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Life of a Student Athlete

UEL, a University known for its sporting prowess and development of high level student athletes has played its part in some of the success...

Charlton Athletic Women’s Season Review

  19 Aug: Lewes (A) An injury-plagued Charlton side opened the season with a 5-0 defeat at Lewes in the FA Women’s Continental Cup. Despite a...

Valley of Dreams

With the season reaching its climax and promotion in sight, Charlton Athletic Women take to the Valley for the first time this season as...

The Husband Stitch: Myth Or Reality?

You’ve just been through the traumatic and exhausting experience of child birth. The doctor, the person you’ve put all your trust in, is stitching...

All For Online Dating

Online dating provokes different opinions from different people. Some are all for it, while others claim it's sad, desperate and never works; or they...

Sisters Are Partly To Blame? No Way!

Dame Angela Lansbury has recently said that women should take some of the blame for being harassed.  She told the Radio Times on Tuesday...

Orient Desperate For A Win

The O’s have recorded their worst home record in the league, having lost all five of their last home games this season. As the end...

Podcaster Paul Has His Say On The O’s

Leyton Orient are a club on the brink of relegation, at the grand old age of 135 years old. The O's are currently going...

Webb: ‘I Can’t Ask Any More From My Players’

Leyton Orient wasted a chance to move out of relegation places last Saturday in a home loss to Notts County. Orient’s manager, Danny Webb was...
Leyton Orient FC

O’s Set for Six-Pointer Battle

This Saturday, Leyton Orient will host Notts County in an encounter that could be decisive for the O’s. A victory will see the East London...

Webb: The Fans Can Be Optimistic

Yeovil’s Francio Zoko scored late on in the first half but Gavin Massey’s last-gasp goal put a stop to Leyton Orient’s run of six...
Leyton Orient FC

Orient ‘Running Themselves Into the Ground’

Leyton Orient suffered their sixth consecutive loss in the league last Tuesday, against Morecambe, leaving the Londoners with zero points out of 18 in...

Orient Miss Out Again

Leyton Orient Manager, Danny Webb praised his players saying, "They gave it their all", after they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Carlisle at The...

From Stratford To Rio

London 2012 was a huge success for the country and it surely made British citizens feel good about themselves. But what's in store for...

Fear Of Crime On Campus

Parents dream of the day their children will go up on stage to receive their degree. They proudly pay for their beloved children to...

Taking Responsibility For Public Alienation

It's wrong to blame Muslims for failing to integrate, says Terry Sorensen, when Britain's political class can't talk convincingly about its own values. In the...

Nothing Hateful About Hijab

Hate crimes against Muslims in London rose by 70 per cent between 2014 and 2015, according to Tell MAMA, a national project which monitors...

What’s Preventing You From Talking To Me?

Norwegian student Terry Sorensen spent six months asking the Metropolitan Police to talk to him about the UK's anti-terrorist Prevent strategy. Now about to...

House Share Or House Scare?

Whether you are a student or young professional, one of the most realistic ways of finding somewhere to live is to share. At any one...

East End ‘Legends’ Live On For Too Long

Pamela Kokoszka knows the East End is safer than its Krayzy reputation suggests. To some people East London is associated with poverty and crime. They...

Am I Suffering From A Case of Compassion Fatigue?

Sid Ouarezini admits he has run out of change when it comes to homelessness. I never thought I would end up sounding like George Osborne's...

When Rap Gets The Rap

Rudy Omisore wonders if it's time to stopping ganging up on rap. ‘Bin known for squeezin, yeah I let my semi… Ya’ll wanna beef me, I can...

East London Is Dead?

Certainly not yet. But Alex Blacklock finds that the Shoreditch creative scene is already faltering. To say that East London is currently a creative hub,...

Lamb With Limes In Liverpool Street?

Nika Jazaee dreams of the full integration of Iran into today's global culture. When I moved to London three years ago I knew it was...

Why Am I Being Stopped? Search Me!

Dwayne Latif offers a personal account of the racist harassment which he says he has experienced at the hands of the police. I feel scrutinised...
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Men And Women: Striving For Balance

East London’s female singer-songwriter Malunga Yese tries to find equilibrium in modern man’s shifting identity. I remember arguing with my partner and out of frustration...

