For some drivers, horsepower is the be-all and end-all, and for others, horsepower decides very little about how much they enjoy their car on an ordinary day. Much of the driving happens in slow traffic and supermarket car parks, with the odd motorway on weekend trips. That doesn't mean there's no enjoyment to be found while driving.

The upgrades that make driving more enjoyable are usually the ones that make that time behind the wheel better. While some of them cost less than a tank of fuel, others take a bit of saving.

Tyres Before Anything Else

A good set of tyres from a premium manufacturer lets a car drive more quietly on the motorway and take a wet roundabout with more traction. Plenty of owners replace worn tyres like-for-like without much thought.

A premium set of tyres is an expensive first purchase, and sometimes it's worth starting from the inside and working your way outward. Quality tyres can have a night-and-day effect on how driving feels, so they're not a bad place to start if the budget permits it.

Getting the Driving Position Right

Seats are always about personal tastes and preferences, and many drivers put up with a position that's nearly right for a very long time. Before spending anything, try exploring the adjustments the car already has. The steering column moves in and out and up and down on most modern cars, and many seats have a cushion that tilts or extends.

Where the seats themselves are tired, a specialist trimmer can retrim worn leather or install a new material of your choosing. Some owners go further and swap in the sports seats. That's a bigger piece of work, with wiring for heating and side airbags involved, so it's a project for someone who specialises in this line of work.

The Wheel in a Driver's Hands

The steering wheel gets handled more than anything else in the car. Every junction, turn, and every parking manoeuvre goes through it, so a rim that's gone shiny and smooth with wear gets noticed on every drive.

Enthusiasts who want something more personal look at custom steering wheels, where the owner chooses the rim shape and the covering. Perforated leather on the sides improves grip, smooth leather or carbon fibre across the top and bottom keeps it sleek, and a flattened base makes getting in and out of a low car a little easier.

Small Interior Details That Change the Mood

For some drivers, changing the interior trim has been on their minds since their very first drive. The dashboard inserts and the surround around the gear selector are in sight the whole time the car is moving, and swapping glossy plastic for carbon fibre gives the cabin a more expensive look without touching anything mechanical.

It's very tempting to do the whole cabin at once. Starting with the pieces closest to the driver makes more sense; the passenger side can come later.

The Walk Back to the Car

Enthusiasts glance back at their car after locking it, and what they notice is the exterior styling. Carbon fibre mirror caps and a gloss-black grille are an easy place to start. They don't take long to install, and they change the face of the car the same afternoon, which is a lot of visual return for a modest job.

A front splitter and a rear diffuser go a little further, giving a standard model the stance of something higher up the range. Seeing the car on the driveway with both fitted is a real lift for most owners.

Quality varies between suppliers. Photos of finished cars on real driveways say a lot about how evenly the weave lines up under the lacquer, and a decent warranty on the parts is worth asking about before buying.

Where to Start

Everyday enjoyment comes from the most frequent interactions drivers have with their car, so the best upgrades are the ones that are visible on the most ordinary journeys. Try starting while in the driver's seat with the engine off, have a look around, and notice which parts of the cabin you'd like to customise.  

Don't forget to confirm compatibility with the exact model and year before ordering anything, and leave any work involving airbags or wiring to an approved fitter.

By Nathan Spears

The following is a step-by-step account of what has gone on at Canary Media Limited this year. It follows multiple online accusations against the CEO, Steve Topple, his wife, Nicola Jeffery, and several staff members.

During late 2025 and early 2026, multiple staff members were either arrested or facing court proceedings specifically thanks to the Zionist lobby.

Around the same time, journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey asked if she could create a trade union group, which the CEO said yes to and asked her to get on with. This never happened.

The Canary received multiple vexatious complaints from Zionists (totalling over 50 alleged breaches of the press regulator's code in around three months), all of which IMPRESS dismissed except one.

Then, the Canary was debanked. Lloyds originally asked for information about the business structure and where certain funds came from. The CEO tried multiple avenues (email, phone) to answer these questions, but no one ever got back to him. Then, in May the account was closed without warning. Steve filed a complaint, and also a senior manager told him an internal investigation would be launched alongside this - the results of which Lloyds has still not disclosed. This also meant that Canary Media Limited fell behind on repayments for a COVID Bounceback Loan taken out by the previous owners, as Lloyds did not give us a mechanism to make repayments (which were automatically set to come out of the now-closed bank account).

Around the same time, £2.5m in financial support for the planned TV channel was also withdrawn, meaning the project had to be scrapped, and the potential for significant YouTube revenue was lost.

The newspaper project also failed due to the debanking. It had a 20% profit margin baked in, meaning that on a print run of 20,000, profit could have been £100,000 a month. However, nearly 2,000 stockists boycotted it within the first few days, making it unsustainable given the debanking, as the Canary couldn't pay the weekly costs.

Plus, one of the other outlets Canary Media Limited had taken over was losing £15,000 a month more than Steve was told when the businesses merged. This was due to the loss of a significant donor - a fact that was actively hidden from Canary Media Limited.

In early June, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for staff was put in place. The former Head of HR and Pastoral, Nikki Brooker, proposed it and also wrote it. The CEO, Steve Topple, did not propose it, but he supported her and the heads of department (who all agreed) in implementing it. This was due to concerns that business-sensitive information could be published online and used against us.

At the end of June, staff were told of the debanking. The CEO decided to delay telling staff, hoping the situation would be resolved and to avoid unnecessary distress. This didn't end up being the case. Staff were paid three days late, obviously because the Canary didn't have access to any of its money and had to get emergency funding elsewhere.

During this time, staff had regular meetings where they could provide feedback on the situation and suggest ideas - and also have space to openly discuss the impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

We sent applications to multiple other banks for business accounts. Despite Canary Media Limited being in existence for over 10 years, and having a clear credit score, NatWest, Revolut, Tide, Nationwide, Virgin Money, Santander, and Barclays all declined to give us an account - with multiple banks citing our "complex business structure".

We had already secured a basic bank account with ANNA back in late April, due to the doxxing of Steve's personal details online by a senior Your Party member which could have compromised the Lloyds bank account. However, this account then also asked questions about our ownership structure. Our third-party payment provider, Stripe, asked the same questions. We then got another bank account with Monzo.

In July, Israel attacked two of our journalists with grenades in southern Lebanon.

At the end of July, we paid most employees on time, with only two paid late because of daily transfer limits on our new bank account.

On 31 July, Canary staff member Hannah Sharland set up a WhatsApp group called "Everything is Fucked". This group ran at the same time as a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) union chapel was being created. In hindsight, and from the full chat history, it is clear this group was used to attempt a coup against Steve.

Steve and his now-wife Nicola Jeffery got married on Wednesday 5 August. During this time, two senior staff members attempted to access the CEO's private emails without his authorisation. One of them also attempted to get Steve to (in their words) "relinquish his duties". They claimed it was because he was on indefinite mental health leave. This was not true. It was explained to this individual (by Steve and after Nicola had a conversation with them) that we were logging the annual leave he was taking for his wedding as mental health leave, to make sure that he was not contacted during this time. Steve also told this individual that he would be back, as planned, the week after his wedding.

It also transpired that senior staff covertly arranged a meeting with a donor during the week of Steve and Nicola's wedding, seemingly to oust Steve. However, this did not go according to plan, as conversations in the WhatsApp group show.

Also during the same week, another senior staff member held a meeting with all staff where they told them to start looking for new jobs and said they didn't know if the company had any money, even though the meeting was only supposed to be about a consultation on new policies. When asked for a recording of this meeting, the senior staff member claimed the file had been "corrupted".

For context, in the WhatsApp group "Everything is Fucked", multiple staff members attended Steve and Nicola's wedding, some even staying at the venue for two nights. This included Hannah Sharland, one of Nicola's bridesmaids, as they had been good friends for years. Yet these individuals spent the day feeding back rude, insulting messages to the WhatsApp group. Not least among these was Sharland herself, whom journalist HG (a pseudonym) told should have taken "nunchucks" to the wedding. All the while, these individuals were being lovely to Steve and Nicola's faces.

Steve informed the entire team on Saturday 8 August that he would be back to work on Tuesday 11 August.

On Monday 10 August, a senior staff member announced new policies would go live at 9am on Tuesday 11 August. This was without Steve's final sign-off. One of these was the Disciplinary Policy, which included a clause that would have meant the CEO could not conduct a disciplinary investigation if the alleged misconduct involved the CEO. That is, Steve could not have disciplined two senior staff members for attempting to access his emails without authorisation.

On 11 August, Steve suspended one of the senior staff members who attempted to access his emails. The other one involved had already gone on "indefinite" sick leave a few days before this. Another senior staff member was also suspended after it transpired they told a former employee that the CEO "was no longer working in the business" (which was not true) during the week of the wedding. Another senior staff member was also immediately removed from the business because the Home Office refused to grant Canary Media Limited a sponsorship licence to get them a work visa.

As soon as the two senior staff members were suspended, the WhatsApp chat immediately began undermining the disciplinary process by holding a Zoom call and helping them both with their stories. This breached standard suspension terms, which state that suspended staff members are not supposed to communicate with other employees. The senior staff member who had no work visa was also still in this group, despite her employment having been terminated.

Also, in Zoom meetings and/or in the chat, staff were openly discussing forging documents from Lloyds Bank to make out Canary Media Limited had not been debanked. There was also open discussion around setting up a social media account to leak internal information. Plus, a senior member of staff was briefing a freelancer on the situation while suspended - which resulted in the latter's contract being terminated after they misused a group chat to throw abuse at the CEO and team members.

In summary, it appeared some staff were attempting a coup against Steve Topple, subverting official trade union processes, and using lies and defamation to drag staff along. Staff members have since said senior staff had been undermining Steve to them since at least June.

On 19 August, the NUJ union group officially launched without inviting all staff members but fast-tracking membership for a suspended staff member; yet the WhatsApp group continued and operated separately. Two suspended individuals were members of the trade union Signal group chat, despite being suspended - once again breaching standard employment conditions.

The NUJ group quickly descended into chaos and in-fighting. The person leading it resigned from the company nine days later, and the NUJ group was paused. This came after concerned staff members leaked the entire chat to the CEO. An NUJ rep said that in their 40 years in trade union work, they had never seen staff behaviour like it. It has since become apparent that those sowing discord in the NUJ chapel were also members of the "Everything is Fucked" WhatsApp group.

Then, towards the end of August, after Lloyds sent us a cheque for the balance from the debanked account, another Canary Media Limited bank account was locked, holding a significant amount of our funds. Metro explained that this was due to the "complex business structure" related to a change in ownership. For context, a bank manager told Steve this in person, in-branch.

At the end of August, Steve's mum (who lives with severe dementia in a care home 100 miles from where he lives) had a serious fall, broke her hip, and was in hospital. This meant Steve was travelling backwards and forwards to be there. Yet the Everything is Fucked WhatsApp group poured scorn on this - with journalist Joe Glenton saying Steve was "lying" about it.

Meanwhile, Companies House changed Canary Media Limited's registered office address to the default one without warning. This meant the company could have been struck off. Our registered office provider confirmed our address was active and valid. Therefore, the legal advice we received was that someone else must have acted maliciously and told Companies House we did not have permission to use the address. However, it seems Companies House did this itself when it got "returned mail" from our address. Yet that still doesn't make sense, as our address had been active consistently and there would be no reason for mail to be returned.

Also, at the end of August, staff from the WhatsApp group leaked information to the Guardian, which then published an article about internal matters on 4 September. On the same day, some of these staff set up a "Canary Staff" X account, seemingly intending to bring down the company, the CEO, and his wife. Before this, on 3 September, Steve learned of the "Everything is Fucked" WhatsApp group and was given the entire chat history. After revealing this to the team on 5 September, multiple staff members who were active members resigned.

On 8 September, the same staff running the X account spoke to the Telegraph, which then also published an article.

During this time, the process with the NUJ had all but collapsed. The union rep was close to ending the association with the Canary because of staff behaviour, namely suspended members subverting the disciplinary process, leaking information, and some staff's general unwillingness to engage constructively.

During this time, the "Canary Staff" X account was not only publishing unfounded allegations about, and abuse and harassment aimed at, Steve Topple, but also his wife Nicola Jeffery and other members of staff. To be clear: none of the team are antisemitic; no allegations of sexual harassment have ever been raised; issues around staff members' conduct are being wholly misrepresented, and the insults thrown at Nicola, and the inferences around her pay and competency, are vicious and unwarranted.

Meanwhile, Lloyds Bank issued a £4,500 compensation cheque for closing Canary Media Limited's bank account without warning. However, it claimed it had also sent a separate letter detailing its response to Steve's complaint, but this letter was never received. At the same time, it was also still charging the monthly fee for the business bank account which no longer existed.

The co-ordinated campaign both online (and internally) by former staff and in the corporate media led to donors who had previously offered support to the Canary withdrawing that support - leaving the business unsustainable.

On Wednesday 16 September, the company decided to make remaining staff redundant after a 30-day consultation. This finished on Friday 16 October. On Monday 19 October, the company publicly announced it was stopping operations indefinitely. Meanwhile, staff from the WhatsApp group were still accessing internal Canary systems, despite no longer working at the business.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

US spy- and killing-firm Palantir has put its latest parliamentary revolving-door hire Tom Watson to use — 'threatening' other politicians for criticising it. Labour MP Clive Lewis has outed the manoeuvre, publishing a letter that the former deputy party leader sent him and categorising it as an "implicit threat".

Lewis had already criticised Palantir's appointment of Watson, already considered one of Labour's most odious and problematic figures for his Israel-fanaticism and his part in the plot to topple Jeremy Corbyn through the 'Labour antisemitism' scam:

Palantir didn't hire a former Labour deputy leader for his coding skills. It hired him for access.

Tom Watson's move is more than a private career choice. It's the revolving door in action and another blow to public trust.

The integrity gap won't close until politicians pick a…

— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) September 24, 2026

Palantir — "Your card is marked"

Now Watson has written to Lewis, listing Lewis's supposed transgressions and warning the Norwich South MP that Palantir has its eye on him:

Lewis read out the letter to a fringe at Labour's annual conference this week:

"For years, especially over the past year, you have made the case against Palantir itself more or less continuously - in the Commons, in written questions, in early-day motions, in interviews and opinion pieces, and on social media. By my count, you've spoken about Palantir almost 130 times since 2020; around 50 in the past year alone."

"I'm quite impressed by that, actually," Lewis interrupted to say, before continuing to read the letter from Watson out: "You have called us a 'spytech firm', said our 'business is death and destruction', called the NHS contract a deal that 'stinks', and urged the Health Secretary, the FCA and others to cut ties with us entirely."

Lewis went on to say Watson's "Big Brother" message was that "your card is marked":

It's an incredibly defensive response. There's a level of detail there that I didn't even know. That, to me, was an implicit threat. They're saying: 'We are watching you. We are monitoring you. And that's what we do. Your card is marked'.

Honestly, it feels very Palantir. Very Big Brother. 'We are watching you. We know what you are saying.' There's definitely a sense of power there. 'This is what you are up against'. If ever I needed a reason to fight harder for democracy, they've just given it to me.

But it's pretty concerning. They have access to my health records. What else do they have access to? And how could they use it?"

He also dismissed Watson's attempt to claim that his 'leave of absence' from the House of Lords removed the problems with his appointment:

He hasn't burned his contacts book. He understands how the system works and where the bodies are buried. Palantir aren't the good guys. I think it's really important people pick a side. You need to either commit yourself to public service or you need to commit yourself to working for them, and you can't do both and you shouldn't do both.

Labour's bureaucrats had already blocked a conference motion calling for the government to exercise its contractual rights to terminate Palantir's £330m NHS contract to manage NHS patient data. The firm's bosses have boasted how they use their technology to terrify and kill people the US doesn't like. Palantir has over £670m in UK government contracts across health, defence and policing, but some police forces have started to end their use of its systems.

Amnesty International, anti-genocide groups and human rights organisations are holding an international day of action today, 1 October 2026, against Palantir's infiltration of governments, including the UK's National Health Service.

Featured image via Facebook

By Skwawkbox

 

Mohammad Diriyya's return to the football pitch was far more than just another appearance for Palestine. Reappearing for the national B-team in a match against Turkish club Konyaspor, the Palestinian midfielder made his comeback following a long absence to undergo treatment for cancer.

On a night filled with emotional and sporting significance, Diriyya returned to the field wearing the captain's armband in one of the most moving moments of the match. Played at the Konya Metropolitan Stadium, the game ended in a 2-2 draw before being symbolically halted at the 89:59 mark.

A long absence, then a return in the Palestine jersey

Diriyya was named in the 21-player Palestine B-team squad announced by head coach Ibrahim Abu Madi ahead of the Konyaspor match, marking his official rejoin after his extended leave.

His career began early with Shabab Al-Khaleel, where he made his name and helped the club secure domestic silverware. In 2022, he moved to Latvian side Valmiera FC, embarking on a European professional stint that marked a major milestone in his development.

Recent years brought a different kind of challenge for Diriyya. After undergoing cancer treatment that sidelined him for a prolonged period, he finally made his long-awaited return to competition with the Palestine B-team.

The captain's armband after the treatment journey

In Konya, Diriyya did more than simply rejoin the team or play a match; he led the Palestine B-team as captain, in a poignant moment highlighted by the Palestinian Football Association and spectators alike.

His return took place in an extraordinary setting. Over 42,000 fans filled the stadium with Palestinian and Turkish flags, while Konyaspor supporters displayed tifos honouring Palestinian athletes and journalists killed in the conflict, alongside messages of solidarity.

Surrounded by this atmosphere, Diriyya put on the captain's armband and stepped back onto the pitch for Palestine after his arduous fight against cancer—a return where the final score mattered far less than reclaiming his place in the sport.

A return carrying a deeper meaning

The game finished 2-2, with Mohammad Sandouqa scoring both goals for Palestine. In a symbolic gesture, play was brought to a stop at 89:59—one second shy of the full 90 minutes—as organizers announced that the final second would be played in Palestine following its liberation.

Diriyya's comeback coincided with an evening dedicated to solidarity: honoring fallen athletes, pausing at the 10:14 mark to remember the 1,014 lost, and leaving the final result suspended at 89:59.

Yet through it all, the main highlight remained a personal triumph: Mohammad Diriyya stepped back onto the field to lead his country once again.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

The match between Konyaspor and the Palestinian reserve team was far more than an ordinary friendly. The stands of the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium transformed into a powerful canvas of images and messages reflecting the war in Gaza. Throughout a night filled with Palestine flags, tribute was paid to the nation's martyrs, athletes, and journalists, before the match came to an end just one second shy of ninety minutes.

Around 42,000 spectators packed the stands, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags. The electric atmosphere began outside the stadium with celebrations, chants, and flares, all bringing to life the match's core slogan: "Our Home is Your Home."

Photos of martyrs at the the stands

Among the most striking moments was a massive tifo displayed by Konyaspor fans. It featured portraits of Palestinian athletes killed in the war, highlighting that 1,014 Palestinian sports figures have lost their lives. This figure wasn't just a static statistic—it took center stage once again at the 10:14 mark of the match.

At that moment, the stadium lights dimmed for 90 seconds while thousands of fans lit up the stands with their phones, creating a vivid tribute to the 1,014 athletes who died in the conflict. The crowd also unveiled another display honoring fallen Palestinian journalists, accompanied by the banner "Journalism isn't a crime."

Rather than relying on abstract solidarity, the supporters placed Palestinian sports and media directly at the heart of their message, foregrounding the faces, names, and stories of the victims from both fields.

Muhammad al-Durrah, Handala and "soul of my soul"

The visual narrative continued with displays depicting iconic symbols of Palestinian history and memory. These included Muhammad al-Durrah, whose martyrdom anniversary fell on the day of the match (September 30), the cartoon character Handala, and the emotional image of Khaled Nabhan holding his granddaughter Reem, known worldwide as the "Soul of My Soul."

Banners throughout the stadium carried poignant messages, such as "Children are silenced when they sleep, not when they die," reiterating that silence cannot erase the truth or stall the march of history.

Together, the portraits of children, athletes, and journalists turned the stadium into a space capturing the many facets of the Palestinian struggle, while the national team competed on Turkish soil, far from home.

A match awaiting the liberation of Palestine

The night's most symbolic gesture came at the very end. With the game tied 2-2, the referee blew the final whistle at 89:59 — exactly one second before the full ninety minutes had elapsed.

The Palestinian Football Association explained that stopping the clock at this exact moment was intentional: a symbolic reminder that the match will only truly end on Palestinian soil after liberation, asserting the team's right to play on its home pitch.

From the tribute to 1,014 athletes to the images of fallen journalists, Muhammad al-Durrah, Handala, and "Soul of My Soul," right through to the dimmed lights at minute 10:14, every detail pointed toward that final moment at 89:59.

