Emirati authorities have designated as “terrorist” 11 political dissidents and their relatives as well as 8 companies they own, reflecting the country’s indiscriminate use of overbroad counterterrorism laws and contempt for due process, Human Rights Watch said on 22 April 2025.
On January 8, 2025, Emirati authorities announced a cabinet decision unilaterally adding the 11 individuals and 8 companies to its terrorism list for their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood, without due process. The authorities did not inform these individuals or entities prior to the designation, nor was there any opportunity to respond to or contest the allegations. The move represents an escalation of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) transnational repression, targeting not only dissidents but also their family members.
“Throwing nineteen people and companies onto a list of alleged terrorists without any semblance of due process, and with serious ramifications for their livelihoods, makes a mockery of the rule of law,” said Joey Shea, United Arab Emirates researcher at Human Rights Watch…
Human Rights Watch found that all eight companies are solely registered in the United Kingdom and are owned or previously owned by exiled Emirati dissidents or their relatives. At least nine of the eleven designated individuals are political dissidents or their relatives. Only two of the eleven have been convicted or accused of a terrorist offense, though both under questionable circumstances, according to informed sources and the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center (EDAC), a human rights organization supporting imprisoned human rights defenders in the UAE. One was convicted in absentia as part of the grossly unfair “UAE94” mass trial of political dissidents in 2013. The other was accused in a separate case related to supporting the “UAE94” detainees.
Individuals on the list found out about the designation only after the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the UAE’s official state news agency, published it on its website. It came as “a real shock, it was very difficult,” one of the people named told Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch searched for the individuals and companies on global terror and financial sanctions lists, including the United Nations Global Sanctions list, the European Union Sanctions list, and the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK. None of them are included in these internationally recognized lists.
The UAE’s 2014 counterterrorism law uses an overly broad definition of terrorism and allows the executive branch to designate individuals and entities as terrorists without any corresponding legal requirement to demonstrate the objective basis of the claim. It does not set out a clear procedure for how this authority should be exercised, nor does it provide for any oversight.
Designated individuals face immediate asset freezes and property confiscation under the counterterrorism law and Cabinet Decision No. 74/2020. Those in the UAE, including relatives or friends, face a possible sentence of life in prison for communicating with anyone on the list. Human Rights Watch found that the designation has negatively affected individuals’ careers and personal finances, including through lost career opportunities and clients.
Exiled Emirati dissidents said the designations are part of the UAE’s ongoing crackdown on dissent and political opposition. “They want to hurt us as much as possible,” one individual whose name appeared on the list said.
Over the last decade, Emirati authorities have repeatedly targeted the Muslim Brotherhood and its Emirati branch, the Reform and Social Guidance Association (Al-Islah), in a widespread crackdown. Al-Islah is a nonviolent group that engaged in peaceful political debate in the UAE for many years prior to the crackdown and advocated greater adherence to Islamic precepts. Many of the detainees from the grossly unfair “UAE94” mass trial in 2013 are members of Al-Islah. The UAE designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in 2014.
The 2014 counterterrorism law enables the courts to convict peaceful government critics as terrorists and sentence them to death. The law has been repeatedly used against political dissidents. In July 2024, 53 human rights defenders and political dissidents were sentenced to abusively long terms in the country’s second-largest unfair mass trial.
The UN’s first special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights has said that terrorism should be defined as narrowly as possible, warning that “the adoption of overly broad definitions … carries the potential for deliberate misuse of the term … as well as unintended human rights abuses.”
…The UAE appears to be escalating its persecution beyond openly outspoken dissidents to include family members who have not participated in politics nor spoken publicly about the country’s human rights record. “Many people whose names are on the list, they didn’t speak loudly against the government,” one person said.
In 2021, the UAE added 38 individuals and 15 entities to its terrorism list, including 4 prominent exiled Emirati dissidents. Human Rights Watch found that 14 of the 38 individuals and two of the entities are on other international global terror and financial sanctions lists. None of the individuals nor entities added on January 2025 were found on other internationally recognized lists…
In a lawsuit backed by anti-transgender activist J.K. Rowling, the United Kingdom Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of “woman” under the 2010 Equality Act refers exclusively to the sex a person is assigned at birth. This decision could have far-reaching consequences for trans women’s access to gender-specific services and may accelerate broader efforts to roll back protections for…
The Met Police have made more arrests, and complicit members of the public shown further aggression towards Youth Demand protesters continuing to boldly take action across London against Israel’s ongoing genocide.
However, Youth Demand shows no signs of slowing down. Ahead of an action to call out the BBCfor its blatant pro-Israel bias, activists were once again disrupting major roads around the capital.
Youth Demand out again despite state aggression and repression
On Tuesday 15 April, Youth Demand activists turned out in number to grind London to a halt once more.
At around 9.30am, around 50 Youth Demand supporters, in two teams, stepped onto the road at South Kensington, and Victoria Street near Westminster Cathedral:
At South Kensington, public hostility to the protesters was once again palpable. Notably, despite being on the road for only six minutes, members of the public made multiple assaults on the activists.
As the Canary has been documenting, this has become an increasing occurrence at public protests. Youth Demand protesters alone have been subjected to numerous assaults – many within the last week alone.
The team at Victoria left the road after 10 minutes.
The teams regrouped and then entered the road once more at Westminster Abbey and Warren Street at around 10.50am:
Once more, the team at Westminster Abbey left the road after 10 minutes. This was due to further significant aggression from the public. Similarly, the team at Warren Street left the road after 5 minutes. During this time, a passerby stole a phone from someone filming the action and proceeded to delete footage from it.
One of those taking action was Gannon Rice, a 20 year-old student, who said:
How much longer will we prioritise the right to individual accumulation over the lives of human beings? How long are we prepared, as a society, to sit and watch our leaders facilitate the mass murder of children? People say if you want change – vote. Well the UK has recently seen a change of government and things are worse than ever. In that scenario history shows us that the only leverage we have as ordinary people is through nonviolent disruptive action. We are told individuals can’t make a difference to enact change, but with many of us together we can make a difference. Join us at youthdemand.org.
Youth Demand gearing up to take it to the BBC’s front door
As the Canarypreviously reported, on Saturday, cops nicked eight Youth Demand protesters across multiple sites in London. It marked yet further state repression, police forces have deployed utilising the Tories draconian anti-protest laws. However, Youth Demand has only rightly seen this as a sign its tactics are working – because it’s clearly rattling the government powers-that-be and its violent enforcement apparatus. As one Youth Demand Instagram post poignantly put it:
the state is afraid of the power of the people who refuse to be complicit in this genocide.
So, Youth Demand have upped the ante, with further disruptions.
On Monday, the Met also arrested four Youth Demand supporters. Significantly, this was after they had left the road, obeying police instructions to move. They were arrested for breach of Section 7 of the Public Order Act, public nuisance and willful obstruction of the highway:
All have been bailed to leave London. That brings the total number of arrests since Saturday to 12.
Tonight at 6.30pm, Youth Demand will be hosting a rally with other Palestinian solidarity groups outside BBC Broadcasting house, Portland Place. Crucially, together, the groups will call out the broadcaster for its kowtowing to the political establishment status quo.
In particular, the BBChas been little more than a servile mouthpiece for Israeli propaganda. Throughout the genocide, it has propped up the war criminal and apartheid regime and its co-conspirators in the British government with unfettered and blatant bias.
So, Youth Demand and pro-Palestine groups are right to target it for its shameful complicity.
‘We will not permit our leaders to be complicit’
Today’s actions come as the death toll in Gaza rises to over 51,000 Palestinians confirmed dead. Meanwhile, Israel has wounded 116,274 throughout its abhorrent genocide. The government media office in Gaza has updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead. All the while, Israeli authorities have blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2.3 million people since early March.
A Youth Demand spokesperson said:
Out of the over 51,000 Palestinians dead, 17,400 were children, 1720 of them under 2 years old. Half of the remaining 2.3 million people in Gaza are children. Meanwhile, the UK government continues to actively support this genocide, allowing the British military to provide logistics and reconnaissance for Israel, whilst 15% of every F35 fighter jet dropping bombs on Gaza has been made by British industry. We will not permit our leaders to be complicit with war crimes and crimes against humanity. We need a total trade embargo with Israel right now.
In the face of ongoing Draconian state repression, Youth Demand has successfully disrupted London once again in two acts of mass civil disobedience.
The latest actions come amid a sweep of crackdowns in which cops have nicked protesters under the Tories’ dodgy pre-crime laws. However, clearly protesters remains undeterred – as they took two more actions across the capital.
Youth Demand supporters have shown once more that they won’t be silenced from calling out the UK government’s disgusting complicity in Israel’s continued genocide.
More state repression of Youth Demand activists
First, on Saturday 12 April, Youth Demand initiated a series of swarming roadblocks. Around 50 Youth Demand supporters blocked traffic across London. Unsurprisingly, cops clamped down and arrested eight of the activists:
The Met nicked activists across the multiple locations Youth Demand took action. On Vauxhall Bridge, an activist defiantly shouted for a free Palestine as police escorted him into the back of a van:
And at Elephant and Castle, a large group of cops turned up and arrested a protester despite the fact he’d already vacated the road:
Youth Demand supporter Becky, 43, a mother of two from East London said:
I have taken part in almost every National demo, local demo and rally since October 2023 and with the scenes we are seeing coming out of the Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, becoming more and more deranged, criminal and heart shattering, the need to escalate to make our leaders act has never been clearer.
We are tired of the lies, the gaslighting, watching a genocide on live-stream, while being told the real victims are the people committing the atrocities. Asking politely for those who are funding, supporting and complicit in these acts, in the way that they want us to ask them, is not working. We have to disrupt in the only way that makes them listen, to make problems for the system, that puts our bodies on the line, on the levers of power and profit.
I am a mother of two children and I am terrified of being arrested and put on remand away from them for months on end, but this fear is what the state wants. They want us to feel like it’s easier to be apathetic and just carry on with our lives. And this fear is a tiny, tiny taste of what mothers in Palestine have lived with for 76 years. Knowing your family could be torn apart at the drop of a hat.
I want my children to see what it looks like to do what’s right, before doing what’s comfortable. I don’t want them to live in a world where children around the world are burned in their babygrows day after day, for a year and a half, while we all look on and shrug our shoulders. If it were my children, I would want mothers, anyone, across the world to do everything in their power to try and make it stop.
Youth Demand: no more business-as-usual in the City
Youth Demand followed Saturday’s disruptions with more on Monday. At around 9.30am, up to 40 Youth Demand supporters in two teams stepped onto pedestrian crossings at Holborn and Southwark Bridge. There, they unfurled banners reading “Stop arming Israel” and “Make the rich pay”:
The group of activists disrupted the traffic for approximately 20 minutes at each location.
However, members of the public responded to the activists with violence. First, a driver tried to circumvent the protesters blocking the road. Footage shows the driver mounting the pavement and inching into a protester:
Eventually, the protester had to move as it was clear the driver was putting her risk and would continue to drive into her if she didn’t. The driver then proceeded to drive along the pavement, where pedestrians had to move out the way.
Then, in another instance, a member of the public violently assaulted Youth Demand activists. The clip shows a man shoving the activists onto the ground. Following this, he did the same to protesters in the way of an approaching Met police van:
This echoes other recent Youth Demand protests. On Friday 11 April for instance, a lorry driver also attempted to drive into protesters blockading the road.
Similarly, the assault of Youth Demand activists also isn’t the first time members of the public have done this – within the last week at that. In one previous case, a passer-by also violently shoved Youth Demand protester Zahra from behind – knocking her out and causing her to have a seizure. As a niqab-wearing Muslim woman, Zahra underscored how the assault was likely motivated by Islamophobia. Prior to that, on 8 April, another servile member of the public had assaulted activists and attempted to steal a journalist’s camera.