The Business Of Being A Star

Ebony Bell gives kredit to the Kardashians.                   Kim Kardashian’s emoji app Kimoji only gets two stars out of five on iTunes. And yet this £1.49 app...
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High Rise vs Tower Block

The East End - a joyous, trendy place to live. The spectrum of East London’s ‘locals’ ranges from traditional Cockneys to bearded fashionistas. Where...

Should We Stay Or Should We Go? (I don’t know but I need unbiased...

Grace Eracleous puts in a plea for straight talking in advance of the UK referendum on EU membership. By now, we’ve all received through the...

Rap In The Dock

Get real about the fantasy world of rap, says Hanna Gelana. Abraham Lincoln once said “Who writes the Nation's songs, shapes the Nation's souls”. But are...

What Do Muslims Really Think?

Schaharazade Halfaoui takes on Channel 4 According to a recent Channel 4 documentary presented by Trevor Phillips, 52% of Muslims do not believe that homosexuality...

Who Are You Calling ‘Paleo’?

Going back to the diet of our ancestors does not make you a troglodyte, insists Nika Jazaee. There is no secret that I enjoy writing...

Panama Papers: Is That It?

Nika Jazaee wonders how much we have still not been told – and why. So that’s it, then. The prime minister of Iceland was obliged...

Cannabis: Weed Like To Talk Facts

A cannabis user suffering from PTSD endorses the beneficial effects of  taking 'food'. Many people believe that whatever's against the law, is necessarily immoral as...

Compassion First?

Hanna-Mariam Chowdhury considers the recurring clashes outside the East London Mosque The far right group Britain First has demonstrated outside the East London Mosque three times...

Policing From East To West

Kay Ayed wanted to find out from serving police officers about fighting crime in East London. But she had to go to America to...

Food For Thought, Mr Cameron

Schahrazade Halfaoui cannot stomach the thought of school children going hungry because of government policy. Every morning, I tune in to LBC to catch up...

Britain Is First For Diversity

Mona Chowdhury takes the faltering pulse of Britain First. The campaign group Britain First have held two demonstrations outside the East London Mosque this month,...
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East London, Set The Table Right

Tom Hedley writes an Open Letter to fashionable eateries and hostelries at this end of town. Dear East London, if you make me eat off...

Who Are You To Tell Us What To Do, Cheryl Tiegs?

Molly Horne weighs in to the body shaming debate, insisting there’s no shame in being whatever shape you're in. Retired supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, when asked...

Knife Crime Is A Double-Edged Sword

Rudy Omisore reckons that knife crime isn’t what it’s cracked up to be….not that it’s hunky dory, either. Recorded knife crime in London increased by...

‘Tis The Season…To Be Cool About Yule

With Christmas spirit turning into Xmas frenzy, Chanel Etienne gets back to basics. I’m not mean minded or a Scrooge but Christmas this year has...

Who Do These ‘Creatives’ Think They Are?

Rudy Omisore is not impressed by on-set etiquette. It was fricking freezing, and what should have been a quick trip to Costa’s had landed me...
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Picking Holes In Kanye’s Clothing Line

Jayce-Ebony Bell accuses Kanye West of breaking a promise. Kanye West’s clothing line Yeezy, Season 2 seems to be trying to 'get down' with the street...

Just Because He’s A Joke, Doesn’t Mean This Isn’t Serious

Sydney Kauffman, Rising East's resident American, warns against underestimating the prospective presidential candidate who would ban all Muslims from entering the United States. At first...

‘I Fear We Are The New Jews Of Europe’

Riffat Yusaf  is appalled by the confidently casual character of today’s Islamophobia. In the local library, while waiting to have my books stamped (yes, they...

Social Media, Solidarity and Life As A Spectator Sport

Grace Eracleous reviews the role of social media in the aftermath of the Leytonstone knife attack. #YouAintNoMuslimBruv is the hashtag which stampeded social media after...
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‘TERROR’ STORIES ARE DANGEROUSLY MISLEADING

Hannah Blacklock deplores the wild exaggerations in scare-mongering 'anti-terrorist' headlines. On Monday 23 November 2015, The Sun’s front page headline read: ‘1 in 5 Brit...

