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?
On August 29, 12-16 police officers, some of them from the UK’s counter-terrorism unit, arrested Palestine activist and journalist Sarah Wilkinson, 61, under the Terrorism Act 2000, for content she had posted online. The bail conditions, which included not being allowed to use any electronic devices or any form of public transportation, were dropped a week later. She has also returned to…
Silicon Quantum Computing and Deloitte Space are among the five winners of the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s inaugural pitch day and will now start negotiations for a share of Defence contracts worth $4 million. The other winners are autonomous systems firm Breaker Industries, bacterial diagnostics developer Cytophenix, and the University of South Australia. The winners…
Over two thirds (64%) of professional services firms in the UK have stated that as of 2024, new job adverts will not feature the option of being ‘fully-remote.’ This marks a trend in the decline of remote working. However, as usual it’s chronically ill and disabled people who’ll bear the brunt of the shift.
The end of remote working?
The decision, according to business leaders, is to encourage professionals to come back into the office – with close to half of hiring managers (42%) stating that they are ‘willing to wait’ for the right applicant who is able to commute into the office.
The findings – from a survey by global talent solutions business Robert Walters, of 500 professional services companies in the UK – come amidst an all-time low in the number of fully-remote job adverts posted in the UK.
According to data from LinkedIn, the share of remote positions posted on the job site has plummeted in the last 12 months. In the UK, remote job postings have dipped more than 13% since February last year – higher than in Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Gerrit Bouckaert, CEO of Robert Walters, said:
Looking back to the jobs market a few years ago and employers were desperate for talent as they tried to navigate the post-pandemic bounce back. Companies were forced to meet applicants’ demands – which included accommodating remote work.
Fast forward to 2024, and the power dynamic has shifted back in favor of employers – who have introduced a range of changes including true flexibility in hours, hybrid working, office refurbs, enhanced digital infrastructure, as well as endless soft perks such as free lunches.
With that, employers want some give and take – and it seems the ‘take’ is fully remote working.
Return to office or a rushed decision?
According to the survey from Robert Walters, almost a quarter of professional services (23%) firms have stated that they have increased the number of compulsory days in the office in the past 12 months – by at least one additional day.
A further fifth (19%) admit that ‘conversations are ‘on-going’ on whether they will increase in-office time to 4-5 days.
Such a move will mimic the likes of Boots – who have requested administrative staff back into the office for five days a week from this month, and Santander who announced earlier this week that they intend to formalised a minimum three-day a week office attendance.
Gerrit adds:
What has been interesting to observe is the U-turn from big firms – such as Meta – who have typically led the way on workplace trends including being early adopters of remote working.
Given it is too early to tell whether this method will result in increased productivity – other organizations should be mindful of jumping on the ‘bandwagon’ of a full return-to-office, without considering the impact this will have to your ability to attract and retain employees.
Pressure builds on management
Robert Walters analysts note the prominence of a ‘top-down approach’ to return-to-office – where managers are being asked to do more days in the office compared to their team.
Recently, Barclays bank in London announced that it would follow its US-counterparts and push for a five-day return to office – with a number of VPs reportedly being told to come back to the workplace full-time from 1 June this year to help set a precedent. IBM informed their managers that they must be at the office, or meeting a client, for a minimum of three days a week. If not, they could leave the company.
Gerrit adds:
Whilst I am a complete advocate for management leading from the front, a ‘one size fits all approach’ to working practices does not lend itself well to diversity or inclusion.
For example, with hybrid (or remote) working, managers who are working parents or carers get to reap the benefits of increased time with family whilst continuing to do their job effectively. Forcing them back into the office could be a significant disruption to their family life – both personally and financially if you consider childcare.
Tracking your whereabouts
For large, multi-site organisations the deterrent to increasing more days in the office has been the inability to keep-track of whether policies are being followed – according to the research from Robert Walters.
Interestingly, the survey found that a fifth of company leaders (18%) would not be against linking pay and promotions to workplace attendance.
Google made a similar move recently – with a memo revealing it will now track how often employees badge in and include in-person attendance in employees’ performance reviews. PwC – one of the world’s biggest consulting and accounting firms – announced plans to monitor its employees locations to ensure compliance with a stricter return-to-office policy that requires staff to spend at least three days a week, or 60% of their time, in the office or with clients.
However, all this is also ignoring the accessibility needs of chronically ill and disabled people.
Chronically ill and disabled people must not become an afterthought again
One of the most significant advantages of remote working for chronically ill and disabled employees is increased accessibility. Traditional office environments often pose physical and logistical challenges that can exacerbate health issues.
Commutes, office layouts, and inflexible schedules can all create barriers to success. Working from home allows employees to customise their workspaces to meet their needs, whether it’s having ergonomic equipment, access to medication, or simply creating a quiet, low-stress environment.
Remote working also provides flexibility in managing health.
Many chronic illnesses and disabilities require regular medical appointments or unpredictable rest periods due to flare-ups. In a remote setting, employees can often work around their health needs more effectively, without the added stress of explaining frequent absences or adjusting to rigid office hours. This flexibility not only boosts productivity but also improves job satisfaction, as employees feel more in control of their work-life balance.
Another benefit is reduced fatigue and stress. For individuals dealing with chronic illness, the physical and mental energy required to commute, navigate office politics, or meet in-person demands can be overwhelming. Remote work eliminates the need for daily travel and allows for pacing throughout the day. Employees can take breaks when needed without feeling scrutinized, which is critical in maintaining both physical health and mental well-being.
Remote working: going back to the past
Gerrit concludes:
The desire for companies to push for a return-to-office is born from economic instability and stalling growth. Employers are looking at ways they can improve their productivity and output – one of these being to go back to ways of working when ‘times were good.’
However, in the increasing age of global-working and digital proficiency employers need to ensure they consider all the options available rather than returning immediately to the past for the answers.
Disabled people across the UK are facing a worsening housing crisis, as government policies and funding shortfalls leave many trapped in unsuitable homes. The system designed to support these individuals, particularly through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), is plagued by bureaucratic delays and a lack of coordination.
These issues have resulted in countless disabled people enduring years in homes that fail to meet their basic needs. The consequences of these delays are severe, forcing some people into extended hospital stays or making everyday activities in their homes dangerous or impossible.
Compounding the problem is the real-term reduction in the value of the DFG, which has not kept pace with rising construction costs. Outdated pricing structures further discourage contractors with the necessary expertise from participating in DFG projects, exacerbating delays and limiting the availability of crucial adaptations. This has left many disabled people waiting far too long for essential modifications like wheelchair ramps, accessible bathrooms, and stairlifts, adaptations that are critical for maintaining their independence and dignity.
The “Disabled people in the housing sector” report from the House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities Committee, published May 2024, reveals that the lack of suitable housing options means many disabled people are left in unsuitable accommodation for years, with no hope of improvement. Despite government commitments to improve accessibility standards in new homes, progress has been slow.
The committee’s report calls for immediate implementation of the M4(2) accessibility standard for all new builds, a policy that has been delayed for nearly two years. The report also emphasises the need for more homes built to the M4(3) standard, specifically designed for wheelchair users. Local authorities are urged to prioritise the needs of disabled people in their housing plans and to ensure that a sufficient number of new homes are fully accessible.
Sam, the Director of Age Care Bathrooms, a company that works with local councils to provide accessible bathroom solutions for people approved for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs), is a dedicated advocate for accessible housing. In April 2024, Age Care Bathrooms commissioned a YouGov survey to uncover the significant challenges faced by UK adults aged 50 and over in maintaining bathroom accessibility. The findings, shared widely through a press release, are alarming: 26% of respondents revealed that at least one household member struggles with bathing or showering, and a staggering 65% are unaware of the financial assistance available through the DFG.
Many disabled people struggle to adapt their existing homes to meet their needs, even with the help of the DFG. A report from Age UK reveals that more than two-thirds of local authorities take longer than the recommended six months to complete adaptations through the DFG, with some taking more than two years. These delays have devastating effects, leaving many disabled and older people in unsafe and unsuitable living conditions for extended periods.
In an April 2024 press release, Age UK highlighted findings from a recent report that revealed significant delays in implementing home adaptations after Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) applications were approved. The report found that over two-thirds of local authorities exceeded the recommended six-month timeframe for completing these adaptations, with some cases taking more than two years to finalise. These delays are causing considerable hardship for those relying on these crucial modifications to maintain safety and independence in their homes.
The charity is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the DFG system. This includes increasing the grant’s funding, streamlining the application process, and improving communication between local authorities, healthcare providers, and contractors, to ensure that adaptations are delivered more quickly and efficiently.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, stressed the urgency of these reforms: “Our report highlights the appalling delays many older people face when trying to get the adaptations they need through the DFG. For those on low incomes, there is often no choice but to wait, sometimes for years, enduring discomfort and risking their health while they wait for their homes to be made safe.”
Age Care Bathrooms fully supports the call for reform of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and is advocating, in an ongoing petition with change.org, for greater clarity around eligibility requirements, and an urgent review of the outdated £6,000 savings threshold.
As the number of disabled people in the UK continues to rise, the demand for accessible housing will only grow. The government must act now to address the systemic flaws in the DFG and housing policy, ensuring that disabled individuals are no longer left behind. Increased funding, a more efficient application process, and stronger enforcement of accessibility standards are essential steps toward building a more inclusive and just society. Without these changes, the housing crisis for disabled people will only worsen, leaving many trapped in homes that fail to meet their most basic needs.
Over the past few years of increasingly hostile migration policies, many in the migrant, including refugee, charity sector have looked to the dawn of a new government with eager anticipation. Surely, a Labour government would undo so many of these cruel anti-migration laws and mark a more ‘progressive’ chapter in migrant rights? Unfortunately, at the Migrants’ Rights Network…
A former architecture student living with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) has created a series of 3D room scans to show what life with the devastating disease is like. From the small world that is her bedroom, 26-year-old Katiana has produced the series of images to illustrate how Greece’s dire lack of services for people with her chronic illness is trapping her in an increasingly dangerous situation.
Unconscionably, this is that Katiana’s abusive parents are putting the life of their daughter at enormous risk. Most alarming of all, if things don’t change – and fast – Katiana is scared she’s going to die.
A life ‘full of promise’ lost to ME/CFS
Katiana reached out to the Canary with her story, in what she described as her “last attempt to be heard”. She told us that:
At just twenty-three years old, my life was full of promise. I was an architecture student, an athlete, and a high achiever, on the brink of earning my degree and pursuing my master’s abroad.
Katiana’s life before.Katiana adventuring before she got sick with ME and long Covid.
Then, the pandemic struck, and everything changed. Ever since, Katiana has been battling the relentless, life-altering symptoms of long Covid and ME/CFS.
ME is a chronic systemic neuroimmune disease which impacts around tens, if not hundreds of millions people worldwide. Similar to, and sometimes overlapping with long Covid, it affects nearly every system in the body and causes a range of symptoms that impact patients’ daily lives. These include influenza-like symptoms, cognitive impairment, multiple forms of pain, and heart, lung, blood pressure, and digestive dysfunctions, among other significantly debilitating symptoms.
Some of Katiana’s symptoms.
Significantly, post-exertional-malaise (PEM) is the hallmark feature of ME, which entails a disproportionate worsening of other symptoms after even minimal physical, social, or mental activities.
Meanwhile, long Covid shares many pathological overlaps with ME. Both are viral onset illnesses – meaning that they’re typically triggered by a viral infection. Studies have shown already that over 50% of people living with long Covid meet the diagnostic criteria for ME.
In these cases, people living severe ME are mostly, if not entirely permanently bed-bound or hospitalised. On top of this, they are often unable to digest food, communicate, or process information and are fully dependent on others for their care.
For the last year and a half, this has been Katiana’s reality. She told the Canary that:
My condition has been very severe to the point that I’m in agony and pain everyday. I’m almost entirely bedbound – only getting up to go to the bathroom. This causes a lot of distress, pain, and struggle. I can’t tolerate light or sound and I’m unable to speak most of the time. Doing so makes me worse as I’m in a constant crash, since I’m not able to pace myself.