Though just one second remained on the clock, the match was intentionally left unfinished — waiting to be completed, one day, in a free Palestine.

Featured image via Instagram

By Alaa Shamali

In a further indication of the likely false-flag nature of the supposed FlyDubai 'hijacking', Iranian media were reporting — hours before the event — that Israel's spy service was planning an aviation attack:

Israel's long history of false flags

Israel has a long, long track record of 'false flag' attacks designed to put blame on an uninvolved group or nation (like Hamas). In June 2025, former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levi warned that a false-flag attack was likely as Israel sought to increase US engagement in a direct war on Iran. His warning was inadvertently reinforced by the actions of pro-Israel mouthpieces in the US, who at the same time began setting the scene by predicting an Iranian attack on US soil or against a US vessel.

 

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A post shared by Ahmed Eldin | أحمد الدين (@ahmedeldin)

The colony has shown itself perfectly willing to endanger Jews in these false flags, including planting bombs and attacking Jewish businesses in Egypt to drive Jewish people to flee to the colony. It has shown itself perfectly willing to murder even Israeli citizens outright, slaughtering hundreds in a long day of 'Hannibal' attacks on 7 October 2023.

And it is even more willing to kill citizens of other nations, like its air attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 to try to provoke the US into attacking Egypt. In 1994 it bombed targets in London and blamed the attacks on Palestinian activists.

Israel has claimed credit for telling UK security services about the almost-certain false-flag 'attack' on the RAF Fairford US air base last week, meant to justify full UK entry into the war on Iran, collapsed in farce in barely a day. Its Israel's 'FlyDubai incident' is so far-fetched it took only hours to fall apart, despite the efforts of UK media and politicians to shore it up. The fact that Iran, whom Israel is blaming for the attack, warned beforehand that the apartheid colony's spies were planning it only undermines the pro-Israel narrative even further.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

When your loved one suffers from dementia, it is not easy to care for them. Among the most common symptoms that worsen as the condition progresses is memory loss. In the elderly, particularly in Alzheimer's disease, the most commonly affected function is short-term memory.

It is not just about remembering whether they've eaten today, nor even about forgetting your birthday once. Short-term memory has a lot to do with medication, doctor's appointments, a hobby, an oven left on, and random items on the floor that become trip hazards for their physical health. That's why dementia care programmes often draw on long-term memory, placing particular emphasis on familiarity and routine. Let's analyse the benefits of routine and a familiar environment for someone suffering from dementia.

Key Ways Familiarity and Routine Help

Having a precise daily schedule can help to avoid unexpected events and tasks, which generally provoke anxiety and confusion in someone dealing with dementia. A routine is also based on ordinary tasks rather than tasks that suddenly appear in your diary. It is easier to remember and helps you feel safer and calmer, leaving no room for guesswork about what's coming next. Having a routine and bedtime rituals also affects mood and feelings, making them less subject to ups and downs.

Maintaining a routine does not mean that it is invented all of a sudden by a carer. It means that the person affected by dementia is as autonomous as possible in maintaining their habits within the familiarity of their home. This means that routine is never imposed; on the contrary, it is important that they feel independent and still in control of their spaces and time. This is because long-term, repeated habits and short-term ones follow different pathways, making routines more accessible even when cognitive processes are impaired.

Having a planned routine can reduce resistance during regular tasks done with the caregiver, such as taking medications, showering, getting dressed, and eating.

How to Build Familiarity

There are different ways to build familiarity through routine. Among the most important is setting consistent times. If their schedules are kept consistent, it can become natural for them to wake up at a certain time, eat, and go to sleep, which can provide the security of a safe environment. It is also important to maintain their usual points of reference: use their morning alarm, turn on a specific radio or TV channel, and prepare meals at the times they're used to. 

Building familiarity also means encouraging independence. Visible clocks help orientation, and furniture should stay where it has always been; they should be able to see, hear, and touch as they're used to, and have control over their life.

It is important to make them feel considered and included in your schedule as well, rather than always focusing on their physical health. They need a genuine chat to share thoughts and to exchange memories. Finally, but most importantly, there's no rush; give them space. Even though they need support, it doesn't always mean they need a carer watching them 24/7; they need enough room to rest and spend time in solitude. Don't rush into the next activity, as they'll probably feel your anxiety too.

Building Stability Through Familiarity

Living with dementia brings change that no one can fully control, but routine and familiarity give the person something steady to hold on to. A predictable day, familiar surroundings and the freedom to keep doing things their own way can ease anxiety, support independence and protect a sense of identity for as long as possible. 

Every person's routine will look different, shaped by a lifetime of habits and preferences. The aim is not to create a rigid timetable but to build a gentle rhythm around who they are. With patience, consistency and the right support, families and carers can help their loved one feel safe, respected and at home.

By Nathan Spears

Your dining room sees more life than almost any other space in your home. Family dinners, holiday gatherings, homework sessions, and late night conversations all happen around that one table. Yet many homeowners leave this room untouched for years, assuming a refresh means spending thousands of dollars.

The truth is simpler than that. With a bit of creativity and some strategic planning, you can turn a tired dining room into a space that feels warm, current, and inviting. Below, we walk through practical ways to update this room without draining your savings account.

Start With a Fresh Coat of Paint

Paint remains one of the cheapest ways to change how a room feels. A single afternoon and a gallon of paint can completely shift the mood of your dining space, whether you want something calm and neutral or bold and dramatic.

Before choosing a color, think about how the room connects to nearby spaces. If your dining area flows into the kitchen or living room, pick a shade that complements those areas rather than clashing with them.

Consider an accent wall if a full repaint feels like too much work. Painting just one wall behind the table or china cabinet adds visual interest while keeping the project small and affordable. This approach also uses less paint, which saves money.

Do not overlook the trim and ceiling either. A fresh coat of white on scuffed baseboards or a faded ceiling can make the whole room look cleaner, even if the wall color stays the same.

Change Light Fixtures

New dining room light fixtures shape the entire personality of a dining room more than most homeowners realize. An outdated fixture can make even a beautifully decorated table look dull, while the right one can turn a simple meal into something special.

You do not need a designer chandelier to make an impact. Many home improvement stores and online retailers sell stylish pendant lights and chandeliers for under two hundred dollars, and sales pop up often throughout the year.

Before buying anything, measure the height of your ceiling and the size of your table. A fixture that hangs too low can block sightlines across the table, while one that sits too high loses its warm, intimate glow during dinner.

If a full fixture replacement is not in the budget right now, try adding a dimmer switch instead. This small upgrade lets you control brightness for different occasions, from a quiet weeknight dinner to a lively holiday gathering with extended family.

Secondhand shops and online marketplaces are also worth checking. Vintage brass fixtures and mid century pendant lights show up often, and a quick cleaning or a fresh coat of spray paint can make them look brand new again.

Rethink Your Table and Chairs

Your table and chairs anchor the entire room, so it makes sense to focus attention here. Refinishing an old wooden table can breathe new life into it without the cost of buying a replacement piece altogether.

Sanding down scratches and applying a fresh stain or sealant takes a weekend but delivers results that rival furniture costing hundreds more. If your chairs feel outdated, reupholstering the seat cushions with new fabric is another affordable fix.

Mismatched chairs have also become a popular design trend, so do not worry if you cannot find a full matching set. Painting several secondhand chairs the same color creates a cohesive look while giving the room a collected, personal feel.

Add Texture With Textiles

Soft materials bring warmth and comfort into a dining room that hard surfaces alone cannot achieve. A patterned rug underneath the table grounds the space and adds color without requiring any structural changes.

Choose a rug that extends a few feet beyond the edges of the table so chairs can slide out smoothly without catching on the edges. This detail keeps the room functional as well as stylish.

Table runners, cloth napkins, and seasonal placemats are inexpensive ways to change the look of your table throughout the year. Rotating these items with the seasons keeps the room feeling fresh without any major investment.

Curtains matter too. Swapping heavy, outdated drapes for lighter linen curtains can brighten the entire room and make it feel larger, especially if natural light struggles to reach the space during the day.

Decorate the Walls Thoughtfully

Empty walls can make a dining room feel unfinished, but you do not need original artwork to fill that space. Printable art from online marketplaces, thrifted frames, and family photos all work beautifully when arranged with intention.

A gallery wall behind a buffet or sideboard adds personality and draws the eye upward, making the room feel taller. Keep spacing between frames consistent so the arrangement looks planned rather than random.

Mirrors are another smart addition. Placing one across from a window bounces natural light around the room and creates the illusion of more space, which works especially well in smaller dining areas.

Bring in Greenery

Plants add life to any room, and a dining space is no exception. A simple potted plant on a sideboard or a small arrangement of flowers on the table instantly makes the room feel more alive.

If you do not have much of a green thumb, artificial plants have improved significantly over the years and look convincing from a distance. Faux eucalyptus or trailing vines draped along a shelf require zero maintenance.

Fresh flowers from a local grocery store are also a low cost way to bring color and fragrance into the room for special occasions or simply to brighten an ordinary weeknight dinner with loved ones.

Final Thoughts

Transforming a dining room does not require a massive budget or a complete gut renovation. Small, thoughtful changes, from new dining room light fixtures to a fresh rug underfoot, add up to a space that feels entirely renewed.

Take these ideas one step at a time, focusing on what matters most to your household first. Before long, your dining room will become the gathering spot everyone looks forward to, without the financial stress of a full remodel.

By Nathan Spears

Retraining as a personal trainer does not necessarily mean leaving your current job before you start studying. If you plan the qualification route carefully, you can fit theory work around evenings, weekends or changing shifts, then arrange practical training and assessment dates once you know what the course requires.

The harder part is keeping that study plan workable once work, commuting and home commitments start competing for the same hours. Before enrolling, you need to understand which qualification comes first, how much attendance is required, what funding may be available and how study will fit around the rest of your week.

Check the qualification route before you enrol

Start by checking what you already hold and what your intended role requires. In the UK, Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer are separate occupational standards. CIMSPA describes a Gym Instructor as someone who works with clients in a gym environment, while a Personal Trainer plans and delivers individual or small-group exercise programmes alongside wider lifestyle and nutritional guidance.

The CIMSPA occupational standards set out the responsibilities and knowledge associated with each role.

For somebody starting without a fitness qualification, Level 2 Gym Instructor is commonly the first stage. Level 3 Personal Training then develops the knowledge and practical skills needed for personal training work.

Do not assume that every course with a similar title leads to the same qualification. Before paying a deposit, check the awarding organisation, whether the qualification is regulated by the relevant UK qualifications regulator, whether it meets CIMSPA standards and what the provider requires before you can complete Level 3.

If you already hold Level 2, HFE's Level 3 Personal Trainer course is one route towards pt certification, while learners who still need Level 2 can choose the provider's combined Level 2 and Level 3 option.

Pick a study format you can keep up alongside work

A course only fits around a full-time job if its timetable works with yours. Check this before enrolling rather than assuming that "online" means every part can be completed whenever you choose.

A level 2 gym instructor course online may let you complete theory work from home, but practical training and assessment can still require attendance. Ask the provider which parts are online, which have fixed dates and how much notice you will receive for practical sessions.

Then compare those requirements with your normal week. Could you study for two evenings and part of Sunday without losing the time you need for sleep, commuting or family responsibilities? If your shifts change every week, a course with fixed weekday attendance may be harder to sustain than one with more choice over study dates.

The same check applies at Level 3. Look at how theory is delivered, where practical sessions take place and how assessments are arranged. Which format works better will depend on how much control you have over your working hours and how far you need to travel for any in-person sessions.

Work out the funding and the time before committing

Course fees are only one part of the decision. You may also need to account for travel to practical sessions, time away from work, assessment dates and any study materials that are not included in the quoted fee.

A level 2 gym instructor course free of charge may be available to some learners, but funding rules need checking carefully. In non-devolved areas of England, the Adult Skills Fund for 2026 to 2027 can fully fund some learners aged 19 or over studying at Level 2 or below if they meet the eligibility rules.

The earnings threshold is £26,800 gross per year. Learners above that threshold may receive co-funding for eligible Level 2 provision, although the funding route also depends on age and previous qualifications. The qualification itself must also be approved for funding.

Funding rules can differ in devolved areas of England and across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check the arrangements where you live rather than relying on the £26,800 threshold.

Next, calculate your available study time using an ordinary working week, not your quietest one. If you know how much time you can reliably protect each week, build your plan around that rather than a larger target you are unlikely to keep. Overtime, caring responsibilities or commuting can quickly reduce the hours available for study.

Completion time varies with the course format, assessment timetable and the hours you can give to study. Treat provider estimates as planning ranges rather than promises.

Complete Level 2 before moving fully into Level 3 work

Level 2 gives you the gym-floor knowledge that Level 3 builds on. You can expect topics around anatomy and physiology, client screening, safe exercise instruction and the use of common gym equipment, although the exact units and assessment structure depend on the qualification.

Practical ability matters here. Reading about a resistance exercise is different from explaining it clearly, watching somebody perform it and correcting technique safely. Check how practical skills will be assessed and whether you need to bring another person, attend a venue or complete work under observation.

Once you reach Level 3, the focus widens. The role covers exercise programme design and delivery, client motivation, nutrition, exercise technique and work with individuals or small groups.

That is why the qualification should not be treated as a quick certificate to collect around your existing job. You need enough study time to understand the material and enough practical exposure to use it with clients.

Prepare for work before deciding when to leave your current job

Passing Level 3 does not require you to resign from your existing role the following week. You can use the period before qualification to check what personal trainer roles are available in your area and what individual gyms expect from applicants.

Ask prospective employers about working arrangements, first aid requirements, insurance, induction processes and whether they expect CIMSPA membership. If you plan to work on a self-employed basis, check what insurance you need and whether the gym charges trainers for access or use of its facilities.

You should also decide what kind of transition you can afford. Some people may be able to reduce their employed hours while building a client base. Others will need to remain full time until they secure another employed role. Neither route guarantees a particular income or timetable.

When you start looking for work, keep the search practical. Prepare a CV that includes your completed qualification, relevant work experience and any client-facing skills from your current career. Check vacancies in the area where you actually plan to work rather than assuming that qualification alone will produce an immediate job offer.

Make the change in stages

Retraining while working full time is easier to plan when you treat it as a sequence rather than one large career decision. Check the qualification route first, choose a study format that fits your ordinary week, confirm what you will pay, then give yourself enough time for both theory and practical assessment.

Once you have completed Level 3, you can decide when a move into personal training makes financial and practical sense for you. How quickly you find work, and whether you start in an employed role, work for yourself or begin part time, will depend on your location, available vacancies and your own circumstances.

By Nathan Spears

Content warning: This article contains a graphic image of injuries

A Palestinian man has been shot dead and others injured during the olive harvest in the Ramin Valley as the world marks the third anniversary of the 7 October genocide.

The area, which is in the Tulkarm governorate in the northern West Bank, lies between the villages of Burqa, Ramin and Bizaryaha, and is in Area A. Under the Oslo Accords, this means that it is under Palestinian civil and internal security authority.

Olive harvest tragedy

According to Sumud Network's Jonathan Pollak, Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazari, 44, was fatally shot when a group of about 10 settlers, accompanied by the occupation's soldiers, tried to force Palestinian farmers off of their land. They were harvesting their olives at the time.

When landowners attempted to defend themselves, they came under attack. A larger group of settlers also joined those already present in the olive groves.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ali-dead.mp4

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) tended to those who had been injured, including two Palestinians who suffered gunshot wounds, and three others who were beaten by colonists.

'Israeli' occupation soldiers assaulted field volunteers and the PRCS ambulance crews as they tried to reach the area and evacuate wounded residents.

Al-Bazari killed and IOF raid village, arresting people

According to Pollak, dozens of 'Israeli' occupation soldiers then raided Ramin village and arrested residents. While the raid was taking place, dozens of settlers marched near Palestinian homes on the outskirts of the village.

Although the 'Israeli' occupation force (IOF) was present at the time, they did nothing to stop the settlers.

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'Israel's' settlement expansion in the West Bank is increasingly reaching beyond Area C, where it was concentrated for many years.

A 2026 report from 'Israeli' human rights organisation, Yesh Din, states that this settlement expansion has been accompanied by violence aimed at intimidating Palestinians, forcing them from their land and strengthening 'Israeli' occupation control, with support from state institutions.

The West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C under the 1995 Oslo II agreement. Under that framework, Area A is under Palestinian civil and internal security authority. 'Israeli' citizens are prohibited under 'Israeli law' from entering here without prior military permission, but this restriction does not prevent the Israeli military from operating there. It regularly enters the area.

Area B has Palestinian civil administration and shared 'Israeli'-Palestinian security responsibilities. Area C covers roughly 60% of the occupied West Bank. It remains under 'Israeli' security control, with 'Israel' also controlling planning and construction. These divisions were only intended as a temporary arrangement.

Forced displacement, ethnic cleansing in Areas A and B

Since 2024, more than 20 outposts have been established in Area B, and outposts have recently begun appearing in Area A as well. Yesh Din says senior 'Israeli' government ministers openly support the expansion into Area B, while the government, military and other official bodies provide protection, funding and assistance.

The organisation's records suggest that 'Israeli' settler terrorism is also spreading into these areas, and Areas A and B account for a growing proportion of the incidents it documents. This year, more than 60% of recorded incidents of violence against Palestinians took place in those two areas.

The murder of Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazari comes on the third anniversary of 'Israel's' ongoing genocide in Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that 74,250 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, including nearly 22,000 children. More than 175,000 have been wounded, one in four of whom have life-changing injuries. These figures correspond to roughly one in 30 people killed and one in 13 injured in the Strip.

How many settler attacks since 7 October 2023?

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission tells us that in the occupied West Bank over the same three-year period, 14,742 settler attacks have occurred. A total of 67 Palestinians have been killed by these colonisers and 31 so far in 2026 alone.

During this time 'Israeli' authorities have seized 6,400 hectares of Palestinian land, which is approximately 8,963 standard football pitches. They have also carried out 1,814 demolitions and issued another 2,133 demolition orders on Palestinian property.

A further 97 settlement tenders, aimed at building 15,760 colonial units, have also been issued.

As the olive harvest continues, Palestinian farmers in the northern West Bank face the prospect of further assaults, restricted access to their land, and no prospect of any accountability. For families in Ramin and Burqa, the attack in the valley is another blow in an olive harvest already marked by beatings, shootings and blocked access to the land.

Featured image via the Canary

 

By Charlie Jaay

Somalia is facing a massive human catastrophe, fuelled by a combination of climate chaos and decades of foreign intervention (primarily from the US). This crisis is intensifying at a time when north-eastern Africa has become a key focus for regional powers following the US-Israeli war on Iran's severe disruption of sea traffic.

Somalia's drought and hunger crisis amid US cuts

In 2026, there are more than six million people in Somalia "facing high levels of hunger", according to the World Food Programme. In large part, this is due to a worsening drought, which has pushed tens of thousands of people away from their homes. Drought has long been a problem, but it seems to be intensifying.

Save the Children has said that in the Somali region of Baidoa about 26,000 people are "just one step away from famine".

Aid group CARE has described a "heartbreaking" situation on the ground, explaining that "it is mothers, pregnant women, and young children who are suffering the most".

The UN, meanwhile, has highlighted:

Across Somalia, two million children are acutely or severely malnourished, making Somalia one of the world's biggest malnutrition crises.

It also mentioned the role climate change is playing, noting:

The stronger-than-ever El Niño weather pattern is expected to deepen the crisis by intensifying the October-December rainy season.

The US, which has long propped up Somalia's government, has made the nation's hunger crisis even worse by freezing "nearly all of the country's humanitarian aid".

Meanwhile, the US-Israel war on Iran has added to this by significantly raising fuel and food costs.

Perhaps because Somalia's situation reflects badly on the US — (after decades helping to perpetuate conflict and injustice there) — Donald Trump's regime has sought to omit Somalia's plight from a prominent famine alert system.

Climate breakdown hurts those least responsible

Like other parts of East Africa, the effects of the climate crisis on Somalia have been severe. In addition to poverty and conflict, 48% of the country's population also face the dual threat of drought and flooding (depending on the season). These challenges in turn feed further conflict.

In 2022, drought caused 43,000 excess deaths and displaced more than six million people towards urban areas already suffering from overcrowding. Displacement relating to climate breakdown has only continued because since 2022, there hasn't been a typical rainy season. There have only been floods.

Huge funding cuts have caused hundreds of health and malnutrition centres to close or reduce their services. Meanwhile, there's a serious risk of water-borne and dietary diseases spreading.

Like many other countries, Somalia is not a major culprit behind global climate change but is suffering far more than the nations that are.