Violent public: doing the bidding of the Israel-supporting elite
So, it appears subservient citizens – backed up by a repressive state wielding far-reaching anti-protest powers – continue to feel emboldened to enact violence against Youth Demand protesters.
Of course, it’s a damning indictment of some of the public’s mood around Gaza, and the right to protest more broadly. Israel is committing literal genocide right before the world’s eyes, with the tacit support of the UK government, and some members of the British public think Youth Demand are the problem. As the Canary’s Steve Topple previously wrote:
They are peacefully deploying mid-level civil disobedience in the face of cataclysmic world events. Yet here in the West, agents of the state and the public still believe they can go about their daily business like nothing is happening – and that any disruption to this is disastrous.
In a nutshell, the public who’ve attacked Youth Demand is doing the bidding of the elite. Conscious or not, they’re maintaining the violent status quo that sees the protesters calling out genocide banged up, while the perpetrators of that genocide and its complicit British political establishment handmaidens walk scott-free.
19 year-old student Toby Ellwood from West Sussex was among those taking action:
I am taking action with Youth Demand today because we are watching our government actively participate in the slaughter of thousands of Palestinian people. I think that we all have a duty to stand on the right side of history and disrupt and show our genocidal government that we will not be silent.
Our government wants to keep doing business as usual and lining the pockets of their billionaire friends while our climate collapses and we watch children in Palestine be mutilated by genocidal colonisers. We have to take action because we cannot bear to watch the suffering created by the system of the bloodthirsty elites.
Take action to stop a literal ongoing genocide
Youth Demand’s continued actions come against a backdrop of Israel’s ongoing genocide and its forcible displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. The genocidal and apartheid state also continues to routinely dent access for aid and medical evacuations. Palm Sunday was sandwiched between its two latest actions. It was during this that Israel destroyed parts of the last remaining functioning hospital in Gaza with an airstrike. Israel has repeatedly hit hospitals in airstrikes despite the fact they are protected under international humanitarian law.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Israel’s military had completely surrounded the southern Gaza city of Rafah and established a new security zone as it continues and expands an offensive in the Palestinian territory. According to the UN, Israel has designated two-thirds of Gaza “no-go” zones or placed under evacuation orders. This is since it violated the ceasefire on 18 March, resuming its genocide and campaign of ethnic cleansing. As a result, it has left 390,000 Palestinians — almost a fifth of the 2.1 million population — with no safe place to go.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of more disease and deaths. Notably, he has implicated Israel’s blockade of aid entering Gaza as the cause for this. More than 10,000 people need medical evacuation abroad, and at least 60,000 children are malnourished. He said Israel denied or impeded 75% of UN missions in Gaza in last week.
Israel has persistently denied that its political leaders or military have committed war crimes during its assault on Gaza. It has killed more than 50,000 people. The UK continues to support genocide by supplying arms, whilst conducting more surveillance flights on behalf of Israel over Gaza than any other country.
Sign up, and turn out to support Youth Demand
Young people will not accept these crimes against humanity and we will not be led by war criminals and arsonists. We cannot allow those in power to get away with facilitating the systematic annihilation of an entire culture. It’s time to take to the streets day after day and to demand better. Only sustained mass resistance can put an end to this genocide.
Youth Demand is therefore calling on everyone to join them.
On Tuesday 15 April, supporters will be outside BBC Broadcasting house, Portland Place, to call out the public broadcaster’s complicity. Sign up to take action at youthdemand.org.
As the state and public’s violent attempts to silence Youth Demand ramp up, it’s more important than ever people turn out to show unequivocally that the UK cannot continue business-as-usual while Israel’s brutality continues with impunity.
Featured image and additional images/video via Youth Demand
Lead organiser for the Great Ride of Return cycle rides campaign for Gaza, Tony McKenzie, is currently missing. And concerningly, he hasn’t been seen now for nearly a month. Groups and individuals from the Gaza Sunbirds paracycling team to rapper Lowkey, as well as hundreds of people in his local community, are calling for help to find him.
Tony McKenzie: prominent pro-Palestine campaigner currently missing
On 26 March, 58-year-old Tony was officially reported missing to Met police. He was last seen on 10 March in Lower Clapton, Hackney, London.
The Gaza Sunbirds – a paracycling team founded in the Strip that has been delivering life-saving supplies to people across Gaza – has issued a social media appeal to find him:
a beloved community member and the main organizer of the Great Ride of Return – London. Many of you may know him from Palestine solidarity events. He often wore watermelon-patterned clothing and carried warmth and commitment wherever he went.
There is currently a missing persons report out for Tony with the Met police, under the case reference number: 01/7310072/25. The Gaza Sunbirds team is urgently asking for any information to help locate Tony:
Out of respect for his family, we’re sharing limited details—but we are deeply concerned and holding onto hope. If you have have any info, please contact 101 & findtony970@gmail.com
Find Tony Team: people come out in search of Tony
As the Gaza Sunbirds’ post notes, Tony McKenzie is the chief London organiser of the synchronised solidarity cycle rides. Campaigners have held the Great Ride of Return a number of times since Israel began its genocide in Gaza. They take their name from the 2018 Great March of Return protests. During this, Palestinians in Gaza walked to the walls of the barricaded territory to demand their freedom.
Thousands of people have taken part in the rides around the globe, inspired by the paracycling efforts on the ground in Gaza.
Neighbours and activists have come together in search of Tony, forming the ‘Find Tony Team’. More than 200 people have been out handing out leaflets, and posting to social media in the hopes of locating him.
So far there have been two search parties across East London. With a third will be taking place into Walthamstow.
Moreover, it stated how Tony had:
recently undergone knee surgery, which has further heightened concerns for his welfare.
Now, time is obviously of the essence. So, Tony’s friends and community hope that anyone with any information on his whereabouts will reach out to them urgently so he can be found.
The advanced technology pillar of the AUKUS agreement is going under the microscope in the UK, with a new parliamentary inquiry to probe whether there is “sufficient clarity” on how capabilities like AI and quantum are being developed. The UK’s inquiry will examine growing concerns about the scope, funding, objectives, and delivery of Pillar II, and…
By now, it’s a well-known and established fact that billionaires are overwhelmingly responsible for driving the climate crisis.
In November 2024, an Oxfam report exposed how the super rich have inordinately outsized carbon footprints compared to rest of us. Notably, this revealed that the world’s richest billionaires emit more carbon pollution in an average hour and a half, than a person on an average income does their entire lives.
Now, a new study has proved what was already blatantly obvious about the staggering scale of their climate impact. This is the simple reality that: rich people simply don’t care.
Billionaires and the climate crisis: two sides of the same coin
Researchers at the University of Bath conducted a survey of wealthy individuals versus those on a lower income.
It defined wealthy participants as those with an average gross household income topping £150,000. The threshold matched up with the top income decile – that is, the wealthiest 10% – in the UK. Additionally, recognising assets as a mark of wealth, the research authors also included home-owners with more than two cars earning over £100,000 a year in the analysis.
Out of a pool of 1,036 respondents, 43 fell into this group.
The main upshot? Rich people have bigger carbon footprints because they consume more resources. Notably, the survey highlighted how they would consume more in all key sources of emissions, including food, energy, transport, and shopping.
For instance, wealthy respondents were significantly more likely to spend over £50 a month on new clothes. They’d also purchase disposable items at least once a week more often than non-wealthy individuals.
Add to that that they’d flown for leisure or business in the past year – and were unsurprisingly more likely to be frequent flyers – and you have a recipe for soaring emissions right there.
The study didn’t quantify and compare the two groups carbon emissions specifically. However, it was patently clear from the survey how the wealthiest’s lifestyles differed in a climate destructive sense.
Predictably then, what the researchers found tracked with previous research on the climate crisis and wealth.
All in the entitled attitude
However, a novel focus in this research was its emphasis on the rich’s attitudes to changing their climate-wrecking ways. And it will come as little surprise that they were more than a little reticent.
On the one hand, the survey showed that, naturally, the wealthiest individuals don’t face cost as a barrier to reducing their carbon footprints. However, their luxurious lifestyles would mean more sacrifices – and the rich respondents knew this.
The problem is however, the survey revealed that they were less willing to make them, and their awareness had “not translated into meaningful change.”
On air travel for instance, wealthy respondents didn’t acknowledge their responsibility to shift away from it. Specifically, the research noted that:
Although wealthy people described their global networks as a given, this is the exception amongst the general public, not the norm; 50% of the UK population does not participate in any air travel and 15% of the population accounts for 70% of all flights
Of course, in an age of global internet connection, it’s undoubtedly a choice to travel internationally. One survey response summed up the glaring lack of recognition for that fact:
There’s no way to cross the Atlantic without flying. I’m not Greta Thunberg- I don’t have enough time to cross it by boat.
Overall then, the research showed that rich people:
lock in carbon intensive behaviours by normalising high-carbon practices.
Therefore it observed that:
The group underestimate the environmental impacts associated with their consumption and employ narratives to justify and normalise excessive consumption. Our wealthy participants also reported a perceived lack of disposable time with which to carry out low-carbon lifestyle changes. Combined, these traits create a reluctance to enact the necessary behavioural changes required to reduce the emissions contribution of the group: our sample of wealthy people neither desire nor feel motivated to enact truly low-carbon lifestyles.
In other words, rich people are excusing their planet jeopardising lifestyles, because don’t you know, everyone lives like this? Setting aside that it’s patently not the case, it’s worse when you factor in that as the survey demonstrated, they also have more means to make these changes than most. At the same time, wealthy respondents show little motivation to act on climate – even as they acknowledged they shoulder more culpability for it.
Tax the rich out of existence to stop the climate crisis
UK campaigner at 350.org Matilda Borgström said on the research:
This study shows that despite understanding more about the climate crisis than most people, and having the ability to accelerate climate action through their investments and businesses, the super-rich ‘show little motivation’ to do so. This is why they must be forced, by the government, to account for their carbon intensive behaviour through strong wealth taxes. A wealth tax on just 0.1% of the UK’s richest could raise over £130 billion in five years, enough to insulate millions of homes, provide support with energy bills for the most vulnerable households, retrain workers in the fossil fuel sector and much more. The question of who pays to fix the climate crisis is a no-brainer: it is time for those responsible for most pollution with staggering wealth to pay what they owe, it is time to tax their billions.
And while the richest Britons seem to show little interest in curbing the climate crisis, there is growing appetite to hold these climate-wreckers to account.
Since rich people aren’t going to step up, it’s high-time that states make them. As Borgström noted, a wealth tax is one key way in which to do this. Plenty have already been calling for it:
More than 100,000 people have signed a petition demanding that governments tax extreme wealth.
A survey of 22,000 citizens in the world’s largest economies by Earth4All revealed an overwhelming 68% of G20 respondents are supportive of higher taxes on the wealthy to finance significant economic and lifestyle changes.
An alliance of over 50 civil society organisations has been established. It is urging governments to #TaxTheSuperRich and end extreme inequality.
This March, the groundswell to tax the rich out of existence culminated in an action against one of the most profligate personifications of extreme wealth. Activists occupied a Tesla showroom in London to call out the epitome of billionaire tech bro oligarchy that is Elon Musk.
Notably, they demanded a 100% wealth tax on assets over £10m to fund public services and climate action. More than half of Brits believe that billionaires should not exist, and three-quarters support a wealth tax. Therefore, there’s a clear desire for this. Of course, that’s not so much from the greedy wealth hoarders themselves – just 370 millionaires and billionaires have called for governments to tax their gargantuan wealth. When there’s close to 3,000 billionaires globally, that’s not a huge turn out.