She described how she lives in constant pain. Katiana wanted to drive home that:
I can’t even bathe or take care of my basic hygiene.
Crucially, severe ME can be fatal – as the recent inquest into the death of Maeve Boothby-O’Neill is a harrowing reminder of. Maeve came up against an uncaring, unequipped, abusive healthcare system in the UK which ultimately killed her. Now, Katiana is afraid that the apathy of the Greek government and healthcare authorities towards people with chronic health conditions like hers will do the same.
Despite the widespread impact of long Covid and ME, she explained to the Canary that there is a significant lack of resources and assistance for those suffering from its long-term effects. A 2021 survey of clinical experts across Europe sought to establish GP knowledge and understanding of ME. It found that:
Widespread disbelief in the existence of ME/CFS was reported as a factor limiting provision of specialist care in Greece.
Largely, this has been her experience too. Notably, she expressed how – much like Maeve and others including Millie and Carla battling the NHS in the UK – clinical care staff have mistreated her during many hospitalisations in Greece’s healthcare system. And like Maeve, Millie, and Carla too, the hospital clinical staff have made her condition significantly worse. Katiana explained that:
I went from moderate ME to severe in a year.
Boxed in from all sides
However, Katiana’s home environment is no safer. Using her architecture skills, Katiana has generated 3D scans of the bedroom in which she ekes out the daily realities of life with severe ME/CFS and her other devastating conditions:
Aerial view 3D scan of Katiana’s bedroom. Alternating square tiled floor. A bed with scrunched up blankets and pillows in the top left corner, with a small bedside table cluttered with items. More cluttered furniture along the bottom of the room. A window along the centre of the left wall and a door in the centre of the right wall. Posters and pictures above Katiana’s bed along the top wallView inside Katiana’s room from a 3D scan. Alternating square tiled floor. A bed with scrunched up blankets and pillows in the top left corner, with a small bedside table cluttered with items. More cluttered furniture along the bottom of the room. A window along the centre of the left wall and a door in the centre of the right wall. Posters and pictures above Katiana’s bed along the top wall
Please share!! ME/CFS kills lives. I'm dying and everyone watches. The photo is edited to have more exposure for you to see. I once 3d scanned buildings as an arch student. Now I guided a nurse (only for 3hrs/day) to scan my room. My prison. #pwme#mecfs#longcovidpic.twitter.com/jSx1qcPVNY
Of course, as for many people living with it, this is her whole world. It’s a stark, but poignant depiction of life with severe ME. Katiana’s cuboid room could be a metaphor for the walled existence, boxed in by intensely debilitating illness and a medical establishment that gaslights, neglects, and seals lives away under a psychologising lid. Or, the repeated rectangular patterns throughout her bedroom could pose as an allegory for the way clinicians try to force multi-faceted chronic illnesses into square-shaped holes.
But Katiana’s haunting images conceal a particular, vital message: her urgent plea for help. Because the Greek government and healthcare system aren’t the only ones putting her life at enormous risk. Katiana’s parents are too. Currently, she is trapped in their abusive household.
She told the Canary how:
My parents use their little financial support as a tool of manipulation, choosing which doctors I can see and refusing to cover the specialists I need. This form of control extends to every aspect of my care, as they deny me access to necessary medical aids like a wheelchair or commode, equating their use with giving up. This forces me to rely entirely on their approval for my basic needs, stripping me of autonomy.
Alongside this, she explained that they consistently gaslight her. She said that they do so:
by dismissing my legitimate health concerns, questioning the severity of my illness, and accusing me of overreacting. They also gaslight my nurse, denying that they do anything harmful, even when confronted with evidence of their actions.
However, their gaslighting is just the tip of iceberg. For Katiana, her MCAS can cause symptoms like hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, fainting, severe gastrointestinal issues, and anaphylaxis. She said that:
Despite having explained this, my parents continue to use products that trigger my symptoms, putting my life in danger.
And disregard for her condition is a recurring theme. Her parents refuse to acknowledge how external stimuli worsen her severe ME. This means they frequently expose Katiana to loud noises which exacerbate her condition. What’s more, they don’t take Covid precautions, putting Katiana at risk of contracting it and further endangering life.
Besides this, they’ve denied Katiana access to a commode, and have restricted her access to a nurse. She cooks suitable food that Katiana can tolerate with her multiple gastrointestinal problems. To date, she has been the only person able to help Katiana. She regularly challenges Katiana’s parents on their abusive, neglectful treatment. However, she’s come up against a brick wall in petitioning them for the necessary environmental adjustments that Katiana desperately needs.
Katiana therefore feels that:
Their care oscillates between neglect and harmful intervention, making my condition deteriorate further. In other words, they’re exhibiting all the characteristics of narcissistic abuse, and with it, making my health inordinately worse.
Ignoring and threatening medical professionals that try to help
Katiana wanted the Canary to see some of her medical reports. These were from the various doctors she has gone to for support. None of these were based in Greece, because she has only found one doctor knowledgeable on ME/CFS in the country. However, her father dismissed and threatened them when they tried to help Katiana.
In the reports she shared with the Canary from multiple international clinicians, including severe ME specialist Dr William Weir in the UK, the “irreversible” impact of her parents maltreatment and abuse, and the fact they’ve stopped her getting crucial treatment, was a recurrent issue they raised.
New York-based ME specialist Dr Susan Levine is one such doctor who has evaluated Katiana’s condition. In her medical report, Levine emphasised that:
Katiana is extremely disabled and can barely walk two steps out of her bed due to her profound fatigue. Furthermore, it can cause her irreversible harm to attempt to do more even on her betters days”
Another, from a neurosurgeon in Barcelona identified the danger of leaving Katiana’s CCI untreated. CCI presents as increased mobility at junctions in the neck and causes a range of devastating symptoms. The specialist has advised Katiana she needs urgent treatment for this, but she’s unable to get there for care. He impressed in his email that Katiana needs the operation “as soon as possible” to:
avoid arriving to a state of irreversible damage.
Despite the comprehensive notes from these international experts, her parents have continued to ignore their advice. Instead, Katiana explained that they have taken the word of doctors that confirm their own preconceptions of her illnesses and needs.
To make matters worse, her father has sought to cut her off from those trying to help her. She explained how he’s threatened legal action against doctors, her psychologist, and organisations who’ve tried to advocate for her needs. She said that:
They are trying to manipulate people into thinking that I am a mental patient.
Severe ME/CFS and narcissistic abuse: a life ‘already dead’
Katiana wanted to make clear that her parents aren’t physically abusive. However, their neglect and psychological abuse has made her life increasingly unbearable. Katiana told the Canary that the stark contrast between her life and her parents’ has made her situation profoundly more distressing:
I feel as if I’m already dead. My parents go on with their lives, completely in denial of the seriousness of my illness. While I struggle to survive each day, they continue to enjoy life without any sense of guilt, as if my suffering doesn’t exist.
My parents act as of what they can see. They’re not asking how I feel and what I experience.
Of course, she isn’t the only person living with this devastating disease whose families’ have gaslighted, abused, and trivialised their condition.
The Canarypreviously reported on Anna’s appalling situation in Australia. Similarly there, abusive healthcare professionals, woefully unequipped domestic abuse services, and gargantuan gaps in state social care support continue to trap Anna in an abusive household. Like Katiana, her abusers are dangerously worsening her severe ME/CFS by the day.
There are many other anecdotal stories from people living with ME who’ve come up against stigma, disbelief, and active harm from family and friends.
Once again, Katiana’s experience underscores the global scandal that is the abysmal treatment of people living with ME and other stigmatised chronic health conditions.
Katiana summed up the desperate circumstances the lack of state and medical support is forcing her into:
My situation is dire. I desperately need to get away from my family, who have been gaslighting psychologically abusing me even before my illness. Now that I am so ill, that narcissistic behaviour is putting my life in danger.
I want you to tell the world that I’ve tried everything. It has been almost three years. I have a strong will for life but I’m suffering a lot. I’ve asked organisations and people for help, but nobody listens, nobody helps.
For some like Katiana, the dangers of abusive medical care are matched equally by the abuse and neglect of narcissistic family care-givers at home. When neither home, nor hospital is safe, where can drastically chronically ill severe ME patients like Katiana go? Currently, nowhere exists. This urgently needs to change before Katiana, Anna, and many others lose their lives to the society that has abandoned them for far too long.
How you can help
What Katiana needs:
A carer, nurse, and advocate for at least twelve hours a day.
A safe place to stay, with an environment appropriate for her severe ME/CFS (low light, sounds, chemical free etc.)
A specialist or knowledgable doctor
Financial Support for both her living and medical supplies, doctors appointments, future interventions
Therefore, there are a number of ways people might be able to assist Katiana:
If you are, or know of a service provider for family abuse specifically for disabled people or other services equipped to help Katiana, please contact her. Katiana has already tried social services. Unfortunately, for patients with ME and long Covid, those organisations can sometimes institutionalise them.
Support her financially as she tries to access medical supplies, doctors’ appointments, and most importantly, a chance to leave her household with access to hire a full-time carer. You can donate to Katiana’s fundraiser here.
If you can provide a quiet place to stay, please contact her.
If you know of any specialist or doctor who is willing to advocate for Katiana, please speak with them and let her know.
Amnesty International has urged a war crimes probe into Israel’s flattening of eastern Gaza. The genocidal army have been razing homes and farms in eastern Gaza to expand a so-called buffer zone between it and the Palestinian territory.
Amnesty said:
Using bulldozers and manually laid explosives, the Israeli military has unlawfully destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings, razing entire neighbourhoods, including homes, schools and mosques.
They continued that they believed Israel’s actions since 7 October:
should be investigated as war crimes of wanton destruction and of collective punishment.
Protect or punish?
Israel has in several cases said it was destroying “terror” infrastructure to protect Israeli communities living on the other side of the fence. It did not reply to a request from Amnesty for comment. And, an Amnesty investigation which examined satellite imagery and videos posted by Israeli soldiers between October and May, showed:
newly cleared land along Gaza’s eastern boundary, ranging from approximately 1 to 1.8 km (0.6 to 1.1 miles) wide.
The expanded buffer zone covers around 58 square kilometres (22 square miles), or about 16% of the Gaza Strip, it said. More than 90% of buildings within that zone appeared to have been destroyed or severely damaged.
Amnesty also found that more than half of the agricultural land in the area showed:
a decline in health and intensity of crops due to the ongoing conflict.
Israel has been accused of manufacturing famine in Gaza. Israel have also repeatedly lied about both their actions and motivations. It has become commonplace for them to claim they’re dismantling Hamas even while bombing refugee camps, schools, hospitals, and aid convoys.
Genocidal intent
Even if Hamas were operating in all of these locations, Israel has clearly decided that killing civilians – including children – is an acceptable cost. As of August 2024, Israel had killed 16,456 children. With a death total of over 40,000 Palestinians, one in 50 of Gaza’s children have been killed.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said of the death toll:
This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the [Israeli military] to comply with the rules of war.
The past year or so has been rife with Israeli atrocities.
The decomposing bodies of babies were discovered in a Gaza hospital that was surrounded by Israeli tanks. Mass grave after mass grave have been uncovered, with unmarked bodies buried together. Hospitals have been routinely targeted and besieged, with medical professionals being targeted.
As of March 2024, 103 journalists were killed in 150 days in Gaza. Journalists, and their families, have been targeted in an effort to silence reporting of the genocide. This list is but a fraction of the barrage of death and destruction Israel has rained down onto Palestine.
The UN Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, found from an investigation in March 2024 that:
There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met.
And yet, we’re still supposed to swallow the lie Israel so often trots out, that they’re doing all this in the name of stamping out Hamas? If targeting civilians did somehow stamp out Hamas, would that even be worth it? Of course it wouldn’t.
