Story here. Excerpt:

'A school has improved boys' writing abilities – by bringing in more books on subjects they get excited about.

Dinosaurs and science get a greater showing in Medina Primary School's library where boys outnumber girls.

In one class there are 21 boys to just nine girls, which has led to staff adapting their teaching style.

And with its focus on writing – particularly among boys – the Portsmouth school has been rated 'good' by watchdog Ofsted.

Headteacher Howard Payne said: 'There's an issue with boys writing nationally so we've increased our non-fiction area in the library so there are more books on things like science and dinosaurs.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The new Schools minister advocates a return to single-sex education to get girls more interested in subjects like science and engineering.

In her first interview since replacing Lord Adonis in the Prime Minister's recent reshuffle, Sarah McCarthy-Fry told The Independent that she was concerned about getting more girls to opt for science and engineering at school – and thought separating the sexes for lessons in co-educational schools might be the answer.

She said: "Girls do much better in science in single-sex classes. They sometimes feel intimidated in mixed- sex classes with the boys hogging the limelight and putting their hands up to answer all the questions."

Story here. Excerpt:

'MACHIAS — A former teacher at a Lubec elementary school was sentenced Friday in Washington County Superior Court to 30 days in jail for having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy.

Tina Mason, 31, of East Machias cried and sniffled in the courtroom as she pleaded no contest to charges of assault, sexual abuse of a minor and unlawful sexual touching. The victim, who is now 15 years old, showed no emotion while he sat on the other side of the courtroom with his family.

Mason sought to avoid serving time behind bars, but Justice Kevin Cuddy agreed with the prosecution’s recommended sentence of 30 days in jail for Mason, who is married and has two young children.'

Opinion piece here. Excerpt:

'It’s a sad fact that in political campaigns the truth is maligned and mud is thrown in an effort to discredit the other party. What’s sadder is that this is a reality in divorce. A modern effort to discredit loving parents in the name of revenge and greed.

Article here, discussed by Glenn Sacks. Excerpt:

'Page Six spies saw Lohan and Ronson get into a spat outside of Citrine on West 21st Street recently, and the London Sun published details of a explosive argument this week outside Boujis in London, where Ronson was deejaying.

The paper reported "all hell broke loose" and the screaming match ended with Lohan "in tears."

The wild child sank down in tears following the 4am bust-up with DJ girlfriend Samantha Ronson.

It's not mentioned in the story's headline nor in its lead five paragraphs, but it turns out that what is portrayed as a lover's "spat" is actually a case of domestic violence.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Men are being encouraged to wear a white ribbon and take a stand against domestic violence today.

People will wear the ribbons as a sign they do not condone domestic violence and to encourage people to speak out about violent or abusive behaviour.

White Ribbon Day, started by a men's group in Canada in 1991, has now been designated by the United Nations as the official day to mark the campaign to eliminate violence against women.
...
The day has been organised by the Families Commission and more than 500,000 ribbons will be handed out. The ribbons were packaged by Rimutaka Prison inmates, with $357,000 funding supplied by eight government departments, including the Social Development Ministry, Justice Ministry and police.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A newlywed wife killed her husband with a kitchen knife hidden under her burkha so that she could carry on seeing another man, a court heard today.

Mahmuda Khatun, 28, stabbed Mohammed Miah through the chest before telling a series of "brazen and persistent" lies to allay suspicion, jurors were told.

Khatun carried out the premeditated attack on her husband's 28th birthday in August last year, just 33 days after their wedding, the Old Bailey heard.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A day-care teacher was arrested Thursday after a three-month-old boy suffered a fractured skull in her care last month, Richland County deputies said.

Deidre Goff, 44, of Lollipop Lane Day Care Center on Leesburg Road, is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
...
If convicted of the felony, Goff faces up to 10 years in prison.

She told the infant’s mother he was fussy because about 10 a.m. Oct. 13 he had hit his face on a play center used to help babies gain leg strength, deputies said.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A mother has been charged with murdering her son at a care home.

The 56-year-old woman was on bail and awaiting trial for an alleged previous attempt to kill the 22-year-old, who was being treated for head injuries.
...
He had been a patient at the rehabilitation unit after being seriously injured in a road crash in September last year.

It was while Mr Inglis was seriously ill in hospital in Essex last December that the earlier alleged attempt to murder him was made.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Fair point. And if Cilmi is subverting the history of men's violence towards women, she isn't alone. Rather, she's evidence of a growing trend towards what might be termed reverse sexism or female chauvinism. Especially in advertising, where women are increasingly ogling, objectifying and victimising blokes.
...
In response, masculinists and men's libbers now argue they are the ones suffering. These days men are claiming the right to be victims too. Not that you will hear Kathy Lette crying.

Story here. Excerpt:

'SPOKANE - The girl who wrongly accused Ferris high school boy's basketball coach Don Van Lierop of rape is not expected to face any criminal charges, according to Spokane Police.

Detectives exonerated Van Lierop Thursday afternoon, more than two-weeks after the 16-year-old girl and her mother made the accusation.

The girl's attorney admits she fabricated the whole story.
...
The girl who made the accusation is currently undergoing counseling, according to attorneys.
...
The girl no longer attends Ferris High School.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Kimball, Neb. — A 14-year-old California boy became the last teenager reported abandoned under Nebraska's safe-haven law, which was just changed to limit such drop-off to infants 30-days-old or less.

The boy, from Yolo County, Calif., was left at the Kimball County Hospital late Friday afternoon by his mother, who drove to Nebraska.
...
Nebraska lawmakers changed the law Friday, which previously did not have an age limit for drop-offs. The change took effect Saturday.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Among college administrators it’s known as The Boy Problem.

But it’s a problem that starts in grade schools, high schools and homes. Boys lag behind girls in being prepared to apply for and be accepted to college.

While American colleges were roughly balanced between male and female students a generation ago, now most schools have more women than men. Some have many more.
...
Why is that a problem? Administrators think that once a school reaches that point it becomes less attractive to both male and female applicants. As one admissions director told U.S. News & World Report last year: “Even women who enroll … expect to see men on campus. It’s not the College of Mary and Mary; it’s the College of William and Mary.”
...
Which leads to the bigger questions: Why aren’t boys succeeding in school at the same level as girls, and what are we going to do about it?'

Article here. Excerpt:

'LONDON — The British government wants to make it illegal to pay for sex and is considering a plan to "name and shame" men who visit prostitutes — a move critics say would turn back the clock to Victorian times.
...
The proposal would make paying for sex illegal and carry additional penalties for men who have sex with women forced into prostitution, the Home Office said. But it declined to give details on fines and other penalties before the formal announcement.

Men who frequent prostitutes could also be identified publicly, as they are in the London borough of Lambeth, where police send warning letters to the homes of drivers whose license plate numbers are caught on closed-circuit television picking up street walkers.

In addition, the plan would make it a criminal offense to pay for sex with a prostitute "controlled for another person's gain" and could bring rape charges against men who knowingly paid for sex with a woman forced to work as a prostitute.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'GAINESVILLE, Ga. — An Army wife accused of setting her apartment on fire botched an attempt to collect on her husband's $400,000 insurance policy when he survived and her two children died instead, a federal prosecutor said.

Billi Jo Smallwood, 35, was denied bond at a Friday hearing in northeast Georgia, where she appeared on federal charges of damaging government property by fire.

"She set fire to her own home in hopes of killing her husband and wound up killing her kids," Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Gabay-Smith said.
...
Smallwood's family members stood and identified themselves to the judge in support of her release on bond. Her husband, accompanied by friends in Army uniforms, stood and said, "My name is Wayne Smallwood and I am here to support my wife."'