‘Brainwashed’ councillor is former Nazi

A former neo-Nazi who once daubed buildings with swastikas has been elected as a local councillor.

Margaret Burke won a seat on Milton Keynes Council earlier this month after demonstrating her remorse to local Labour Party officials and describing her earlier activities as those of a “brainwashed idiot”.

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My time in Vidal Sassoon's Los Angeles empire

Joining Vidal Sassoon’s Los Angeles-based empire as he metamorphosed from celebrity snipper into shampoo tycoon, self-styled health guru and TV personality, was an Alice-in Wonderland experience.

In those early days, it seemed to be a bunch of ex-hairdressers, a couple of money men, one research chemist and me.

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My friend Vidal Sassoon - the best in the business

The last time I saw Vidal Sassoon was a few weeks ago when we got together to do an interview for a BBC radio documentary I was writing.

There, in his Bel Air mansion, while his devoted fourth wife, Ronnie, hovered nearby, he broke the news to me that he had leukaemia. He was frail and spoke with less verve than usual. Yet his warm smile was still in evidence.

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Strong support for quotas on women leaders

A third of British Jews believe Jewish organisations should positively discriminate in favour of senior female candidates in top positions through set quotas, a survey has found.

And almost 90 per cent of British Jews believe women should be able to chair and be trustees of synagogues - despite a continued stalemate on the issue.

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Shift on ethnicity rules signals new dawn for adopters

Changes to the law will help Jewish families to adopt a child in the UK - as most are currently deemed "unsuitable" by local authorities.

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Israel activists tackle Co-op boycott

Grass-roots supporters of Israel have pledged to wage a “long campaign” in an effort to overturn the Co-operative supermarket’s refusal to stock produce from West Bank settlements.

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Facebook pledge to tackle cyber-bullying

Facebook and Google have agreed to form a group to tackle online bullying and hate attacks.

The companies pledged to be more open about how they combat cyber-bullying and online offences, and will work with members of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism’s task force on internet hate.

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BBC defends 'Jewish lobby' interview

The BBC has defended an interview with controversial American Jewish academic Norman Finkelstein in which the presenter referred to “the Jewish lobby”.

Three complaints have so far been received by the corporation about the Hardtalk programme broadcast on the News Channel last week.

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Amnesty boss attacked over Israel claims

An Amnesty International director’s claim that she had not received complaints about the charity’s work with Israelis and Palestinians has been disputed by the Zionist Federation.

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Manchester health trust 'Israel boycott' faces legal challenge

The NHS trust that bowed to a union's Israel boycott and cancelled an Israeli speaker is likely to face legal action for breaking anti-discrimination law.

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Six charged over Facebook abuse of Giffnock Jews

Police in Glasgow have charged six people over the creation of antisemitic Facebook page that mocked the Jewish community of Giffnock.

The page, which attracted nearly 1,000 "likes" while it remained live, was called "Welcome to Israel, only kidding you're in Giffnock".

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Mental health plight of tour group teenagers

Youth leaders are being taught to deal with social and mental health issues affecting teenagers on Israel tours and holiday camps.

Each year the UJIA builds on its leadership training programme to ensure they can cope with teenagers facing emotional or psychological issues, including anorexia and self-harm.

It also guides movements in helping participants break down taboos.

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