“Collective punishment” in Gaza
When even the likes of Amnesty International are calling for investigation of war crimes, then Israel have very clearly overstepped international standards. Amnesty’s Erika Guevara-Rosas said:
Our analysis reveals a pattern along the eastern perimeter of Gaza that is consistent with the systematic destruction of the entire area. The homes were not destroyed as the result of intense fighting. Rather, the Israeli military deliberately razed the land after they had taken control of the area.
She added:
Israeli measures to protect Israelis from attacks from Gaza must be carried out in conformity with its obligations under international law including the prohibition of wanton destruction and of collective punishment.
Amnesty believe they have found evidence that Israel has been using military procedures that target civilians and destroy infrastructure:
In four areas investigated by Amnesty International, the destruction was carried out after the Israeli military had operational control over the areas, meaning that it was not caused by direct combat between the Israeli military and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. In these parts of the Gaza Strip, structures were deliberately and systematically demolished.
International humanitarian law often falls short when it comes to determining the destruction caused for people’s lives and lands. Even then, Amnesty’s report demonstrates that Israel has carried out collective punishment, and unnecessarily destroyed civilian objects. Their findings cannot be clearer:
Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects is a war crime.
Is this new information? No. Will it halt the ongoing genocide against Palestinians? Unlikely.
And yet, we must not let Palestinians die in the dark. We must show up on the streets and refuse to let up until Palestine is free.
US Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein hit back at Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after Ocasio-Cortez branded her and the Greens “inauthentic” and “predatory”.
Stein’s response went viral:
Hey y’all, this is a little spicy but I had thoughts about @AOC calling me and the Green Party “not authentic” and “predatory.” pic.twitter.com/F1jniwO77X
The democrats are running scared. And they should be. Because who wants to support a genocide? Who wants to vote for a genocide?
And if there’s anything that’s predatory here it’s saying that your candidate is ‘working tirelessly for a ceasefire’ when actually they are actively funding and arming genocide. And actually refusing to even consider an arms embargo which would bring the genocide to a screeching halt…
In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Ocasio-Cortez claimed Democrat US presidential election candidate Kamala Harris was working “tirelessly” for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.
But, as Stein points out, Harris has categorically ruled out an arms embargo on Israel. The leverage of an arms embargo could pressure Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a lasting ceasefire.
Instead of pressuring Netanyahu, the US has approved the delivery of almost two shipments of weapons to Israel on average per day since October. And the Democratic leadership greenlit a further $20bn in arms sales to Israel in August, on top of the $18.8bn in military aid the US has already given Israel this year.
That’s despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) finding that it’s “plausible” Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in January. The ICJ later ordered Israel to halt its invasion of Rafah, a city in South Gaza that Israel has since reduced much of to rubble.
“Anti-democratic tactics”
Jill Stein continued:
AOC, who is supposed to be in leadership of the Democratic Party. It’s amazing if she doesn’t know about the anti-democratic tactics and strategies that the Democratic Party uses to crush and silence political opposition.
They’ve been hiring an army of lawyers to throw competitors like me off the ballot. They’ve been hiring infiltrators and sabateuors and publicly posting job advertisements for those positions. They’ve been hijacking our public funding in order to keep us off the ballot.
And they actually impersonated the Greens to throw us off the ballot in 2022 in North Carolina
One example of what Stein calls “anti democratic tactics” is an employee of the Democratic National Committee filing a complaint to remove Stein from the presidential ballot in Wisconsin, claiming her party is ‘ineligible’.
Another is the Democrats advertising a job for “sharing intel” from Green Party and independent candidates’ events.
What is DWP Carer’s Allowance and the overpayment scandal?
DWP Carer’s Allowance provides just £81.90 a week to those who care for someone for at least 35 hours a week. However, if a carer earns even slightly more than £151 per week from other employment, the DWP deems the entire allowance an overpayment and demands repayment, often in lump sums or monthly deductions.
As of mid-2024, around 134,000 unpaid carers will have to repay a cumulative total of £250m, adding further strain to already vulnerable households.
These individuals, who provide vital, unpaid care for loved ones, are being asked to repay millions of pounds after unintentionally exceeding income thresholds. This has caused significant financial distress for thousands of carers, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet.
Harassing unpaid carers
Yet still, the government saw fit to trial a scheme of text messaging DWP Carer’s Allowance claimants when they either had been overpaid or were at risk of being. The trial for this originally began in May. Then, in August Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain asked DWP boss Liz Kendall:
with reference to her Department’s strategy entitled Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System: Going Further, updated on 13 May 2024, whether she plans to continue the roll out of alerts telling carers that they have a possible overpayment of Carer’s Allowance.
DWP minister Stephen Timms said:
The Department is currently assessing the results of a recent trial that issued an SMS message to prompt Carer’s Allowance recipients, to remind them to contact the department to report a change of earning. Changes of circumstances can be reported through Gov.uk, telephony and post.
Of course, in reality harassing already at-risk claimants via their phones – instead of investing in a system that actually functions properly – it simply not good enough. It serves little more than to strike fear and worry into claimants – and, as always, is putting the onus and blame onto them for the DWP not being fit for purpose.
Most overpayments were made because of people going over the earnings limit, while others were mistakes by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Fewer than 500 cases were due to fraud.
Over two thirds of overpayments (70%) happened when people went over the earnings limit because of:
fluctuating earnings, like zero-hours contracts, being self-employed or doing shift work
working extra time, for example by covering a colleague or working slightly over your shift
getting a pay rise or minimum wage increase
getting extra pay one month, such as holiday pay or a bonus
employer mistakes
Carers UK say many carers don’t understand the rules around the earnings limit.
So, in reality only 0.4% of DWP Carer’s Allowance overpayments were due to fraud. The rest were ultimately the DWP’s fault – either through it’s mistakes or through a system that is impossible to navigate. None of this accounts for the 500,000 people not claiming Carer’s Allowance – worth over £2bn. Nor does it factor in the institutionalised misogyny, here – as 73% of unpaid carers are women.
Overall, the impact of the Carer’s Allowance repayment scandal on unpaid carers cannot be overstated.
A devastating impact on unpaid carers
Many carers, already battling financial hardship, now face the prospect of being pushed deeper into poverty due to DWP Carer’s Allowance demands. According to Carers UK, around 44% of working age unpaid carers live in poverty. It also found 36% of unpaid carers have had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. This is among carers who reported having bad or very bad mental health. Other findings from Carers UK include:
28% of carers have bad or very bad mental health.
54% of carers have suffered physical health problems because of their caring role.
20% of carers have suffered a physical injury from caring.
88% of carers have difficulty sleeping.
85% of carers have continuous low mood.
82% of carers have feelings of hopelessness.
These figures underscore the extreme emotional and financial toll on people who are simply trying to provide care to their family members, often at great personal sacrifice.
Personal testimonies further illustrate the devastating impact of these overpayment claims.
Losing homes and suspended prison sentences
One carer, a mother looking after two disabled sons, was asked to repay £17,000. Another carer, juggling part-time work with the care of a disabled parent, described how the unexpected debt had left her “on the verge of losing [her] home.” In one case, an unpaid carer was given a suspended prison sentence and required to wear an electronic tag.
The recurring theme among these carers is a sense of betrayal by the DWP, which they feel is punishing them for honest mistakes or oversights in navigating the complex rules of Carer’s Allowance eligibility.
Critics argue that the DWP Carer’s Allowance pursuit for overpayments is not only cruel but counterproductive. Unpaid carers save the UK economy an estimated £160bn annually by reducing the strain on formal healthcare services. To penalize them for earning a few pounds over the threshold, especially when these earnings are often necessary for basic survival, seems both harsh and illogical.
Moreover, many carers report that the process of calculating earnings and allowance eligibility is far from straightforward, leading to unintentional errors that the DWP could prevent with better communication and support systems.
The DWP: undermining our very social fabric
The DWP’s decision to recover overpayments from carers is not only morally questionable but also an inefficient approach to managing public funds.
Rather than punishing carers who are already contributing immense value to society, the government should focus on providing clearer guidance and proper financial support.
At the very least, the system should be reformed to offer leniency for minor infractions, particularly given the enormous financial and emotional burden many carers already bear. By targeting these unpaid carers, the DWP is not only worsening their hardship but also undermining the very social fabric that relies on their unpaid labor.
Misinformation and a tragic mass stabbing, which killed children in the English city of Stockport, sparked violent far-right disorder across England and Ireland from July 30 to Aug 5. Online misinformation falsely attributed the Stockport stabbings to a Muslim asylum seeker, fueling a frenzy of organized racist attacks across the country. Within days, multiple cities witnessed the worst unrest since the 2011 riots following the police shooting of Mark Duggan. The word ‘riot’ is being used frequently in the UK press at the moment. However, it would be more accurate and chilling to call this what it is: a violent pogrom against ethnic minorities in Britain.
The unrest has led to the resurrection of the ‘Muslim Defence League’ in places like Bolton. These groups, made up of brave locals, try to outnumber the fascist mobs in their communities and clash with them on the streets while defending their homes and mosques from attack. The Real News reports from London on the upsurge in violence, and speaks with local anti-fascist groups about how they are fighting to put out the fascist flame that has spread around England.
Videography, production and editing by Ross Domoney
Transcript
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
England has just suffered the worst far-right street violence in decades.
Local self-defence groups have sprung up across the country to protect their communities from racist attacks.
Protestors:
‘Racist scum – off our streets!’
Anika Zahir, protestor:
We have all watched the rise of the far-right that has been fed by our politicians,
our media and our corrupt police.
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
The unrest started after a tragic mass stabbing that targeted children in the English town of Southport.
Zoubida Ahmed, protestor:
Unfortunately, three innocent children were killed and rumours were circulating that it was done by a Muslim migrant which turned out not to be true.
After that, many people took it upon themselves to start attacking mosques, attacking
black and brown people.
Anika Zahir, protestor:
Our police force are stretched out thin across the whole country. They are not able to protect us.
So now, as communities, we are protecting each other.
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
Misinformation spread like wildfire that the killer was a Muslim migrant who’d come to the UK illegally by boat.
It turns out he was a British-born teenager from Wales with Rwandan parents.
The color of his skin was enough to keep the nationalist revolt burning, which had been brewing in England for a long time.
Nationalist protestors:
‘There were five Muslim bombers in the air!’
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
As a video journalist, one of my first political documentaries in the UK was about the far right.
Nationalist protestor:
England is our country and at last we want it fucking back!
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
For those of us filming on the streets at that time, in 2010, we could see that this time bomb
was waiting to explode.
Tommy Robinson, the leader of the ultra-nationalist street movement ‘The English Defense League’, has been found out to have close ties to the Israeli war machine.
Protestor:
‘Fascist scum – off our streets!’
Zoubida Ahmed, protestor:
People like Tommy Robinson has been the spearhead of these race riots.
He’s currently in Cypress, nowhere to be seen and newsflash, he’s also funded and aided
and abetted by Zionists.
It’s been proven that a lot of his sponsor and donors are coming from Zionist organizations.
So essentially when people talk about British patriotism, I don’t understand what Israel has to do
with British patriotism. Why are people like Tommy Robinson using, you know, the name of British patriotism whilst working for another foreign entity?
Now, think of it from the mind of a racist.
A racist is seeing brown people being slaughtered and they’re getting away with it.
So essentially, in their mind, it’s like, well, there’s a green light here.
You know, if Israel who we support, can commit genocide, murder over 40,000 people and there are no repercussions for that, then this is accepted, right?
You know, this is normal in society.
Protestor:
‘Fuck off fascists!’
Waleed, protestor:
So I’m here to show support to the Muslim community who is here.
To the immigrant who is like me.
I came as an immigrant like ten years ago.
And it’s not like what I’m hearing in the media about immigrants.
We live here and it’s not an easy life.
You know, I have a conditional on my visa
It’s called ‘No public funds’.
So I’m not allowed to get any public funds
from the government.
