunting wrapped around a lamp-post "could put people in danger"

Resilient bosses at the Houghton Road showroom, to their credit, refused to give in and would not take down their World Cup decorations.

Representatives from Elite Home Improvements told how eight civil servants visited them insisting that their English memorabilia be removed or council staff would do it for them, with the bill being sent to the company.

Thankfully there seems to be a reversal in policy.

Managing director David Turnbull has explained "We've had an official visit from the local authority saying that they can't find any reason to take down our flags."

The Labour Council were influenced by objections by the people of Sunderland.

A business partner of David claimed "People have been sending us pictures of their England flags from all over the country and sending us texts in support.

"We've bought in more flags because we want to give one away to everyone who has supported us. They don't even have to be customers, passers-by can just come in and ask for them."

The council should occupy their time with helping their electorate and not figuring out how to waste their time with persecuting those people who are either patriotic or just wanting to support their national football team.

Soldier Murdered In City Centre

Staff Sergeant Chris Chacksfield and his wife Adele faced an unprovoked assault on Newgate Street whist on a night out in Newcastle last Monday which left Adele with facial injuries and Chris unconscious.

He never regained conciousness and passed away on Thursday.

His wife said,   “With us both being in the Army, you are used to seeing traumatic things, so you don’t expect to be killed in an unprovoked attack in your own country.”

A 22 year-old man from Elswick in Newcastle's West End has been charged with GBH with intent and one charge of wounding.

Staff Sergeant Chacksfield has proudly served his country in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

To be murdered by one of the people he signed up to protect is a disgrace and the murder of a serviceman deserves the harshest available penalty - hopefully that will be a sentiment shared by the judge imposing a sentence when the perpetrator is found guilty.