Daily roundup 25 April: Social mobility, Muslim foster carers, and advert ban

Prime Minister Theresa May has been accused of breaking her vow to end "burning injustices" after leaving a poverty watchdog empty for at least six months. The Mirror reports that May has still not replaced her Social Mobility Commission after the entire team dramatically quit in December. Alan Milburn quit as chairman, along with his three fellow commissioners, saying he had "little hope" of a fairer Britain. Ministers have admitted they will only interview candidates to replace him in "early May".


The press regulator has ruled the Times newspaper "distorted" its coverage of a five-year-old Christian girl who was placed with Muslim foster carers. The BBC reports that the newspaper ran three front-page stories in August 2017 after the girl was removed from her mother's care by Tower Hamlets Council in east London. It said foster carers stopped her eating bacon, confused her by speaking Arabic, and removed a crucifix. A Times executive acknowledged the story caused "enormous offence".


A television advert from price comparison website GoCompare has been banned from daytime broadcast because of a "dangerous practice". The BBC reports that the commercial featuring a cash-eating monster prompted a complaint from a mother of a four-year-old child who swallowed coins after watching it. The Advertising Standards Authority ruled the advert might encourage young children to attempt to swallow money.


The British Association of Social Workers has announced Gerry Nosowska as its new chair. It said she will take over from existing chair Guy Shennan in June. The appointment follows an election process that included a live webinar hustings involving two other candidates for the post - Donna Peach and Hilary Tompsett.


A ban on buy-one-get-one-free offers on junk food, as well as strict new rules on how and when it can be advertised, are among a host of measures aimed at tackling childhood obesity proposed by the leaders of the main opposition parties. The Guardian reports that a letter to the Prime Minister, co-ordinated by celebrity chef and healthy eating campaigner Jamie Oliver, also called for action to make healthier foods cheaper and easier to recognise.


A minute's silence will be held on Tuesday 22 May at 2.30pm in remembrance of those who lost their lives and all others that were affected by the Manchester Concert Attack. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the silence will be marked at UK government buildings and other organisations may follow suit.