Tech City’s Last Stand?

The light will go out in Tech City, warns Hannah Blacklock, unless the creatives take a stand against corporates. The number of businesses located in...

Paris Terror: NOT In My Name

Ahmed Abdi calls for unity and an end to the Muslim blame game. After the cowardly terrorist attack in Paris on Friday evening, you might...

Worldwide Week Of Terror Culminates in Paris Massacre

Kay Ayed sets out the actions we at home should take to stop this global madness. On Friday evening the city of Paris came under...

Popping The Question

To wear or not to wear a poppy? That is the question which three Rising East writers asked themselves in the run-up to Armistice...

Grow Up, Britain – Europe Is Laughing At You

Much has been said about immigration lately. Both sides of the political spectrum have been quite vocal and many sensible and terrible arguments have...
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Who Are You Calling A Terrorist Sympathiser?

Cameron calling out Corbyn for alleged terrorist sympathies is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, says Kawther Ayed. In his speech at...

These Values Are Not British-Owned

Schahrazade Halfaoui fails to see the Union Jack painted through core ‘British values’. The birth of my son made me nervous. As a young Muslim...
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Who Needs British Values?

Colton Pridgeon ponders the puzzling question of 'British values' and challenges UK politicians to say what they really mean. At the Conservative Party Conference in...
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Hands Off Celebrities!

Slagging off sleb culture may be hip but Emma Brand is having none of it. A whole industry has been built around celebrity culture...

The End of Coming Out?

Marius Holtan reckons that now Coming Out Day is a national institution, it must be time to scrap it. October 11th was National Coming Out...

Immaculate Conception Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

Schahrazade Halfaoui frowns at the fashion for 'virgin births'. If you believe the Mail on Sunday, 'virgin births' are the new trend in child bearing. We're not talking...
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Snap, Crackle and Bop!

Only last week, when I first wrote about it, Brick Lane’s Cereal Killer café seemed harmless enough. I even recommended it as the place...

Textual Harassment

What is to be done about sexual harassment on London’s public transport? Consultants Project Guardian, who work with police to minimise anti-social behaviour throughout the...

Take Good Care Of Yourself

So you want to be independent and ignore your parents’ advice. But sometimes they really do know what’s good for you, says Chloe Hughes. Leaving...
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Fat Is A Womanly Issue

Tamisha Thomas takes an abused and abusive term in order to re-define it. The world is obsessed with dress size. With so much pressure to...
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All My Judges Are Judys

As a court reporter I sat in on five cases at three different courts (Stratford Magistrates' Court, City of London Magistrates' Court, and Snaresbrook...

Reason Through Rhyme

Kawther Ayed challenges a variety of misconceptions about Muslims and Islam in her news poem Freedom to Defend. https://vimeo.com/126855206

Fifty Shades Of Brown

Rudy Omisore gets under the skin of the beauty cream business. Women of colour in the UK spend on average six times more than...
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Strangeness In Court

Grace Eracleous marvels at the funny things that frequently happen on the way to a conviction. Life altering events occur in court, so you might...

From MOBO To NOBO?

Ebony Bell has a pop at urban music. Have the MOBO Awards lost their way, and does anyone really care anymore about who is going...

Can The Pop-Up Keep It Up?

Hannah Blacklock brings her six-month series on the pop-ups of East London to an affirmative conclusion. For most of us, a pop-up is a fleeting...
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For The Sake Of Secularism – Ban It!

In this modest proposal to ban all religious garb, Kay Ayed anticipates her new role as Rising East’s Hijabi Humorist. We’ve just about had enough...
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Young, Broke And Fabulous

Marius Holtan concludes his New Londoners series by observing how a generation of young Europeans has migrated to London in the hope of ‘making...
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Reality TV – For Real!