Now, this latest study shows without a shadow of a doubt that the rich capitalist class aren’t going to do anything about the climate crisis – unless the rest of us make them. But then, what’s new?
The Green Party has called on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to rule out Aotearoa New Zealand joining the AUKUS military technical pact in any capacity following the row over Ukraine in the White House over the weekend.
President Donald Trump’s “appalling treatment” of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a “clear warning that we must avoid AUKUS at all costs”, said Green Party foreign affairs and Pacific issues spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.
“Aotearoa must stand on an independent and principled approach to foreign affairs and use that as a platform to promote peace.”
US President Donald Trump has paused all military aid for Ukraine after the “disastrous” Oval Office meeting with President Zelenskyy in another unpopular foreign affairs move that has been widely condemned by European leaders.
Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, declared that Trump appeared to be trying to push Kyiv to capitulate on Russia’s terms.
He was quoted as saying that the aid pause was worse than the 1938 Munich Agreement that allowed Nazi Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia.
‘Danger of Trump leadership’
Tuiono, who is the Green Party’s first tagata moana MP, said: “What we saw in the White House at the weekend laid bare the volatility and danger of the Trump leadership — nothing good can come from deepening our links to this administration.
“Christopher Luxon should read the room and rule out joining any part of the AUKUS framework.”
Tuiono said New Zealand should steer clear of AUKUS regardless of who was in the White House “but Trump’s transactional and hyper-aggressive foreign policy makes the case to stay out stronger than ever”.
“Our country must not join a campaign that is escalating tensions in the Pacific and talking up the prospects of a war which the people of our region firmly oppose.
“Advocating for, and working towards, peaceful solutions to the world’s conflicts must be an absolute priority for our country,” Tuiono said.
Five Eyes network ‘out of control’
Meanwhile, in the 1News weekly television current affairs programme Q&A, former Prime Minister Helen Clark challenged New Zealand’s continued involvement in the Five Eyes intelligence network, describing it as “out of control”.
Her comments reflected growing concern by traditional allies and partners of the US over President Trump’s handling of long-standing relationships.
Clark said the Five Eyes had strayed beyond its original brief of being merely a coordinating group for intelligence agencies in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
“There’s been some talk in the media that Trump might want to evict Canada from it . . . Please could we follow?” she said.
“I mean, really, the problem with Five Eyes now has become a basis for policy positioning on all sorts of things.
“And to see it now as the basis for joint statements, finance minister meetings, this has got a bit out of control.”
TAIPEI, Taiwan – Britain has imposed sanctions on senior North Korean officials linked to their country’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine as part of what the United Kingdom said was its largest sanctions package against Russian individuals and institutions since the early days of the war.
As many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to fight Ukrainian forces who occupied parts of Russia’s Kursk region in August, according to Ukraine and the United States, although neither North Korea nor Russia has acknowledged their presence.
The British foreign office announced sanctions against five North Korean defense officials on Monday to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
They included Kim Yong Bok, No Kwang Chol, Ri Song Jin, Ri Chang Ho and Sin Kum Chol, as well as 102 other individuals and entities.
Kim Yong Bok, the deputy chief of staff of the Korean People’s Army, reportedly arrived in Russia in October to oversee North Korean troops there helping Russia.
Kim’s profile has risen over the past year. His position as deputy chief of the army was confirmed when he was reported in state media as a member of leader Kim Jong Un’s entourage on a visit to an operational training base in western North Korea in March.
No Kwang Chol is known to have played a major role in strengthening military ties with Moscow since resuming his position as defense minister in October, including holding talks with his Russian counterpart, Andrei Belousov, in November.
Ri Song Jin, the North’s top missile engineer, has risen in prominence in recent years as an official at both the National Aerospace Technology Administration and the General Missile Bureau, often appearing alongside Kim Jong Un at military sites.
Ri Chang Ho holds a high-ranking position in North Korea’s hierarchy as the head of the U.S.-sanctioned Reconnaissance General Bureau, its top military intelligence agency, while Sin Kum Chol serves as director of the Operations Bureau of the Korean People’s Army General Staff.
Ri Chang Ho and Sin Kum Cho were also included in the sanctions list announced by the European Union on Monday, alongside more than 80 individuals and entities, over supporting Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
The U.K. added it was also sanctioning producers and suppliers of machine tools, electronics and dual-use goods including microprocessors used in weapons systems. These were based in a range of third countries including Central Asian states, Turkey, Thailand, India and China.
There was no immediate response from Russia or North Korea to the British sanctions but a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said they harmed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, adding that they had “no basis in international law.”
“China firmly opposes this and has made solemn representations to the U.K. side,” the embassy said in a statement on its website.
Britain’s Commonwealth allies, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, joined in imposing sanctions on Russia and people and entities promoting military cooperation between it and North Korea.
Australia announced on Tuesday that financial sanctions and travel bans were imposed on 70 people, while financial sanctions were imposed on 79 companies, adding that the individuals supported Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories.
New Zealand also announced sanctions on 52 entities and individuals linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex, energy sector, North Korea’s support for Russia’s war, and the forced deportation or re-education of Ukrainian children.
Three North Korean officials – Kim Yong Bok, Ri Chang Ho and Sin Kum Chol – were included in the sanctions list by both Australia and New Zealand.
Separately, Canada announced sanctions on Friday against 76 individuals and entities and 109 ships linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Although Canada did not target North Korean officials, it did include multiple companies allegedly involved in North Korea-Russia cooperation.
These include the shipping services Toplivo Bunkering Company, Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company, Global Ports Managing Company, Azia Shipping Holding and Ibex Shipping.
North Korea and Russia have been deepening their military and economic ties in recent months, with Pyongyang reportedly supplying Moscow with large quantities of munitions and other military aid for its war in Ukraine.
In return, Russia has provided technological assistance and expanded cooperation in various sectors, fueling concerns over potential arms transfers and security threats.
High-level meetings between officials from both countries, including defense ministers, have signaled a growing strategic partnership.
Edited by Mike Firn.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) is offering a free online training course for human rights defenders working on cases relating to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
Taking place from 17–27 February, the programme is divided into 16 sessions covering all the theoretical and practical knowledge required to promote and protect the fundamental right to FoRB.
The programme will be delivered by leading experts in the field of human rights and/or FoRB, including Dr Nazila Ghanea, United Nations Special Rapporteur on FoRB; Professor Fernand de Varennes, former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues; the Honourable Hina Jilani, IBAHRI co-chair, member of The Elders and advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; and Rangita de Silva de Alwis, IBAHRI vice chair and a member of the treaty body to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The IBAHRI is delivering the training in collaboration with the Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK). ROLE UK is a programme of the Advocates for International Development (A4ID), funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. A4ID is a global charity working to strengthen the rule of law in developing countries by supporting partnerships to provide high-quality pro bono legal and judicial expertise.
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The federal government has detailed plans for an additional $262.4 million to be spent supporting domestic defence industry participation in the nuclear submarine supply chain being developed as part of the AUKUS arrangements. Defence Industry minister Pat Conroy said the additional funding would be used for submarine-specific rounds of the Defence Industry Development Grants Program,…
If anybody represents the very British values of democracy, respect for human rights, justice and due process, it is the Egyptian activist, says Peter Greste in the Guardian of 15 January 2025. The piece is so rich in detail that I give here in full:
I first encountered Alaa Abd el-Fattah 11 years ago, as a disembodied whisper of reassurance from outside the bars of my grubby prison cell in Cairo. I had just been tossed in the box by Egypt’s El Mukhabarat– the malevolent general intelligence service responsible for internal security – and I was facing an indeterminate run in solitary confinement after being arrested on bogus terrorism charges for my work as a journalist.
Alaa knew the drill. Then just 32, he’d been imprisoned by each of the four previous regimes, and he understood both the institutional meat grinder we were confronting and the psychological stresses I’d have to grapple with.
“Welcome to Ward A, Political, in Tora prison,” he told me in a hushed voice through the door. “Here, you are surrounded by people who have been fighting for justice and democracy. We are a collection of activists, trade unionists, judges, writers and now you – a journalist. This is a very prestigious place, and you are with friends.”
A significant part of the prestige came from Alaa himself. He was – and remains – Egypt’s most prominent political prisoner. That also makes him the one the government fears the most. I owe him my life, which is why I am helping step up the campaign to free him.
When the country erupted in its chapter of the Arab spring revolution in January 2011, it was driven by a loose collection of young, middle-class, secular activists – including Alaa – who understood the power of social media.
He was already well known in Egypt as a software developer, online publisher and prolific writer from a long line of campaigners. His late father was a human rights lawyer, and his mother is a mathematics professor and pro-democracy activist. His aunt is a novelist and political activist. One sister helped set up a group fighting against military trials for civilians, and another is a film editor who co-founded a newspaper. Before the 2011 revolution, Alaa learned coding and built his own award-winning blog publishing site where he wrote about national politics and social justice.
In short, activism is in his DNA.
At the time we met, Egypt was still convulsing with revolutionary turmoil. The military had installed an interim administration after ousting the elected Muslim Brotherhood government. The streets were filled with police rounding up protesters who were fighting to stop the country sliding back into autocracy, and Alaa found himself in prison on charges of rallying, inciting violence, resisting authorities and violating an anti-protest law.
After my period in solitary ended, we would use the precious hours of exercise to stride up and down a dusty walled yard discussing Egyptian history and society, political theory, and his ideas of resistance and reform. I found him to be an extraordinarily intelligent political thinker and humanitarian dedicated to turning his country into a functioning, pluralist democracy, and whose powerful writing from prison inspired millions. But more than that, I found a good friend.
In our conversations, he helped me understand the politics of my own imprisonment. I and two Al Jazeera colleagues had been charged with broadcasting terrorist ideology, conspiring with a terrorist organisation, and broadcasting false news to undermine national security. I struggled to reconcile those very serious allegations with the relatively straight reporting we had actually been doing. But as we talked, I came to see that our arrest had nothing to do with what we had done, and everything to do with what we represented – a press freely reporting on the unfolding political crisis. Inspired by his writing, I wrote two letters of my own that we smuggled out and that helped frame the campaign that ultimately got me free.
In March 2019, Alaa was released from prison but ordered to spend 12 hours each night in a police cell, “not free … even in the sense of imperfect freedom common in our country,” he wrote at the time.
Six months later, he was once again arrested, this time for spreading “false news to undermine security”, and sentenced to five years.
By rights, his prison ordeal should have ended on 29 September last year, including the time he spent in pre-trial detention. But in an act of extraordinary cynicism and callousness, the authorities decreed that they’d count his stretch from the day he was sentenced, violating their own laws and adding another two years to his time behind bars.
In protest, his 68-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, began a hunger strike on the day he was supposed to walk free. She has vowed not to eat until he is once again out of prison, and she is now 108 days into the fast. That is an extraordinarily risky undertaking for anybody, let alone someone her age, and although she is showing remarkable resilience she is in serious danger.
Laila is a British national now living in London, and through her, Alaa also has British citizenship. That gives the British government consular responsibility, and powerful diplomatic leverage to get him released.
If anybody represents the very British values of democracy, respect for human rights, justice, rule of law and due process, it is Alaa Abd el-Fattah.
That is why I feel compelled to join Laila, in London and in solidarity, also on a hunger strike for the next 21 days. It may not work – at least in the short term – and Alaa might not walk free. But I don’t think that matters.
While we were in prison together, Alaa’s father passed away. At a later memorial service, here is what he told the audience: “All that’s asked of us is that we fight for what’s right. We don’t have to be winning while we fight for what’s right, we don’t have to be strong while we fight for what’s right, we don’t have to be prepared while we fight for what’s right, or to have a good plan, or be well organised. All that’s asked of us is that we don’t stop fighting for what’s right.”