The BBC noted:

Somalia has emitted roughly as much carbon dioxide from fossil fuels since the 1950s as the US economy does in an average three days.

Despite this, the country is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate breakdown. Largely as a result of longstanding foreign meddling and resulting injustice, it is one of the countries least able to deal with increasing climate challenges.

Colonial centralisation and Cold War dictatorship

Somalia had a long history before colonialism with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation describing it as being "among the world's most enduring pastoral cultures".

It had no centralised rule or state until European colonialists (and the Ethiopian empire) arbitrarily divided it in the 19th century. Its pastoral culture had been under imperial control before, but it was European colonialism that drove both competition for state power and resistance to centralised government.

British and Italian rule fostered lasting differences in development and wealth, and thus feelings of injustice. So even after the long anti-colonial struggle succeeded, tensions remained. Nationalist army commander, Siad Barre, took advantage with a military coup in 1969.

Barre first courted the Soviet Union, manipulating Marxist rhetoric to secure power. But after it opposed his 1977 invasion of Ethiopia, he cosied up to the US and Saudi Arabia, which used Somalia as a Cold War pawn in the battle for the strategically-placed Horn of Africa. As part of this deal, Barre went neoliberal.

Despite his cynical use of left-wing rhetoric, Barre increasingly used his power to enrich himself and members of his clan while brutally repressing his opponents.

Resistance, fragmentation and the rise of al-Shabaab

Much anti-Barre resistance in the 1980s came from the north-western region of Somaliland (previously under British control). Barre responded by massacring up to 200,000 people, particularly from Somaliland's Isaaq clan. Many Isaaq members received Ethiopian support in resisting Barre.

Somaliland's resistance first focused on defeating Barre. But his 1988 Isaaq genocide sowed the seeds for it to seek independence and more democratic rule after his 1991 downfall, which plunged Somalia into civil war and humanitarian crisis.

Somalia saw brutal infighting between clan leaders, which provoked a famine that killed hundreds of thousands. The US and other foreign states intervened (backing local warlords in some cases). Their involvement fuelled a conservative fundamentalist fightback, leading to the rise of prominent al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab.

Despite the counterproductive effect, the US has nonetheless continued to fan the flames, especially under Donald Trump.

Pervasive neoliberalism and poverty

During the Cold War, the US tried to counter the disruption of national liberation movements by pushing extreme capitalist policies on willing regimes via the Western and US-oriented World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Barre was one who submitted to their agenda — (see Link 1 / Link 2 / Link 3).

His corrupt regime left Somalia with massive levels of debt and underdevelopment. Both the World Bank and IMF retreated after his downfall. But when a government able and willing to submit was finally back in power, they started to deal with Somalia again from 2013.

Their focus on the private sector and "structural reforms" helped to make Somalia a deeply neoliberal state, along with the post-Barre corporate utopia of no licences, little taxation, and few state rules.

Although there are more regulations now, low taxes remain. The private sector is still king, accounting for around 95% of all jobs, which are overwhelmingly informal, including in education and healthcare. This is partly due to the close links between business elites and politicians.

The World Bank has praised Somalia's big debt reduction, but that means little to ordinary people. The country remains one of Africa's poorest, with roughly 70% of people living in poverty, suffering from high living costs and an extreme lack of social protections.

On top of climate crisis and conflict eroding traditional ways of life, the economic desperation of ordinary Somalis almost certainly plays a key role in fuelling both piracy and armed conflict in the country. But the current neoliberal government, with its historic links to corruption, keeps following IMF prescriptions.

Ex-prime minister, Hassan Ali Khaire, claimed Somalia's current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been focusing too much time on trying to consolidate his own power and not enough on preparing the country for its looming humanitarian crisis.

Weakening US-Somalia ties and the Israel connection

Mohamud's Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is a close friend and ideological ally, facilitating his efforts to consolidate power. But a big obstacle for him may be his government's links with the conservative Muslim Brotherhood.

Although Somalia has called for even stronger ties with the US and subscribed to its economic agenda, Trump's heavily pro-Israel government prioritises protecting junior partner, Israel. That means challenging the Muslim Brotherhood.

While the Muslim Brotherhood's modern leaders have leaned towards neoliberalism (sometimes against the wishes of ordinary members), it remains both a strong critic of Israel and a potential threat to pro-Israel dictatorships in the Middle East. That's why the Trump regime has increasingly targeted it as a 'terror' group.

In Somalia, Barre expressed sympathy for Hamas (rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood and close to Israel's bogeyman, Iran). Mohamud has increasingly criticised Israel as a "destabilising force" since its recognition of Somaliland's independence.

Trump's love of gutting foreign aid has been very bad for Somalia, which has long relied on US aid. With him prioritising funds for far-right allies from Israel to Latin America, cutting aid to a Somali government critical of Israel was probably an easy choice.

Somalia keeps seeking US support, though. Despite moving closer to Iran and Russia, its main allies are still pro-US regional powers. NATO giant Turkey, for example, has its biggest overseas military base in Somalia.  Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt have also grown closer to Somalia in recent years.

Israel, however, has not.

So Trump says Somalia is "not even a country", squeezes its government, and accuses it of corruption. Back home, meanwhile, he attacks Somalis (partly as key left-wing critic Ilhan Omar is Somali), calling them "garbage", saying they're "destroying America", and putting Somali immigrants in Guantanamo Bay.

The US wants to keep its presence in the Horn of Africa

Since 2002, the US has had its only permanent African military base in Djibouti (formerly 'French Somaliland'). Across the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, meanwhile, are Yemen's Houthis — a big part of the regional resistance to US-Israeli crimes. Neutral Djibouti has annoyed the US by stopping it from attacking Houthis from its African base.

In this context, right-wing lobbyists have pushed Trump to join Israel in recognising Somaliland's independence in order to strengthen the US presence near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Somaliland has also launched a flailing charm offensive, offering to grant military access and name an airport after Trump.

However, the Trump regime has so far been reluctant to recognise Somaliland because of the potential response from Somalia and other regional states. There have also been reports of transactional anti-US collaboration between al-Shabaab and the Houthis, increasing the perceived importance of keeping a US foothold in Somalia.

Somalia has lobbied hard to prevent such a recognition too. The country may well be more beneficial to the US due to its vast shoreline and natural resources. So for now, the Trump regime has reaffirmed US-Somali security ties and resumed diplomacy. It has also controversially (and counterproductively) stepped up air strikes.

Another move suggesting US concern about the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and unwillingness to take a risk with Somaliland, was its recent decision to drop sanctions on nearby Eritrea, which allied itself militarily with Somalia and Egypt in 2024.

Somalia's place in regional tensions

Increasingly opposing Somalia's regional bloc are Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ethiopia. Israel's 2025 recognition of Somaliland, for example, sparked a backlash in Somalia and beyond, adding to concerns about massive UAE investment in Somaliland and a 2024 Ethiopian agreement with Somaliland (opening the path to recognition).

Both Ethiopian troops and UAE money had previously been key players in Somalia. But amid tensions over Somaliland, Somalia essentially cut ties with the UAE in early 2026. The country's relationship with Ethiopia is on rocky ground too, despite the two states stressing their respect for each other's "territorial integrity" in 2024.

Ethiopia hasn't yet recognised Somaliland's independence for this reason, but escalating resistance inside Ethiopia to government repression may put bilateral ties to the test. Because the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) from the Somali region of Ethiopia recently joined other groups in a new anti-regime alliance.

The secular nationalist ONLF has historic ties to Eritrea, and previously struggled for independence until 2018. Ogadeni civilians suffered countless human rights abuses during the war.

Somalia is also at odds with Ethiopia (and the UAE) in Sudan, where it has developed close ties with the military government. The UAE and Ethiopia have reportedly backed the anti-government RSF in Sudan's brutal civil war.

The other major player setting Somalia against the Israel-UAE-Ethiopia bloc is NATO member Turkey, which has emerged as a key regional power and would possibly back Somalia if its conflicts worsen.

Although both Turkey and Israel are US allies, they've clashed in post-Assad Syria, where both want greater influence. In the Horn of Africa, Somalia may be emerging as a similar battleground because as one Somaliland adviser recently said:

We want Israel to support us against Turkey.

A risky government power play at home

Within Somali borders, meanwhile, al-Shabaab's power isn't fading. It still has a big presence in the centre and south, and some say it's stronger than ever. In 2025, for example, it controlled up to 30% of Somali territory — more than the central government and the attention of Somalia's government seems to be elsewhere.

Rather than focusing primarily on the fight against al-Shabaab, the Somali regime has been playing power games, repressing and attacking regional forces who want autonomy, particularly since Israel's recognition of Somaliland.

In north-eastern Puntland, for example, local forces announced their autonomy in 1998 to ensure stability but still hoped for a federal Somalia. Mohamud's constitutional changes in 2024, however, pushed it even further away. It offers possible global leverage over Somalia's government because it has close links with the US, the UAE, and Ethiopia.

Puntland attracts international backing in part because of its key role in addressing the problem of piracy, which has increased again in recent years. This year, for example, pirates have exploited the global focus on other key waterways to massively ramp up their hijackings, despite many drone strikes against them.

The southern state of Jubaland, meanwhile, agrees with Puntland that the central Somali government has been uncommunicative and anti-democratic. Next to Kenya, Jubaland's local government has previously received Kenyan and Ethiopian support in fighting against al-Shabaab.

In short, one of Mohamud's key successes has been uniting regional Somali leaders in disdain for his government.

Powerful men play politics as ordinary people suffer

There are many groups in Somalia that want to stop al-Shabaab from grabbing power, but if they can't unite against it without relying on foreign powers, it will keep entrenching itself in Somali politics. The country will then just be a pawn in a regional game of chess where international powers seek power and influence regardless of the impact on ordinary people.

Millions of ordinary people in Somalia are on the brink of even greater suffering. While the climate crisis worsens, the situation may be almost impossible to stop.

National and international politicians very much have the power to unite and prioritise human wellbeing. The question is whether they have the will to do so.

Featured image via Abdulkadir Mohamed/ NRC

By Ed Sykes

Campaigners continue to apply pressure to convince Reform-led Kirklees Council to finally reopen Dewsbury Sports Centre.

The previous Labour leadership had taken the "devastating" and highly questionable decision to permanently close the sports centre in Dewsbury - one of England's most deprived towns.

For three years campaigners have been pushing for transparent information and a solution.

Dewsbury Sports Centre shut after raac found in 2023

The Reopen Dewsbury Sports Centre campaign wants a quick and safe reopening of the sports centre, which it believes can happen at the same time as considerations regarding a new sports facility take place.

During a meeting in September, attended by dozens of residents, concerns were raised about the council leadership abandoning North Kirklees (where Dewsbury is), while focusing all energy on the central town of Huddersfield.

Reform took over the running of the council in July.

Speakers also highlighted the council's ongoing failure to give residents a clear and reliable breakdown of how much reopening the sports centre would cost.

In a press release, one campaigner expressed:

Residents should not have to fight for basic information, and when they do ask for it, they should be able to trust that the answers they receive are accurate.

Another concern voiced at the meeting related to the shockingly low numbers of children hitting national benchmarks in swimming skills.

Campaigner, Surraya Patel, insisted:

Swimming and water safety are essential life skills, and parents and guardians deserve to know whether their children are getting the opportunities they should be getting.

She stressed:

What we cannot accept is another few years of changing figures, unanswered questions and delay.

As a next step, campaigners want to meet with council leadership, and will be asking councillors to sign a pledge to demand the sports centre's reopening.

Which Reform councillor will turn up?

Along with Dewsbury's independent councillors, some Reform councillors were also present at the meeting and "declared their unequivocal support for the campaign's position".

Council leader, Sarah Wood, however, was absent. Simon Brophy, the cabinet member for strategic finance and local government efficiency, was also absent. Brophy has recently announced million-pound plans to renew CCTV cameras and the council's Enterprise Resource Planning system.

The Reform council seems to have been spending more time thinking about flags and offensive social media posts than actually resolving residents' problems. Having already suspended one councillor in August, Reform is currently facing criticism over the words of another councillor from the same ward.

In a post referencing Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), Reform's Tracy Clayton spoke about immigrants as "3rd world animals" and "invaders".

Commenting on the post, a Reform spokesperson responded: "What's wrong with it?" Later, a spokesperson dug in, defending Clayton with some anti-immigrant smears.

Council leader Wood, meanwhile, said:

The language used may go further than I would. But Tracy raises an important point in the implied intent of her post.

This sparked outrage from other councillors, who called for Clayton's resignation and slammed her dehumanising rhetoric for crossing a line for public office holders.

It seems pretty clear what Kirklees' Reform represents and where its focus lies.

But campaigners are still hoping that even Reform councillors can see that reopening Dewsbury Sports Centre is a no-brainer. Even if they can't, locals will not stop pushing.

Featured image via KLTV

By Ed Sykes

Today, 7 October 2026, is the third anniversary of horror. However, it is not the horror that the mainstream UK media, British politicians and Israel lobbyists will tell you about.

On 7 October 2023, from before dawn until well into the evening, Israel conducted the mass slaughter of its own citizens.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had known a Palestinian counter-attack was coming. Israeli border troops say they were told to stand down that morning. Then Israel used the deaths it inflicted on its own to launch a genocide on innocent Gazans.

7 October: Old news, no news

Israel began shooting its own people from helicopters and tanks under its so-called 'Hannibal directive', just after 6am. It continued issuing 'Hannibal' orders roughly every 15 minutes, until after 9pm, with orders to "kill anything that moves".

Cars burned from helicopter chain-gun fire and missiles, houses destroyed by tanks, civilians mown down as they fled. Hundreds of the total death toll, probably a large majority, were murdered by their own side: Israel.

Many of the Israelis the occupation included in the total turned out to be Palestinians. The bodies of so many were so burned by the helicopter attacks that the regime couldn't tell which were Israelis and which were not.

In Israel, they began to admit to this 'Hannibal' slaughter just a few weeks after 7 October. The UK and other western media remain silent on it, even now, three years later.

The Israeli military admitted it almost immediately, but said it would be counter-productive to think about the "immense" number it had killed. Israeli media began to admit it too. They continued admitting it regularly until the Netanyahu regime made it a crime to question the official government narrative.

Even wanted war criminal, Yoav Gallant, Israel's 'defence' minister at the time, admitted it. More than admitted it — he said he wished Israel had killed more of its citizens.

A recording leaked this year showed senior Israeli military and government figures discussing the 'need' to "destroy Gaza along with the [Israeli] captives".

UK media, unbound by Israeli law, still won't admit it. Nor will the UK government. Admitting it would undermine their support for the Gaza genocide Israel began and still perpetrates.

Poster children

To mask its crimes and justify its genocide, Israel claimed atrocities that never happened. The UN found no evidence of rapes or sexual mutilation and said it had proven many of Israel's claims untrue. Israel's own prosecutor found no evidence of such crimes.

There were no beheaded or baked babies. One child, tragically, died that day in a fire fight. Western governments and media eagerly repeated the lies. Israel lobbyists still use it now — and will be using it constantly today — without challenge from UK politicians or media.

To reinforce its campaign of lies, Israel needed a poster child. They chose Liel Hetzroni, claiming she was murdered by Palestinians. This fell apart when surviving family members said she was killed by Israeli tanks along with most of her family — but this fact remained unreported by British media.

So Israel moved to the Bibas family — Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two angelic children, Kfir, nine months old, and Ariel, age four.

The occupation claimed they were brutally strangled in captivity in Gaza. The Starmer government and UK media eagerly reinforced this narrative. However, the family said they were killed by Israeli bombs and would not allow Netanyahu or any of his ministers to attend the funeral.

Ultimately, Israel admitted killing them and the Israeli military admitted that it had known all along. Israeli ministers and lobbyists continue to refer to their strangling despite the admission.

Israel's poster children, used to excuse the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians, were killed by Israel. And not only children.

Released captive, Noa Argamani, said Israel had killed her friend and fellow captive in a bombing raid and that Israeli bombs were the only threat to her life.

All victims of Israel

Every Israeli accusation is a confession. Just don't expect to hear the facts from the UK media or politicians. Many of the victims on 7 October were killed by Israel. Israel then used their slaughter as an excuse for genocide, starvation, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The official death toll of that genocide is dwarfed by reality.

Therefore, 7 October is a day we must mark as the beginning of Israel's escalated genocide of the Palestinians — and a sign of its willingness to murder even its own to excuse it.

• For more Canary coverage on the 7 October attacks, go here.

Featured image via AFP

 

By Skwawkbox

The Guardian has been accused of inverting reality in its attempt to undermine the Green Party's conference motion declaring that Zionism is (and it is) racism.

The paper's headline blared that:

British Jews more likely to identify as Zionist since 7 October attacks, research finds.

Percentage who feel 'very emotionally attached to Israel' rose to 51% in June 2025, up 13 points from before Gaza war

This claim horrified former UK ambassador Craig Murray, who commented:

The Guardian reports that the percentage of British Jews who strongly support Israel increased 13% since the start of the accelerated Genocide in Gaza.

Read that again.

Guardian fails to fact check its calculations

But investigative journalist and author Paul Holden has read the report, not just the Guardian's coverage. He pointed out that the liberal rag is misrepresenting the facts.

In fact, Holden said that the article is using "made up statistics" to claim the opposite of reality. In a X post, he showed what this means.

The paper's claims vastly exaggerate the increase in Jews supporting Israel, which has barely changed, but ignore a huge leap in those opposing it:

This article is plain wrong. Just literally repeats made up statistics. I'll be writing to the readers editor shortly,
@guardian.

This article says: "A study from the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) titled "October 8 Jews: The Impact of October 7 on British Jewish Identity", by Dr David Graham, found the percentage of British Jews who identified as Zionist rose seven points to 66%, between 2022 and 2025."

This graph below are the actual figures. What it *actually* shows is the number of British Jews identifying as Zionist increased 1% between 2022 and 2025 to reach 64%; not 6% to reach 66%. But the number of anti-Zionists increased by 4%.

The graphic embedded in Holden's X post

Holden went on to show that the number of UK anti-Zionist Jews has jumped by half from 8% to 12%, during Israel's genocide in Gaza.

The data is literally the opposite of what the Guardian says. It shows significantly MORE Jewish people in the UK have become anti-Zionist than became Zionist between 2022 and 2025.

If you read the report the picture is complex and nuanced. It found that there used to be a high level of ambivalence about Israel (non-Zionist and don't knows). Israel's response on Gaza has forced more British Jews off the fence, mostly towards becoming anti-Zionist.

This is what the report says about the data, which is the opposite of what the Guardian said:

"Indeed, it is noteworthy that the only category that shows a clear direction of travel over the three years shown is 'anti-Zionist', rising from 8% in 2022 to 12% in 2025. Whilst it is important to understand that both these proportions and changes over time are small, might we be seeing the beginning of a trend in the British Jewish population?

Strikingly, we can see in the 2025 data that young people are much more likely to identify as anti-Zionists than their elders - indeed, almost a quarter of those aged in their 20s do so, more than three times as many as those in their 50s and 60s (Figure 17).

Holden found the Guardian's 'journalism' "shocking". Though "appalling" would be a better word, since no one who has watched its conduct during and since the Corbyn era will be 'shocked' by how it is behaving now.

Holden added:

Really just shocking reporting. There was a serious collapse in journalistic standards in the Corbyn years, including at the Guardian. This has the same whiff.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Numerous public figures who want to see lasting peace in the North of Ireland have signed an open letter. The letter, to Northern Ireland secretary Chris Bryant, expresses support for the Garvaghy Road residents in Portadown.

The open letter in support of Garvaghy Road residents

Dear Secretary of State,

We the undersigned are writing to you with a sense of profound urgency regarding the current impasse surrounding the Garvaghy Road parading dispute in Portadown.

Following the breakdown of recent talks at Hillsborough Castle, it has become increasingly evident that local mechanisms have exhausted their current utility and that a fresh, independent framework is required to prevent a deeper crisis. Therefore, we respectfully urge you to work in tandem with the Irish Government to appoint an independent international mediator from outside Ireland and Britain to facilitate a robust, durable resolution.

The current stand-off serves as a stark reminder of the fragile nature of our shared peace. We must collectively reflect on the extraordinary legacy of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which established the foundational principles of mutual respect, dialogue, and cross-community parity of esteem.

Over the last twenty-eight years, the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland has allowed an entire generation to grow up free from the anguish and violence of the past. To allow old wounds to be aggressively reopened risks destabilising community relations not only in Portadown but across society in the North.

Central to any just resolution must be the primacy and protection of the local community. The residents of the Garvaghy Road endured years of profound trauma, fear, and disruption during the height of the parading conflicts in the 1990s. After nearly three decades of hard-earned calm, it is entirely unacceptable that this community should face a return to that anxiety. It is paramount that the residents be robustly protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety, and right to live in peace free from intimidation.