Grace Eracleous did not expect the courtroom scene to be such a reality check. A defendant in the dock is the most disempowered person I...
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The Hackney Miscarriage: Why I’m Voting For Luftur Rahman

The Tower Hamlets mayor has brought grassroots manipulation back to British politics and with it some semblance of meaning, insists East London's most uncertain...

Half-Stranger In A Half-Strange Land

As a Muslim woman in the UK, Schaz Halfaoui feels both at home and estranged from the surrounding society. Establishing a Muslim identity is becoming...

Sizing Up the Plus Size Model

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but telling it...
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No Return To Sex Crime Secrecy!

Azana Francis rejects a call for those accused of sex crimes to remain anonymous until the verdict is brought in. At the very moment when...
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No Answer To The Housing Question

Michell Soares Gonzales despairs of Newham Council's 'core strategy' for housing. Newham, that place where rubbish cozies up to the sides of the streets and...

The BBC Election Debate Live.

3 Girls 1 Mic (3G1M) is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but...
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‘For Harry, England And St George’?

Matt Wright asks if it’s OK to fly the English flag on 23 April. Upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George! is...

Attention Deficit

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but telling it...

What Is to be Done About Immigration?

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but telling it...

Talking About Our Generation

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but telling it...

NHS Health Check

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek, but telling it...
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Childcare Should Be A Top Election Issue

Sian Davis thinks that parliamentary candidates are evading their responsibilities by not talking about childcare costs. Together with housing, across Greater East London the biggest...
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Mind Your Excruciating Language!

The Hackney Miscarriage, East London's most insecure column, is even more distressed to hear the criminal distortion of English. It is likely that more languages...
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Jilted Generation?

Unimpressed by the Cameron-Miliband cohort, Mel Zumrutel looked for inspiration from the grandfatherly figures of London politics, but remains uninspired by the general election. Five...

Can Black People Be Racist?

3 Girls 1 Mic is a Rising East podcast featuring Elise Briggs, Tamisha Thomas and Melis Zumrutel responding to current controversies: tongue in cheek,...
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Life Is Not A Bowl Of Mulberries

Sian Killean is fed up with benefits claimants living the high life. I was shocked to hear that Cheryl Prudham (32), a benefits claimant...
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‘Radicalisation’ – Prevention Begins At Home

It’s not for the police to bring up our children, says Sian Killean. Responsibility for ‘jihadi brides’ lies primarily with the parents. It makes...
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Ding Dong Cameron On High

Sian Davis believes that David Cameron won the first round in the televised battle for No 10. It started out pretty much as you’d expect....

‘I’m Not Sexist But….’

Jasmine Wing interprets the Monday morning sexism that dare not speak its name.   Ladies, we all work in sexism-free offices nowadays – yeah, right!? Well, we...

Turning Off The Tap Of Ideas

Katy Sharp-Watson mourns the likely loss of IdeasTap and rails against the lack of diversity in the arts. To the disappointment and disbelief of many...
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Je Suis Freedom AND Compassion

Parisian by adoption, Helena Hinas crossed the Channel two years ago and now lives in Lewisham. A couple of months after the Charlie Hebdo...
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The Hackney Miscarriage says ‘we’re all hipsters now’

Rising East’s new columnist pops up with a partial defence of the Hipster. Welcome to the pioneering instalment of The Hackney Miscarriage. It was going...
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East Is Best For ‘Half-Naked Fakir’

Matt Wright claims Gandhi for the East End. Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill now stand close together – at least their statues are in close...
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Joking About Joints?

Sian Davis is not amused by Clegg's call for decriminalisation. Back in May 2010 (the honeymoon period of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition), prime minister David...
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No Better Than Bedlam

Jasmine Wing calls out Channel 4’s Being Bipolar as hardly better than eighteenth century voyeurs gawking at the inmates of Bedlam. Channel 4 recently aired...

I Don’t Care What’s In – Count Me Out!

Jasmine Wing gets to the bottom of fickle fashions in cosmetic surgery. Whatever kind of plastic surgery is trending at the moment, I personally want...

Time to Question Olympics Legacy

When the success of London’s Olympic bid was announced in 2005, those who lived and worked in the London borough of Newham were promised...