This injustice has gone on far too long. Alaa Abd el-Fattah is one of the most remarkable people I know, and he deserves to be free. I am determined to do whatever I can to help.
Peter Greste is a professor of journalism at Macquarie University and the executive director for the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom. In December 2013, he was arrested on terrorism charges while working for Al Jazeera and he was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven years. Under intense international pressure, the Egyptian president ordered his release after 400 days. He is undertaking this protest in his personal capacity
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted the critical role of human rights defenders in today’s tumultuous global landscape in a speech on 13 January 2025 to Wilton Park, the executive agency of the United Kingdom’s Foreign office.
For many workers, defending human rights is not just a job, but a calling. As he noted, many “work out of a deep sense of service to others, and a desire to make a meaningful impact.”
From conflict zones to post-war societies, they provide crucial support to detainees and victims of torture, deliver emergency relief, document violations and expose the root causes of conflict.
“Human rights defenders are key to conflict resolution. They are the messengers of dignity, justice and peace,” said Mr. Türk.
However, despite their invaluable work, human rights defenders face “unacceptably high” threats, with some attacks amounting to war crimes.
For journalists and humanitarian workers, being killed, kidnapped, harassed or detained has become an increasingly likely reality.
Women are particularly vulnerable, often targeted by sexual violence, online threats and risks to their family.
Mr. Türk cited the criminalisation of dissent, the forceful suppression of peaceful protests and restrictions on non-governmental organisations as alarming developments.
These events often force human rights defenders to operate in exile, exposing them to new forms of persecution and repression, including online surveillance.
“The full impact of digital technologies on the work and safety of human rights defenders is not yet known,” he warned, underlining the urgency of addressing these modern threats.
Mr. Türk urged governments to take decisive action, including establishing well-resourced national protection systems and supporting civil society networks that provide cross-border protection. He also noted the importance of reacting swiftly to emerging threats.
“The risks of this work must not be shouldered by the defenders alone,” he said, emphasising the need to support NGOs at risk and to push back against the labelling of defenders as terrorists, foreign agents or traitors.
“We must do everything we can to make sure [defenders] can operate safely wherever they are,” he concluded.
The Canary has given me the chance to write an article on Lisa Nandy’s ill-advised decision to hold a UK wide Covid Day of Reflection to mark the end of the Covid pandemic. The reason I’m writing this is because the Covid pandemic is very much ongoing.
So, we’re going to give a platform to some voices in this piece – like Long Covid Support, which says:
Dear Lisa Nandy, Covid is not over.
Covid Day of Reflection: WTAF?
On Sunday 9 March 2025 there will be a UK-wide day of reflection to remember the Covid pandemic, said the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
What’s wrong with that? I hear you ask.
For one thing, the World Health Organization is very clear that the Covid pandemic is ongoing. In contrast to the World Health Organization, the ableist Labour Party government is determined to sell the lie that the Covid pandemic is over. This is largely because it is doing very little to stop people dying of Covid. Vaccine eligibility is only open to the over 65s and some clinically vulnerable people. People with long Covid like me aren’t eligible.
I feel completely deflated and abandoned.
I have had the stuffing knocked out of me by the ableist Labour government yet again. This time it’s the culture secretary Lisa Nandy’s turn. Many of you will know Lisa Nandy as a staunch Zionist and member of Labour Friends of Israel. Now she’s branching out to gaslight the Covid dead and long-Covid disabled.
Nearly one person an hour dead from Covid
What about marking the day of reflection by reading the names of all of the people who have died of Covid since Labour took power?
At the date of writing, that’s 3,519 people.
That’s an average of nearly 150 people a week.
It’s really upsetting me how the Labour government has gone out of their way to bury (pun intended) the Covid deaths. Nearly one person has died of Covid every hour since Keir Starmer was elected PM.
Labour is offering no public health information about the dangers of catching Covid and long Covid. I have longed for a day of reflection like this – but not one based on a lie. If we have to have such a day, let’s spend it telling the truth. The day of reflection will be a massive super-spreader event leading to more Covid deaths and long Covid disablements. It will be more of a day of reinfection than a day of reflection .
Long Covid was named by Dr Elisa Perego, an Italian scientist. Elisabeth Perego has long Covid herself. It’s incredibly important that long Covid is a patient-led disability.
Long Covid patients are the greatest experts, by necessity, on long Covid. It shouldn’t have to be this way. We shouldn’t have to advocate for ourselves. The Labour government should be advocating for us instead of gaslighting us. That’s why I am sharing the voices of long Covid patients who responded on X to Lisa Nandy’s bad decision and the government’s post about it.
Ignoring long Covid, ignoring the risk
Long Covid Support says:
People are still getting COVID many times. People are still dying from Covid. Long term damage is accumulating, and people are still getting a life altering Long Covid. As much as we would love for it to be in the past, this is happening now.
The group also said:
many people are continuing to report attending their hospital appointments and there being no one else masked, including health care staff.
Here’s a reminder that anyone who gets Covid can get Long Covid.
Someone else says:
It’s important to remember who died without framing the pandemic as historical. It’s still impacting communities now. It’s important to remember those who have died from Covid so far, and it’s good to have an event to get people talking about Covid again, But we need to ensure that it doesn’t frame Covid in the past tense. Perhaps we should be supporting the day of reflection, but pushing for some tangible action that would really make a difference as part of this special day.
Ceri Turner says:
How about making the 9th March a COVID19 day of prevention? We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense. It’s still with us. It still causes acute disease and long COVID, and it still kills.
Amy Boylan says:
We can dance naked at midnight, banging saucepans and singing happy birthday while washing our hands, but it won’t make the pandemic history.
People continue to be infected, killing and disabling 1,000,000. We need adults to solve killing and disabling 1,000,000. We need adults to solve this, not magical thinking. Covid is not over.
Covid is not over
Shell says:
Labour is still trying to convince everyone it’s over, for fuck’s sake. My daughter says the school she works in has the highest number of students absent she’s ever known, either puking or they’ve got COVID, some both, unless this remembrance day is to remind people to take precautions you can get to fuck.
Pen Scribbler says:
Can we reflect on the fact that Covid is still here? That people are still dying of it in the UK every week? That loved ones are left to mourn? That those with damaged health face life with no treatment? The tribute the government can make is to prevent more deaths and illness. Why not take this opportunity to remind the public that COVID 19 is still circulating, putting people in hospital and causing death and Long Covid? The Covid Day Of Reflection should be every day, reflecting on how to prevent more Covid deaths before 9th March. The Labour government could reflect on how to make events COVID safe. The Department for Culture Media and Sport could find ways of making sporting and cultural events Covid safe. The Department for Health and Social Care could think about how to keep health care workers and patients safe.
Tagg says:
Is this a serious post? What an insult to the hundreds of families like mine that have lost people this year to Covid and over 2,000,000 disabled by it. You’re offering no prevention measures nationally, nor making public aware of the Long Covid risk. I reflect daily on your incompetence around Covid.
Jules says:
So you don’t need air filtration anymore with Covid gone in Parliament. Mystery illness that so many people got recently. Sickness through the roof. Children’s health disposable so the parents can work taking sick kids to school.
Janice Plant quotes doctor Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization:
One of the things for me that’s so striking is that the world wants to forget this pathogen is still with us, and I think people want to put Covid in the past as if it’s over.
Dan O’Hara says:
This looks perfectly timed to coincide with the likely peak of the next wave.
In principle, It certainly looks as if the Covid Day of Reflection is going to be the UK’s biggest super spreader event.
Covid Day of Reflection: a super-spreader event
Anne Marie says:
We are going to remember the Covid pandemic that’s still happening. Well, that will be a nice change, I guess. This is utter madness. Can you reflect on the fact that there is currently an ongoing Covid pandemic?
Phil Randall says:
The pandemic is still ongoing. What we need to remember is to filter air in all public buildings and to vaccinate everyone 6 months old and over.
Melinda Bailey Harris says:
As if it’s some faraway event to memorialize when 100 are still dying every week. Millions are suffering from long COVID, including over a 100000 children. Hospitals are currently overwhelmed with COVID, flu, etcetera. How about reminding people it’s still ongoing?
Jo Dainow of Long Covid Support says:
The current high prevalence of SARS Cov2 and long Covid is sadly not in the past.
Alan says:
Is Lisa Nandy trolling us now? It’s an ongoing pandemic. People are still dying of covid much more than with flu, RSV or norovirus. People are still hospitalised.
Kieran Kibble says:
A day of reflection to remember a pandemic that’s still happening and still screwing up all of our health whilst we have no measures in place to mitigate the spread. Brain dead country.
Covid Day of Reflection: government propaganda?
Paul Keeble says:
Another bit of government propaganda to make COVID a historical event. I think having a memorial and formalizing it for the dead so far would be nice, but parts tensing the pandemic is wrong.
Helen Lunt-Davis of Long Covid SOS says:
The COVID pandemic is not over. This should not be framed in the past tense. We should be thinking of it daily and how it is still affecting people.
Long COVID SOS themselves says:
This is a very nice idea, but we hardly need to be prompted to remember the COVID pandemic. We’re living in it right now.
Kat says:
Remember, do you think that means the Labour government will stop pretending the COVID pandemic is over? Charles says, I hope the government will reflect on the fact that COVID is still killing and disabling people every week, and more public mitigations will help.
Chi says:
You speak as if COVID is in the past. People are still dying. The immunosuppressed have been hung out to dry by Wes Streeting and Andrew Gwynn, and the NHS is on its knees because of the non mask narrative.
You really couldn’t make it up.
21 million people dead from Covid
Tedros of the World Health Organization had this to say:
The end of this month, 31st December, will make the 5th anniversary of the first reports to the World Health Organization of pneumonia caused by a then unknown pathogen. In the past 5 years, more than 7,000,000 deaths from COVID 19 have been reported to WHO, but we estimate the true death toll to be at least 3 times higher. We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.
It’s still with us. It still causes acute disease and long COVID, and it still kills. On average, this year, about 1,000 deaths from COVID 19 have been reported to the World Health Organization each week, and that’s just from the few countries that are still reporting. The world might want to forget about COVID 19, but we cannot afford to. The World Health Organization continues to support countries to prevent and manage COVID 19 alongside other health threats.
Katie’s Voice says:
I feel the government picked the day no one wanted to cause more division among the bereaved . When someone hurts us, they don’t get to dictate our healing process.
Katie’s Voice belongs to Charles Persinger. Charles works tirelessly to tell the story of his wife, Katie, a care home manager lost to Covid during the acute phase of the pandemic. Charles also lost his mother Susan to Covid.
The Labour government is using the Covid Day Of Reflection to sell the massive lie that the Covid Pandemic is over. Labour is committing an even bigger crime, a hijack, a heist.
The Covid Day Of Reflection is meant to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Covid pandemic. The Labour government has tried to make the Covid Bereaved Families change their yellow heart symbol. And that’s just the beginning.
It’s still very much with us
When I started speaking to Siouxsie from Covid Justice UK (the Covid Bereaved Families group), she was angry and had had a sleepless night. She told me that some people in their group felt under attack from the Long Covid community.
I assured her that we’re angry at the Labour government, not them. So, I asked Siouxsie to give her idea of what her group needs the Covid Day Of Reflection to be. I also asked Siouxsie what others could do to help. She told me that it should be:
A day to remember our loved ones who died during the acute stage of the pandemic and those still dying year upon year as covid is still sadly very much with us.
We come together in our shared grief, many who couldn’t have funerals at all others had funerals with no dignity or respect at the time of their loss. It brings us a huge sense of peace and a way to pay our respects to those who are no longer with us.