What you hear from these fascists is that we are here taking their money, taking benefits. It’s a condition that so many people like me have.
It’s called ‘No public funds’. That if I’m sick, I need to buy my medicine. I can’t take benefit. I can’t take free house.
I have to rent everything and I have to pay my tax. So here I’m not taking anything from any British man. If anything, I’m giving service. I’m paying tax.
And from this tax, you are living your benefit. You are living nicely out of it.
You know, the problem is not us coming here and taking jobs.
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
These recent anti-fascist demonstrations were called after the far-right anonymously leaked a list online, claiming they were going to attack locations housing asylum seekers across the country.
Protestor:
‘Where’s, where’s the EDL?’
Anika Zahir, protestor:
When we look at the list that has been released of all the different towns.
For many of us, it’s a reminder of history. It’s what our ancestors went through.
My father had to fight the racists on the street for liberation.
And this is how he’s making us feel again. We’ve gone back to the sixties.
We’ve gone back to the seventies. It’s Enoch Powell and the ‘Rivers of Blood’
speech all over again.
Protestor:
‘Where’s your army now huh?’
‘Fascist scum!’
Nationalist protestor:
‘Only one?’
‘We are many!’
Protestor:
‘There are many many more!’
‘many many more!’
Ross Domoney, the narrator:
Two days later, the many nationalists due to turn up to this hotel housing asylum seekers, didn’t come through.
They were in hiding as successful anti-fascist gatherings packed the streets across England.
Protestors:
‘Can you hear the fascists sing? I can’t hear a fucking thing!’
Rajia, protestor:
We’ve showed the fascists that they don’t have the edge that we do on the street.
These streets are ours. And it’s given us all a lot of hope.
Wherever hate and division is going to show, we’re going to come and oppose it.
Keir Starmer’s team has reiterated plans to make it so only Labour Party MPs can vote for the next party leader, if the contest happens while Labour’s in government.
There’s a plan to bring a constitutional reform to conference that would cut out the membership for electing a leader when we’re in government, and only allow the MPs to decide.
This is seen as the last reform that needs doing to syphon off any threat from the left
Starmer’s attempts to override Labour democracy
Currently, there is a one member one vote system for electing the Labour Party leader. This was introduced under Ed Miliband in 2014. Starmer’s team already tried to overturn this system at the 2021 Labour conference and replace it with the electoral college. This reduces the say of each Labour member to just a third of the vote, with another third going to MPs and a further third going to trade unions.
Crucially, before a leadership vote can happen, a number of MPs must first nominate leadership candidates. While Starmer failed to replace one member one vote in 2021, he did double the threshold of MP nominations necessary from 10% to 20%. This makes Labour less open and democratic, moving power from ordinary members to MPs.
Only a grassroots campaign convinced enough MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015. He secured the 35 nominations necessary minutes before the deadline. That’s because a lot of the parliamentary Labour Party is made up of the careerist nodding dogs of the right, so genuine left-wingers can be locked out of a nomination. Under pressure, numerous MPs ‘loaned’ Corbyn the nomination to broaden the debate.
Back then, the nomination of 15% of MPs was necessary. Given this was such a struggle for Corbyn, Momentum and the left reduced the threshold to 10% at the 2017 Labour conference. Starmer then increased it to 20%.
“Undermine members”
Now Starmer’s team wants to remove the right of Labour members to vote altogether, if the contest happens while Labour’s in government.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “drunk with power the boys in key roles in party hierarchy aim to undermine members’ rights further”.
Starmer’s team are characterising the proposed change as the “Liz Truss lock”. This is a reference to Tory members voting in Truss as Tory leader. Then, her hard right policies undermined the credibility of UK government finances for investors.
But Corbyn and his economic approach of a mixed economy are far from Truss. In 2017, 128 economists and academics backed Corbyn’s manifesto as “fiscally responsible and based on sound estimations”. And three of those economists predicted the 2008 financial crash.
Starmer’s anti democratic internal policymaking is in line with his former membership of the Trilateral Commission. Billionaire banker of inherited wealth David Rockefeller founded the Trilateral Commission in 1973 as an elite networking operation.
The organisation views increased democratic participation from across society, such as what happened under Corbyn, as an “excess of democracy”.
Instead, Labour should be expanding its democratic participation through reducing the threshold of MP nominations for party leader and introducing open selection of MPs. Open selection ensures each Labour candidate for MP is democratically competitive by making it easy to challenge them.
A U.K. official resigned from his position in the Foreign Office on Friday over the government’s weapons transfers to Israel as it carries out its genocide in Gaza. The former counterterrorism official, Mark Smith, worked on arms export licensing for the Middle East within the British Embassy in Dublin. In his resignation letter, which was first reported by journalist Hind Hassan…
Late last week, Jonathan Freedland, one of the U.K.’s top political commentators, wrote an article in The Guardian calling out billionaire Elon Musk as a cheerleader for the pogrom-like anti-immigrant riots then sweeping the country. “He is surely the global far right’s most significant figure,” Freedland wrote of Musk, “and he holds the world’s largest megaphone. As he may put it…
Shocking new footage from a factory puppy farm in the US has exposed the brutal conditions and experiments an animal testing company is carrying out. However, the same US-based company operates similar facilities in the UK. In other words, corporations are engaged in atrocious animal abuse much like the experimentation caught in the video. It’s why animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are calling on the UK government to act.
PETA: horrifying puppy farm footage
An animal rights campaign group has uncovered the horrific treatment US corporation Marshall BioResources is meting out on beagles at its New York-based MBR Acres facility:
You’ve never seen a video like this
Dogs who make it out of MBR Acres are experimented on and then killed. Some of these barbaric procedures may be funded by your taxes. Watch till the end to see what the beagle breeder tried to hide. pic.twitter.com/wZ1IEh5oEG
As PETA UK wrote on the undercover footage captured by anti-MBR activist group Camp Beagle:
Whistleblower photographs recently shared with PETA US from inside Marshall’s New York facility show ferrets locked inside dingy wire cages caked in faeces, while beagles and their puppies sit in barren cages with metal mesh floors above soiled concrete.
The whistleblower also alleged that cages were only cleaned every two weeks, feeders were mouldy, and puppies were commonly found dead in their enclosures with large quantities of blood. The whistleblower said that staff also handled dogs roughly, injuring their jaws, and confined incompatible dogs to a single cage, causing stress-induced fights.
Moreover, PETA has highlighted that while senselessly killing animals, MBR rakes in staggering profits in the millions every year. In 2023, the UK MBR Acres subsidiary alone had assets totalling over £1.3m.
MBR Acres harming animals in the UK too
After releasing the footage from the US animal testing facility PETA UK is calling on the UK government to end the cruel practice. This is because companies also carry out similarly horrendous animal torture and imprisonment here.
In 2021, campaign group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty exposed a beagle breeding factory farm in Cambridgeshire. PETA highlighted that the farm – also owned by MBR Acres – purportedly churns out:
a total of between 1,600 and 2,000 offspring for medical testing each year.
There, footage revealed staff packing pups into overcrowded crates, feeding them toxic chemicals, and subjecting the canines to other callous experiments, before slaughtering them.
In 2022, animal testing sites carried out 4,122 procedures on dogs in the UK. These are the latest government statistics available. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Overall, companies abused animals in scientific procedures 2.76 million times in that year alone.
PETA petition: UK government must step up
Given the staggering levels of animal cruelty involved – as the latest State-side footage showed – PETA is demanding the UK government take action. Specifically, the animal rights organisation has an ongoing petition.
At the time of writing, more than 120,000 people had signed it. In particular, the petition text reads:
Please commit to the EU’s final goal of fully replacing the use of animals in scientific procedures to ensure that the UK is not left behind – in either animal-welfare standards or scientific innovation – in the wake of Brexit. Although EU Directive 2010/63/EU (the Directive) has been transposed into the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the UK has not formally adopted the EU’s ultimate goal of replacing the use of animals in scientific procedures, as reflected in Recital 10 of the Directive.
Notably, the EU has committed to phasing out animal testing, but the UK government has yet to do the same. It therefore calls for the UK urgently to catch up in developing a roadmap for this:
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the government take this official step immediately, establishing a clear policy within a legislative framework, mandating an end to experimentation on animals, and providing a clear strategy and timeline for achieving this goal. Redirecting funding away from unreliable and unethical tests on animals and instead investing in superior, non-animal methods will benefit humans, animals, and the future of science in the UK.
Thousands filled the streets across the United Kingdom this week in massive rallies against racism and Islamophobia, a show of unity to counter a recent surge in far-right violence. British police have arrested hundreds of right-wing rioters for carrying out a string of attacks in England and Northern Ireland targeting Muslims and migrants. While the wave of violence was partly spurred by…
The U.K.’s Conservative government, which has held power for the last 14 years, was resoundingly booted to the curb by voters in Thursday’s election. It was a huge — and necessary — repudiation for a government that has done vast damage to the country through Brexit, austerity budgeting, xenophobic policies toward asylum seekers, and an inability to keep basic public services such as the National…
The reported plea bargain between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the United States government brings to a close one of the darkest periods in the history of media freedom, says the union for Australian journalists.
While the details of the deal are still to be confirmed, MEAA welcomed the release of Assange, a Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance member, after five years of relentless campaigning by journalists, unions, and press freedom advocates around the world.
MEAA remains concerned what the deal will mean for media freedom around the world.
The work of WikiLeaks at the centre of this case — which exposed war crimes and other wrongdoing by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan — was strong, public interest journalism.
MEAA fears the deal will embolden the US and other governments around the world to continue to pursue and prosecute journalists who disclose to the public information they would rather keep suppressed.
MEAA media federal president Karen Percy welcomed the news that Julian Assange has already been released from Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held as his case has wound its way through UK courts.
“We wish Julian all the best as he is reunited with his wife, young sons and other relatives who have fought tirelessly for his freedom,” she said.
‘Relentless battle against this injustice’
“We commend Julian for his courage over this long period, and his legal team and supporters for their relentless battle against this injustice.
“We’ve been extremely concerned about the impact on his physical and mental wellbeing during Julian’s long period of imprisonment and respect the decision to bring an end to the ordeal for all involved.
Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssangepic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ
“The deal reported today does not in any way mean that the struggle for media freedom has been futile; quite the opposite, it places governments on notice that a global movement will be mobilised whenever they blatantly threaten journalism in a similar way.
Percy said the espionage charges laid against Assange were a “grotesque overreach by the US government” and an attack on journalism and media freedom.
“The pursuit of Julian Assange has set a dangerous precedent that will have a potential chilling effect on investigative journalism,” she said.
“The stories published by WikiLeaks and other outlets more than a decade ago were clearly in the public interest. The charges by the US sought to curtail free speech, criminalise journalism and send a clear message to future whistleblowers and publishers that they too will be punished.”
Percy said was clearly in the public interest and it had “always been an outrage” that the US government sought to prosecute him for espionage for reporting that was published in collaboration with some of the world’s leading media organisations.
Julian Assange has been an MEAA member since 2007 and in 2011 WikiLeaks won the Outstanding Contribution to Journalism Walkley award, one of Australia’s most coveted journalism awards.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boarding his flight at Stansted airport on the first stage of his journey to Guam. Image: WikiLeaks
A few days before the world marked Refugee Week (17 – 23 June), I was at the Good Food Show in Birmingham with a gal pal.
Tasting samples and browsing a range of home-made products, I saw out of the corner of my eye a woman in a headscarf at a cheese stand. And then it clicked…
The Syrian couple in Yorkshire!
Yep, I’d heard about a Syrian couple who’d sought refuge in the UK and set up a cheese business in the UK but not learnt much about it.
And here they were!
Dama Cheese – founded by Razan Alsous and Raghid Sandouk – is not just a cheese business. It’s an award winning one – with a very inspirational story behind it. A story like many others.
Last week was Refugee Week – a time when the world celebrated the achievements of refugees worldwide, and strived to raise critical awareness of the struggles they face – against the wave of misinformation used to demonise refugees (more information at the end of this blog).
