Daily roundup 30 August: 'Muslim foster case' girl, lobbying rules, and puberty book

A Christian girl who was placed with a Muslim foster family should live with her grandmother, a judge has ruled. The BBC reports that the local authority involved, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, rejected a report in The Times that said the foster family did not speak English. It said the girl had been placed with an English-speaking, mixed-race family. It said it had always intended to place the five-year-old in a relative's permanent care.


More than 100 charities have written to the government calling for the Lobbying Act to be overhauled. The BBC reports that Girlguiding UK is among those to claim legislation passed in 2014 stopped them from "engaging" during the general election campaign. The act limits how organisations not deemed to be "party political" can campaign during election periods.


A publishing firm has apologised and announced it will revise a puberty guide for boys that states that one of the functions of breasts is "to make the girl look grown-up and attractive". The Guardian reports that the book Growing Up for Boys, first published in 2013, is described by Usborne as a "frank and friendly book offering boys advice on what to expect from puberty and how to stay happy and confident as they go through physical, psychological and emotional changes".


The report published by The Prince's Trust has found that soft skills such as teamwork, communication and confidence are considered by young people, teachers and workers to be as important to achieving success in life as good grades. The research found that while young people, teachers and people in the workforce agree on the importance of soft skills, there are concerns across the board about whether young people get enough support to develop them.