The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has already explicitly warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences of attempting to force a contentious march through this community.

An international mediator - possessing a proven background in deeply rooted cultural conflicts and entirely unburdened by domestic political pressures - offers a viable path forward. Such an appointment would lower the political temperature, restore public confidence in the mediation framework, and protect the wider peace process from staring into an avoidable abyss.

We submit this appeal as individuals who have seen firsthand the immense benefit that the harmony of British-Irish relations brings to these islands, offering a powerful blueprint for what can be achieved through genuine partnership.

We cannot afford to step backward. We urge you to exercise courageous political leadership at this critical juncture by looking to the international community for a neutral arbiter who can guide all sides toward a shared, peaceful future.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and ongoing dedication to preserving stability in Northern Ireland. We look forward to your response.

Signatories

• Jim Sheridan, film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Terry George, film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Ken Loach, film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Trevor Birney, film director, producer, and journalist.
• Don Letts, film director and disc jockey.
• Adrian Dunbar, actor.
• Susan Sarandon, actor.
• Maxine Peake, actor.
• Siobhán McSweeney, actor.
• Denise Gough, actor.
• Billy Howle, actor.
• Juliet Stevenson, actor.
• Tony Devlin, actor.
• Lisa Dwan, actor.
• Irvine Welsh, writer and screenwriter.
• Ronan Bennett, writer and screenwriter.
• Paul Laverty, writer and screenwriter.
• Jim Fitzpatrick, artist.
• Sara O'Neill, artist and fashion designer.
• Chris Sullivan, artist.
• Richard Corrigan, chef patron.
• Michael Mansfield, barrister.
• Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the RMT.
• Mick Lynch, former general secretary of the RMT.
• Paul Weller (The Jam and The Style Council), singer and musician.
• Kevin Rowland (Dexys Midnight Runners), singer and musician.
• Sean Read (Dexys Midnight Runners), musician.
• Spider Stacy (The Pogues), singer and musician.
• Graham "Suggs" McPherson (Madness), singer and musician.
• Noel Gallagher (Oasis and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds), singer and musician.
• Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse, the Cribs, The Pretenders, the The…), singer and musician.
• Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama and Shakespears Sister), singer.
• Paul Simonon (The Clash), musician.
• Imelda May, singer.
• Frances Black, singer and politician.
• Aoife Scott, singer.
• Davie Fury, singer and musician.
• Nadine Shah, singer.
• Mo Chara (Kneecap), rapper.
• Móglaí Bap (Kneecap), rapper.
• DJ Próvaí (Kneecap), rapper.
• Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), musician.
• Neil Martin, musician and composer.
• Michael Timothy, musician and composer.
• Dan Lambert, music manager.
• Alan McGee, music industry executive.
• Jeff Barrett, music industry executive.
• Kevin Gamble, director of Féile an Phobail.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

Content warning: This article contains distressing/ graphic images and videos of physical violence

West Bank's olive harvesting season has not yet officially started but 'Israeli' violence in olive groves, and theft of produce is already occurring throughout the territory

Every autumn, Palestinian families return to their groves to harvest olives. It is work, income and memory — trees planted by grandparents, tended through generations and picked at the same time each year.

In the occupied West Bank, it is also one of the most important parts of the economy.

Up to 100,000 families depend on the season for all or part of their livelihoods. In a good year, exports can bring almost $200 million into the Palestinian economy. The olive oil sector contributes about 8% of the West Bank's GDP and supports more than 60,000 jobs.

Due to this, harvesting olives has become increasingly dangerous.

Olive season: October 2025 most violent

During the 2025 olive season, there were at least 360 attacks throughout the occupied West Bank by settlers. More than 25,000 olive trees were damaged or destroyed, and Palestinians were denied access to around 12,400 hectares of their agricultural land. Losses amounted to more than $100 million.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and human rights monitors noted that the 2025 season witnessed the highest level of harvest-related settler attacks and community disruptions since tracking began. October 2025 marked the most violent month of settler incidents recorded in the West Bank since 2006.

This year, for many farmers, the harvest has again become a season of fear as the targeted violence continues. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, between 25 September and 1 October 2026, farmers across seven West Bank governorates have suffered losses worth $1.75 million.

Mother and sons suffer broken bones at hands of soldiers

On 3 October, at about 8am, farmers and solidarity activists were denied access to the olive groves on the Beita side of Jabal Qamas, south of Nablus. Soldiers said it was because they had not coordinated their visit in advance. Yet, the land lies in Area B, where Palestinians do not need 'Israeli' permission to enter.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/beita-invasion.mp4

If coordination is required, this means Palestinians must get a permit from the army to access their land and harvest. This only works in favour of 'Israel', not the Palestinian land owners.

Israeli human rights non-profit, Yesh Din, says the "coordination mechanism" is "a highly effective tool for preventing the harvest for many years".

The olive harvest season will begin next week. While many Palestinians are forced to wait for military coordination in order to harvest on their own land, settlers are stealing their olives.

In just the past 24 hours, together with local village councils, we documented 5… pic.twitter.com/g8Hj2xEKby

— Yesh Din ييش دين יש דין (@Yesh_Din) October 5, 2026

During the incident, six farmers were detained. Hatem Bdeir, 46, was arrested and held for several hours. Once released, he needed hospital treatment after being badly beaten.

Settlers from the Mevaser Shalom outpost then climbed Jabal Qamas and descended towards olive pickers on the Ossarin side. They severely beat four Palestinians.

Hussam Adily was critically injured and bleeding heavily. He suffered a fractured skull, an intracranial haemorrhage and a broken arm.

His brother, Ghassan Adily, suffered a fractured spine and multiple other injuries while their mother suffered a fractured cheekbone and back.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/os2.mp4

In nearby Jamma'in, settlers accompanied by the IOF also attacked Palestinian farmers as they were harvesting olives. Trees were damaged, farmers injured and dozens of Palestinians detained.

Four international solidarity activists, who accompanied the farmers, were also deported. These activists play an essential role, providing essential protective presence while also bearing witness to the occupation's crimes against Palestinians.

At the time of publication (6 October), Palestinian journalists Mohammad Abed and Mohammad Atiq, and several Palestinian landowners, are under the IOF's detention at the entrance of Anza village, south of Jenin. They had been covering the uprooting of olive trees in the area by settlers and the 'Israeli' army.

Theft caught on camera

Elsewhere, settlers have stolen olives from Palestinian-owned groves. In the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron's Old City, in the south of the West Bank, 'Israeli' settlers, with the help of the IOF, stole the fruit.

A Hebron resident and human rights defender, Issa Amro, shared this footage with the Canary.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/heb-1.mp4 https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/heb-2.mp4

The same has happened in many other villages, including Attara and Sinjil, in the central West Bank, and Madama in the north. Here they also stole equipment before soldiers pushed Palestinian landowners back towards the village, stopping them from reaching their own land.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/mad-1.mp4 https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/mad-2.mp4 Olive trees broken, set alight or uprooted by settlers

Only weeks before the official start of this year's olive season, large numbers of olive trees — many of them ancient — have been damaged or destroyed intentionally in many areas.

In villages such as al-Mughayyir and Burqa, settlers brought livestock into private Palestinian groves, trespassing on the land and damaging trees.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/burw.mp4

Settlers used bulldozers to destroy and uproot olive trees in Turmus Ayya.

In Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, the IOF uprooted more than 1,000 trees over several days. This destruction occurred while large numbers of settlers and soldiers forcibly displaced the Jahalin Bedouin community living near Nabi Saleh. The attackers stole sheep and raided tents, taking money, jewellery, phones and identity documents.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nala.mp4

Fifty-five military orders were issued by 'Israel' between the start of 2026 and September to remove vegetation and trees from Palestinian land. The orders affected more than 2,500 dunams of land, roughly the size of 460 football pitches.

For Palestinian communities, uprooting olive trees is not just agricultural damage. It is an attack on a central source of annual income and food security. It strikes at people's connection to land they have farmed for generations.

Record level of settler attacks, man loses his life

This violence against Palestinian farmers in their olive groves, which began even before the official start of the harvesting season, has come amid a period of record levels of settler attacks against Palestinians.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has reported that more than 2,050 attacks were carried out against Palestinians, their land and property in September alone.

• The IOF was responsible for 1,404 attacks
• Settlers were responsible for 647
• A total of 9,334 olive trees were also damaged or destroyed during September

Malicious settlers wanted Mashour Yassin to die

This escalation has already claimed a life.

On 1 October, settlers from a nearby outpost attacked a cluster of homes in the al-Nasba area of Yasuf, east of Salfit. They opened fire on residents, fatally shooting 51-year-old Mashour Yassin and wounding another man.

When 'Israeli' forces arrived, they searched Yassin's home. They then took the ambulance key and threw it away, delaying his evacuation.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/yas-2.mp4 Nearly 90,000 trees and saplings ruined

The olive harvest should be a season of work and family gatherings on Palestinian land. Instead, farmers are being beaten, shot at and barred from their groves. They are forced to watch trees that took generations to grow being destroyed.

The sole reason for 'Israel's' violence and intimidation towards Palestinians is to forcibly displace them from their land, so 'Israel' can claim it for itself. There is no better way to do this than by preventing Palestinians from accessing their land and depriving them of their income.

Settler attacks and access restrictions have displaced more than 6,500 Palestinians between January 2023 and August 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated.

A total of 49 communities have been fully displaced and 83 others partially displaced. About 88,000 trees and saplings were damaged or destroyed during this time.

Featured image via the Canary

 

By Charlie Jaay

"Do you know what you wanted 18 years ago? Or 10? Or five? Did you want to be Head of Year at North London Comprehensive? I doubt it." Colin Firth's character Paul says this to his partner Sarah in Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, as he tries to justify his unhealthy obsession with football. For the uninitiated it goes some way to highlighting how football, which really should be a trivial thing, can dominate a life and even define a personality. Of course, it's only a game but there are precious few things that stay with you throughout a lifetime - support for a football team is one of the very few.

I support West Ham, which isn't a very successful team. My childhood trips with my dad to Upton Park consisted of seeing my team scrape narrow wins, lose to unfancied sides and on one particularly painful occasion, throw away a 3-0 half-time lead against West Bromwich Albion.

However, despite the lack of on-field success, and the scarcity of people wearing claret and blue shirts where I grew up in the southwest of England, I was proud to be a West Ham fan.

The club was from a fun and vibrant part of the country: East London. As you walked to the stadium, you'd be met with cockney accents spilling out of pubs, the two castle towers of the Boleyn Ground and the sound of thousands singing.

The Hammers' side at the turn of the millennium was one which was easy to love — filled with character, attacking flair and the type of players a young child could spend hours trying to emulate on the playground.

West Ham has had many icons

Teenage prodigy, Joe Cole, had skill few players in the game could match, whilst defender Rio Ferdinand, with his distinctive calmness, would go on to revolutionise the centre back position in this country.

My favourite player though, like most West Ham fans born in the early 90s, was Paolo Di Canio, a maverick in every sense of the word. A man who never hid his emotions, could take your breath away with how he manipulated the ball and scored goals from impossible angles.

Di Canio had pushed over a referee whilst playing for Sheffield Wednesday, but after he got a West Ham tattoo emblazoned on his arm, fans could forgive him almost anything and I was no different to any football fan in the country. I loved my club and its players.

Unlike some people, I've never been wholly convinced by the argument that footballers need to be role models. The players that fans idolise are often from backgrounds which are ill-equipped for the fame and scrutiny of the modern game.

However, at the same time, when your surname could be on the back of a child's shirt, it feels like you shouldn't take that for granted.

It must have been in my early teens when I learnt DiCanio also had another tattoo, this one was dedicated to Benito Mussolini. Then it hit me: my childhood hero was a fascist.

New venue, stale energy

Fast forward to 2016, West Ham's last season at Upton Park, and again we had a good side. One club man, Mark Noble, was pulling the strings in midfield and West Ham's most technically gifted player since Di Canio — Dimitri Payet — doing things on a football pitch which shouldn't have been possible.

The following season was a tough one though as the club moved across London to Stratford. For a few years the new stadium seemed to stunt West Ham's progress on the pitch, but much more concerning was the effect the move had off of it.

Gone were the pubs and the castle towers and atmosphere of East London. Instead, one of the country's most historic football clubs was now playing its home matches in an athletics stadium next to a shopping centre.

The club who had won England the World Cup final in 1966 — by developing captain Bobby Moore and goal scorers Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters — would no longer play football in an area steeped in history, soul or even a connection to its supporters.

How could something which fans had invested so much time into, and had been a punctuation point throughout our lives, be so quickly ripped apart?

The answer can be seen by looking at the people who run my club.

The fish rots from the head down

Like every other football team in England, my club is owned by businesspeople who see fans' blind loyalty as a commodity ready to be exploited.

Our largest shareholder is David Suilivan, a man who made his millions through pornography and is being investigated for sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. Perhaps, knowing this, I should have tried to disengage earlier.

Or maybe seeing the various betting companies who have used my club's shirt as an advertising platform seen by millions of children around the world, should have been enough for me to see the utter shallowness of modern football.

Maybe these are all hypocrisies I just didn't want to properly think about. Life is tough and football is one of its few escapes.

However, I can say any childish delusions I still held about my football club were shattered at the start of this season. On 10 August, West Ham signed Israeli footballer, Manor Solomon, from Tottenham.

West Ham signs offensive Israeli footballer

Solomon completed military service for the IOF in December 2017 and has gone on to share multiple social media posts in support of Israel. The player has declared 'Israel has the right to defend itself' on his Instagram profile, denied Israel's culpability in the Gaza genocide and republished statements by the country's President Isaac Herzog.

Solomon has also described former West Ham player-turned-TV-presenter Eyal Berkovic as a friend. Berkovic has a large profile in Israel and in recent years has appeared on Israeli TV calling for Gaza to be wiped out, saying there were no innocent people there.

After Solomon scored during his debut against Burnley last Sunday, a video circulated of some fans singing, "Manor Solomon you've been on my mind, and he hates Palestine". Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 74,000 people.

Of course, a small section of people in a crowd don't represent an entire club. However, when the money you pay for a ticket goes to enriching people with questionable morals; when your club is no longer in an area you have any connection to and; when you discover a player uses their platform to be abhorrent — what are you really left with?

Football is just a game but this becomes complicated when so many of your experiences are intertwined with it.

I'm a fifth generation West Ham fan. My great great grandparents would have seen the club form in 1895 as the Thames Ironworks Club. Whether it's the joy of winning the Europa Conference League in Prague or the pain of Steven Gerrard's last minute equaliser in the FA Cup final, these moments are amongst the most vivid in my memory.

But realistically, what does that club founded by iron workers have to do with the West Ham of today? And perhaps, just as importantly, what does modern football have to do with fans?

The answer, I fear, is very little.

Featured image via News Images 

 

By Michal Grant

Notorious and ultra-Zionist Israel lobby group, the so-called 'Jewish Labour Movement' (JLM), has threatened the Green Party with an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) over its landmark motion declaring that 'Zionism is racism'.

It follows an earlier complaint by Labour MPs to Sussex Police over "possible antisemitic offences".

The full wording of the motion is below:

Zionism is racism. Obviously!

Anyone who wishes to have a view on this may want to actually read the [sensible and non-controversial] motion: https://t.co/MUI6ITePzc

— Greg Hadfield (@GregHadfield) October 4, 2026

Green Party targeted by Israel lobby

The JLM used a spurious EHRC referral against Jeremy Corbyn's Labour as part of the Israel lobby's 'antisemitism scam' to bring down Corbyn and demonise the left.

It then routinely misrepresented the EHRC's findings to claim that the organisation had found 'institutional racism' in Labour — a claim that is flatly untrue, but still reinforced regularly by lobby groups and their media allies.

Now, JLM is threatening to resurrect the same dishonest tactic against the Green Party.

 

What is the Jewish Labour Movement?

JLM is an explicitly Zionist organisation, revived in 2015 to combat Corbyn's leadership of Labour. It requires its Jewish members and non-Jewish 'ally' members to "promote the centrality of Israel in Jewish life".

The JLM defends Israel and has never condemned the colony's genocide in Gaza or its wars of aggression. It has attacked Labour members for passing a motion naming Israel's genocide. As such, the group is fundamentally committed to the racist ideology and therefore, fundamentally untrustworthy as a complainant on supposed discrimination against Zionists for their racism.

This is unlikely to prevent the EHRC from accepting a complaint and agreeing to investigate.

The EHRC's shortcomings

The EHRC was, unsurprisingly, unable to find significant antisemitism in Corbyn's Labour. Levels in the party were far below the norm for any group representative of the UK population and much, much lower than in other political parties.

However, the EHRC still agreed to investigate and shamed itself by then structuring its report to provide just enough 'red meat' to the left's enemies.

It smeared two prominent Labour members, claiming they had "harassed" Jews — its only substantive finding of antisemitism. It was then forced to settle out of court with the wronged pair for its false accusations.

The EHRC completely failed to acknowledge what Starmer's own (reluctantly appointed) barrister, Martin Forde, found when he looked into a leaked report showing the Labour right's war on the left. Forde concluded that antisemitism accusations had been one of the right's key weapons in its attempts to discredit and purge Corbyn and his supporters. His report remains stubbornly ignored by Labour.

The EHRC has also been condemned by its own former senior officers as "unfit" and not independent. It has been accused of sacking senior staff for "being too loud about racism" against Black people and Muslims.

The organisation also refused to investigate the then Tory government's obvious Islamophobia. At least one EHRC director was an undeclared Tory donor.

On its track record the EHRC, then, cannot be considered a neutral arbiter or investigator. Rather, it functions as a tool that is all too easily weaponised by the Establishment against those who challenge it. In other words, a natural resort of the Israel lobby.

If it gets involved against the Green Party for standing against the racist ideology of Zionism, the party and all right-minded people must treat it with the contempt it deserves and relentlessly point out its bias and unfitness.

Featured image via Getty Images

By Skwawkbox

After saying, on his accession to power, that he would scrap Keir Starmer's rightly-hated digital ID scheme, Andy Burnham's government has U-turned and doubled down.

Ministers are considering making UK citizens produce passport ID or a driving licence just to be able to access social media, the Times reported.

The move is being framed as a way to clamp down on children using social media as the government prepares to announce plans for an under-16s ban on platforms.

ID plan to safeguard children is a trojan horse

Around eight million Britons do not have passports, which currently cost at least £102. More than 14 million do not have a driving licence.

The betrayal forms part of the UK establishment's war on privacy. Bans on children accessing social media have failed wherever they have been introduced, including in Australia which piloted the idea. Some 85% of Australian children still access social media despite the ban there and often do so in ways that make them less safe.

So the 'child ban' does not protect children and the government knows it, but it plans to force adults to prove they are adults, imposing ID checks by the back door.

This is a deep betrayal and open war on the freedom of UK people to communicate, organise and resist in privacy.

Enshittification

Maya Thomas, of the privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, said:

Children deserve real online protections, not a sweeping surveillance scheme that has failed across the world and will introduce new risks to their safety.

This is not a policy for children, but one that effects every single adult using social media in the country.

The Government's requirement that all of us show a passport or driving licence to open a social media account is a national ID scheme by the back door.

It would spell the death of whistle-blower, dissident and similar anonymous accounts that enrich democracy, and severely widen the scope for invasive social media surveillance.

The Government must urgently rethink this dangerous plan to build a sprawling, discriminatory digital ID system, and focus instead on supporting genuine child safety online.

Burnham is again showing that he has no intention of being any better than his predecessor in the government's war on UK rights and freedoms. Indeed, he is clearly determined to go further and to be just as dishonest to achieve it.

Featured image via Boris Hamer/ Pexels 

By Skwawkbox

Nine of the most ardent Israel lobbyists among Labour's MPs have written to Sussex Police demanding a hate-crime investigation against the Green Party.

The party's supposed 'crime' is to have passed a conference motion declaring, accurately, that Zionism — support for the apartheid, genocidal colony Israel — is racist.

The deranged friends of genocide — all now racists according to the Greens' motion — insist that the motion consists of a hate crime. The group has demanded that the police log it as such and then investigate it, despite anti-Zionism's status as a 'protected belief' under UK equality law.

Green Party's actions may be criminal, letter claims

The letter was posted on X by Israel fanatic Mike Tapp. In the entitled tone and absence of logic, typical of Zionists, it begins:

Dear Chief Constable,

We are writing to make a formal complaint concerning possible antisemitic offences associated with the Green Party of England and Wales conference in Brighton on 4 October 2026.