So, with that in mind, here are six inspiring stories of six families/people who made the UK their home – making a big mark for the better.
Take a look!
1. Imad Alarnab: Founder of Imad’s Kitchen
Image: Imad’s Kitchen (2024)
Back when I was living in London, I visited Imad’s Kitchen with a good friend of mine. And it didn’t disappoint!
Delicious food and a delightful welcome, I knew the story behind the restaurant before we booked and so, I of course wanted to make sure I made it to this fresh new foodspot in the city.
Founder of Imad’s Kitchen, Imad Alarnab has an inspirational backstory.
Back in Syria, Imad ran three successful restaurants and several juice bars and cafés in Damascus.
However, during the war, he lost his businesses after they were destroyed in the bombings, leaving Imad with no choice but to flee in search of safety.
Leaving Syria, moving from Lebanon to Europe, Imad would share his skills and passion for food, cooking for up to 400 refugees at a time.
Imad put his passion for food aside as he starting working as a car washer and car salesman. But… this was all about to change…
With the support of his friends, he began to make his mark on the London food scene, running a series of charity events. His supper clubs were incredibly popular, selling out within hours.
Then, in 2020, “Imad’s Kitchen” was born – opening in Kingly Court, Soho. Still going strong, you can now even purchase his recipe book.
Eating at Imad’s Kitchen (2022)
What’s more, with his success, Imad hasn’t forgotten his own journey.
Raising over £200,000 for the refugee organisation Choose Love, he’s pledged to donate a pound from every bill at his restaurant to the organisation, which supports refugees and displaced people across Europe.
So, if you’re in the area, why not book a table? You won’t be disappointed!
2. Waheed Arian: Doctor and Founder of Arian Teleheal
I wish all those celebrating a very happy Eid al-Adha. And, Happy Father's Day, too. (late message from a busy ED shift) pic.twitter.com/emNOyjwyn2
A British doctor and radiologist working for the NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO), Arian arrived in the UK – alone – at the age of 15 from Afghanistan. His parents were eager for him to pursue an education.
Speaking little English, Dr Arian worked at shops and universities whilst supporting his family and studying at several colleges in the evening.
Gaining the grades in his A levels to study medicine at Cambridge University, he was to overcome social isolation at one of the world’s most renowned universities.
Gaining qualifications from Cambridge, Harvard and Imperial, he started practising in hospitals in London, before moving to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool. At the same time, Dr Adrian returned to Afghanistan to support medics caring for patients injured during the ongoing conflict.
Realising that many UK-based medics also wanted to help, but could not travel safely to the area, Dr Waheed then set up Arian Teleheal– a UK-based charity which enables local doctors in warzones and low resource countries to consult with expert clinicians worldwide, using everyday technology (such as smartphones, instant messaging and video chat).
Thanks to Dr Arian, volunteer doctors have saved the lives of men, women and children in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Uganda, South Africa and India.
Seeing the effects of Covid-19 on people’s mental health, Dr Arian most recently setup up “Arian Wellbeing”, bringing together psychologists, licensed therapists, personal trainers and nutritionists to offer holistic care – inspired by his own journey of overcoming PTSD.
His motto remains: “Inspire, and we can help millions“. Well, you certainly do inspire Dr Arian!
If you’d like to support the work of Dr Arian, there are plenty of ways to help!
If you’re a medic, you could volunteer your services. If not, why not sponsor an event or donate towards the charity?
In 2012, Anab, Abdul and his brother Zaki founded Sahan Cares, enabling them “to train these highly capable women in social care and provide them with work opportunities.”
Abdul then joined the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme Scale Up in October 2018 and has since grown the business to go on to great success.
With an annual revenue of £1.8 million, the organisation works across three London boroughs, with every employee a former refugee.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Abdul for his efforts in driving up vaccine uptake in the BAME community – reaching a 100% vaccination rate within his organisation.
“Having gone through my very own experience as a member of a disadvantaged group, I’m committed to empowering people with similar background and providing support to those in need.
“This award is a morale booster for our plans to extend services to people in need of mental health support.”
With the organisation going strong, Abdul is a frequent speaker, current postdoc student and trustee of UK-based NGO Action Aid.
Arriving in the UK aged just 12 from Afghanistan, Gulwali has become a best-selling author, award-winning activist and campaigner, co-founder of My Brite Kite and member of Speakers Collective.
Graduating with a degree in Politics from the University of Manchester and most recently his MPA from Coventry University, Gulwali has used his voice and experiences to advocate for the rights of refugeesand asylum seekers.
"They've been scapegoated, dehumanised and criminalised for coming here seeking protection."
A member of the audience, who came to the UK from Afghanistan aged 12, asks the panel about the UK's asylum system. #C4Debatepic.twitter.com/q3KYwy5x5v
It sheds light on the journey he took as child and his experiences as a child refuge. It has featured on various outlets, including BBC, CNN, Channel 4 News, ITV, The Guardian, Time Magazine and The Independent.
A longstanding activist, Gulwali’s roles include Global Youth Ambassador for global children’s charity Theirworld, Olympics Torch-bearer, and within the NHS Youth Forum.
Winning the Manchester Leadership Gold Award, in 2016, Gulwali was later nominated for the 2016 Nansen Refugee Award by the UNHCR.
5. Razan Alsous and Raghid Sandouk: Founders of Dama Cheese
Image: Dama Cheese
As mentioned, a few weeks ago, I visited the Good Food Show in Birmingham with a friend. And I was delighted to see Dama Cheese!
I’d heard about the couple behind the company but didn’t know much about their story. And so I did some research…
Married coup;e Razan Alsous and Raghid Sandouk arrived in the UK from Syria in 2012 with their three children.
Razan’s background is in microbiology, having graduated from the Medical Institute in Syria. Her husband Raghid is an electronic engineer who ran his own business supplying the pharmaceutical and food industries in Syria with Quality Control labs.
Then war broke out… The family of five later arrived in the UK and faced the challenges of settling into a new life in Yorkshire, including looking for work:
“…despite having a pharmacy degree and a scientific background my lack of references and work history in the UK made it extremely difficult.
“… I have three children and wanted so badly to build a bright future for them. So, I started to think what was around me – the expertise I could tap into, the sources of support and other opportunities available to me.”
Razan Alsous
Given the family’s scientific background, and that their new home of Yorkshire was plentiful with local high-quality milk, an idea came to mind:
“… Syrian cheese (a squeaky semi-hard cheese) that I know and ate every day for breakfast in Syria is very trendy in the UK and British people love eating it!
“As I couldn’t find a great tasting quality squeaky cheese anywhere in the supermarkets or local independent farm shops, I then had a brainwave: why not create a business and make myself Syrian cheese from fresh high-quality British milk!
“And so started our journey – with an idea and a start-up loan of just £2,500 from the Local Enterprise Agency. We had to adapt the equipment we bought and then finally got the approval to start manufacturing cheese in June 2014.”
Just four months after production started, Dama Cheese won the World Cheese Award Bronze prize (2014/15). And, the business has gone from strength to strength!
The couple have since won the World Cheese Award – Gold, along with a host of awards, nominations and taking part in various TV appearances. They’re even stocked in Aldi!
Congratulations guys!
Find out more about Dama Cheese – check out their shopand recipeson their website.
6. Malala Yousafzai: Activist and Campaigner
"I know that if we match girls' determination, fund their work and follow their lead, we will see so much progress in the next ten years."
I’m sure we’ve all heard of Malala. But… did you know she settled in Birmingham (central England) – an hour from my family home?
The youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (aged 17 at the time!), Malala Yousafzai is a world-famous activist and campaigner for the rights of women and girls – in particular the right to education.
Born in Pakistan, she spoke out publicly about the right for girls to learn, to go to school and to get an education.
She began blogging for the BBC on the issue and Malala won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize in 2011. She was then nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize.
Malala sadly became a target for the Taliban and on October 9 2023, was shot on the left side of her head.
She woke up in a hospital in Birmingham (UK) ten days later, where she later underwent surgery and was discharged in January 2013.
Settling in Birmingham, Malala began attending school once again and carry on with her life in safety.
In 2013, she co-founded Malala Fund, which funds and advocates for girls’ education globally.
Her memoir “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban”, co-written with British journalist Christina Lamb, was also published in the same year.
Later graduating from the University of Oxford, she became the youngest ever Honorary Fellow at Lincare College, Oxford in 2023. To date, she is the second Pakistani and only Pashtun to receive a noble prize.
Inspiring change across the globe, she continues to fight for the rights of girls worldwide to a pursue an education and independent future: “I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it is the story of many girls”.
Thank you Malala for all your incredible work!
Take action:
If you’ve been inspired by the stories of resilience, commitment and success in this blog, then please do take action as we move past the hub and buzz of Refugee Week.
Here’s how you can help build change.
1.Support employment opportunities and social entrepreneurship for refugees
Offer CV workshops, volunteering opportunities and training opportunities in your community and/or workplace to refugees in your local area.
Refugee Action (who actively look to employ people with lived experience of displacement)
Don’t forget to also look into local support organisations and community centres offering 1-2-1 casework support for refugees and asylum seekers in your area.
You can help by donating towards their work, promoting them within your networks, volunteering you time and skills and/or sponsoring their work.
It’s also worth taking a look at organisations supporting refugees and displaced people internationally.
Safe Passage have long been campaigning to reunite child refugees with their families – including here in the UK. To date, they’ve helped over 2,500 child refugees reach safety.
Find out more about their work and how you can help here
5. Share this blog!
Spread the word: refugees are welcome here!
Don’t forget, there’s a person behind each statistic – and a context!
Don’t let the media fool you and others. Push against the xenophobic and anti-refugee rhetoric – with facts, real lived experiences and positivity!
And lastly: a massive thank you to all of the featured individuals in this blog for your resilience, commitment and positivity.
Nigel Farage has maintained his relevance in this general election despite setbacks such as continuously failing to become an MP. How has he achieved this? His open door invitation at the BBC certainly hasn’t hurt:
Funny how the BBC will have Farage on over & over but when Mick Lynch destroyed Tories he was never invited on again. Yeah and they say BBC’s left wing… ok then. #BBCqt
— Claire #EnoughIsEnough (@clairebubblepop) June 15, 2024
But why is a man who has failed to get elected to Parliament seven times causing panic in Tory ranks? Why has a small party become the headline grabber?
Why indeed.
Farage: grab them by the headlines
Those of you who are terminally online probably read the above quote through the following lens:
You could argue the situation with Farage is a chicken and egg one: does the BBC constantly invite Farage on to their shows because he’s widely popular, or is he widely popular because the BBC constantly invites him on to their shows?
A counter-argument is that Farage wasn’t all that popular in the first place. Take the 2019 election for instance, when the Farage-washing was in full swing:
This is getting beyond ridiculous. Another day, another Farage guest slot on a prime BBC politics show. They built him up before the EU referendum and the BBC are doing it again. Blatantly and rubbing our noses in it again. I’m amazed that some people still defend them. pic.twitter.com/1GEchaXZFF
The result of the 2019 election? Farage’s Brexit Party (now Reform) performed worse than the Green Party, and yet Farage enjoyed significantly more attention than they did:
You could argue this was because 2019 was the ‘Brexit election’, and the Brexit Party only underperformed because they made a pact with the Tories. To counter-argue again, was it the ‘Brexit election’ because that’s all anybody cared about, or was it the Brexit election because the media insisted it was?
In the current election, this is what YouGov polling looks like now:
Labour lead by 18pts (majority of 266)
LAB 37% (-1) REF 19% (+2) CON 18% (-) LD 14% (-1) GRN 7% (-1) SNP 3% (+1)
What’s clear is that the more people have seen of Labour and the Tories, the more they’ve turned to alternatives to the establishment. We can’t conclusively say one way or the other, but where would the Greens be now if they and their policies had enjoyed as much air time as Farage? Given that the below are the policies in question, we’d say they’d have done better than just holding steady:
The Labour manifesto represents a diagnosis of doom for our NHS, promising a BELOW INFLATION investment.