Covid19 Families UK have previously, over last four years, held memorial events in Wales, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Milton Keynes. This year a Buddhist temple has kindly given us permission to hold it in the beautiful tranquil gardens of their Temple of Peace.
We have worked, for nearly two years, alongside other bereavement groups on the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration with both the Conservative and Labour governments to get recognition and funding for the Day of Reflection.
Covid 19 Families UK is solely run by bereaved volunteers and relies on donations to fund these events. IF YOU CAN HELP US ACHIEVE CHARITY STATUS or donate no matter how small we will be very grateful.
If you need support join our Facebook group. You can follow us on Twitter, Threads , Bluesky LinkedIn.
Not the kind of reflection that’s needed
In conclusion, I think the UK should have a Covid Day Of Reflection.
However, it must be turned over to the Bereaved Families Group, the Long Covid Charities, and other affected, patient-led groups.
We deserve to tell our stories in our own way.
Everyone must know that the ongoing Covid pandemic is a massive national tragedy and a mass disabling event. Every TV channel must devote an entire day of programming to the biggest UK tragedy since World War II.
The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic. Doctors on the ground have reported unimaginable suffering due to Israel’s relentless bombardment and the systematic denial of food, water and humanitarian aid. We must act now to demand urgent action.
Last Saturday, at the national demonstration for Palestine Jeremy Corbyn shared a devastating message from Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza, who last week was shot and injured by the IDF. His words were a plea for humanity:
This is a war of extermination… civilians and their children are calling us from under the rubble, and we are powerless to help them. They have now gone silent.
Email your MP to take action for Gaza
Hospitals are overwhelmed, ambulances are being targeted, and families remain trapped under rubble without hope of rescue. The UK must push for an immediate end to the bombardment, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of medical facilities.
Time is running out. Many thousands of lives hang in the balance and our government must act to save them. Together, let’s pressure our elected officials to act, now.
Email your MP today asking them to take urgent action to address the horrific situation in northern Gaza. Use our template letter, drafted by doctors who have served in Gaza, which highlights the desperate need for medical aid, safe evacuation routes, and an immediate ceasefire.
A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has highlighted that a quarter of children under four are experiencing food poverty. The EPI also found that children under five are 25% more likely to experience food poverty than other children.
Cost of living crisis – Labour is making it worse
The authors noted that the cost of living crisis has exacerbated issues for low-income families, with food prices generally up 19% from March 2022 until March 2023. But some key foods such as pasta and vegetable oil are up by at least 60%. Indeed, in 2023, 61% of the poorest fifth of households reported cutting back on food.
And it looks like the crisis isn’t going anywhere. Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows that Labour’s budget will leave the majority of people worse off.
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said:
It’s a national disgrace that a quarter of families with children under four are experiencing food poverty. The UK is one of the world’s richest nations so there’s no excuse for allowing any child to go hungry, let alone those who are at such a crucial stage of their growth and development.
In 2022, the Food Foundation found that the cost of healthy food is more than three times that of unhealthy food. This further impacts negative outcomes for low income families.
Shocking choices from the government
EPI further noted in the report that families with young children are more likely to experience food poverty partly because they are less likely to have both parents in full time work and partly because of cuts to benefits, like the two child cap.
In July, only seven of Labour’s 411 MPs voted against the Conservative-issued cap. Not only that, but Keir Starmer suspended the seven MPs who did so. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) says removing the cap would lift 300,000 children out of poverty. This is a figure that is steadily rising.
The EPI authors also pointed out that food poverty has negative psychological and physiological outcomes. It can lead to obesity, tooth decay, and mental health issues for parents. They note than when children under five experience food poverty they are more likely to have worse educational outcomes.
Labour could address food insecurity through introducing price controls to curb corporate profiteering on essentials. Switzerland shields itself from high inflation levels in food and beyond through price controls on 30% of goods and services. The EPI report, meanwhile, recommends an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ to ensure families on social security have sufficient income.
Food poverty: an ongoing scourge
Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher in early years and inequalities at the EPI, said:
This research highlights the urgency of addressing food poverty for children under five. We know that the first five years is a critical period of development, yet we also know that children of this age are more likely to experience food poverty.
The evidence is clear on how damaging food poverty is for young children’s outcomes. For the government to achieve its mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity it needs to take action to reduce food poverty for under-fives.
We have an opportunity with the upcoming child poverty strategy to address the disadvantage faced by the youngest children who have been overlooked in food poverty policy and debate.
On November 1, author and activist Haim Bresheeth was arrested in London after giving a speech at a pro-Palestine rally outside the home of Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom. The 79-year-old Bresheeth, a Jewish Israeli who has lived mostly in London since the 1970s, is an outspoken critic of Zionism and Israel and a supporter of Palestinian rights. He is the son of…
A West Papuan advocacy group for self-determination for the colonised Melanesians has appealed to the United Kingdom government to cancel its planned reception for new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
“Prabowo is a blood-stained war criminal who is complicit in genocide in East Timor and West Papua,” claimed an exiled leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda.
He said he hoped the government would stand up for human rights and a “habitable planet” by cancelling its reception for Prabowo.
“Prabowo has also restarted the transmigration settlement programme that has made us a minority in our own land. He wants to destroy West Papua,” the UK-based Wenda said in a statement.
‘Ghost of Suharto’ returns
“For West Papuans, the ghost of Suharto has returned — the New Order regime still exists, it has just changed its clothes.
“It is gravely disappointing that the UK government has signed a ‘critical minerals’ deal with Indonesia, which will likely cover West Papua’s nickel reserves in Tabi and Raja Ampat.
“The UK must understand that there can be no real ‘green deal’ with Indonesia while they are destroying the third largest rainforest on earth.”
Wenda said he was glad to see five members of the House of Lords — Lords Harries, Purvis, Gold, Lexden, and Baroness Bennett — hold the government to account on the issues of self-determination, ecocide, and a long-delayed UN fact-finding visit.
“We need this kind of scrutiny from our parliamentary supporters more than ever now,” he said.
Prabowo is due to visit Oxford Library as part of his diplomatic visit.
“Why Oxford? The answer is clearly because the peaceful Free West Papua Campaign is based here; because the Town Hall flies our national flag every December 1st; and because I have been given Freedom of the City, along with other independence leaders like Nelson Mandela,” Wenda said.
This visit was not an isolated incident, he said. A recent cultural promotion had been held in Oxford Town Centre, addressed by the Indonesian ambassador in an Oxford United scarf.
The people of West Papua have spoken.
Just today (15/11/24), rallies against Indonesia’s settler-colonial Transmigration plan were held in:
Takeover of Oxford United
“There was the takeover of Oxford United by Anindya Bakrie, one of Indonesia’s richest men, and Erick Thohir, an Indonesian government minister.
“This is not about business — it is a targeted campaign to undermine West Papua’s international connections. The Indonesian Embassy has sponsored the Cowley Road Carnival and attempted to ban displays of the Morning Star, our national flag.
“They have called a bomb threat in on our office and lobbied to have my Freedom of the City award revoked. Indonesia is using every dirty trick they have in order to destroy my connection with this city.”
Wenda said Indonesia was a poor country, and he blamed the fact that West Papua was its poorest province on six decades of colonialism.
“There are giant slums in Jakarta, with homeless people sleeping under bridges. So why are they pouring money into Oxford, one of the wealthiest cities in Europe?” Wenda said.
“The UK has been my home ever since I escaped an Indonesian prison in the early 2000s. My family and I have been welcomed here, and it will continue to be our home until my country is free and we can return to West Papua.”
15/11/24 Jayapura, West Papua
Another angle showing that the rally against Transmigration was peaceful, but the police forcibly dispersed it.
Labour Party plans to get more disabled people back to work must ensure that the risk is not carried solely by the individual if they take steps towards work, new research from Scope and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) concludes. Planned benefit reforms to health and disability social security from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) prioritise cutting costs by £3 billion, but meeting arbitrary savings targets will drastically limit the policy’s effectiveness.
A fresh approach to DWP benefit reforms is needed
Ahead of the imminent expected release of the “Get Britain Working” white paper, JRF and Scope are urging the government to take concrete steps to reduce the jeopardy attached to disabled people engaging with work:
Put in law a “Work Transition Guarantee” to prevent reassessment for benefits within 18 months for those who participate in job support and to reinstate benefits if work doesn’t work out.
Replace the Work Capability Assessment with a fairer system developed with disabled people.
These recommendations have been informed by research with disabled people and will unlock work for people who receive DWP health and disability benefits as well as addressing hardship.
The government’s current approach to economic inactivity and ill-health
The “Get Britain Working” benefit reforms white paper will include details on how the government intends to support people with disabilities or long-term health conditions into work and is set to be published this month.
Reforms to the DWP health and disability benefits system, which aim to make £3 billion worth of savings, are set to be announced in early 2025.
When over half of families in poverty contain someone who is disabled and almost two thirds of people in destitution have a long-term health condition, Scope’s survey findings reinforce that benefit reforms to a health and disability system that are primarily designed to cut costs will lead to further distrust rather than supporting disabled people into work, as well as causing significant increased hardship.
Iain Porter, Senior Policy Adviser at JRF, said:
Developing a policy that works doesn’t start with a demand to save £3 billion, an arbitrary figure chosen to match the plans of the previous government. The system for supporting disabled people into work does need reform. That reform should be based on effective, long-term policy which recognises that disabled people shouldn’t be bearing the bulk of the risk. It might take several attempts to get a job that works if you’re managing a complex health condition.
Without a guarantee of support through the process this risks leaving our society’s poorest and most vulnerable people taking the leap into work while fearing they’ll lose out on vital benefits if things don’t work out. These fears are well-founded, as people who receive disability and health related benefits already face disproportionate levels of hardship.
These cuts also won’t help more disabled people find work. A harsher system that stems from cutting costs would deepen distrust and fail to address real employment barriers for disabled people. Instead, the government should rethink these cuts and design support alongside disabled people to encourage steps towards employment without penalizing those for whom work doesn’t work out.
James Taylor, Director of Strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said:
We all want to get more disabled people into work, and it’s clear from this research that the WCA and back to work support both need massive upgrades.
The upcoming Get Britain Working white paper, and investment in localised employment support for disabled people are welcome. We know that at least a million disabled people want to work and could with the right support. But in the budget the government also announced their intention to take money out of our welfare system.
We have a government that is pulling in two different directions at the same time. They want to get more disabled people into work, and to cut back on the financial support that allows disabled people to live in the first place. Ultimately, this approach could make some disabled people more fearful of the government’s back to work schemes.
Benefits system acts as a barrier to disabled people getting into work
New research from disability charity Scope highlights the overwhelmingly negative outcomes experienced by disabled people within the existing DWP system, demonstrating that benefit reforms with savings as the primary objective would be the wrong approach, and should instead focus on improving the experience of those interacting with it.
Scope surveyed over 900 people with lived experience of disability, 382 of whom currently claim a work-related disability benefit, in fieldwork running from February to July 2024.
Disabled people said that the risk of losing benefits prevents them from engaging in employment support:
Over three-quarters worried about engaging with employment support because they worried it could trigger a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reassessment in which they might be found ‘fit for work’.
Seven in 10 worried engaging could trigger a WCA reassessment at which they might lose extra financial support.
Almost two-thirds worried that if they came off benefits but a job didn’t work out, they wouldn’t be able to reclaim all their previous entitlements.
Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates from last year predicted that similar levels of savings from reforms to the WCA benefit reforms announced by the previous government would lead as few as 15,000 recipients into work, despite 424,000 people being denied extra financial support by 2028/29.