We believe the combination of the adopted policy categorising Zionism as racism, the reported rejection of protections for members affiliated with synagogues and Jewish organisations, and the reported exclusionary chanting provides substantial grounds for police scrutiny. We ask Sussex Police to record this complaint, secure the relevant evidence and assess whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Jews, including holocaust survivors, spoke for the motion, so 'Zionist' clearly does not mean Jews. By definition, correctly recognising Zionism as racism means Zionist groups are racist and no party is obliged to accept affiliates of racist organisations as members — even if Labour, the Tories and Reform shamelessly do.

It goes on, in sick comedy, to quote the accurate description of Zionism and to attack the Green Party's new policy, insisting that there can only be democracy in Palestine if people are treated equally regardless of race or religion.

The complaint is based on the party's published statement and contemporaneous reporting. It concerns specific events, statements and conduct which can be examined through conference records, recordings and witness accounts.

The Green Party confirms that its conference adopted an anti-Zionist policy by 1,022 votes to 813. Its statement describes Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project and supports a single democratic state throughout historic Palestine. This is an official party policy with potential implications for its members.

The MPs then whine that the Greens might treat racism as a disciplinary matter.

ITV reports that the policy equates Zionism with racism and that delegates rejected an amendment intended to protect members against pressure or disciplinary action because of their affiliations with synagogues and Jewish organisations identifying as Zionist. It also reports supporters chanting: "say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here".

Unsurprisingly, it then repeats itself by attacking the word 'Zionist' and equating it with Jews. This, as noted, requires ignoring the many Jewish Greens who support the motion and the thousands outside the party who condemn Israel's apartheid and genocide.

Our concern is whether the term "Zionist" was used, in this setting, to direct or encourage hostility towards Jewish people. The rejected safeguard is particularly relevant because it specifically concerned synagogues and Jewish communal organisations. It therefore raises questions about the treatment of Jewish people and institutions in Britain.

And it insists that membership of a racist organisation cannot reasonably be treated as an indication of racism. Wonder whether they'd say the same about the BNP? Knowing this lot, maybe.

Attending a synagogue or belonging to a Jewish organisation does not establish someone's views on every issue concerning Israel. Against that background, the combination of the adopted policy, the rejected safeguard and the reported chant deserves examination. The chant expresses exclusion.

We ask the police to establish where it occurred, who participated, whether anyone was directly targeted, and what was said or done before and afterwards. That evidence is needed to determine whether the conduct crossed the threshold for a criminal offence.

Public order and harassment offences

Opposing racism is presented as evidence of racism. Given the history of some of these clowns in the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn, this is no surprise at all.

We ask that officers consider sections 18 and 19 of the Public Order Act 1986 and any other laws that may be relevant. Broadly, these provisions cover threatening, abusive or insulting words, behaviour or written material where there is an intention to stir up racial hatred or where racial hatred is likely to be stirred up in all the circumstances. Jewish people are protected as an ethnic group under these provisions.

But they then, buffoonishly, argued against themselves. Having ignored or misrepresented all the context of the motion, the MPs then underlined the importance of understanding "the words or material in their full context".

It also demands the police treat the Green Party's motion as "target[ing] Jewish people because of their ethnicity, religion or both".

An important part of that test is the likely effect of the words or material in their full context. It is my understanding that for the racial-hatred offences, the law does not always require proof that someone intended to stir up hatred; the likelihood of doing so can also be relevant.

Please also consider the separate provisions on stirring up religious hatred in Part 3A of the Act. These require threatening words or material and an intention to stir up religious hatred. Any assessment should therefore consider whether the conduct targeted Jewish people because of their ethnicity, religion or both.

Of course, it's neither. Zionism is a (racist) political ideology. Many Jews are not Zionists. Many Zionists are not Jews. The proposition, put forward relentlessly by Zionists, that all Jews support Israel is deeply antisemitic, but the letter isn't finished.

It wants the 'crimes' to be considered "aggravated by racial or religious hostility". This is despite the facts about Zionism's popularity among right-wing non-Jews and its abhorrence to humanitarian Jews.

Where the evidence supports it, please examine any other relevant public-order or harassment offences, including offences aggravated by racial or religious hostility. The appropriate offences and individual responsibility should be determined from the evidence gathered.

We request a prompt review by an officer experienced in assessing hate crime.Please register this complaint and provide a reference number and a point of contact for my office. If any relevant events fall outside Sussex Police's jurisdiction, please coordinate with or refer the material to the appropriate force.

We believe the evidence provides a concrete basis for this complaint and warrants a substantive police response. If you decide against further action, we would welcome an explanation of that decision.

Jewish people are entitled to the protection of the law, including when the conduct complained of occurs in a political setting. We ask for a thorough assessment of these events and appropriate action where the evidence establishes an offence.

It is signed by a grotesque gang of Israel lobbyists: Mike Tapp, Mark Sewards, professional Israel lobbyist Luke Akehurst, Jess Asato, Jon Pearce, David Taylor, Rachel Blake, Sharon Hodgson and Claire Hazelgrove.

How did others respond to the letter?

The reaction of right-minded people was predictably contemptuous. Many reminded the racist (according to Green policy) MPs how many Jewish people supported the motion:

You are sick. Labelling Jewish people as antisemites is lower than a sewer rat.

Zionism is Racism. No group is entitled to a homeland at the expense of an entire people. Too many see the ethnic cleansing by a Nation State as acceptable. The Nation State means that Israel have all the rights at the expense of non Jews. Non Jews include Muslims and Christians.

Hitler wanted to eradicate the Jewish people and rightly, sane people with emotional intelligence did whatever they could to stop this horror. Yet when Israelis - comprising mostly of Eastern Europeans - do the same thing to Gazans, Zionists consider it an affront to condemn their murderous actions, believing they should be able to steal land and murder with impunity, otherwise it's antisemitic.

Zionism is a political ideology invented in 1896 which now uses Jews as human shields for Israeli war crimes in Palestine that started in 1948.

Zionism IS Racism.
Zionism is not Judaism.

I'm a proud antiGenocide Jew, and there are many of us who will continue to use our voices to stop people whitewashing the actions of the Israeli government and those who support and enable their treacherous war crimes, which are against Torah teachings.

Zionism IS Racism. Suck. It up.

— Dame Linda

A rooflight may transform the ambiance of a space. A formerly gloomy kitchen extension, hallway or workstation may feel so much more open when daylight streams down from above. But the glass itself is only one part of the endeavor.

The actual work takes place at the point where the rooflight joins the roof. Water doesn't have to have a big hole to cause difficulty. A minor vulnerability around a seal, flashing feature or joint might gradually enable moisture into the structure.

A successful installation comes from treating the rooflight as part of the roofing system rather than as a separate feature added afterwards.

Why Weatherproofing Is the Most Critical Part of Any Rooflight Installation

Most rooflight problems are not caused by the panel itself. They usually begin around the surrounding details that keep water away.

A roof already has a system for dealing with rainfall. Water follows a planned route across the surface and away from the building. Installing a rooflight changes that route, creating a point where several materials meet.

This is where the painstaking detail matters.

It's not simply about how the rooflight will appear when it's done, the installer needs to think about how water will run off around the aperture while it's pouring with rain.

Small errors might stay undiscovered for months. A seal may seem OK when installed but fail once it is subjected to repeated temperature variations. A flashing edge may be designed to shed water under the roof covering rather than away from it.

Good weatherproofing usually involves:

• Correct measurements before cutting the opening
• Compatible materials between the roof and rooflight
• Proper sealing around joints
• Correct drainage around the installation area
• Secure fixing without damaging surrounding layers

The condition of the existing roof also needs attention. A new rooflight installed into an ageing roof with weak areas can create confusion later because the source of a leak may not be obvious.

Understanding How Rooflights Integrate With Different Roofing Systems

A rooflight does not work the same way on every roof.

A tiled pitched roof has different requirements from a flat roof with a waterproof membrane. Metal roofing systems also need their own approach because movement, fixing points and drainage patterns are different.

The installation has to go around the existing tiles or slates with pitched roofs. The environment around it should continue to move rainfall away naturally instead of providing a spot for water to gather.

Flat roofs are special because the water will typically run over a much larger area before it gets to drainage points. The rooflight connection must be integrated into the existing waterproofing layer that protects the structure.

Some points should be checked before installation:

• The present roof covering
• The angle of the roof.
• The placement of structural supports
• Insulation Specifications
• Access for maintenance in the future

Choosing a rooflight just on the basis of its size and look is a typical error. Even if a bigger unit lets in more sunshine, the aperture must be suitably supported by the surrounding building.

The rooflight and roof should be planned together from the beginning. This avoids trying to make separate components work after installation has already started.

The Role of Upstands, Flashings and Seals in a Weatherproof Installation

Some of the most important parts of a rooflight installation are the ones people rarely notice.

The upstand, flashing and sealing details sit around the rooflight and create the barrier between the outside weather and the interior space.

An upstand raises the rooflight above the roof surface. This helps create a more controlled area for waterproofing materials and reduces direct exposure to standing water.

Flashings guide rainwater away from the opening. They need to match the roofing material around them because different systems handle water movement differently. Poorly fitted flashing is one of the common places where leaks begin.  

Seals also need to handle natural movement. Roofing materials expand and contract as temperatures change. A seal that cannot accommodate this movement may become weaker over time.

During installation, attention is usually given to:

• Flashing overlaps
• Seal positioning
• Fixing points
• Drainage routes
• Connection between roof layers

These details may not be visible once the project is complete, but they determine how the rooflight performs during years of changing weather.

When choosing Rooflights, the product should be considered alongside the complete roofing setup rather than as a standalone item.

Common Weatherproofing Mistakes That Lead to Leaks and Damage

Rooflight leaks often come from rushed preparation rather than poor-quality products.

One issue is incorrect measuring. If the opening does not match the rooflight system properly, installers may struggle to create a reliable waterproof connection.

Another problem is ignoring the roof around the installation area. A rooflight cannot fix existing problems such as damaged membranes, cracked coverings or poor drainage.

Other common mistakes include:

• Using unsuitable sealants
• Blocking drainage paths with debris
• Failing to check roof movement
• Covering important flashing details during later work
• Installing without considering future maintenance

Also maintenance might be simple to ignore. Leaf, mud and other debris can accumulate on rooflights, especially flatter ones. Now, as the drain is narrowed, water has less space to travel.

An inspection following a storm might show signs of trouble early, such as discolouration, damaged seals or odd patterns of moisture.

How to Choose a Rooflight That Is Designed for Long-Term Weather Resistance

The right rooflight is not always the biggest one available. It needs to suit the building, the roof design and the way the space will be used.

A rooflight above a kitchen extension may have different requirements from one installed above a bedroom or office. Heat, ventilation and cleaning access all influence the final choice.

Before selecting a system, property owners should consider:

• Roof structure and covering
• Glazing performance
• Weather exposure
• Maintenance requirements
• Installation compatibility

A good product is only half the equation. The long-term performance is affected by the technique of installation, the surrounding materials and the craftsmanship.

A good rooflight should feel like it's part of the building. It should admit light, while enabling the roof to accomplish its principal duty of sheltering the structure.

Conclusion

Weatherproofing a rooflight is all about the minor things that frequently get tucked away when the job has been done well. All the flashing, the seals, the roofing materials around and the aperture must operate together.

With careful design and installation techniques, a rooflight may give years of natural light with no added maintenance problems. The best benefits are achieved when the rooflight is viewed as an integral part of the total roofing system, not as an inset.

By Nathan Spears

The concept of leisure time has historically served as a critical indicator of economic development, social class, and labor rights. Throughout the Industrial Revolution and much of the twentieth century, the struggle for a fair distribution of time culminated in the standardised eight-hour workday and the weekend. For the working class, leisure was geographically bound, physically tangible, and distinctly separated from the sphere of labor. It was defined by local social clubs, community sports leagues, public parks, and traditional media consumption such as television and radio.

In the twenty-first century, the expansion of digital infrastructure and mobile technology has fundamentally restructured the economics of free time. The clear boundaries that once separated labor from leisure have dissolved into a hyper-connected, continuous digital ecosystem. For modern working-class individuals, leisure is no longer merely a period of physical recuperation; it has become a digitised commodity, heavily monetised by global platforms and integrated into the broader platform economy.

This transformation has altered both the availability and nature of discretionary time. While modern technology offers unprecedented access to low-cost entertainment, it also introduces dynamic economic models where user attention is harvested, quantified, and monetised. As working-class leisure shifts from physical spaces to digital screens, the economic mechanics driving everyday recreation reveal how capital captures and reshapes human free time.

The Digitisation and Fractionalisation of Free Time

One of the most significant changes in modern working-class leisure is the shift from contiguous blocks of free time to fractionalised micro-moments. In traditional industrial frameworks, workers experienced distinct periods of off-duty rest, typically during evenings and weekends. In contrast, today's labor conditions—characterised by shift work, gig economy flexibility, and perpetual digital connectivity—have fragmented leisure into small intervals scattered throughout the day.

Digital platforms are specifically engineered to monetise these fractionalised periods. Whether waiting for a bus, taking a mandatory break on a factory floor, or unwinding before a late-night shift, individuals rely on smartphones to access instantaneous entertainment. This shift has driven the rapid rise of mobile-first content ecosystems, including short-form video streaming, casual gaming, and on-demand digital services designed to capture immediate user attention.

The commercialisation of micro-leisure has created a competitive digital marketplace where platforms design friction-free user experiences to maximise engagement. For instance, when individuals seek accessible entertainment options during brief periods of downtime, digital platforms often incentivise participation through targeted promotional structures. Consumers investigating new interactive entertainment options frequently encounter promotional incentives, such as an online casino welcome bonus, designed to lower the barrier to entry for digital gaming environments. This model of instant, low-cost access reflects a broader economic trend where leisure activities are tailored for immediate consumption on personal handheld devices.

From Physical Venues to Digital Subscription Models

The physical spaces historically dedicated to working-class leisure have experienced significant economic decline over recent decades. Public parks, community centers, bowling alleys, and local social halls have increasingly faced budget cuts, rising real estate costs, and declining attendance. In their place, digital subscription models and ad-supported platforms have emerged as the primary venues for personal recreation.

This shift represents a democratisation of access to high-quality media, but it also alters the economic structure of household entertainment budgets. Instead of paying one-off fees for physical events or local gatherings, working-class households subscribe to recurring digital services that offer vast libraries of movies, music, and interactive software at predictable monthly costs.

• Low-Cost Scale Economics: Digital media providers leverage global server architecture to deliver entertainment at marginal costs near zero, making subscription models far more affordable than physical leisure activities.

• Attention Harvesting via Ad Models: Free or freemium platforms monetise user attention by selling advertising inventory, effectively turning consumer time itself into the primary revenue-generating asset.

• Virtual Community Spaces: Online gaming networks, social media communities, and messaging platforms have largely replaced local neighborhood hubs as primary sites for social interaction.

• Predictable Recurring Expenditures: Household budgets now prioritise fixed digital utility payments—such as broadband internet, mobile data plans, and streaming services—over discretionary physical outings.

Comparative Analysis of Traditional Versus Digital Working-Class Leisure

The shift in leisure consumption models reflects fundamental structural changes in accessibility, capital investment, and social organisation.

Leisure Dimension

Traditional Working-Class Leisure

Modern Digital Leisure

Primary Physical Space

Local venues, public parks, union halls

Private living spaces, mobile screens

Cost Architecture

Variable per-event costs (tickets, local fees)

Fixed subscription fees or ad-supported access

Temporal Structure

Consolidated blocks (weekends, set evenings)

Fractionalised, micro-moment consumption

Economic Mechanism

Direct purchase of goods and local services

Monetisation of user data, time, and attention

Social Dynamics

In-person, geographic community bonds

Distributed, interest-based digital networks

 

Economic Drivers Behind Digital Platform Accessibility

The rapid adoption of digital leisure among working-class demographics is driven by real wage stagnation, rising costs for physical entertainment, and the high relative affordability of digital technology. Attending live sports matches, concerts, or family entertainment centers has increasingly become cost-prohibitive for average households. Digital alternatives provide a high-volume, low-cost substitute that fits comfortably within tight household budgets.

Furthermore, algorithms play a central role in curating leisure experiences to match individual preferences. Recommendation engines personalise content feeds, games, and digital offers to keep users engaged for longer periods. This personalised curation lowers the cognitive effort required to find entertainment, making digital platforms an appealing option after physically demanding or mentally exhausting workdays.

1. High Capital Cost of Physical Outings: Inflationary pressures on venues, concessions, and transportation make physical events rare luxuries rather than routine weekly activities.

2. Scalability of Digital Entertainment: Software algorithms deliver infinitely reproducible media experiences, allowing consumers to access endless variety without leaving their homes.

3. Gamification of Daily Tasks: Applications use reward systems, progress bars, and social feedback loops to turn passive leisure into active, engaging digital habits.

4. Algorithmic Personalisation: Machine-learning models analyse viewing history and interaction patterns to continuously serve content that maximises user retention.

Long-Term Implications for Community Cohesion and Personal Well-Being

The transition from physical, collective leisure to private, screen-based consumption carries significant social consequences. Traditional working-class recreation fostered strong local networks and civic institutions that organised around shared geographical and occupational identities. Modern digital leisure, while highly customised and convenient, tends to isolate individuals within personalised media bubbles.

At the same time, the perpetual availability of digital entertainment creates new challenges for personal rest and psychological recovery. When leisure is tied to devices that also deliver work communication, news alerts, and financial notifications, achieving true mental disconnection becomes increasingly difficult.

The economics of free time in the digital era highlight a profound shift in how society values and consumes rest. While technology has democratised access to global entertainment, it has also transformed discretionary hours into a highly monetised frontier. As digital platforms continue to refine how they capture and retain human attention, the challenge for modern consumers will be preserving spaces for genuine, unmonetised rest and real-world community connections.

By Nathan Spears

21 October 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of when a colliery spoil tip in Aberfan, South Wales, collapsed after heavy rain. It slipped down the side of a hill, and engulfed Pantglas Junior School and surrounding homes. The disaster claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults.

60 years later, the shadow of Aberfan remains deeply etched into the collective memory and identity of the Welsh valleys. It's a profound reminder of the heavy human toll of the nation's industrial past.

The landscape of the South Wales valleys is still marked by poorly restored or unrestored opencast mines and coal tips. Recent events, such as the coal tip slips in Tylorstown in 2020 and Cwmtillery in 2024, could have resulted in further loss of life. They serve as poignant reminders of how closely contemporary valley life remains tied to its coal heritage.

Tina Honeyfield and Ralph Connor have been working for more than 10 years on regeneration projects in Cwmtillery. The coal tip landslip of 2024 heavily impacted their home. They shared their thoughts on the legacy of Aberfan and the history and future of Wales's over 2,500 coal tips:

Although our experience pales in comparison to the unimaginable tragedy of Aberfan, hearing the roar of the tip as it slipped and feeling powerless as the slurry flooded our home gave us a sense of how horrific the events of 1966 must have been.

Tip sites still represent a genuine risk to communities and the same systemic failures are to blame. From the point that coal waste was first discarded on Welsh hillsides to further unbridled 19th century capitalism, remediation has largely been reactive rather than proactive.

With the climate crisis exacerbating risk and local governments woefully underfunded, new approaches must be found to mitigate dangers and we believe these lie in the third sector.

Bringing tip sites into community stewardship and managing them alongside strategic partners for the benefit of people and nature would finally give the people most affected agency over them.

Memorial events, quiet reflections, and commemorative gatherings will take place across Wales this October to ensure that the children and adults of Aberfan lost in 1966 are never forgotten.

Daniel Therkelsen of Coal Action Network said:

60 years on, Aberfan is not just a date in the history books; it is a live part of Wales' national consciousness.

We welcome the new Coal Tips Safety Authority, but it has a very narrow remit on tip safety. We work with valley communities who continue to feel not enough is being done more generally about the safety risks and environmental condition of opencast scars on their landscape, and complain that the derelict condition of coal tips can attract anti-social behaviour.

The new Disused Tips Authority won't address these concerns with its current remit - we need the Welsh government to commit to taking action.

Coal Action Network engages with Local Planning Authorities in an initiative to give back to these former coalfield communities the ability to shape and improve access to quality green space over ex-opencast sites and coal tips. This can transform the areas, changing them from liabilities into local community assets.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

German journalist Hüseyin Dogru remains under EU sanctions — widely referred to as 'civil death' — for nearly 18 months despite being an EU citizen.

His 'crime' was to cover pro-Palestine protests in Germany, such is the collective mania of the EU that it claims that exposing the genocide in Gaza helps Russia.

Unbowed, he has now published a new documentary on Germany's support for another genocide. Not the obvious one of the Holocaust, but the Indonesian genocide of millions of leftists in 1965-66. Announcing the publication of the film, Dogru said:

61 years ago, the Indonesian army used a failed coup to wipe out the Communist Party. Up to 3 million were murdered. Germany's own files show how they backed the killing…

German government lent support to mass killings

The EU's sanctions led to his bank accounts being frozen, his travel being restricted and blocked his ability to work, a campaign page explained.