Only the Green Party is offering the genuine investment that our NHS and social care are crying out for, funded by a tax on the super-rich and fairer capital gains tax. pic.twitter.com/VKu3RMe8se
Kuenssberg’s blog is notable for another thing – namely that it features some of the oddest quotes committed to print. This is how it opens:
“Farage no more wants responsibility than he wants a vegan cigarette,” a long-serving, maybe long-suffering, Brexit campaigner tells me.
Is there such a thing as a non-vegan cigarette? Is Farage rolling his fags in salami?
This seems to be a classic example of a goon thinking everything they don’t like is ‘woke’, or ‘vegan’, or ‘science’ – having no idea what these terms actually mean.
The next quote is even more unseemly (emphasis added):
For the Conservatives, dealing with the right is not a new dilemma and the arguments over how to handle it are familiar.
Do you face the political danger and appeal to the right, leaving Reform as little space as possible? Or stick the flag squarely in the middle and not give their arguments any oxygen?
Invite Nigel Farage and his fellow travellers in, occupy that political territory, be “real” Conservatives, one side reckons.
Tory peer Lord Marland said as much on Friday. “I saw him [Farage] at a few Conservative events and he was kind of lifting his trouser leg towards us, and they didn’t take the opportunity of binding him into the side.”
We don’t imagine Farage was actually walking around with his trousers at half mast; we do believe his snivelling must have been truly unsightly to warrant such an unpalatable description.
Some ministers believe Rishi Sunak has played into Mr Farage’s hands. “Don’t draw attention to things you can’t fix” like illegal migration, one cabinet minister told me.
Others think vowing to “stop the boats” without more radical action, like leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, has made the problem much worse – hot rhetoric, tepid policy.
The unnamed source names Sunak, but you could just as easily say the same of the BBC. Because this is what’s been going on these past few years:
Farage says the Tories and Labour aren’t right-wing enough.
The media reports this.
The Tories and Labour goose step to the right.
A similar thing has been happening in France, and just look how that’s working out for the right-leaning centrist Emmanuel Macron who just called an election of his own:
Macron’s Ensemble is on 19%; the newly formed left-wing alliance is at 26%, and Marine le Pen’s National Rally (formally the National Front) is at 35%.
The National fucking Front.
This is very possibly what’s going to happen in the UK if the Tories and Labour keep blaming all our problems on migration while simultaneously doing nothing to ‘solve’ the issue:
BREAKING: Labour's manifesto pledges "strong borders", and says the "small boats crisis" is "undermining our security".
The party promises to "fast-track" and "speed up" deportations, calling for "secure borders". pic.twitter.com/f9nAr6XZas
This gives us two possible solutions: we find a way of welcoming these people into the UK, or we violently halt their movement. Politicians and journalists who think there’s a middle ground – that we can demonise migrants without convincing voters these people need to be exorcised completely – are living in a fantasy.
So we return to that question: how does Farage grab so many headlines?
The answer is that if he didn’t, the BBC would have to give space to those say we should tax the rich; to those who believe that migrants are people, and to those who know the UK’s problems aren’t somehow the fault of its least powerful citizens.
I am not a professional obituary writer, but I surely wished I were, as writing about my dear friend Leah Levin deserves the best possible skills. Fortunately, I received some excellent input from her caring family of which I am making good use. A celebration of Leah’s life will be held by the family on 13 June, 4 pm BST which can also be followed online.
Leah Levin, was a well-known figure in the international human rights movement of the 1970’s and onwards. She died of cardiac arrest on 25 May, 2024, at the formidable age of 98. For over half a century, she served and led a range of human rights organisations and collaborated globally with some of the world’s leading activists. For which she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in 1992 and an OBE in 2001.
She was the author of UNESCO’s “Human Rights: Questions and Answers”, one of the world’s most widely disseminated books on human rights, (translated into more than 30 languages).
From 1982-1992, she was director of JUSTICE, a pioneering organisation that sought to right miscarriages of justice and which was a national section of the International Commission of Jurists . She served as a board member or trustee of the United Nations Association, the Anti-Slavery Society, International Alert, Redress, Readers International and The International Journal of Human Rights. But most of all, I remember her from the work she did to make sure that we would not forget one of our most impressive friends: Martin Ennals, who had led Amnesty from 1968 to 1980 and had been one of her closest friends until his death in 1981. [see his biography in the Encyclopedia of Human Rights, OUP, 2009, Vol 2, pp 135-138].
Frances D’Souza, said about Leah: “without any pretension she was nearly always right. She hit the nail on the head whether dealing with world affairs or people. She made a significant difference by her wise counsel and fact that she could really see what the issues were, read the situation and do something about it.”
Leah Levin had the special talent to draw other like-minded people to her and help coalesce a community of activists with whom she would collaborate throughout her entire life.
Her own life story is one of human rights struggle: Leah was born Sarah Leah Kacev on 1 April 1926 in Lithuania. She grew up as Leah Katzeff in Piketberg, South Africa, a small, rural town in Western Cape to where the family had to flee to escape poverty and anti-Semitism in the difficult years after the First World War and Russian revolution. Levin was the first of four children and the first person in her family to go to university. She graduated in 1945, when at the end of the second world war, the Katzeffs found out that their family along with their entire Jewish community in Mazeikiai, had been murdered by local Lithuanians organized by the Germans in the very first days of the Nazi advance in 1941.
In 1947 she married Archie Levin, fifteen years her senior. Like Leah, Archie was the child of European Jewish immigrants. Together they set up a new business, writing travel guides to Central and Southern Africa. In 1960, disgusted by the repression of anti-apartheid protest, the couple moved to the British colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with their two children Michal and Jeremy. A third son, David, was born in Salisbury (now Harare).
In Rhodesia, Leah completed a second degree in international relations at the University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, while her husband became politically active. His activities angered those in power; shortly before Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence. Archie was tipped off that he was likely to be arrested. He rapidly left for the UK with his daughter Michal and later was joined by his son Jeremy; a few months later, Levin and her infant son David joined the rest of the family in the UK.
In London, Levin found a volunteer post as Secretary of the newly founded United Nations Association. The UNA human rights committee brought together people who became lifelong friends as well as colleagues: Martin Ennals, Sir Nigel Rodney, Amnesty’s first legal officer and later UN rapporteur on torture, and Kevin Boyle, who ran the Human Rights Centre of the University of Essex. After the death in 1977 of her husband Archie, Levin threw herself still more wholeheartedly into human rights work. In 1978, she took a job as Secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society, which connected her to the United Nations in Geneva. And in 1982 she moved to run JUSTICE for a decade. In 1992, she co-founded Redress, representing victims of torture to obtain justice and reparation for them.
Even when fully retired Leah continued to keep an active interest in children and grandchildren as well as her human rights “children”. I will bitterly miss her almost yearly phone calls to check on me to make sure I am doing the right thing.
Good slogans have people nodding their heads in agreement because they recognise an underlying truth in the words.
I have a worn-out t-shirt which carries the slogan, “The first casualty of war is truth — the rest are mostly civilians”.
If you find yourself nodding in agreement it’s possibly because you have found it deeply shocking to find this slogan validated repeatedly in almost eight months of Israel’s war on Gaza.
The mainstream news sources which bring us the “truth” are strongly Eurocentric. Virtually all the reporting in our mainstream media comes via three American or European news agencies — AP, Reuters and the BBC — or from major US or UK based newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Washington Post or The New York Times.
This reporting centres on Israeli narratives, Israeli reasoning, Israeli explanations and Israeli justifications for what they are doing to Palestinians. Israeli spokespeople are front and centre and quoted extensively and directly.
Palestinian voices, when they are covered, are usually at the margins. On television in particular Palestinians are most often portrayed as the incoherent victims of overwhelming grief.
In the mainstream media Israel’s perverted lies dominate.
Riddled with examples The last seven months is riddled with examples. Just two days after the October 7 attack on Israel, pro-Palestinian protesters were accused of chanting “Gas the Jews” outside the Sydney Opera House.
The story was carried around the world through mainstream media as a nasty anti-semitic slur on Palestinians and their supporters. Four months later, after an intensive investigation New South Wales police concluded it never happened. The words were never chanted.
However the Radio New Zealand website today still carries a Reuters report saying “A rally outside the Sydney Opera House two days after the Hamas attack had ignited heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting “Gas the Jews”.
Even if RNZ did the right thing and removed the report now the old adage is true: “A lie is halfway around the world before the truth has got its trousers on”. Four months later and the police report is not news but the damage has been done as the pro-Israel lobby intended.
The same tactic has been used at protests on US university campuses. A couple of weeks ago at Northeastern University a pro-Israel counter protester was caught on video shouting “Kill the Jews” in an apparent attempt to provoke police into breaking up the pro-Palestine protest.
The university ordered the protest to be closed down saying “the action was taken after some protesters resorted to virulent antisemitic slurs, including ‘Kill the Jews’”. The nastiest of lies told for the nastiest of reasons — protecting a state committing genocide.
Similarly, unverified claims of “beheaded babies” raced around the world after the October 7 attack on Israel and were even repeated by US President Joe Biden. They were false.
No baby beheaded
Even the Israeli military confirmed no baby was beheaded and yet despite this bare-faced disinformation the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand was able to repeat the lie, along with several others, in a recent TVNZ interview on Q&A without being challenged.
War propaganda such as this is deliberate and designed to ramp up anger and soften us up to accept war and the most savage brutality and blatant war crimes against the Palestinian people.
Recall for a moment the lurid claims from 1990 that Iraqi soldiers had removed babies from incubators in Kuwaiti hospitals and left them to die on the floor. It was false but helped the US convince the public that war against Iraq was justified.
Twelve years later the US and UK were peddling false claims about Iraq having “weapons of mass destruction” to successfully pressure other countries to join their war on Iraq.
Perhaps the most cynical misinformation to come out of the war on Gaza so far appeared in the hours following the finding of the International Court of Justice that South Africa had presented a plausible case that Israel was committing genocide.
Israel smartly released a short report claiming 12 employees of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) had taken part in the October 7 attack on Gaza. The distraction was spectacularly successful.
Western media fell over themselves to highlight the report and bury the ICJ findings with most Western countries, New Zealand included, stopping or suspending funding for the UN agency.
Independent probe
eedless to say an independent investigation out a couple of weeks ago shows Israel has failed to support its claims about UNRWA staff involved in the October 7 attacks. It doesn’t need forensic analysis to tell us Israel released this fact-free report to divert attention from their war crimes which have now killed over 36,000 Palestinians — the majority being women and children.
The problem goes deeper than manufactured stories. For many Western journalists the problem starts not with what they see and hear but with what their news editors allow them to say.
A leaked memo to New York Times journalists covering the war tells them they are to restrict the use of the terms “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” and to avoid using the phrase “occupied territory” when describing Palestinian land.
They have even been instructed not to use the word Palestine “except in very rare cases” or the term “refugee camps” to describe areas of Gaza settled by Palestinian refugees driven off their land by Israeli armed militias in the Nakba of 1947–49.
These reporting restrictions are a blatant denial of Palestinian history and cut across accurate descriptions under international law which recognises Palestinians as refugees and the occupied Palestinian territories as precisely what they are — under military occupation by Israel.
People reading articles on Gaza from The New York Times have no idea the story has been “shaped” for us with a pro-Israel bias.
These restrictions on journalists also typically cover how Palestinians are portrayed in Western media. Every Palestinian teenager who throws a stone at Israeli soldiers is called a “militant” or worse and Palestinians who take up arms to fight the Israeli occupation of their land, as is their right under international law, are described as “terrorists” when they should be described as resistance fighters.
The heavy pro-Israel bias in Western media reporting is an important reason Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and the ongoing violence which results from it, has continued for so long.
