News round-up

Racism trial opens for John Terry

Former England football captain John Terry admitted to a court that he used racist language during Chelsea’s match against QPR last October.

But Terry, in his evidence on Monday, insisted that he used it sarcastically. The ongoing case, at Westminster Magistrates court in London, relates to an altercation between Terry and QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

Terry has said he takes offence at any suggestion he is racist. The maximum penalty he could receive is a £2,500, a figure he earns every two hours and 36 minutes.

A year of deaths from the police

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has released figures showing that 121 people died during or following police contact between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012.

There were 15 deaths in or following police custody. These include a man from London who was restrained by police while on a mental health ward who died the next day.

The deaths include two shootings, one of which was Mark Duggan which sparked rioting last summer.

Labour wants army in schools

The Labour Party wants to set up military schools all over the country. Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg launched the plan last week, saying they will have a “distinct service ethos”. Ex-soldiers on the staff will give children “vocational” or “service” education.

The schools would be targeted on “communities with the greatest social and economic need”. These are the same poor areas that provide the army’s cannon fodder.

Another firm quits workfare

Health food firm Holland and Barrett has pulled out of the government’s workfare scheme after protests. Over 1,000 unemployed people had been made to work for free at the chain. Bosses were the target of a week of action organised by the Boycott Workfare campaign.