Disabled people already face disproportionate hardship – without benefit reforms
New JRF analysis shows the already high levels of hardship facing disabled people – without Labour’s planned DWP benefit reforms:
Three quarters (75%) of recipients of health-related elements of Universal Credit experience material deprivation, a government poverty measure derived from a lack of items and activities deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living. For working-age adults receiving non-health-related Universal Credit this figure is two-thirds (66%).
Almost half (48%) of adults in a household where someone claims health-related Universal Credit are also in a household without reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food, compared to 11% of all working-age adults.
Almost a quarter (24%) of working-age adults in a family receiving health-related Universal Credit have had to use a foodbank in the last year, compared to 3% of all working-age adults and 17% of working-age adults receiving non-health-related Universal Credit.
New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was so incompetent at her first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), she almost made Keir Starmer look good.
A poll from YouGov conducted in the week before July’s election found 48% of people voting Labour were doing so tactically to get the Tories out. That’s compared to 13% who voted for ‘change’, 5% for policies, 4% for the NHS and just 1% because of Starmer’s leadership.
With the debut of Badenoch at PMQs, the Tories appear to be attempting to make the anti-Tory vote strong again. That’s tongue in cheek, but with the Labour right in control of the opposing party, it functions to keep the country on an overall right-wing footing.
Badenoch’s abysmal PMQs performance
At PMQs, Badenoch managed to make Starmer look almost palatable. She got fully behind newly-elected US president Donald Trump:
Given that most of his cabinet signed a motion to ban president Trump from addressing parliament… Will the prime minister show that he and his government can be more than student politicians by asking…the speaker to extend an invitation to president Trump to address parliament on his next visit?
His Chancellor’s budget did not even mention defence
But that’s not true, the Budget mentioned defence multiple times. Both Labour and Conservatives are committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on the military, with the UK already spending 2.2%. This is around double what most European countries spend on the military.
After that, Badenoch showed quite the lack of self-awareness:
His scripted lines are showing that he has not even listened to the budget himself… Perhaps he can give something that is unscripted to the people watching?
If she’s going to complain about scripted answers, it’s probably best not to read that from a script
The two party double act
Now, Starmer is one of the biggest liars in politics.
He broke every single pledge he made to become Labour leader, trampling on the foundations of democracy. He is ushering in the end of humanity itself through failing to fund a Green New Deal. Instead, he’s propping up the fossil fuel industry with a £22bn bung on vanity carbon capture projects that don’t work.
And at last week’s PMQs, he denied that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide, despite the International Court of Justice ruling that it is a ‘plausible genocide’.
Then there’s Badenoch.
Still, she is arguably worse on these issues. She regularly lies and continued to do so at PMQs. She has described herself as a “net zero sceptic”, fanning the flames of climate denialism. And the Tory leader rushes to bootlick for Israel at every opportunity.
Centrist dad and LBC journalist James O’Brien has declared that the shocking scenes of death and destruction in Valencia, Spain have made him appreciate the importance of Just Stop Oil’s campaign. Just Stop Oil is of course demanding that the UK government work with others to end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.
James O’Brien: shocked into having a considered thought
On Monday 3 November during his live show he said:
All roads lead back to climate change… I have, in recent years, been a little bit guilty. I think the snooker one did me. when they threw orange powder on the crucible in the snooker in the middle of the world championships, I sort of thought: ugh! I understand why you’re doing this, but for heaven’s sake this isn’t working.
And then look at the scenes in Spain. The equivalent of an entire year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours and you kind of think – we’re never gonna stop, are we? We’re never gonna do it. Spain could have spent, over the last 10 years, on measures that would have massively mitigated the reality that they’re facing this week.
Screams coming from a care home for the elderly as flood waters rose. Scene of cars bouncing around like matchboxes. You think: wow! We are as nothing as a species to cope with this.
James O’Brien went on to read out testimony from Spain. He stated that “Antonio Terazona watched as his wife Lourdes Maria Garcia, and their three month baby were swept away in the family car by flood waters. The last time he saw them they were clinging onto the roof of the vehicles”.
Lightbulb
He noted that:
And the people that are warning us all about this are currently, in this country, set to be put in jail if they deploy tactics that are successful. It’s that bloody film again – that DiCaprio film again. We’re not looking up. That’s it! Pictures in Spain? Don’t look of them. And if you do look at them, don’t think of Just Stop Oil protestors, or Net Zero. If they protest in a way we don’t notice, they’re golden; they’re fine. If they protest in a way that doesn’t attract any attention at all, they’re golden; they’re fine.
James O’Brien further stated that “If they protest in a way that means no camera crews will turn up, no journalists will turn up, no newspapers will report it the following morning then that’s fine – they won’t go to jail. But if they report it in a way that gets noticed… they go to jail”.
He went on to ask:
Do we owe an apology to climate change protestors? Who are risking their liberty – they’re risking their health, both mental and physical. They are sacrificing their futures and livelihoods, because they dedicate themselves so completely to sounding the alarm bells about incidents precisely like this.
James O’Brien Just Stop Oil revelation: telling
Nearly, if not all, the corporate media – particularly the right-leaning outlets – have been consistently critical of Just Stop Oil – including LBC. Outlets like the Daily Mail have been particularly abusive – even sending journalist into the group undercover to infiltrate and then report them to the police. This has directly resulted in Just Stop Oil supporters going to jail.
James O’Brien is of course part of this corporate media machinery. Let’s not forget, he said he was “disgusted” by Just Stop Oil’s Stonehenge protest – where they sprayed harmless dye on the monument. O’Brien has also helped prop up the politicians and the system that have caused the climate crisis in the first place.
However, a Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
James, there’s no need for anyone to apologise to us. We’re asking everyone to join us in civil resistance against the government which continue to extract and burn fossil fuels. Before long, Valencia will be everyday, everywhere. We must Just Stop Oil by 2030, and that means radical action today.
Just Stop Oil are far more gracious and generous than the journalists who would seek to destroy them.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves failed to use her budget to address out of control inequality nor to bring about significant or redistributive growth, meaning Labour has ushered in a fresh cost of living crisis.
Rachel Reeves: taking us backwards
Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows literally everyone except pensioners will be worse off. JRF modelling found that the average family will have £770 less in real terms by October 2029.
But those with the least broad shoulders will relatively lose more. This can only be described as true red Tory-style inequality. The poorest third of households will see their disposable income drop by 3.3% by October 2029. And the richest third will only see a drop of 1.7%.
Rachel Reeves’ failure to introduce significant redistributive and meritocratic taxation policies, nor to address how money is distributed at its creation source, are the root cause of this fresh cost of living crisis.
Despite what the charity has found about the real world impact of Reeves’ budget, she trumpeted in her speech:
The prize on offer is immense… An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all because that is the only way to improve living standards.
[The chancellor’s] actions… won’t be enough to fix the foundations for millions who struggle winter after winter in devastating hardship. The Chancellor is right that change must be felt. The people who needed to feel the most change are those living in and at risk of hardship.
The budget will also plunge more people into poverty, according to JRF.
By October 2029, 100,000 more children are set to be in poverty along with 300,000 more working age adults. This trend is consistent with research from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). CPAG found Labour’s decision to keep the two child benefit cap has already put 10,000 more children into poverty since the election.
Increase in cost of essentials, increase in inflation, increase in inequality
Labour isn’t cutting down bills through bringing essential services into public ownership. Instead, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are overseeing an increase in bills for sectors such as energy and water.
When every business has to pay more in essentials, that means higher costs across the board, which can lead to price rises throughout or, in other words, inflation.
Water companies have a cosy relationship with the water regulator and they are lobbying for bills to go up by a huge 40% by 2030. Ofwat has already confirmed a rise of 21% over the five year period.
The so-called energy regulator is also raising the price cap. This year, Labour is overseeing a rise of 14% for gas and 10% for electricity with more price hikes expected in the course of this parliament.
Public spending – mixed bag, but maintenance of Tory austerity
For the NHS, Reeves’ budget was better than people expected with spending increases beyond what was pledged in Labour’s manifesto.
But Reeves has cooked the figures here because each government department is also expected to ‘find savings’ (meaning a cut) of 2% of their budget for next year. That means the £22.6bn increase in NHS day-to-day spending over two years is actually offset by a £6bn cut, leaving it at a £16.6bn increase.
The 2% cut also impacts the headline figure of a £4bn increase in education spending. This is offset by a £2.3bn cut, leaving it at a much lower increase.
Remember that under the Tories, education spending per pupil in England faced a 9% cut from 2010-2020.
Iceland’s untamed landscapes and hidden gems attract those who seek adventure beyond the usual tourist spots. Yet, as these unique locations become harder to find, it’s essential to venture further—away from the crowds and into Iceland’s heart. This guide reveals some of Iceland’s best-kept secrets and provides tips on how to reach them using a campervan, the ultimate way to explore Iceland freely and at your own pace.
With a campervan, you gain the freedom to access secluded trails, remote hot springs, and breathtaking viewpoints, and experience Iceland without time constraints. Here are 20 hidden gems you can explore, each with its own distinct beauty and challenges.
1. Grænihryggur Ridge – Iceland’s Enigmatic Green Ridge
While many hikers flock to Landmannalaugar’s famous trails, the Grænihryggur Ridge awaits as a quieter, lesser-known trek through colorful rhyolite hills. Known locally as “the green ridge,” this hike showcases Iceland’s surreal landscape far from the crowds.
How to Access: Located off the F208 highland road, this area requires a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle, which a campervan with these specs can provide. You’ll need to park along the trailhead, found roughly 10 km south of the F224 highway, and follow the marked path.
Hiking Tips: The path to Grænihryggur involves crossing snowfields, climbing steep, slippery terrain, and a shallow river crossing, so ensure you’re prepared with hiking poles and waterproof footwear. Summer is the best time for clear trails and manageable conditions.
2. Sturlungalaug Hot Spring – Serenity on Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Tucked away in Snæfellsnes, Sturlungalaug offers a remote and scenic soak with few visitors, perfect for a relaxing escape in nature. Known for being an “undiscovered” gem, this hot spring is a secluded spot to unwind and enjoy panoramic views.
Getting There: Accessible only in summer by a gravel track from Road 55, you’ll need a high-clearance camper to handle the bumps. Park nearby and walk about a minute to the spring.
Access Tips: Accessible via a gravel path in summer (high-clearance camper needed). Bring towels, as the surroundings can be muddy. Explore Iceland by campervan to arrive on your own schedule.
Travel Tip: The water temperature can fluctuate based on seasonal conditions, so pack accordingly. The surrounding grass can be wet, so slippers are recommended.
3. Huldujökull Glacier – The Hidden Glacier of Þakgil
Huldujökull Glacier offers a spectacular, isolated experience, often revealing chunks of ice breaking from the glacier. The sight is especially awe-inspiring on clear days, with the glacier appearing to “glow” against the surrounding wilderness.
Access Details: Located near Þakgil, this spot is open in summer and accessible via Road 214. Park at the Þakgil campsite and follow either the yellow or red trail, merging onto the white-marked trail along the Þakgil Canyon for the best views.
Hiking Advice: Avoid days with fog or high winds; clear weather makes all the difference. Prepare for a full-day hike that combines moderate and steep segments, with reliable shoes and poles essential for safe navigation.
Foto de Denis Ovsyannikov: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/formacion-de-hielo-blanco-bajo-nubes-blancas-3670415/
4. Rauðaskál Crater – The Red Crown of Iceland
The red-hued Rauðaskál Crater, near the Hekla volcano, offers an otherworldly view into Iceland’s volcanic terrain. Its eerie, isolated location makes it one of the more mysterious and less visited craters in Iceland.
Travel Route: Only accessible by a challenging dirt path that requires a large 4×4 vehicle, ideally a high-clearance camper. You’ll park along the path and can hike up the crater for the best views.