The answer to all of this is people power — join the weekly global protests in your centre against Israel’s settler colonial project with its apartheid policies against Palestinians.
And give the mainstream media a wide berth on this issue.
John Minto is national chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). This article was first published by The Daily Blog and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with the author’s permission.
At Labour candidate Luke Akehurst’s general election campaign launch in Durham on Sunday 2 June, police had to escort the self confessed ‘Zionist shitlord‘ away after things got violent:
So this afternoon, Luke Akehurst’s first meeting with his CLP has resulted in him wrecking a child’s birthday party, Akehurst’s supporters abusing CLP members and attendees of the child’s party and Akehurst getting chased out of the area with a police escort.
On Wednesday 29 May, the Labour Partyannounced Akehurst as its candidate for Durham North. It turns out, local party members didn’t even select him. Instead, the NEC ‘parachuted’ him in:
2. Why was Akehurst parachuted into the seat of North Durham despite the fact the local Labour Party at least THREE local candidates ready to stand for selection in this constituency? Is it not grossly offensive to Labour Party members to parachute an Israel lobbyist from Oxford…
Maybe Akehurst was hoping his fans would show up in their hundreds in Durham to help launch his campaign. But looking at the photos shared on X, you wouldn’t have expected a problem with crowd control:
‘Mass’ turnout of local members in support of parachuted in candidate Luke Akehurst …. pic.twitter.com/KhtX7Syl0m
— Kevin Pascoe #PoliticsOfFairness #Ex-Labour (@KevinPascoe) June 2, 2024
Worryingly though, things got violent which resulted in someone calling the police. However, it is not clear who called the police, and on which group of protesters:
Protestors have now blockaded Luke Akehurst’s car outside the community centre in North Durham.
A few supporters of Akehurst (around 4 or 5) have started threatening protestors.
One big question stemming from this fuck-up of a campaign launch has to be why far-right protesters turned up to defend Akehurst:
We’re starting to see the first signs of convergence and collaboration between the Labour right and the far right. Starmer’s refusal to condemn yesterday’s fascist rally in Central London might be tactical.
— Anders Breivik was an Israel fanboy, look it up (@chipslasagne2) June 2, 2024
6. One of the more significant questions is why a local Labour councillor who is supporting Akehurst seemingly organised today with actual skin heads and fascists who came along to threaten those protesting against Akehurst? pic.twitter.com/iPx16oNVPt
Whilst the Labour party seems to have taken a leap to the right in recent weeks, mixing with far-right protesters seems like a new low:
The most disastrous launch of a campaign for a politician in living memory.
Racism, violence, most of the CLP and some councillors walking out in disgust, the police were called, and he ruined a child’s birthday party. https://t.co/fNfF5Y00JA
— Newham Independents (@NewhamIndParty) June 2, 2024
It is clear that the woman in the blue dress assaulted one of the pro-Palestine protesters. However, it’s worth noting that it is not clear who she is and if she was one of Akehurst’s pals.
Meanwhile, Akehurst’s wife – Linda Smith, who is a Labour councillor on Oxford City council and the cabinet member for Housing and Communities, was caught on camera saying:
‘yours belong in Iran but we’re not shouting about that’
This was in response to a pro-Palestine protester saying:
‘Your politics belong in the BNP mate’
Which people quite rightly pointed out is racist.
A generalised statement that a person’s views/allegiances align to a country because of the colour of their skin is racist. Why not say “and yours belong in Ireland/Maldives” – that would be accurate
Akehurst is a professional lobbyist & critiquing his actions is not comparable
Last week, Labour deselected Faiza Shaheen for liking tweets which Labour claimed were antisemitic. They claimed other tweets were supporting other parties, such as the Green Party. Understandably, many people now have questions after Akehurst’s supporters have been caught on camera being racist.
Additionally, it came to light he deleted over 2000 tweets in the lead up to his announcement about standing:
It is really important to say that people are quite rightly angry and disturbed by Luke Akehurst being imposed as the Labour candidate for North Durham which is why people are out demonstrating (everyone has the right to protest). At the same time, there should be no place for…
As someone on X pointed out, Akehurst’s social media history alone should have served as warning to the Labour Party:
Can’t say we weren’t warned. I wish more people listened when lefties were raising the alarm on Labour’s internal factional authoritarian crap.
This thread aged even worse that expected, as Akehurst has imposed HIMSELF on poor old Durham. And many other NEC members also imposed https://t.co/RzLwb8cJ4G
It seems that more broadly, the Labour Party may have wildly misunderstood how locals feel about the situation in Gaza:
Take a look at the reception Akehurst is getting in Durham, the police were required to attend today, the locals are not happy. A massive failure to understand the local feeling on Gaza.
A local politically savvy soft-left independent candidate ought to run against Luke Akehurst in North Durham. I reckon they’d wup his arse. pic.twitter.com/KU6N5yL9Gv
On a more positive note – Chris Bradburn announced he was standing against Akehurst for the Workers Party of Britain:
I’m running for North Durham against Akehurst for @WorkersPartyGB .
As an ordinary guy who is an cybersecurity engineer by trade, this type of person is exactly why I felt the need to get involved in our politics. The state of play is absurd.#VoteWorkersPartyhttps://t.co/gQJPWysqAS
A candidate emboldening the far right and inciting racism? It’s increasingly obvious that that’s becoming Labour’s legacy under Starmer. Labour has always been the party of the people – and therefore protests. Moreover, there are already serious issues becoming apparent with the party adopting the ‘parachute’ technique for MP candidates – something Tony Blair made infamous.
However, the type of protest which Akehurst’s posse brought over the weekend should leave Labour with more questions than answers about the future of the party.
Former president and likely Republican presidential-nominee Donald Trump is now, finally, a convicted felon. So, with the corporate media forcing all eyes on Trump’s conviction, what better time for Butcher Biden to rack up some war crimes? Because, not to be outdone, as the Trump news dropped, Genocide Joe was busy bombing the hell out of Yemen.
Naturally, the US’s imperial lackey the UK jumped in on the colonial chest-thumping, to prop up their genocidal axis of evil with Israel in the Middle East.
Bombing Yemen as Trump found guilty
On Thursday 30 May, a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 charges of election fraud. As Reuters reported, the former president had falsified:
documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.
That very same day however, the US and UK rained bombs down on Yemen in the middle of the night:
BREAKING:
US and British warplanes are currently dropping bombs on Yemen in the middle of the night, targeting 13 different locations, including telecommunications infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/4PXNjJFRyp
Seems relevant that this happened right as Trump’s verdict was being read. Almost like they didn’t want people to notice. https://t.co/8KPKTL1Q8z
— craven_carpenter (@CravenCarpenter) May 31, 2024
While the public’s attention is diverted by Trump’s felony charges, the military-industrial complex seizes this opportunity to bomb Yemen, one of the poorest nations on Earth. https://t.co/CE9pnfSZkC
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) May 30, 2024
War criminals all round
Consequently, an orange jumpsuit might match Trump’s complexion, but he’s not the only one who’d wear it well:
— Friendly Neighborhood Comrade (@SpiritofLenin) May 30, 2024
Because of course, Trump too committed atrocious war crimes against people in Yemen:
the craziest part about Trump’s conviction is it wasn’t for his war crimes in Yemen, because that would implicate Obama who started the genocidal campaign, and Biden who’s continuing it by bombing Yemen right now: https://t.co/8MDe88zbAD
Essentially then, courts have convicted Trump for hush money to a porn star, but blatant murderous war crimes? Nah. Naturally, this suits Butcher Biden and his drone-strike-happy presidential predecessor Barrack Obama down to the ground.
What’s more, that barely scratches the surface of US and UK war crime complicity. Even now, the duopoly of dying colonial empires are abetting war criminal Netanyahu in his brutal ethnic extermination of Palestinians. I’m old enough to remember when Israel used US-made munitions to burn 45 Gazans to death in a Rafah refugee camp.
Unsurprisingly, the pair are gearing up to obstruct Netanyahu’s arrest after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for it. As the Canary’s James Wright wrote:
In other words, Western leaders are arguing that international law does not apply to the West or its allies.
To date, evidently so.
Election season: nationalistic imperialism on steroids
Rancid displays of toxic imperialism? Now election season really is in full swing:
Election season in England and the US is very dangerous because it’s time to show you are strong on “national security” by bombing the hell out of other countries. https://t.co/LS39q8YKME
In short, buckle up for a self-aggrandising spiel of jingoistic imperial impulses from small men in suits for the next six months. Right on cue, here’s Sunak cracking out the ol’ “self defence” chestnut:
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says there would have been “a risk in inaction”, following strikes by British and US forces on Houthi targets in Yemenhttps://t.co/EALLoArJMf
Of course, for the chef’s kiss of timing – parliament – you know, that institution of elected representatives meant for holding government to account, is now dissolved. Naturally, this was the same day Sunak was getting in bed with Butcher Biden to rain terror and death down on people in Yemen:
While Parliament is dissolved and we are all focusing on the election, British fighter jets are bombing telecommunications and other infrastructure in Yemen.
Yemen is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, with basic infrastructure damaged by over a decade of war. pic.twitter.com/gJPIpgFY2q
— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) May 30, 2024
Some on X highlighted the attack on Yemen in the context of Sunak’s gross theatre of nationalistic pride-come-election stunt:
Now you know why @RishiSunak wants National Service. Needs fodder . Yemen. Ukraine. Israhell . FK this country right now https://t.co/FY8q9zBYpP
Bombing Yemen to propping up Israel’s genocide in Gaza
Ultimately however, despite Biden and Sunak’s best PR obfuscation tactics, the reasons for their criminal bombardment didn’t escape peoples’ notice. Specifically: sustaining Israel’s genocide in Gaza:
BREAKING: Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak are bombing Sanaa, Yemen, as we speak.
They are bombing one of the poorest countries in the world, in the dead of night, to ensure Israel can continue committing massacres against children in Rafah. pic.twitter.com/PD5dvQJRSj
Because despite the bullshit pretexts, at the heart of this is Palestine. Notably, the US and UK airstrikes are retaliation to Yemen blockading Israel-bound vessels fueling its genocide:
In case you’re just tuning in, this is happening because Yemen is blocking cargo ships bound for Israel in an attempt to stop the Gaza genocide and the US and UK are attacking them so the genocide can continue https://t.co/EQvdeaxIQ7
Another poster highlighted the appalling racist double-standards at play in the Western corporate media and political establishment:
White imperialist governments continuously bombing cities and countries in the Middle East, yet we’re labelled the terrorists for resisting and fighting back. I’m so fkn sick of this narrative that we have forced on us, when every other day, white countries continuously bomb us. https://t.co/adjUyI3lzu
At the end of the day, the US and UK can talk big on international law, but the majority world knows, the Zionist apologist war-mongers, with ally Israel, are the biggest war criminals going.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has written a letter to the UK government seeking “urgent clarification” on British spy planes flying over Gaza during Israel’s genocidal assault. Crucially, it raises vital questions over potential UK complicity in Israeli war crimes in Palestine.
UK Spy planes over Gaza
An investigation by Declassified UKrevealed on 8 May that the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) has conducted 200 surveillance flights over Gaza since 3 December. As the investigative news outlet reported:
All the British spy flights have taken off from RAF Akrotiri, the UK’s sprawling air base on Cyprus, and have been in the air for around six hours.
Gaza sits around 30 minutes flight time from the base so it is likely the RAF has gathered around 1,000 hours of surveillance footage over Gaza.
What’s more, Declassified identified that the RAF were operating a spy flight over Gaza at the time Israel assassinated seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers.
Since its investigation, the RAF has continued these reconnaissance flights. This included a RAF aircraft flying over Gaza on 26 May. Of course, this was the same day Israel brutally massacred 45 displaced Gazans in a Rafah refugee camp in the so-called ‘safe zone’.
In its statement in December, the MoD claimed it was conducting these flights in “support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity”. Moreover, it said that:
Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue.