Nonetheless, Dogru has made the film and all its associated files available for free here.

Germany's shameful history of mass murder continues and now drives its knowing support of Israel's genocide in Gaza , and the EU's war on its own citizens.

Watch the documentary here.

Featured image via Ignacio Rosaslanda/ Junge Welt 

By Skwawkbox

Country musician Zach Bryan defied ultra-Zionist billionaire Robert Kraft for his concert last Friday.

Singer Ed Sheeran had shamed himself by caving to Kraft and sacking rapper Macklemore for showing solidarity with Palestine.

Kraft had said he wouldn't allow Sheeran to play at his Gillette stadium if Macklemore stayed — but even after Sheeran's spinelessness, the concerts were cancelled anyway.

Bryan wore his support for Palestine regardless with a 'Free Palestine' t-shirt during his With Heaven On Tour shows. In calling Kraft's bluff, they smashed the stadium's attendance record previously held by Sheeran.

Zach Bryan did what we hoped Ed Sheeran would

Bryan and his band were due to play a second show at the Gillette last Saturday, so their defiance in the first show challenged Kraft to cancel the second. He didn't. This climbdown again exposed Sheeran's cowardice.

To add insult to injury, the second concert set the stadium's highest-ever crowd, beating Sheeran's woeful 2023 record.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Khaled Beydoun (@khaledbeydoun)

As Skwawkbox noted at the time, any stadium booking contract would include penalties for the venue if it was cancelled. Ed Sheeran could have gone ahead with his gig and the friend-of-genocide billionaire would have lost both face and cash if he followed through on his threat.

Zach Bryan just demonstrated that Kraft would have favoured his pocket and has shamed Sheeran even more deeply.

Featured image via Pupat Chenaksara/ Avalon

By Skwawkbox

If you are an international investor looking to expand your long-term property profits, Ghana offers a stable political and financial environment that can be a strong prospect for your investment. 

Planning the investment from abroad, though, can be challenging, especially if you do not know who can support you. Among the critical aspects to consider are hiring a professional property management company to guide you through the key stages of the purchase process, registering with the tax authority, and securing your funds with accredited banks.

What Property Management Can Do For International Investors

As an initial step, the general advice is to hire a local property developer who also offers property management and after-purchase assistance. Capemay Properties has a proven portfolio of luxury developments across the most in-demand Accra neighbourhoods, offering post-purchase assistance and property maintenance, including 24/7 security services and tenant support. 

The property developer is also a stable presence in the country where you are investing, guiding you through the bureaucratic processes required for the purchase. For the property management aspect, they are there to find regular tenants for your property, set up lease terms for you while you are out of the country, and handle regular payments and issue receipts to comply with local regulations. 

Some property developers are building in prime Accra areas such as Cantonments or East Legon and accept rent payments in dollars, allowing them to host international corporates or diplomats and granting property owners income in a foreign currency.

Tax Registration and Compliance

If you are investing for future rental income, you are required to pay taxes to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) regardless of your residential status. Before you transfer your income to your local bank account in your country of residence, you must remit the correct amount of tax, which, for overseas residents, is roughly 15% of the rent for commercial properties and a flat rate of 25% for other non-residential landlords. 

This tax must be paid within 30 days of receiving the rental income at any Domestic Tax Revenue Division Office. For overseas residents, it is done through official channels online. 

To keep track of all your payments, it is highly recommended to maintain a clear record. Make sure you keep all receipts in case of any GRA checks, and pay on time. Any delay in tax payment can cost you 125% of the statutory rate.

Transfer Rental Earnings: Repatriating Funds

If you want to transfer your rental income to your overseas bank account, you should do so through authorised Ghanaian banks. The bank needs to be registered under the Foreign Exchange Act 2006 (Act 723) rather than informal channels. The transfer requires authorisation through the GRA, where you should show proof of your tax records and transfer records.

Depending on your business structure and whether you are renting for business purposes or for residency, you should comply with Bank of Ghana regulations and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) requirements. Normally, you can transfer up to US$10,000 per year. Larger transfers require full supporting documentation and tax clearance. Other than the tax record proof, you might be asked to provide proof of the origin of the income.

Choose the Right Rental Terms

Choosing the right rental terms in Ghana depends on you. Depending on your needs, you can choose either short-term flexibility or long-term stability. 

If you are renting short-term, this normally means the property is occupied for 3 to 6 months. Due to their low commitment, they are well-suited for returnees or job seekers, but they incur higher maintenance costs. On the other hand, long-term stays entail a longer contract ranging from 1 to 2 years and are more suitable for professionals and families. 

When you set your rental terms, make sure you comply with the legal rules. You should provide a rent card within 7 days of the start of the tenancy. By law, landlords cannot demand more than 6 months' advance. A clear payment plan should be established before the tenancy period begins, outlining payment times and rates. 

Your rental agreement must include: identification of both parties to the agreement (tenant and landlord), who is responsible for maintenance and payment, the notice period and agreed rental period, and the deposit conditions and amount.

Rent Your Overseas Property For Long-Term Profit

Investing in Ghanaian property from abroad can be a rewarding way to build long-term income, as long as you are taking the right steps throughout the process.

Partnering with a reputable local developer and property manager means you don't need to be in the country to source tenants or handle routine maintenance. Staying compliant with the GRA and using authorised banks keeps your earnings secure and easy to repatriate.

Add well-structured rental terms that match your goals, and you have a solid foundation for a property that works for you and generates significant income. With the right local support and a clear understanding of the rules, your overseas investment in Accra can become a dependable source of long-term profit.

By Nathan Spears

Andrew Feinstein has given the Green Party an example of how to handle the media and political establishment's inevitable backlash against the party's 'Zionism is racism' motion.

The motion passed convincingly yesterday despite Israel lobby wrecking tactics, along with an overwhelming vote for the party to boycott Israel.

Green Party motion gets activist's backing

Feinstein, who was a panelist at the Green Party conference for a discussion on Palestine, was asked by Turn Left Media whether Zionism is racism. His answer was a model for all to follow: "Of course it is."

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/SnapInsta-Ai_4000456206887137965_69719765994.mp4

Feinstein was speaking before the vote but the lesson applies just as much after it. There were no apologies and no pandering to the pretend hurt feelings of friends of genocide.

Of course, Zionism is racism. The reason the political-media complex fear it so much is that they know the informed and honest will always agree. And the less informed will instinctively know, after three years of live-streamed genocide, that it's true.

Feinstein wasn't done there. In an X post responding to the passage of the racism resolution, referring to South African anti-apartheid heroes he knew personally, he schooled those who pander to the antisemitic lie that all Jews support Israel's apartheid:

The Greens have an anti-Zionist leader & believe Zionism is racism. They have the support of many anti & non-Zionist Jews, who constitute 1/3 of British Jewry.

Anti-Zionism is a Jewish ideology, developed by Jews, which suggests that Jewish & global safety & security is best served by diverse, vibrant Jewish communities across the world rather than by an ethno-nationalist, racist Jewish state.

And if you doubt Israel is a racist apartheid state, remind yourself that it & apartheid SA are the only countries identified as such by the world's highest court. And that Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Nelson Mandela believed that Israeli apartheid was more brutal than South Africa's.

Green Party MPs, to their shame, spoke and voted against the motion. It passed anyway. Now, if they have any respect for their own party's members and democracy, they and their party leader will take a big leaf from Feinstein's book and put the friends of genocide, their mates in politics and the media in their place.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Sagal Abdi-Wali, the Labour candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, appears to be an 'ally' member of the ultra-Zionist 'Jewish Labour Movement' (JLM). At the very least, she has extensive links to JLM, an explicitly and avowedly pro-Israel group that vocally supported Keir Starmer's collaboration in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

Social media posts and other public material show that Abdi-Wali is also closely linked to other local political figures who have shared racist articles online describing Green party leader — and Abdi-Wali's rival in the by-election — Zack Polanski, a 'court-Jew', and claiming that the Green Party under Polanski has become a 'home for Islamists'.

Silence on Gaza

Abdi-Wali, Labour's local council leader, has been criticised for failing to speak out on Gaza — and for her part in resisting calls for Camden Council's pension fund to divest from companies tied to Israel's occupation of Palestine.

Abdi-Wali has particularly close ties to JLM's current vice-chair, Izzy Lenga. Lenga is a fellow Labour councillor on Camden Council in North London — who has proudly posed in the uniform of Israel's military:

Cllr Izzy Lenga in IOF uniform and draped in an Israel flag.

Lenga also played a prominent role in the BBC's shameful 2019 Panorama hit-job 'Is Labour antisemitic?'. Lenga was falsely presented by the programme as having suffered antisemitism within the party. As with several other complainants in the programme, the makers did not divulge her links to Israel's military or embassy.

'Friends of genocide'

JLM is an profoundly Zionist organisation. Members of JLM are asked to 'share' its values, which include:

to promote the centrality of Israel in Jewish life and its development

It is affiliated with the British subsidiary of the World Zionist Organisation (WZO). In 2024, the BBC admitted that the 'Settlement Division' of the WZO was complicit in facilitating illegal settlements in the West Bank.

JLM backed Keir Starmer's shameful approach to Israel's genocide in Gaza. In November 2023, the group sent a joint letter with the equally complicit Labour Friends of Israel to all Labour councillors announcing that they 'wholeheartedly' supported Starmer's decision not to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The two groups urged all councillors to back the position.

Abdi-Wali appears to be, at the very least, closely affiliated to JLM, which has repeatedly used pictures of her campaigning with it in promotional photographs. A May 2025 post from the JLM twitter account stated:

The Jewish Labour Movement is out in force speaking to residents in support of Labour candidate Ezra Cohen and our Vice Chair, Cllr @ellarachelrose.

Rose is another prominent figure in the Panorama stitch-up. Her links to the Israeli embassy were kept hidden.

The picture underneath the post depicts several well known JLM members, alongside Abdi-Wali, including Ella Rose-Jacobs, the JLM's current 'National Movement Chair'. This image of Abdi-Wali was subsequently used in several other JLM communications shared on Instagram. The wording of this post appears to suggest that Abdi-Wali may even be a member of JLM:

Although full membership of JLM is limited to people who identify as ethnically or religiously Jewish — and Abdi-Wali is a Muslim — the organisation also offers 'ally membership'. To qualify, ally members must pay a small membership fee and subscribe to JLM's Zionist values and aims, which include:

promote Labour or Socialist Zionism as the movement for self-determination of the Jewish people within the state of Israel …[and]… promote the centrality of Israel in Jewish life. 

Abdi-Wali and Lenga both became Camden councillors in 2022, after what was widely seen as a 'purge' of left-wing councillors overseen by JLM's notorious then-chair Mike Katz. Katz was responsible for putting Abdi-Wali and Lenga, then a prominent JLM officer, on to the list of approved candidates. Unequivocal support for the "preposterous" IHRA 'definition' of antisemitism is known to have been one criterion used in determining the 'suitability' of replacement council candidates. Katz was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords by Starmer.

Since becoming councillors, Lenga and Abdi-Wali have developed a particularly close relationship. In November 2025, the pair travelled to Zion National Park in the US together. Lenga posted a picture of the pair, apparently taken by a smiling Abdi-Wali with Lenga in the background, on to her Facebook. Above the photo, Lenga provided the comment, 'Twice as Zionist'.

An East London Times article showing the 'twice as Zionist' photo and comment was deleted shortly after Abi-Wali became Labour's candidate in the by-election and London local independent media started to mention it:

However, the sanitising has not quite been successul. Former Mandela minister Andrew Feinstein, who lives in the constituency, included a screenshot of the image in a 28 September 2026 X post:

Lenga formally nominated Abdi-Wali to become Camden council leader in 2026, delivering a speech celebrating Abdi-Wali's character and noting their personal connections. Abdi-Wali is currently the leader of Camden council, where Lenga serves as her chief whip. In this role, Lenga oversees disciplining councillors and ensuring they vote according to the council leader's instructions. 

Labour betrayal of Gaza

As Feinstein also noted, local pro-Palestine activists have accused Camden's Labour group of frustrating wide-spread local demands to force the Council's pension fund to divest from companies accused of complicity in Israel. The Labour Group repeatedly refused to 'second' a motion from lone Green councillor Lorna Russell requiring a debate on divestment in the Chamber. The matter was only debated after a petition signed by 4,000 residents was delivered. 

The Labour group was accused of 'dither and delay' when they eventually referred the issue to a specialist pension's committee. Recent disclosures provided to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and revealed in September 2026 by Declassified UK show that the value of Camden Council's shares in companies alleged by PSC to be complicit in Israeli occupation has significantly increased since October 2023. The council's shares in US spy- and death-firm Palantir, for example, have increased by 1200% between October 2023 and December 2025.

Camden's Labour group has been slammed for its draconian response to local protests on Gaza. In 2025, the Labour group on the council successfully rewrote the Council's constitution to limit protests in the public gallery of council chamber. Its rules now prevent individuals from even holding signs in the public gallery. Previously, Camden Friends of Palestine had silently held signs in the Chamber reading 'end the genocide.'

A review of public sources suggests that Abdi-Wali did not comment about Gaza between October 2023 and her selection as Labour's candidate in Holborn and St Pancras. Abdi-Wali's campaign has failed to answer repeated requests for any comments Abdi-Wali made in this period. 

In 2025, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign issued a 'candidates' pledge' that asked candidates in the 2026 local elections to work to end local government complicity in Israel's Gaza genocide. The pledge was signed by over 1,600 candidates nationally, including 30 Labour candidates in the neighbouring borough of Islington. Abdi-Wali did not sign the pledge - nor did any other Labour candidates in Camden.

The ultra-Zionist 'Board of Deputies' and JLM have repeatedly claimed that protests and dissent over Gaza threaten 'community cohesion' - an approach that Abdi-Wali appears to endorse. On September 8, 2026, Polly Toynbee - a member of Camden Labour - published a piece on the by-election in the Guardian. It quoted Abdi-Wali saying:

If Greens stir up community antagonisms over Gaza, that would be disgraceful. 

Later on in the campaign, Richard Osley of the Camden New Journal pushed Abdi-Wali on the claim that she had declined to sign a solidarity pledge with Palestine earlier in the year. Abdi-Wali responded: 

It's obviously an issue that has been really emotional. It's been really harrowing to watch over the past three years and I know how deeply all of our councillors care about that. I think using that type of issue as a reason to try to divide communities is really not what I want to see. I want to focus on making sure that we're able to put the message of what Ed Miliband is now doing with the government and on Palestine and Israel and Gaza and the West Bank to the community. I think it's a real positive.

We're going in the right direction and I want to make sure the community is aware of that rather than point at anyone else.

Muslims snubbed

Abdi-Wali caused controversy in September 2026 when she failed to attend the Muslim community by-election hustings, jointly hosted by the Camden Muslim Network and the Muslim Council of Britain. Polanski and Patrick Stillman, the Liberal Democrats' candidate, were the only two candidates to attend. Abdi-Wali was 'empty-chaired' for the debate.

Talking to the Guardian, Abdi-Wali claimed she had received the invitation at the last minute. The convenor of the hustings, however, has shared emails and texts showing Abid-Wali was invited five days before the event. The Guardian has subsequently added a footnote to its article noting that Abdi-Wali received her invitation at the same time as other candidates.

Days later, Abdi-Wali did attend the Board of Deputies hustings. Here she was explicitly asked whether she is a Zionist and answered stating she believed in a two-state solution.   

Labour friend of genocide-deniers

Martin Plaut is an influential ally and friend of Abdi-Wali, vocally supporting her candidacy to be chair of Holborn and St Pancras Labour Party in 2019. Plaut is a close friend of, and former researcher for, Keir Starmer. His wife, Gil Black, was Starmer's election agent. Black also 'seconded' Abdi-Wali's nomination papers for the upcoming by-election. 

Plaut is an active member of JLM. He has opposed anti-genocide protest and shared controversial posts on social media regarding events in the Middle East as well as the leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski. 

In October 2023, Plaut reposted a statement by Hussain Abdul-Hussain, who works for an American neocon think-tank, on Twitter that blamed Palestinians for their own mass displacement and deaths. The statement claimed that:

The Palestine disaster (nakba) is not a disaster of land loss or military defeat. It is a disaster of absence of leadership that can articulate the Arab alternative to war and death.

The statement described Palestinians as "either children, or Hamas thugs, or useless corrupt Mahmud Silicon-Face Abbas". It claimed that "non-Palestinian Arabs should step up to save the Palestinians from themselves". It then went on to describe Arabs as:

in fact idiotically out of touch with reality … We insist on our backward message, then act surprised why many of our states are failing and why we are migrating in droves.

Plaut has repeatedly denied that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and in August 2024 downplayed the notion that there was famine in the besieged enclave. He posted: "There is much talk of "starvation" in Gaza. But where are the images to match these? They are from Sudan, where famine has really hit hard", alongside a picture of an emaciated child. 

In an article in 2026 Plaut said that it could not be a genocide in Gaza because not every Palestinian in Gaza had been killed:

Palestinians still live in Gaza; Tigrayan's still live in Tigray. Using the term "genocide" for their suffering violates the use of the term as originally envisaged.

This is misleading nonsense. The Genocide Convention does not require the death of all inhabitants for a slaughter to be a genocide. The world's top genocide scholars, including Israelis, agree that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The UN's human rights experts agree. Israeli genocide expert Amos Goldberg said recently that, although he did not want to say Israel is committing genocide, he could no longer deny it — and added that:

It's going to be a stain on Jewish and Israeli history for generations to come.

Plaut has also posted controversial material regarding Abdi-Wali's opponent in the by-election, Zack Polanski, who is an anti-Zionist Jew. In March 2026, he posted a Jewish Chronicle article that described Polanski as a 'useful court Jew' in the headline. Plaut also posted a quote alongside the article, which described the Green Party under Polanski as a home for "Islamists". 

Questioned about this post, Plaut stated that he 'categorically' rejected the idea that Polanski was a 'court-Jew' and disavowed the article. He also said he did not understand what the word 'Islamist' meant. Plaut's personal website, however, includes a news category called 'Islamists.' Plaut has also backed Abdi-Wali's failures on housing in Camden.

Whether a member of JLM or simply glued to it in relationships and ideology, Sagal Abdi-Wali is unfit to represent the people of Camden.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Israel — For years, Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen has been asking what has happened to the American citizens who were killed in the occupied West Bank, either by illegal Jewish settlers or the Israeli occupation forces (IOF). He also wants to know why nobody has been held accountable for their murders.

Resolution called for investigation on 'Israel' killing US citizens

Van Hollen introduced a resolution which called for the State Department to investigate the killings and also put out a report on the increasing violence in the West Bank. But the US Senate blocked the resolution on 30 September, voting 47 to 51 against advancing the measure.

As Israel lobbyists ranted and raged against the convincing passage of a motion declaring "Zionism is racism", they presumably promptly left the Green party conference hall to whine to friendly journalists that coming out against genocide somehow makes Jews unsafe. Because the conference has just also - and even more convincingly - passed a motion to implement 'BDS'.

Eye off the ball

By 238 votes for to just 16 against.

Zionist eye off the ball there, apparently.

The Greens are the first major UK party to make the commonsense declaration that believing you have a right to expel and kill people on the grounds of race and religion is racist. And they are also formally committed to boycotting the apartheid, genocidal colony.

By Skwawkbox

The Green party has passed a resolution declaring, rightly, that Zionism is racism. The vote passed at the party's autumn conference today by 1022-813 votes. The result comes despite a repeat of tactics - no confidence votes and delaying manoeuvres - that the Israel lobby used to bring down the motion at the Greens' spring conference in March.

Anti-Zionist party

UK voters now, at last, have a party to support that explicitly opposed Israel's genocide in Gaza, its apartheid and its theft of Palestinian land. An amendment to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of a united Palestinian state passed convincingly.

Anti-genocide activist Greg Hadfield said:

It's a historic day. I'm delighted. The Green Party is now the only AZ party in UK… now we can put pressure on the terrorist apartheid state of Israel … and stop supporting Israel in its genocide. It's a historic day. The only tears will be tears of joy.

Shamefully, all current Green MPs spoke against the motion, according to attendees. Cue gnashing of teeth among Israel's rabid supporters. One, 'Judean' Elise Benjamin, even stooped low enough as to fashion her voting card into a yellow star:

By Skwawkbox

Country music star Zach Bryan has shown delightful contempt for billionaire Israel fanatic Robert Kraft — by wearing a 'Free Palestine' shirt to play at Kraft's stadium.