Hiking Tips: Only recommended for experienced 4×4 drivers and hikers, as the paths are steep and uneven. Practice with your 4×4 on easier trails first to ensure you’re comfortable with this route.
Foto de Artūras Kokorevas: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/senderista-en-las-tierras-altas-de-islandia-explorando-el-paisaje-29053364/
5. Markarfljótsgljúfur Canyon – The Untamed Highland Gorge
Markarfljótsgljúfur offers a striking alternative to Iceland’s more famous canyons, such as Fjaðrárgljúfur. Hike along the canyon rim to find quiet waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, and views of the valley below.
How to Get There: Accessed off-road on the F261, this canyon requires a large, high-clearance 4×4 camper. Camp nearby to explore the canyon at your own pace and witness the changing light over the cliffs.
Explorer’s Tip: For the best experience, start early and follow the eastern track along the edge for stunning viewpoints. The western side is easier but doesn’t capture the canyon’s full depth.
Nestled in Borgarfjörður Eystri, Brúnavík Beach is a stunning, remote spot with volcanic black sands and turquoise waters. The hike to this location is moderate, offering views that reward the effort.
Trail Info: Park near the trailhead off Road 94. This 8 km round-trip hike can take around 2.5 hours each way. Start early for the best light and views over the water.
Hiking Advice: The trail’s first half is less eventful, but the best vistas await toward the beach itself. Be sure to bring layers, as winds off the water can be chilly.
7. Hvannagil Valley – Golden Valley Near the Ring Road
Hvannagil Valley features dry riverbeds, secluded canyons, and striking golden-tinted hills, perfect for those seeking quieter, picturesque trails. The valley’s location near the ring road makes it an accessible yet remote hiking option.
Getting There: Accessible via a gravel track on the eastern side of the Skyndidalsá River, this hike requires a camper with good ground clearance. Park at the entrance to explore at your leisure.
Trail Tips: The Hvannagil loop is a 2-hour scenic walk that winds through diverse terrain. Dress in layers and be prepared for uneven ground.
Foto de Tomáš Malík: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/islandia-nieve-nevar-montanas-27244362/
8. Strútslaug Hot Spring – A High-Highland Retreat
Strútslaug, deep in the highlands, provides a true escape and is only accessible by seasoned hikers. This spring is close to Laugavegur trail, providing a refreshing stop for trekkers.
How to Access: Take F210, a challenging road that requires a super jeep or high-clearance camper. Hike from Strútur hut for about 1.5 hours to the spring.
Pro Tip: Plan well for the trek. This hike is straightforward, but the drive can be challenging, especially in adverse weather.
9. Blautulón Lake Track – Iceland’s Hidden Water Trail
This unique trail involves navigating along Blautulón Lake, where the road runs at the lake’s edge, creating an unforgettable experience of “water driving.”
Access Tips: Accessible only in summer via F208, requiring a high-clearance 4×4 camper or a vehicle with a snorkel. Be cautious with any water crossings.
Driving Advice: Experienced drivers only. This loop drive lets you visit Langisjór via F235 before returning through Blautulón.
Foto de Laura Paredis: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/cascada-que-fluye-desde-una-formacion-rocosa-skaftafell-islandia-20582105/
10. Núpsárfoss Waterfall – A Colorful Confluence of Rivers
Núpsárfoss and Hvítárfoss are two waterfalls where two rivers—one clear and one glacial—meet, creating a striking color contrast. This scenic spot, away from popular tourist trails, provides a peaceful waterfall experience.
Getting There: This is a challenging spot to reach, as no marked trail leads directly to Núpsárfoss. Located near Skaftafell, visitors must either walk from the ring road (10 km each way) or navigate a rough dirt track by super jeep.
Pro Tip: Contact local rangers in Skaftafell for advice, as routes can change due to shifting rivers. If taking the hike, plan for a full day with provisions.
Located in the remote Westfjords, Hornstrandir is an isolated wilderness with Arctic foxes, unspoiled landscapes, and minimal human influence. The reserve is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts and those wanting to connect with nature.
Access Tips: Accessed by ferry from Ísafjörður, Hornstrandir requires proper planning for weather and supplies, as there are no shops or services.
Wildlife Viewing: A camper allows you to park near the ferry terminal, giving you flexibility to plan around the ferry schedule and optimize for wildlife sightings.
12. Kerlingarfjöll – A Highland Geothermal Wonderland
Kerlingarfjöll’s vibrant geothermal landscape is one of Iceland’s hidden wonders, with colorful rhyolite mountains, steam vents, and hot springs all nestled between two glaciers.
Getting There: The F35 and F347 roads lead to Kerlingarfjöll, accessible only with a high-clearance 4×4. Camping nearby allows for early hikes to witness the steam rising at dawn.
Hiking Advice: Start early to enjoy the peaceful morning light. The main trails are well-marked, but visitors should still check weather conditions, as the area can be foggy or misty, reducing visibility.
13. Askja Caldera – The Heart of Iceland’s Interior
Askja Caldera offers a captivating landscape with its milky-blue lake set within a volcanic crater. It’s a remote, otherworldly location that can only be accessed in summer.
How to Reach It: The caldera is accessed by the F88 or F910 roads, which require a high-clearance 4×4. Stay in a nearby campsite to explore early, before other visitors arrive.
Swimming Tips: Visitors often swim in Víti, the smaller lake within Askja, although the water temperature can vary. Be sure to bring a swimsuit and towel if you plan to take a dip.
Foto de Julia Volk: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/montana-cubierta-de-nieve-5111055/
14. Gjáin – Iceland’s Secret Garden
Gjáin is a hidden, lush oasis in the Þjórsárdalur Valley, featuring a small canyon, vibrant vegetation, and cascading waterfalls that seem to belong in a fantasy novel.
Travel Route: Located just off the Þjórsárdalur Valley, Gjáin is accessible by a gravel road, manageable with most vehicles, but a camper offers the convenience of staying longer.
Photography Tips: Capture Gjáin’s waterfalls and pools with a tripod to enhance low-light images, especially at dusk or dawn.
15. Rauðasandur Beach – The Westfjords’ Red Sands
Rauðasandur’s red-hued sands create a stark contrast against Iceland’s black beaches, providing a unique and remote coastal experience along with breathtaking views of the Westfjords.
Getting There: Reached by a narrow, winding road in the Westfjords, Rauðasandur is best accessed with a 4×4 camper. Drive carefully and be prepared for changing road conditions.
Beach Exploration: Bring layers for wind protection, as conditions can change quickly. The beach is vast, allowing for long walks in near solitude.
Accessible only during winter, the Vatnajökull ice caves offer an ever-changing world of blue-hued ice and intricate natural formations that feel like stepping into a frozen dream.
Access Tips: Tours are required for safety due to shifting ice. Park your camper nearby for early-morning tours, which typically provide the best lighting for photos.
Photography Advice: A wide-angle lens is ideal to capture the scale of the cave. Be mindful of the cold inside and dress warmly.
Often compared to Landmannalaugar, Lónsöræfi boasts colorful landscapes and rugged hiking trails that remain largely untouched, making it a favorite among Icelandic hikers.
Getting There: Located off F980, this area requires a high-clearance 4×4 due to the rough terrain and challenging river crossings.
Safety Tips: Check river conditions and road updates before setting out. The wilderness is vast, so bring sufficient supplies and let someone know your plans.
18. Grafarkirkja Turf Church – A Step Back in Time
Grafarkirkja, one of Iceland’s oldest turf churches, is a quiet, historic site showcasing traditional architecture. The tranquil surroundings offer a unique look into Icelandic heritage.
Access Details: Park nearby and enjoy the scenic views around Skagafjörður, perfect for a peaceful break from driving.
Photographer’s Tip: Visit in the late afternoon for golden-hour lighting that enhances the texture of the turf walls.
Foto de Chris B: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/islandia-hierba-cesped-arbol-10517340/
19. Stuðlagil Canyon – The Hidden Basalt Marvel
In East Iceland, Stuðlagil Canyon’s hexagonal basalt columns create an otherworldly atmosphere, especially when viewed from the river.
Getting There: A moderate hike leads from the parking area to the canyon, best accessed by a high-clearance vehicle. Start early to avoid crowds.
Photography Advice: Use a neutral-density filter to capture the water flowing over the rocks, creating a smooth, ethereal effect.
20. Húsavík Whale Museum – Maritime History and Wildlife
Known as the whale-watching capital of Iceland, Húsavík is home to a museum celebrating Iceland’s rich marine history, complete with whale skeletons and educational displays.
Access Tips: Park your camper at Húsavík’s coastline and stay overnight for the opportunity to catch a morning whale-watching tour.
Visitor’s Note: Plan time for the museum and enjoy a coffee at a nearby café afterward for a relaxed afternoon.
Exploring Iceland’s Hidden Gems with Freedom and Flexibility
Venturing into Iceland’s less-traveled paths by campervan not only opens doors to hidden destinations but also allows a deeper, more flexible exploration. Whether parked near a glacial lake, on a black sand beach, or outside a remote hot spring, you’ll experience Iceland in a way that few travelers do.
With the ability to move and explore freely, you can fully embrace Iceland’s hidden treasures, from secluded waterfalls to remote craters, and craft a journey that truly belongs to you. Traveling Iceland by campervan is more than just a trip; it’s a passage into Iceland’s soul, a land of untouched beauty waiting just for you.
FAQ: Hidden Gems and Camper Travel in Iceland
When is the best season to explore Iceland by camper?
Summer is ideal for accessing Iceland’s remote locations.
Are 4×4 vehicles required?
Many locations need a 4×4, so a high-clearance camper is recommended.
What essentials should I bring?
Waterproof clothing, sturdy shoes, and provisions are essential for these remote locations.
Six Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested on Tuesday 29 October as an insurer’s office was chalk-sprayed, the famous Gherkin building occupied, and insurance CEOs branded climate criminals by a video van tour of the City of London.
Yes, it’s day two of Extinction Rebellion’s Insure Our Survival week hitting the streets.
Day two of righteous chaos on the City of London
The offices of “one of the most hypocritical insurers in the UK” was covered by Extinction Rebellion with fly posters and chalk spray paint to highlight the firm’s leading role in insuring fossil fuel crooks to set the planet on fire.
Cops arrested six people:
The offices of giant insurance brokers WTW in Lime Street in the City of London were targeted. This is because their analysts co-authored a recent report that warned climate crisis-driven floods and extreme weather have a high likelihood of causing food shortages and social unrest in the UK.
Meanwhile, the firm makes millions from helping fossil fuel crooks to get insurance to keep digging and drilling for the oil, gas and coal causing the climate emergency.
An Insure Our Survival spokesperson said:
WTW were targeted because they may be one of the most hypocritical insurers in the UK. Shockingly, their experts publicly state that the climate crisis could cause food shortages and social unrest – and yet they keep sorting the fossil fuel companies with insurance to make the crisis worse and more likely to cost billions of lives.
Extinction Rebellion sweeps across the City
A dramatic wave of protest and non-violent direct action swept the City as Extinction Rebellion’s Insure Our Survival campaign staged a second day of actions demanding that insurers stop insuring all the new oil, gas and coal projects that will make the climate emergency worse, faster:
One of the City of London’s most iconic and recognisable buildings, the Gherkin, was occupied. Three activists in business suits entered the lobby of the glass and steel tower that is the HQ of the global reinsurance company SwissRe who are heavily involved in the dirty business of insuring climate breakdown:
They unfurled banners reading Insure Our Survival and Stop EACOP, a reference to the planet-wrecking ‘carbon bomb’ East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline that insurance would make possible.