However, Declassified’s findings has brought these claims into question.
Now, a new Declassified investigation has additionally unearthed more prospective evidence of UK complicity in Israel’s genocidal siege. In tandem with these spy flights, it found that the British military has flown 60 aircraft to Israel since it started its genocide in Gaza. Notably, while it acknowledged the purpose of the visits remained “unclear”, it identified these as cargo planes capable of carrying over 100 soldiers, as well as weaponry.
Israel commits war crimes as UK aircraft look on
Given all this, on 30 May, the IJCP sent a letter to the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
Specifically, the letter argues that the government must disclose certain information to the UK public. Firstly, this concerns if the RAF is sharing intelligence from these reconnaissance flights with the Israeli military. In particular it states that in light of Israel’s WCK and Rafah refugee camp strikes:
The public urgently requires information about these and other incidents, to establish whether British intelligence was in Israeli hands at the time of the strikes, including intelligence potentially used for target acquisition.
On top of this, it seeks to establish if the UK is sharing information from these missions with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The IJCP wrote:
It is also imperative to know whether footage captured of these apparent war crimes will be shared with the Hague. In Parliament, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps declined five times to confirm or deny whether such intelligence will be shared with the ICC. This is despite the fact that the UK, as a State Party to the Rome Statute, has committed to support the ICC’s mandate to prosecute individuals for international crimes.
The government has provided the public with little-to-any information on the nature or volume of intel shared with Israel, nor whether it will be shared with the ICC. On both counts, it is imperative that the public knows. British spy planes flying over Gaza whilst Israel commits brutal war crimes against the Palestinians is deeply concerning, particularly considering the UK government’s opacity on the issue.
Nina Alizadeh Marandi of HRW on 28 May 2024 said that German environmental activists are facing increasingly harsh rhetoric and legal action from authorities as they mobilize to confront the climate crisis.
Last week, on 21 May, Germany’s efforts to curb environmental activism took a disturbing turn when authorities used an offence typically reserved for prosecutorial pursuit of serious organized crime to indict Letzte Generation (Last Generation), a climate activist group known for disruptive protests such as roadblocks and other acts of civil disobedience, as a criminal organization. A conviction under federal law would pave the way for prosecuting anyone who participates in or supports Letzte Generation, including administratively or financially.
The investigation into Letzte Generation as a criminal organization has involved armed police conducting predawn raids, storming private apartments while the activists were still asleep, and granting warrants for police to surveil the group’s communications, including calls made with media.
Last year the group’s website was temporarily seized during a fundraising campaign, with a notice from the police falsely labeling Letzte Generation a criminal organization and stating any donation constitutes illegal support for crime. This move by the police, despite no judicial assessment of the charges having taken place, exposes a deeply worrying bias against the group and raises questions about whether authorities are respecting due process.
International law protects the right to public participation in environmental matters and recognizes peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience as a legitimate form of assembly. Disruptions like traffic blockades, while inconvenient, generally do not constitute violence under international standards, although damage to or destruction of private or public property may.
While civil disobedience often involves breaking national laws, authorities are required to respond proportionately, giving due weight to the right to protest and the importance to the public interest of the issues at stake.
The government’s extreme response to Letzte Generation’s activism appears disproportionate, threatens the very right to protest, and smears climate activists when their cause has never been more urgent. Instead of intimidating environmental defenders, Germany should live up to its commitment to ambitious climate action and investigate the concerns that groups like Letzte Generation raise.
Once again, a country in the Global North is plundering the planet for capitalist profit and exacerbating the biodiversity crisis. Now, two environmental campaign groups have launched legal action against the government for flouting EU law. This time, it’s France, over its violation of the EU’s ocean protection policies.
Notably, the European nation is engaging in a staggering show of brazen hypocrisy as it gears up to host a key ocean summit.
Marine protected areas: France flouts EU law
In the Mediterranean, France currently allows highly destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling in its so-called ‘protected’ marine areas. This is despite a Europe-wide ban.
In 2006, the EU adopted the Mediterranean Regulation to protect key habitats and fish populations from overexploitation and harm. Specifically, this bans bottom trawling, pelagic trawling, purse seining and dredging in all marine protected areas (MPAs) hosting certain vulnerable habitats.
Those vulnerable habitats include seagrass meadows such as Posidonia meadows, coral reefs, and maerl beds. The latter are mats of red algae that serve as breeding grounds and nurseries for many marine species.
Given that marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean are in a catastrophic state, this regulation is of vital importance. Significantly, a 2020 study in the journal One Earthfound that EU countries regulated 95% of MPAs no more than adjacent waters.
Contrary to EU law, France refuses to implement these bans and continues to authorise the most destructive practices. It has been doing so through various decrees and derogations within its so-called ‘protected’ marine areas.
Given this, campaign group BLOOM and ClientEarth have now launched legal action to take the French government to task on this.
Shocking hypocrisy
The legal action comes as France prepares to host the third United Nations Conference on the Oceans in June 2025. Ironically, France will hold this meeting in Nice on the shores of the Mediterranean.
The nonprofits are demanding that France revises three decrees which authorise bottom trawling in certain French MPAs where it should be banned. The pair have declared that they will not hesitate to take France to court should the administration fail to respond favourably to the request.
According to Nils Courcy, a legal expert at ClientEarth:
The simple fact that France is allowing trawlers to fish in protected areas that should be closed to trawling is a scandal. The European legal framework is not being respected. France’s interpretation of it is contrary to the letter and spirit of the law and tramples the major European environmental principles.
What’s more, France has been jeopardising ocean protection beyond its waters. In April, conservationists accused the French government of hypocrisy over its protest at a series of new MPA regulations announced by the UK.
Specifically, in January, the UK government declared a trawling ban in 13 MPAs in its territorial and economic waters. French diplomats, backed by the trawling lobby, have argued against the ban – particularly where it applies to the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These are the stretches of ocean that generally extend 200 nautical miles (370km) from their coastlines. Fishers from France and other nations have had access to these areas.
France is currently spearheading efforts to force the UK to abandon its ban on trawling in these MPAs. Notably, it has gone so far as to form a coalition of eight European states to block the attempt by the UK to protect them. The coalition is attempting to do so via the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU.
MPAs: ‘so-called protected areas’
And while the UK government has announced this ban, ocean campaign groups have said even this move does not go far enough. Executive director of Oceana Hugo Tagholm said in January that:
the fact that this ban is only for reef and rock only in 13 MPAs still leaves vast swathes of our so-called ‘protected’ areas open to this extremely harmful practice.
Targeting reef and rock habitat alone doesn’t account for the habitats and wildlife beyond those boundaries and does not support the full recovery of marine ecosystems. Allowing destructive bottom-trawling to continue anywhere in any marine protected area is completely incompatible with allowing ocean life to recover and flourish.
Moreover, the designations are just the start. Notably, groups have documented destructive trawling vessels fishing in sites with protected status. For instance, Greenpeace previously exposed how supertrawlers – factory ships over 100 metres long – spent nearly 3,000 hours decimating MPAs throughout 2019.
On top of this, Oceana has since found that in 2023, vessels bottom-trawled in so-called MPAs for more than 33,000 hours.
In other words, pockets of ocean can hold protected designations, but without accompanying monitoring and enforcement, these sites remain vulnerable to illegal trawling activity. Environmental campaigners have long referred to these as ‘paper parks’ – in short, lines on a map that bare no resemblance to the reality of ocean protection.
Therefore, France and the coalition’s efforts to water down even this limited level of protection is alarming for upcoming negotiations. Courcy said:
With a year to go before the United Nations Conference on the Oceans, which France will be hosting in Nice, it is incumbent on France to be consistent and credible on this issue.
The ‘sham’ of France’s ocean protections
Given that France is not the only nation allowing bottom trawling in protected areas, a lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for MPAs across the bloc. As such, a win would set a precedent for protected areas all over the EU.
BLOOM’s head of advocacy Swann Bommier said that:
France continues to flout the European regulatory framework with impunity, bowing to the demands of the industrial fishing lobbies. All the Mediterranean’s marine ecosystems are under threat as a result. At a time when the scientific community is sounding the alarm about the state of the oceans, and particularly the Mediterranean, it is urgent that Emmanuel Macron puts an end to the sham of ‘French-style’ protection and brings his actions in line with his rhetoric aimed at making France a ‘great ocean nation’.
By contrast, Greece is setting an example in terms of safeguarding MPAs. Based on scientific recommendations and the European framework, last April the Greek government announced a ban on bottom trawling in all its marine protected areas by 2030.
We have arrived at that place. A general election. The one where our two main political parties are campaigning to see who’s going to be burying the bodies of the people their policies kill.
The Tories have proven over the last 14 years that they don’t give a shit about anyone who is disabled, trans, not British, mentally ill, young, old or poor. Basically, if you’re not an Oxbridge educated, racist, corrupt prick who likes to avoid paying their taxes – you’re pretty screwed.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition has made more U-turns than a drunk guy on a unicycle. From scrapping the two-child limit, tuition fees, and renationalising our public services, to blocking new oil and gas exploration in the north sea.
But here’s the thing. As a proud Gen Z, people have told countless times over the years that I have to tolerate, or even be friends with, people who have opposing political opinions to me. Honestly, I’ve always agreed. I’ve never even thought about it too much. Everyone disagrees sometimes, right?
Who lives and who dies
However, recently a sense of hopelessness has struck me. Somewhere along the line, we moved away from discussing – and even disagreeing – about politics, to disagreeing on fundamental morals and human rights.
When did our politicians stop asking ‘how are we going to solve this issue?’
Why is the new default ‘should we even bother trying to solve this issue?’
Why do the looney tunes in charge get to decide who lives and who dies? How does the colour of my skin and where I was born mean my life is more valuable than children in the Middle East?
Basic human rights should not be a political issue. Clearly they are – now more than ever before – but they shouldn’t be. It’s so much more than politics. It’s literal life and death.
Sneaky and calculated or downright cruel?
Currently, our main two political parties are condoning the murder of Palestinians in the name of colonialism. There are literal disabled people dying because the government doesn’t give a shit about systematically screwing them over. Meanwhile Labour made zero mention of disabled people in their pre-election pledges.
If one of my close friends told me they were voting Tory – I wouldn’t be angry. I’d be sad, but mainly disappointed. To me, that says they’re okay with Israel needlessly killing Palestinian children. It says they’re okay with systematically excluding disabled people. It says they’re okay with young people literally killing themselves because they can’t access mental health care.
As someone who has personally experienced homelessness, it tells me they don’t have a problem with thousands of people sleeping on the streets every night. That becomes even more of a problem when you realise that homelessness is a political choice. Which they proved during Covid, bringingeveryone inside practically overnight.
And getting really honest for a minute – voting Labour isn’t much better. Unless it’s tactical to keep the Tories out. Because whilst they might appear on the surface to be a little less cruel – many of their policies will have the exact same impact as the last 14 years of Tory hell.
Not so Great Britain
At some point, politics stopped being about politics. The muppets in charge changed the game. From being about who could create the most well-thought-out policies and making the country a better place to live in. To one which they trivialise suffering and question people’s value.
Maybe it’s naive of me to expect any less from a bunch of overpaid pillocks. But I don’t believe its naive for Gen Z’s to dream of a country where the core values of our politicians – and consequently the people voting for them – are not questioned every two minutes.
(@katiamek) 
(@DrJillStein) 
(@clairebubblepop) 
Labour lead by 18pts (majority of 266)
LAB 37% (-1)
REF 19% (+2)
CON 18% (-)
LD 14% (-1)
GRN 7% (-1)
SNP 3% (+1)
(@LeftieStats) 
The Labour manifesto represents a diagnosis of doom for our NHS, promising a BELOW INFLATION investment.
Only the Green Party is offering the genuine investment that our NHS and social care are crying out for, funded by a tax on the super-rich and fairer capital gains tax. 
(@NewhamIndParty) 
(@taylersplifft) 
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