Children May Have Been Radicalised in Lockdown

  • An anti-racism charity in Wales has warned that children may have been exposed to more extremist material on social media during lockdown and could return to school radicalised
  • The ‘Don’t Hate, Educate’ project, developed by the Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support (Eyst) charity, has warned the Welsh government to prepare teachers once school reopens.  
  • Nicky Nijjer, a racism educator, who works for the charity, said there has been a particular rise in far-right posts in recent months. 
  • With children and young people spending more time online, police say the risk of radicalisation had increased despite a fall in counter-terror referrals.

Fortnite Screens Movies

  • Fortnite players were surprised with an announcement that the platform would screen several movies inside the game, as cinemas across the world remain closed. 
  • Three of Christopher Nolan’s biggest films – The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Prestige – were shown in the game’s Party Royale mode. What players saw, and at what time, depended on what country you’re in.
  • Fortnite’s first attempt on Friday largely went well, with US viewers enjoying Inception, while UK audiences saw The Prestige. Viewers described it as “more fun” than a real cinema.

Facebook Change Moderation Policy Amid Surge in Support of Boycott

  • Facebook has said it will start to label potentially harmful posts that it leaves up because of their news value. 
  • The more hands-on approach comes as the social media firm is under pressure to improve how it moderates the content on its platform. 
  • In a speech on Friday, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg defended the firm’s record of taking down hate speech. But he said the firm was tightening its policies to “address the reality of the challenges our country is facing and how they’re showing up across our community”.
  • More than 90 advertisers have joined a boycott of the site, which now includes Coca Cola, Ben and Jerrys, North Face and Unilever.

Laptops Distributed to Pupils in Gloucestershire

  • Laptops and tablets, supplied by the Department for Education, will be distributed to 1,558 children and young people identified by schools and Gloucestershire County Council as vulnerable and disadvantaged.
  • Some children and families who do not have internet at home will also receive a 4G hotspot device to help get them online.
  • Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Our priority is to make sure that all children in the county have the same opportunity to get the education they deserve.
  • Firefighters from Gloucestershire’s Fire and Rescue Service will be distributing the devices this week.

Number of Children Needing Foster Care In West Midlands Prompts State of Emergency

  • A ‘State of emergency’ has been declared by a leading children’s charity, as the number of children needing foster care in the West Midlands rose by 40 per cent during the Coronavirus pandemic.
  • New figures from Barnardo’s reveal there were 584 referrals to the charity’s fostering services in the region between March and April, up from 418 for the same period in 2019. The number of enquiries from people looking to become foster parents for the charity fell from 47 to 19 – a dramatic 60 per cent drop.
  • Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said: “The Coronavirus pandemic has hit vulnerable families the hardest, with many reaching crisis point. This has created a state of emergency, as more children than ever need a safe and loving foster family, while fewer adults are coming forward as potential foster carers.

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