Zach Bryan — Blancmange v steel

Kraft became internationally notorious after pressuring blancmange Ed Sheeran to sack rapper Macklemore from Sheeran's tour for showing solidarity with Palestine. Sheeran caved and ruined his own career. Sheeran's concerts at Kraft's Gillette stadium were then cancelled, amid demands for ticket refunds, ostensibly because of weather.

But Bryan didn't give Kraft any say in the matter, simply appearing on stage wearing the shirt — while his guitarist Noah le Gros and drummer Nate Head wore Palestine football shirts. Le Gros posed for a picture in front of Kraft's name:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Wear The Peace® (@wearthepeace)

Kraft's likely hissy-fit when he learned of the musicians' defiant solidarity with his favourite etho-colony's victims can only be imagined. So can the volume of Sheeran's face-palm as he sees what backbone looks like and can do.

Bryan and his band played another concert at the stadium on 3 October 2026:

Tonight at Gillette Stadium, Zach Bryan, one of the biggest country music artists in the world, wore a Free Palestine shirt onstage.

Gillette Stadium is owned by Robert Kraft, who pushed Ed Sheeran and his promoter to drop Macklemore from his tour.

Bryan isn't just a major… pic.twitter.com/qthBfWOBbi

— Yashar Ali

Genocide-denying former Israel spokesman Eylon Levy has been accused of threatening UK and US journalists over Gaza. Certainly, Levi's language is deeply sinister.

Levi began with an X post about the IOF putting its "crosshairs" on four journalists: Brits Piers Morgan and Owen Jones, British-born US journalist Mehdi Hasan, and US commentator Hasan Piker. Certainly Hasan was concerned that it was a threat — and appalled at the impunity of Israeli thugs:

Is this a death threat? Insane what Israelis are allowed to get away with online. https://t.co/xzaQm6GUnk

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 1, 2026

Levy then singled out Morgan, after Morgan dared say he was sceptical of the IOF's propaganda:

Israel: We don't kill journalists.
Also Israel: Let's kill Piers Morgan. https://t.co/oEExCZU4KZ

— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) October 2, 2026

As so often for Levy, who was sacked as Netanyahu mouthpiece after a spat with then-foreign secretary David Cameron over Israel's starvation of Palestinians, it didn't go well. Hundreds of respondents replied along lines similar to this:

Pipe down, you Nazi shithouse.

You'd run a fucking mile if someone so much as looked at you.

— Red Collective (@RedCollectiveUK) October 2, 2026

Such threats from an Israel parrot are not a light thing. The colony has now murdered at least 324 Palestinian journalists.

Israel is a terror state.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

This article was updated to reflect an error. It previously contained an inaccurate translation of the Omani pilot's name. We apologise for any confusion caused.

An exposed lie about a door has destroyed Israel's narrative and confirmed the FlyDubai 'incident' as the 'false flag' we knew it was.

The 'plumber' at the heart of the narrative, who supposedly overcame the 'terrorist' pilot and pulled the plane out of its dive, claimed that he and another passenger struggled to get into the cockpit, because the wounded pilot's body was blocking it:

The pilot, who was injured, was very close to the door, so it was difficult for us to open it…

I went to the cockpit door, and it was unlocked. A crew member and I pushed the door very hard and managed to get in.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/SnapInsta-Ai_3999147647251727165_65678007355.mp4 FlyDubai's open and shut… door

But the cockpit door on Boeing 737s opens outward:

Got the little lying prick.

The cockpit door opens outwards towards the passenger side….NOT INWARDS.

The crew member (the plumber first says pilot but is corrected by the host) was in the plumbers opinion preventing the door being PUSHED OPEN…..which the plumber says he… pic.twitter.com/n30nbDKIMw

— Shnauser (@Shnauser1) October 3, 2026

A little late, a little much

The Omani pilot supposedly posted terror comments to his Linkedin page and Instagram profile — nine hours after the terror incident. Both accounts were then quickly deleted:

And images posted supposedly showing Bathroom as a pilot are AI-generated - given away by the presence of a jet engine inside the cockpit:

The images Isreali sources leaked of Flydubai Omani co-pilot identified as Hamam Al-Hammam appear to be AI

Look at the photo of the cockpit. Why is there an ENGINE in the cockpit?

I cant confirm if the other two are AI, but that one is definitely suspicious pic.twitter.com/TMKkWhHRJI

— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) October 3, 2026

With Israel's narrative falling apart, 'mainstream' media are doing their best to shore it up — and giving away even more in the process. Bathroom was supposedly previously flagged as a security threat:

So I'm supposed to believe that UAE, a country where a tweet can send u into oblivion, and even a trip to the salon can come with surveillance under your nails, hired a pilot already flagged as a security threat, put him on a plane bound for Tel Aviv, and surprise… out of all… pic.twitter.com/EeB4QebMSy

— Abier (@abierkhatib) October 3, 2026

But Omani pilots are not allowed to fly to Israel anyway. So all the supposed 'security risk' does is make it even more obvious that the whole narrative pushed by Israel and its lobbyists is a big fat bucket of lies.

And they can't even be bothered not to be shoddy as they push for western compliance in even more war.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Police killings — His final word was "fire". On 7 January 2005, German police in Dessau locked the Sierra Leonean asylum seeker in cell number five, and tied him to a mattress by his hands and feet. Hours later, he burned to death. The police story was that Jalloh, bound at all four limbs, had somehow set himself alight with a lighter. More than twenty years on, his family and supporters are still fighting to have the case properly reopened.

This month, Jalloh's family will be in London. So will the families of people killed by police in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and the UK.

Police killings — A tribunal led by the families

On 17 and 18 October, the People's Tribunal on Police Killings will host what it calls an unprecedented European gathering. Families will give public testimony about the deaths of their loved ones, and about what came after. All the cover-ups, the collusion between police and judicial investigators, and the governments that stood behind them.

They will speak in front of an international panel. It includes Mireille Fanon Mendès-France of the Frantz Fanon Foundation, daughter of the legendary revolutionary and scholar Frantz Fanon. Alongside her sit US scholar Dr Joy James, Esther Mamadou-Blanco of the International Coalition for People of African Descent, and veteran British campaigner Professor Gus John. After the public day, the families will meet behind closed doors to plan a joint international strategy.

The tribunal describes itself as a "radical grassroots initiative" led by the families and friends of people killed by police, in prison and by other state agencies. It is supported by Migrant Media, 4WardEverUK and other groups.

Its aim is simple enough. These families have spent decades knocking on the doors of courts and inquiries that would not open. Now they've organised, united, and are knocking together.

The same story in six countries

One glance at the names on the list and you start to see the pattern. The victims are overwhelmingly Black, Arab, migrant or working class. The deaths happened in custody, in police vans and during arrests. And the system that was supposed to deliver justice failed to do so. Decades later, still no justice.

Take Lamine Dieng, for example. In June 2007, the 25-year-old French-Senegalese man died in a police van in Paris after officers pinned him face down. The first autopsy blamed an overdose. A second found he had suffocated, his head crushed against the floor of the van. French courts still threw the case out. To add insult to the family's grief, they were ordered to pay €2,000 to the officers.

The family took France to the European Court of Human Rights. In 2020, the French state agreed to pay them €145,000 in a friendly settlement. No officer was ever tried. France just paid for Lamine's death with taxpayers' money, and the police were allowed to walk away.

Or take Brian Douglas, this time in London. In May 1995, police stopped the 33-year-old music promoter and father of one in Clapham. An officer struck him with one of the new American-style batons the Met had just introduced. He died five days later of a fractured skull. The inquest returned a verdict of misadventure. His family says the officers were never even disciplined.

Then there are Babacar Gueye and Adam B. in France, Lamine Bangoura in Belgium, Rooble Warsame in Germany, Roger Wilhelm in Switzerland, Haitam Mejri in Spain, and Olufemi Owoborode in the UK. Different countries and different decades, but the same story every time. Police killings and total impunity.

3,000 deaths, three convictions

The numbers in Britain alone should shame every home secretary of the last half-century. According to the tribunal, more than 3,000 people have been killed by police in the UK since 1970. In that time, only three cases have ended with officers convicted of manslaughter or murder.

Three.

That isn't some sort of mistake. It's a system working exactly as designed. The police investigate the police and the prosecutors decide the police are right in their investigation, then the coroners settle on "misadventure". Politicians then swoop in to praise officers for their bravery.

Meanwhile the families are left to do the investigating themselves, often for decades, and often at their own expense. And these investigations bear fruit while the investigations of the state don't — Dieng's family pushed for a second autopsy, which found he'd suffocated rather than overdosed

The tribunal is now gathering data for a Europe-wide map of deaths at the hands of police. No government seems in any hurry to produce one itself.

Police killings — Why this matters now

Across Europe, governments are handing police more powers, not fewer. Here in Britain, people are being arrested for chanting on protests or pensioners holding placards, while murdering officers walk free. Accountability only seems to run in one direction.

That's why a gathering like this matters. These families have been told for years that their cases were isolated tragedies. Putting them in one room tells a different story — this is how policing works for Black, Brown, migrant and working-class people across the continent.

The public testimonies are on Saturday 17 October at ArtsTwo in Mile End, East London. Tickets are free and can be reserved here.

Please come and listen. The least we owe these families is to hear what they have to say.

Featured image via Eventbright

By Jamal Awar

The FlyDubai 'hijacking' was a shoddy false-flag incident designed to foster sympathy for genocidal Israel, demonise Muslims, almost certainly to excuse greater attacks against Iran and Israel's neighbours. So say both the evidence, expert pilots and common sense.

We're supposed to believe that passengers were able to storm the cockpit during the dive and wrestle the pilot away from the controls. Yet expert pilots, who train other pilots, told CNN that the plane would have "disintegrated completely" under the stresses of its supposed 14,000ft dive in 30 seconds. And of course, any passengers not strapped in would have been thrown helplessly around:

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Cnn-Flydubai-Disintegrate-hb.mp4

Passengers were filmed walking easily along the aisle to the cockpit, despite this supposed headlong dive strong enough to pull the FlyDubai plane apart:

Israeli passenger Miriam Ochayon claimed the g-forces of the dive were so intense that she could feel the skin of her face stretching downward. Laughably, Sky News and others simply repeated her claims and showed selfie footage of Ochayon looking around in her seat — smiling, looking distinctly unstretched and appearing to have no trouble at all staying upright:

Here's what planes really look like after, first, severe turbulence, and second, a mere 200ft nosedive:

FlyDubai Celebrations

Passengers filmed themselves celebrating just after the plane touched down in Saudi Arabia — before they supposedly switched to another aircraft to fly to Israel — yet the seats and ceiling of their plane are completely different from the plane filmed during the 'incident':

Clips of the plane after the supposed 'nosedive' also showed a pristine passenger cabin — no water spilled, no luggage ejected from overhead bins. Some have commented on the lack of oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling, but if there was no loss of cabin pressure these may not have been triggered:

However, the 'plumber' who was supposedly able to simultaneously choke out the 'terrorist' and pull the plane out of its nosedive, after walking along the 'plummeting' plane and getting into a secured cabin thanks to the gravely-injured captain unlocking it with his foot, magically changes footwear yet keeps on his bloodstained socks for his meeting with Netanyahu. Yet neither pair of shoes, including those pictured just after the incident, show anywhere near enough blood to match the socks:

Council Estate Media summed up the many, many issues with Israel's story (emphasis on 'story') well, from magical lack of g-forces, to mysterious lack of injuries, to the supposed attacker both flying the plane into the ground and trying to destroy the controls at the same time, to the official story that changes every time an impossibility is exposed:

When the plane nosedived, it reached a speed of 688 mph and it's just not designed to handle those G-forces. It should've fallen apart from the extreme stresses of plummeting nearly 14,300 feet in 37 seconds (about ten times the normal descent rate). That's the opinion of an expert on CNN as well as other former pilots. Flight simulations back this claim up.

Commercial pilot and flight instructor Aaron Murphy told CNN: "Some of the numbers that we're seeing from the reporting initially don't make sense to me. If you're descending that rapidly, the aircraft would have disintegrated completely."

Even if the plane didn't fall apart, people should've been flung around and loose items should've been scattered everywhere. We'd expect to see broken bones and even fatalities. Yet we did not see serious injuries (apart from the stabbed pilot) and the place was so tidy, even cups of water were still standing. How is this possible?

We have footage from the dive because multiple passengers whipped out their cameras to film people screaming, but none of it shows the chaos you'd expect. Also, a little girl was in the bathroom at the time. She should've been flung into the walls and ceiling, but there was not a scratch on her.

We're told that the passengers walked to the cockpit during the descent. This would appear to be physically impossible. Imagine the G-forces on a rollercoaster. Now imagine it's travelling hundreds of miles an hour.

Passengers would either be floating around at that speed, or more likely thrown to the back of the plane.

The plane plummeted hard over a period of about 30 seconds. Another 30 seconds and it would've hit the ground, but it would've taken less than 30 seconds to reach an unsurvivable altitude. Lower altitudes put more stress on the plane, meaning we are talking about seconds to spare.

We are told the plane kept diving and stabilising over several minutes—the cockpit was entered after the hardest dive, but while the plane was still diving. This suggests the hijacker chose to stop diving so hard when the pilot was subdued, enabling the passengers to enter. That's awfully kind of him, but any kind of dive should've made entry difficult-to-impossible.

Here's a crucial piece of info: the man who first broke into the cockpit and tackled the hijacker was also the man who took control of the plane. He did all of this with literally seconds to spare. It gets even more impressive when you realise he knew that flight controls are inverted. Good job he watched that Air Crash TV show. Good job that two off-duty pilots were ready to take over.

Our hero met Netanyahu hours later, still wearing his bloodied clothes—only images from the plane show his shoes were different. If he changed his shoes, why didn't he change the rest of his clothes?

He showed that his socks were soaked in blood, but he was wearing his shoes on the plane and they were not soaked in blood. He wasn't injured so the implication is this was the pilot's blood. Why didn't he remove his blood-soaked socks when he changed his shoes?

He told Netanyahu that he got the hijacker in a chokehold while he was trying to destroy instruments. Why was he doing that if he was flying the plane into the ground? Nothing about the story makes sense. Was the captain attacked with a knife or axe? Did passengers break down the cockpit door, or did the injured pilot open it after being stabbed? The details keep shifting.

Now consider that Netanyahu predicted a major event would happen the day before, and he politicised the attack immediately after. Trump is now saying that if it was Iran, we will hit them hard. This is working out awfully well for Netanyahu, isn't it?

Busted flush

Israel's false-flag is an embarrassing farce that was exposed even before it occurred, and even more completely since. Israeli and western politicians and media will continue to report as if it was an actual attack, but the response of any informed person who hears it was summarised by US-based anti-genocide activist Gur Tsabar. Israel is insulting our intelligence and — just as with its lies in Gaza — can't even be bothered to try properly:

Honestly, the funniest thing about the FlyDubai story is watching the entire internet collectively stare at it and go:

Israel has rushed out a propaganda film to try to counter the award-winning NAZA documentary that showcases the confessions of genocidal Israeli troops of their crimes in Gaza. Or, as the official narrative puts it, "Three Israeli creators have released a documentary designed to directly counter and discredit NAZA".

"Creators"??

The word "creators" is doing some lifting, though. The three 'creator/directors' are Lt. Col. Roi Danino (the clue's in the title!), Hagai Gutman, and Ariel Averbuch.

Danino self-describes as:

a strategic advisor and business mentor, specializing in business development, turnaround strategies, and leading companies to sustainable growth in rapidly changing environments.

Not much of a 'creator-director pedigree there. seemingly.

Averbuch, similarly, describes himself as:

an experienced Attorney at Law & Patent Attorney.

Uh-huh.

Hagai Gutman is harder to pin down. He may be 'CEO' of a firm (at least officially) importing and exporting stuff like bread, a wannabe singer (or both). Or something else entirely — but not in movies. None of the three are mentioned on the imdb film database.

The 49-minute propaganda film's official FAQ gives no information about the makers. Instead, it lists Israel's talking points about its actions in Gaza, essentially a summary of the 'most moral army' nonsense. It even uses the 'most moral army in the world' in its first few seconds. Section headings include:

What was under the baby's crib?

How do you tell a terrorist from a civilian?

A man walks up holding a child's hand. Now what?

Where did the aid trucks end up?

Who decides when to fire?

Did the hostages' medicine ever arrive?

In short, about as sickly comedic as any Israeli propaganda — and about as compelling as you'd expect from something rushed out against a film winning some of the industry's top awards.

Israel — Accidentally hilarious

What makes the propaganda film (presumably) unintentionally funny is exactly what makes the original NAZA compelling despite its flaws. The real documentary maintains the anonymity of war criminals to free them to confess without inhibition to the crimes they and their colleagues commit.

The propaganda slop tries to imitate, but just ends up featuring anonymous people facing away from the camera while they recite 'hasbara' whitewash, against bad background music.

Israel's billions spent on trying to hide its genocide have only deepened global contempt for the colonial project being as dishonest as it is murderous. The slapped-together 'counter-NAZA' flops just as badly and will have just the same effect.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Animal welfare campaigners were locked up in cramped cages outside the Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno on 2 October. They were highlighting the suffering pheasants and partridges face in cages. And they were calling for an end to their use to breed game birds in Wales.

The campaigners from animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports mimicked the distress game birds face in breeding cages. And they said the Welsh government should outlaw the shooting industry from using them.

Welsh government figures show that land managers release between 800,000 and 2.3 million non-native pheasants and partridges into the Welsh countryside every year to shoot them for sport. These birds are often the result of intensive industrial scale breeding across Wales. The industry uses raised battery style cages with metal walls and wire mesh roofs and floors.

A severe lack of space and the conditions of their confinement for these semi-wild birds, leads to distress and injuries. This includes damaged beaks, foot lesions, wounds from stress-induced aggression, and scalping on wire mesh roofs when they attempt to escape.

Jamie Adair, public affairs officer for Wales from the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

Keeping pheasants and partridges in cages for breeding causes these birds an immense amount of suffering and is an animal welfare issue that needs to be addressed by the Welsh government.

The Welsh government now has a clear opportunity to demonstrate leadership on animal welfare issues by including game birds in its work on ending the use of cages for farmed animals.

Game birds such as pheasants and partridges do not enjoy the basic legal protections such as minimum space requirements that farm birds such as chickens and turkeys get.

YouGov polling in 2021 found that 72% of the Welsh public opposed the use of cages to breed pheasants and partridges.

The caged breeding event outside conference coincided with the start of the pheasant shooting season in Wales on 1 October.

Adair added:

We highlighted to Plaid Cymru members today the distress that using cages for breeding game birds causes.

The use of cages for farmed animals needs to end and this ban on using cages in Wales should include the many pheasants and partridges being kept for breeding in appalling conditions.

Featured image via League Against Cruel Sports

By The Canary

Ireland had barely closed the chapter on its controversial match against Israel when Palestinian solidarity again took center stage at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The Irish national team's match against Austria was halted twice due to pro-Palestine protests, highlighting the ongoing pressure on the squad and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) just hours before their second fixture against Israel.

During the match on Thursday, October 1, several tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch around the 20th minute. Some bore stickers featuring the Palestinian flag and the hashtag #StopTheGame, directly referencing the campaign urging the Irish team to boycott its upcoming match against Israel. The referee temporarily suspended play until the balls were cleared from the field.

A second interruption occurred around the 35th minute when a pitch-invader ran onto the field carrying a Palestinian flag before security personnel quickly intercepted and escorted him off. Both incidents took place amid heightened security, following a demonstration organized by pro-Palestine groups outside Aviva Stadium before kickoff.

Solidarity with Palestine

The "Stop the Game" campaign claimed responsibility for the initial demonstration, calling it a targeted action using tennis balls. The group stated that the goal was to express solidarity with Palestinians and support Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who withdrew from the national squad ahead of the Israel match in protest of playing the fixture.

This was not the first time tennis balls were used as a protest symbol at Aviva Stadium; a similar incident took place during Ireland's friendly against Qatar last May, when balls were thrown onto the pitch to oppose holding the two matches against Israel.

The Dublin protests came just days after Ireland played Israel in the UEFA Nations League — a match moved to Debrecen, Hungary, instead of Israel, which ended in a decisive 3-0 win for Ireland.

Facing Israel sparked controversy

Leading up to the first match, public pressure mounted on the FAI and the national team to boycott the fixtures against Israel. In November 2025, FAI members voted to submit a formal request to UEFA's Executive Committee seeking the suspension of the Israel Football Association from European competitions.

However, the FAI ultimately decided to proceed with both matches, and a majority of players voted to play the first fixture following internal discussions. The association announced on September 26 that the games would move forward while acknowledging the diverse opinions within the squad.

Ahead of the match, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the team, citing personal principles regarding the fixture. Meanwhile, the team's training session and pre-match press conference were delayed for hours as internal debates continued over participation.