Outside a ‘soft blockade’ of 20 Extinction Rebellion activists formed a ring on the pavement in front of the main entrance. They greeted insurance workers with placards warning about UK and global food shortages and price spikes, the threat to UK farming, and the wave of uninsurable homes as a result of floods caused by the oil, gas and coal projects their business is insuring.
To make the message even more graphic, a semi-circle of protesters held up huge photographic images of people in the UK and across the world amidst the wreckage of their homes and lives after climate crisis-driven extreme weather and flooding:
The globally-renowned artist and photographer Gideon Mendel, who took the pictures, was in attendance, capturing the scenes on camera and supporting the protesters.
Throughout the day, an advertising van playing videos depicting the CEOs of leading UK-based insurers as climate criminals, toured the City of London.
Marching through the City of London
Hundreds of activists marched through the streets of the City of London. They were led by a wheelbarrow holding a giant potato to satirically symbolise the coming flood-driven breakdown of the UK’s food and farming system and the price and hunger crisis that will follow:
In a theatrical illustration of the food shortages to come unless the fossil fuel industry is stopped, dozens of activists queued with empty bowls in front of the giant potato close to the Lloyds of London – only to be given a single pea each.
Protestors from the Christian Climate Action staged a picket outside of the offices of Chubb in Fenchurch Street and later this afternoon, small children in ghost costumes symbolising the young lives being lost to climate crisis-driven famine will visit insurance offices in the City with their parents from XR Families.
Insure Our Survival spokesperson Steve Tooze said:
On Monday we told the world about the floods that are happening everywhere because insurers are continuing to underwrite the expansion of the fossil fuel industry. Today, we spelled out the horrific realities of those floods for ordinary people here and in the Global South.
Famine is already rife in countries in Africa, Asia and South and Central America due to floods and extreme weather caused by the climate crisis. It’s only a matter of time before food shortages and hunger hit the UK too. The floods are also leaving towns, homes, businesses and lives wrecked.
We’re making it clear to insurers that they have the power to stop us going hungry and having our homes flooded and made uninsurable. They can make it impossible for fossil fuel bosses to keep drilling and digging by pulling the plug on the insurance that covers their huge financial losses if things go wrong.
Unless insurers meet our demand to stop insuring new oil and gas, we will keep targeting them with mass non-violent direct action to damage their reputations with the public and business community and hit their share price.
Featured image and additional images via Extinction Rebellion
In parliament, former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded foreign secretary David Lammy end arms sales to Israel.
Corbyn: Israel killing ‘the entire population of northern Gaza’
Corbyn, now elected as an independent MP, said:
Joyce Msuya, the humanitarian chief of the UN, who says and I quote ‘the entire population of northern Gaza is at risk of dying’, on top of the 1,000 who died last week, on top of all those living in the most desperate situation in southern Gaza, on top of the occupation of southern Lebanon, the bombing of southern Beirut and now the dangers of a hot war between Iran and Israel… isn’t it time… we suspend arms supplies in total to Israel in order to bring about a ceasefire and a cessation of this frankly murder of an innocent civilian population
But in response Lammy simply treated the situation in Palestine as some kind of natural disaster, rather than what the International Court of Justice called a ‘plausible genocide’. He even referred to the “Disasters Emergency Committee” in his answer:
Instead of expressing “concern” about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, isn’t it time we stopped supplying Israel with the weapons that have caused the catastrophe in the first place? pic.twitter.com/LdbOotBzoZ
Lammy also said “we have suspended arms that could be used in contravention of international humanitarian law”. But as Corbyn and the Independent Alliance of MPs have pointed out, through banning just 8.5% of export licenses to Israel the government has:
finally admitted there is a clear risk of weapons being used to commit violations of international law
They continued:
It is beyond shameful that it took the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians for this admission to be made public
The Independent Alliance called for the limited arms suspension to be the:
first step in ending all arms sales to Israel. That includes parts for F-35 fighter jets, used by the Israeli military to commit genocide in Gaza.
Also in parliament, Labour MP Andy McDonald told Lammy:
The foreign secretary will no doubt agree with me that third states such as the UK are obliged not to assist Israel in its annihilation of the Gazan people. Israel continues to target cynically named ‘safe zones’, schools, hospitals in its war of extermination.
While the UK has suspended only 30… licenses for the export of arms to the Israeli military, our continued participation in the F-35 global supply chains means that devastating 2,000 pound bombs continue to destroy human beings
To stop the annihilation of the Gazan people, I said that in future people will ask why the international community did not use all levers available to them.
To ban arms sales and impose sanctions on Israel and to recognise the Palestinian state. pic.twitter.com/1SgKa5mwht
— Andy McDonald MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East (@AndyMcDonaldMP) October 28, 2024
As the Canary has reported, the Danish outlet Information and NGO Danwatch has documented the use of F-35 fighter jets in a specific Israeli bombing that killed around 90 Palestinians and injured over 300. 15% of F-35 fighter jets are produced in the UK. The bombardment was in an area – Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza – that Israel had previously designated as a ‘safe zone’.
UK exports
Campaign Against Arms Trade estimates that UK arms exports to Israel total at least £1bn since 2015 – double what the government says it is.
The estimate comes because the government uses open licenses to mask the figures. This is where companies can export unlimited amounts of specific military equipment under one license.
In June, the Department of Business and Trade revealed that Rishi Sunak’s government had approved 42 military export licenses to Israel from 7 October 2023 to 31 May 2024. Of these, five are open licenses.
The government’s continued approval of export licenses to Israel is very much out of step with the British public. Back in April, YouGov polling found that 56% of people believe the government should end arms and spare part sales to Israel, compared to 17% who don’t.
The hearing to finalise Shell’s anti-protest injunctions against 13 Just Stop Oil supporters and persons unknown has concluded. Judgement will be given at a later date, but lawyers acting for Shell have said that the company will not be seeking costs for anyone named on the injunction owing to the substantive submissions made in court.
Just Stop Oil versus Shell: all our fights
Two Just Stop Oil supporters, Charles Phillip Laurie and Emma Ireland have been representing themselves at the High Court this week to directly challenge Shell ‘s anti-protest injunctions. They are among 13 who have refused to sign undertakings not to take action at oil terminals, petrol stations and Shell’s HQ in future.
The hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice before Mr Justice Dexter Dias relates to three Shell injunctions which were secured in May 2022 following Just Stop Oil’s historic resistance at oil terminals and petrol stations. That campaign led to over 1,000 arrests and had a significant impact on fuel availability at petrol pumps across the South East and the Midlands.
One of the people challenging the injunctions is Charles Phillip Laurie, a father of three, Quaker, and retired civil engineer. In his evidence which he addressed to Shell’s representatives he said:
the products you make will cause the deaths of hundreds of millions of deaths- not in some specified time in the future but in the next few years, probably within my lifetime, certainly within the lifetime of my children.
In his written evidence, Laurie wrote:
The products sold by fossil fuel companies such as Shell are one of the major causes of climate change. These companies know the risks their products pose. Their role is totally malign. They deny the impact, delay action, destroy lives and environments.
They take no responsibility for the output of their products, at all times seeking to maximise their sales which is a death sentence for many people and the planet.
Politicians captive to Big Oil
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
Shell, Exxon and their captive politicians have known for over 50 years that burning more oil, gas and coal will lead to catastrophic warming. It is now clear that the collapse of human civilization and the death of millions if not billions of people means nothing to these people. Their only concern is to protect their profits and while hiding the damage that their products cause.
Shell, which generates billions in profit, has spent the last three years persecuting ordinary people who have taken nonviolent action to save lives in the face of continued inaction on the climate emergency. These injunctions are private laws that would prevent anyone from taking action to highlight the role that Shell plays in the ongoing climate crisis, even when criminal laws exist to govern the behaviour that they object to.
No-one should be immune from the consequences of their actions least of all Shell. It’s time they faced the full force of the law. Prosecute the real criminals.
Just Stop Oil says it stands “with our 24 supporters in prison, with the 1,800 victims of our broken criminal justice system imprisoned for over a year without trial and with the 1,700 murdered across the global south, for protecting all our lives”:
Everyone knows that politics is broken and we cannot rely on politicians (or judges) to save us — not from poverty, not from the cost of living crisis, not from complete climate collapse. The Labour government doesn’t work for ordinary people, they work for corporations and billionaires, while supporting genocide in Gaza. It’s time to put this right.
As a prefigurative day of action we will be actively inviting and welcoming a large number of groups to come together – including the climate and nature movements, palestine solidarity, inequality and democracy movements to join forces and march on Parliament and join us after at the Umbrella Rally, Banquet, Peoples Assembly and After Party.
Gambling has been around for hundreds of years, and with the introduction of the internet, this was taken to a whole new level. After a few years, Virtual reality came onto the scene and hasn’t looked back, taking over and becoming a must for most households.
Because of this, we’ve completely changed how we play online gambling such as slots games and poker, as now from the comfort of our own home we can get the same gambling experience as you would in an actual casino.
Whether you’re playing a high stakes casino game, or a more relaxed chilled slot gaming session, you’ll be able to improve your experience by playing it whilst using a virtual reality headset.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look into the future of online gaming, how virtual reality has affected it over time and what it will look like going forward.
How to get started
Let’s start from the very beginning and discuss how you get started. Firsty, you’ll need a compatible headset such as a meta quest. You’ll need to get this all set up along with a computer as most games require you to plug the headset into the computer.
Once they’ve been set up, you’ll next need to find a suitable space to play. Do keep in mind when having a headset on, you may feel like walking and moving around, along with swinging and moving your arms. So be sure to have enough space to do this, we recommend trying the space out first without the headset. Some headsets with camera functions even have a setting to scan the room and let you know if there’s enough space available, so that’s a handy tool to use.
Once all set up, you’ll need to find the right game for you, whilst we’ll discuss these games in more detail later on, once you’ve found your game, you’re good to go. Load up the game, jump into your virtual reality and get playing!
Choosing the right game for you
Once it’s all set up, you’ll need to choose the right game for you. Take some time to assess your options and find a game that suits you. You’ll have options for games such as slots, roulette, poker or blackjack. Don’t forget, it’s not just the mechanics of the game you need to consider, but also the fact you’ll be playing via virtual reality.
This takes the game up a notch and makes the whole experience a lot more realistic. For example, in poker you’ll be sat at an actual table watching a dealer hand out cards and the other players sit around. Slots you’ll be sitting in front of the machine and see the spins in real time. And roulette you’ll see the ball bounce around before landing on red or black, which in virtual reality can be even more heart stopping!
The plus sides of using virtual reality
Using virtual reality doesn’t just bring a sense of realism to the game, it also has other aspects, let’s take a look:
Realism
As mentioned above, playing using a virtual reality headset really improves the realism of the game, there’s only so realistic a game can look on a screen or monitor, however when it feels like you’re really in the room, and you’re able to look and move around freely, this can really enhance the experience for players. For some players, going to a casino simply isn’t an option for one reason or another, so having the option to bring the casino to their home is a win win.
The social side
A lot of the virtual reality casino games offer the function to talk to other players. So when you’re sitting around a poker table, you can speak to other players, either via chat or even in some cases over a microphone. This only adds to the realism as you’re interacting with other players, trying to call bluffs and play mind games, this adds to this and gives the virtual reality gaming experience just another layer.
Some games will even have break rooms, where you can chat with other players and friends outside of a casino game, allowing you a chance to take a break and just have a chat with the other players.
Online casinos and gambling have come a long way in recent years, and with how virtual reality is coming along, there’s no sign of this stopping anytime soon. Players are now able to play from the comfort of their own homes and still get the full in house casino experience, something even ten years ago wouldn’t have been possible.
With this type of improvement in such a small period of time, where will we be in another ten years?
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