Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has reignited the national debate by calling for a ban on the burka in public spaces - including schools - highlighting concerns about how such measures could influence social cohesion and community relations across Britain. Now a senior figure in Reform UK, Braverman said garments such as the burka and niqab act as a barrier to social cohesion.
The decree disbands all political parties and political formations, with all their assets now set to be transferred to the state. Burkina Fasos Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the decision was part of a broader effort to rebuild the state after alleged widespread abuses and dysfunction in the country's multiparty system. Zerbo said a government review found that the multiplication of political parties had fuelled divisions and weakened social cohesion.
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The state's government - made up of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) - has announced it will halve its funding for integration services for international residents, dropping from €6 million to just €3 million in 2026. This means that only 21 out of 91 integration projects applying for funding will receive support in the coming year, according to the Saxony Refugee Council ( Sächsischer Flüchtlingsrat - SFR).
A London council has warned of far-right agitators attempting to import division into the borough, as it takes a stand against efforts to sow division in the community following a summer of protests. At a meeting on Wednesday, the council pledged to reject the presence of far-right agitators from outside the borough who come to target local communities during the protests.
"Historically, small talk has been a ritualized form of diplomacy," said Alison Blackler, a mind coach, author, and TEDx speaker. "It allows people to signal civility, gauge each other's intentions, and maintain harmony in social groups."