When the Irish team took the field in Debrecen, the match included clear gestures of protest: players wore black armbands, declined the traditional pre-match handshakes, and turned or bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. On the pitch, Ireland secured the win with three first-half goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, and Jack Moylan.

Protest shifts to Austria match

The pressure did not subside in the days following the Israel game; instead, it carried over to Ireland's home match against Austria. Prior to kickoff, the "Stop the Game" campaign explicitly called for a boycott of the upcoming second fixture against Israel, urging the government and football association to take responsibility for the decision rather than placing the burden on the players.

This comes as the date approaches for the second match between Ireland and Israel, scheduled for Sunday, October 4, in Bačka Topola, Serbia. The FAI moved the fixture from Dublin due to what it cited as "operational challenges," with the match set to be played behind closed doors without spectators

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

UK outsourcing corporation Serco Group has again come under intense scrutiny as its insurer, Aviva, faces criticism from employees, union reps, and human rights experts.

On 1 October, local campaigners in Norwich put up spoof Aviva adverts covered in CCTV cameras. They were highlighting how the insurer is underwriting the 24/7 surveillance of migrants through its contract with Serco Group.

They say it's failing to comply with international human rights law in its immigration contracts to provide detention centres and GPS tags.

An Aviva Insurance employee who has chosen to remain anonymous said:

I'm disappointed to learn that we do business with Serco. It's definitely prompted me to reassess whether this is a business I can be proud to work for.

My colleagues and I all go to work with the intention of helping people - a huge proportion of roles are customer-facing, and the business really pushes having people-first values. Having a contract with Serco really undermines all of that.

A new legal brief by Refugee Law Lab, which assesses Serco's own Human Rights Supplement found that Serco's operations in the UK's immigration detention are incompatible with established international law and various legal instruments.

Human rights lawyer Petra Molnar issued a stark warning to Serco's Insurers:

While Serco claims that its operations are compliant with domestic legislation, under international law, states cannot contract out their human rights obligations, and neither can their private contractors.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) represents civil servants from the UK's Border Force and Asylum Casework. PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote stated:

We strongly support bringing government contracts in-house after years of seeing private corporations like Serco, Clearsprings, and Mears turn public funds into private wealth while asylum seekers face appalling conditions.

The problem isn't at the border; it's failed asylum policy and a detention centre-focused system, driven by divisive rhetoric. Now is the moment to end multibillion-pound private contracts and invest that money in services and homes that benefit entire communities.

In a public statement, the Norwich Trades Council called on Aviva to review its contracts with Serco:

Aviva has deep roots in Norwich and is one of the city's most significant employers. Norwich trade unionists have a proud history of taking action against corporate involvement in injustice. Today, we stand with migrants, refugees and people seeking sanctuary and call on Aviva to end its insurance relationship with Serco.

Norwich is the operational headquarters for Aviva's core UK General Insurance business (formerly Norwich Union). Norwich holds historical significance as the company's largest employee hub outside London.

Serco on list of border industry profiteers

The Norwich action comes as new research from Corporate Watch identifies 20 companies, including Serco, at the forefront of the global Border Industry. Governments in the UK, EU and US are continuing to expand spending on migration control, surveillance, detention and deportation.

The 2026 Border Divestment List identifies household names profiting from border enforcement across seven areas: cloud infrastructure, deportation, detention, accommodation, border security and control, search and "rescue", and biometrics and identification.

The 20 companies highlighted by the research are:

• Serco.
• Accenture.
• Alphabet.
• Amazon.
• Thermo Fisher.
• Experian.
• Microsoft.
• RELX PLC.
• Palantir.
• Zap (Titan).
• L3Harris.
• Elbit.
• Mitie.
• RTX (Raytheon).
• Sodexo.
• BAE.
• Cellebrite.
• QinetiQ.
• Motorola.
• Thales.

The research finds that major technology, defence, logistics and infrastructure companies are increasingly embedded in the systems used to monitor, contain and remove people on the move.

In the UK alone, private companies have received more than £3.7bn in border security contracts since 2015, according to academic research.

André Dallas, co-director of Migrant Justice at People & Planet, said:

The border industry is a vast corporate ecosystem, with a wide range of corporate interests vying to capture a slice of the ballooning budgets being poured into militarised responses to human migration.

From cloud computing and biometrics to surveillance and logistics, companies are profiting from the expansion of violent systems that control and restrict the movement of people.

For years students have been demanding that their universities cut ties with this deadly industry, and this research provides clear actionable data giving institutions nowhere to hide.

So far, 14 UK universities have made public commitments to exclude the Border Industry from their investments, including SOAS, Bradford and Kent, with further campaign victories to be revealed over the coming months.

Through the Divest Borders campaign, students across the country are taking action to demand that their universities end their complicity in the corporate operations identified by this research.

Featured image supplied

By The Canary

The UK foreign secretary's announcement of a "double lock" on arms sales to Israel earlier this month has had no impact, with the government declining to suspend any existing licences, despite reports suggesting otherwise.

On 8 September, Ed Miliband announced the double lock during a Commons speech on banning settlement trade. He said the government would:

refuse all licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation.

This week, a number of news outlets reporting on the Labour conference erroneously suggested the government had suspended licences since the double lock announcement.

In addition to the 29 licences initially suspended, 56 licences have been refused since the "first lock", announced in September 2024. However in recent days ministers have confirmed that no further arms licences have been suspended since the double lock was announced.

In response to a parliamentary question, on 16 September, Labour minister Blair McDougall wrote:

We have also reviewed all extant licences for exports to Israel on the same basis…No additional licences have been revoked or suspended since 8 September 2026.

The minister added:

This is largely because licences for items that might materially contribute to the occupation have already been suspended because of Israel's conduct in the Gaza conflict.

In response to another question, a minister at the Foreign Office, Stephen Doughty, stated on 21 September that the government does not see trainer aircraft and their components as materially contributing to the occupation. As such they remain licensed for export to Israel.

When are arms not arms?

Trainer aircraft enable pilots to practice on less expensive jets before participating in Israel's bombardment of Gaza. They also provide cover for its ground troops currently occupying the 141 square mile strip.

Miliband has also defended the F-35 "carve out", an exemption to suspensions which began in 2024. He claims that:

those who say we should stop supplying parts to the global supply chain are actually advocating the downing of the whole programme, which is crucial to our NATO and other allies.

Miliband has repeatedly sought to appease critics who are angry at the UK government's wide-ranging support for Israel's genocide of the native Palestinian population in Gaza, as well as ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

At the Labour conference, he said:

I want to say to the millions of people in this country and indeed elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people: we hear you, you were right.

Miliband added:

We have reset our approach. We call out ethnic cleansing by the settler terrorists in the West Bank. We call out the evidence of war crimes in Gaza. We call out Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine. And we match words with actions.

Despite the rhetorical flourish in his conference speech, the foreign secretary did not mention arms sales. When challenged by Channel 4 on international humanitarian law assessments, he defended what he called "robust processes".

Miliband also pointed to the "increasing evidence of war crimes". And he said Labour was "too slow" in the past to call out what is happening.

Commenting, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) spokesperson Leo Verity said:

Government recognition of ethnic cleansing, Israeli settler-terrorism and of the illegality of the occupation is the first step to ending UK complicity. But for the brutalised Palestinian people, all that matters is action, on arms sales and beyond.

Right now it seems that the Burnham government is hot on talk but cold on action, with the 'double lock' on arms to Israel looking more like 'doubling down'.

The government continues to defend its unprecedented licensing 'carve out' for F-35 fighter parts, despite its key role in the Israeli genocide, with the jets being used at five times the normal rate since 7 October 2023, including in 'beast mode'. Such a position is morally indefensible.

It is also inexcusable that arms licences covering items like components remain unaffected by the 'double lock' policy. These include trainer aircraft for the IDF and incorporation licences that ensure the flow of shipments on which the Israeli arms industry relies for the production of their own arms exports.

For the many Palestinians being displaced if not slaughtered by Israel daily, it is not too late for Britain to act. That means matching words with actions: the UK must implement a complete, two-way arms embargo, investigate every single Briton who served in the Israel Defence Forces during the genocide, and halt all intelligence sharing with the apartheid regime.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

'Israel' has desperately been trying to hide its human rights abuses, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Palestine from the world. It is too late for that. There is no unseeing what has already been seen. But the occupation's crimes continue, so does the intentional killing of those who witness its atrocities and convey what has happened to others.

As of 30 September: 263 Palestinian journalists murdered by 'Israel' since 7 October 2023

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, the number of Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli occupation has now risen to 263. This follows the killing of journalist Mohammed Abdul Aziz al Najjar, 38, on 30 September, in the Al Mawasi area of southern Gaza, northwest of Khan Yunis.

A producer and presenter for Holy Quran Radio, al Najjar also served as an imam. He was targeted by an 'Israeli' drone while producing a report on Quran memorisation. He leaves behind three children, who were unable to see their father for their final farewells, as his body was returned to his family without a head. The drone strike had decapitated him.

الله يرحمك يا بابا ثلاثة أطفال ينتظرون وداع والدهم الصحفي محمد النجار لكنه عاد إليهم شهيدًا بلا رأس بعدما حرمهم القصف من رؤيته وتوديعه مشهدٌ سيبقى محفورًا في قلوبهم طوال حياتهم. أيُّ ألمٍ أكبر من أن يفقد الطفل والده ثم يُحرم حتى من وداعه الأخير pic.twitter.com/251lnWVxvA

— عبدالله العطار abdallah alattar (@abdallahatar) September 30, 2026

 

Same old excuses from the Israeli occupation for their targeted assassinations of journalists

The IOF were quick to justify the killing of Palestinian journalist Al Najjar. Their excuse was the same one we hear again and again throughout 'Israel's' genocide on Gaza- that he was a "member of Hamas's military wing." They also accused him of "infiltrating Israeli territory" on 7 October. And  pointed to a photograph which they claimed showed him on Israeli soil after Hamas breached the barrier separating Gaza from Israel.

But there is something the occupation's military has conveniently left out. Al Najjar, like every other Palestinian living in Gaza, had spent almost two decades living under a land, air and sea blockade imposed by 'Israel'. Gaza is sealed off. People cannot simply leave and return as they may want to. They are trapped behind a barrier, that their occupier has erected, which has become a permanent part of their lives.

But on 7 October, this barrier was breached by Palestinian freedom fighters, for the first time. So, just because Al Najjar crossed it that day does not prove he was a "terrorist". It proves that he crossed a barrier that had kept him and more than two million other Palestinians imprisoned in Gaza for too long.

No justice whatsoever for those whose loved ones have been assassinated by 'Israel'

He was a journalist. His job was to be there, to witness what was happening. To film, document, and report on events. This is what journalists do. Showing a photograph of him at the scene of an unprecedented event and claiming he was a combatant is completely ridiculous.

Too often, the criminal 'Israeli' regime has killed a journalist and labelled them a "terrorist". The label is then expected to serve as the justification for their killing. Words do not make evidence. And this is exactly why the circumstances surrounding his killing must to be questioned.

263 Palestinian journalists have been killed so far by the occupation, and the killing continues. 'Israel' has not been held accountable, not even once. It is time these journalist's families receive justice for their losses, and the Israeli occupation is held to account for its war crimes.

Calling Al Najjar a "terrorist" does not make him one. And reporting from 'Israel' on 7 October does not make a journalist a combatant. He was there doing his job. This And is why the circumstances surrounding his killing deserve to be questioned rather than being accepted at face value.

'Israel' enjoys "full impunity" to breach supposed ceasefire whenever it wants

Abubaker Abed, a journalist from Gaza says the killing of Mohammed Al-Najjar is "another stain on journalism."

"It is a continuation of the deliberate, systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza. But this time it is even worse. Its a supposed ceasefire, where Israel enjoys full impunity to breach it whenever it wants to. Mohammed wasn't only a journalist. He was a father of three. He was the main provider for his family. They live in a tent. What'll happen to them now? What will their lives be like? These are important questions that humanise us, and help the world understand the reality of Gaza's reporters."

"On 30 September, Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that nine bodies reached hospitals during the previous 24 hours. The Ministry recorded eight as newly killed in 'Israeli' attacks across Gaza that day, and one as a woman who died from wounds sustained earlier. It also recorded 31 new injuries. Al-Najjar was among the dead.

In the early hours of the morning, an 'Israeli' airstrike targeted an apartment block near Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City. 21 year old Iman Abdul Aal was killed, and her husband was critically injured. Israeli occupation forces (IOF) said the intended target was a "Hamas terrorist". It accused him of planning attacks against the occupation's military. But, unsurprisingly, no evidence was given and the alleged target was not publicly identified.

Bilal Mahmoud Suleiman al-Sumairi, 33, was killed near the Al-Matahin intersection in the town of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis. An 'Israeli' drone struck a gathering of civilians there. It killed al-Sumairi and wounded two other Palestinians, including a girl.

In Tel al-Hawa, southwest Gaza City, six Palestinians were killed when an 'Israeli' drone attacked a civilian vehicle. According to witnesses, the drone fired at least two missiles at the car, killing its occupants immediately.

The death toll for the attack had risen to six dead and 15 injured by the end of the day.

Israeli occupation wiped out 22 members of Ammar al Sharafi's family in 2023, this time they targeted and killed him

One of the Palestinians assassinated by 'Israel' in the vehicle attack was Ammar Mahmoud Muhammad al-Sharafi, 40. He was accused by the IOF, with no evidence whatsoever, of being a "Hamas commander".

Ammar was the brother of Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Moamen al-Sharafi. Moamen had reported on 'Israel's' strike on the vehicle that day, unaware at the time that his brother was one of those who was blown to pieces.

In December 2023, 'Israel' wiped out  22 members of the brother's family. An "explosive barrel" hit the home in which they were sheltering, in the Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza. It exploded with such force that a deep crater was made in the ground.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of 1 October 2026, 74,040 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and 175,168 have been injured, since 7 October 2023. 1439 of these have been killed, and 5052 injured, since the so-called ceasefire supposedly came into effect on 11 October 2025. During this time, of almost a year, 'Israel' has also violated the ceasefire agreement more than 5000 times. No action has been taken to change anything.

For the families of those killed, the day did not end with a casualty figure, but with another person gone and another family having to live with the loss. In Gaza, where so many people have been killed over the past three years, names can quickly disappear into daily figures unless they are recorded and remembered.

Abed also sees a failure to properly acknowledge those reporting from the Strip:

"Western mainstream media journalists are culpable. They're liable for this murder and others. They continue to manufacture consent for Israel to continue the killings daily. This is why the genocide has long continued. 263 journalists in Gaza killed, barely honoured or identified by Western mainstream journalists. It's unfair in every sense of life. It's horrific and barbaric. This is what the world has allowed. And the world will continue to stand by as Israel hunts down more journalists in Gaza. History will never forgive or forget. Accountability is inevitable, if not now, in the hereafter."

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay

Trump's latest fascist 'ICE' boss, Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin, was asked about his department's record - at least 58 people have died in his racist concentration camps. Mullin's reply? 'We're not providing Holiday Inns'.

ICE are not 'providing Holiday Inn'

Watch:

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Mullin-Himmler-hb.mp4

No mate, you're not. You're 'providing' crimes against humanity that should and hopefully someday will put you and your collaborators behind bars for life. Camps where your victims are killed, children 'somehow' end up pregnant while your thugs murder even US citizens with impunity on the streets.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Green Party conference will debate, and then vote on, the much-discussed 'Zionism is Racism' motion. In the run-up, I have witnessed and joined many discussions around it. People have told me the motion is "divisive," "problematic" and "toxic." I have also seen several procedural objections raised.

This article answers those concerns and makes the best case for supporting Motion A105/E12. It follows genuine arguments I've seen against the motion, and the responses that I and others gave. Many arguments are made in extremely bad faith by elements of our political media class. However, what follows are worth sharing because, when they come from genuine concerns, they are — I hope — made in good faith.

(For a brief example of an argument/amendment not made in good faith, see the post below.)

The 'Zionist synagogues' amendment is authored by a liberal Zionist who opposes the actual Zionism is Racism motion

It is also based on a lie. This type of motion (E Motion) has no bearing on disciplinary structures

For example, no Muslim Green member has ever been… https://t.co/e6iihQMtHC

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) September 30, 2026

Who do we mean by 'Zionist'?

Zionists support the imperial project of a (mainly European) Jewish settler state in historic Palestinian land. Inevitably, that project displaces, forcibly expels and, increasingly, murders native Palestinians. This drives the 'Israeli' state, since its inception. Today it culminates in genocide against Palestinians, and Arabs and Persians more broadly. Like most imperial projects launched circa the 1910s, Zionism is racist to its core. Arguably, its racism has now outgrown even the worst of British imperial racism a century ago.

Some ask who, exactly, 'the Zionists are.' They complain that the motion and its amendments confuse and divide. The definition above is my answer, and I believe history objectively grounds it. All of these debates happen in a political context that has deliberately removed such a definition from "common sense."

Critically, 'Zionist' is not shorthand for 'the Jews.' (Elements of the British political media class would have you believe otherwise, smearing Green Party members as such.) This motion makes that explicitly clear, as it should. Many Jews evidently do support Zionism, but a growing number oppose it wholeheartedly. Many Jewish people understandably resent such horrific crimes being committed "in their name."

Zionism's most vocal outriders are often Christian, especially Evangelicals in America and elsewhere. Add many Hindu nationalists, drawn by Zionism's inherent anti-Muslim tendencies. Add a sadly large number of US-compliant Arab ruling classes, who act against their citizens' strong general will. So non-Jewish Zionists outnumber Jewish Zionists by magnitudes. Zack Polanski himself has spoken of confronting the Zionist sympathies he absorbed in his youth through certain Jewish community institutions.

WATCH: Zionists heckle Polanski even though he's gone soft on anti-Zionism

Reality check on Zionism and Zionism is Racism

So let me put the challenge back: what kind of Zionism would not be racist? What, specifically, would it do? Any Zionism that doesn't preserve "Jewish sovereignty" in Palestine at the expense of Palestinians quickly ceases to look like Zionism at all. It stops resembling any Zionism that has ever existed, and hence any that could exist in our real world.

Of course Zionism means different things to different people. That is exactly why we must clarify what it means to Greens. The Green Party can decide collectively that it is a racist project. Other parties will disagree, just as they mean wholly different things by trans rights, a liveable future, or even party democracy. We are talking about actually existing Zionism. It has given us decades of supremacism, displacement, unaccountable murder and now live-streamed genocide.

Consider Nazism, for a counter-example. If we condemned it as a racist, supremacist ideology — which we do, and should — nobody would demand that we first consider hypothetical, "alternative" Nazisms. We would rightly mean the one that gave us a colossal, murderous WWII and the evils of the Holocaust. (Relevantly, estimates place Holocaust victims at 11 million people exterminated. An unfathomable six million were Jews.)

Even where Zionists define the term their own way, the root stays the same: an ethnic nationalist movement concerned with the sovereignty of one specific ethnicity. People can add meanings, but they can't remove that core. As one comrade noted by way of analogy: fascism is still fascism, even if people disagree about the precise role of corporatism within the fascist state. Same applies here.

EXCLUSIVE: Green 'friends of genocide' table anti-Canary motion for party conference

This 'sneaks in' a one-state policy

Procedural critics point out that official Green policy is a two-state solution. Whatever we personally think of that, they say, a one-state position shouldn't enter "through the back door." It should be proposed and debated openly. They accuse the motion of obfuscating a sneaky policy that contradicts existing policy. Others have stated or implied that the single-state clause is "hidden" inside the motion.

I would firstly say, though, this is among its most serious open commitments. Let's be clear: "hidden" is simply wrong. The clause is in the wording of the motion. The motion is explicit about what it says and does, and, importantly for its many critics, what it doesn't. So no "sneaky play" is going on.

None of this diminishes the importance of one-state and two-state debates. But we have run that debate for decades, and look where it has got us. One side has a superpower-backed, militarised state infrastructure. The other is stateless, dispossessed, bombed and starved. That is hardly a level playing field.

Zionists have taken every opportunity to diminish the prospects of Palestinian statehood. Israeli ministers openly admit as much — 80% do, in fact. If Palestinians will not gain statehood freely, regardless of UK "recognition," we must help remove the barriers. It is the least that British politicians can do.

We should begin doing so by naming the dispossessors for what they are: racist supremacists.

Fascist Israeli minister Ben-Gvir demands Zionists massacre 30-40 Palestinians a day

It's up to 'people in the region'

Another line of critique says the party should pressure our own government. Impose more sanctions, end the occupation of Gaza, and end illegal settlements in the West Bank, following the pattern and precedent of South African apartheid. The future, they say, belongs to those who live there, not us. Zack Polanski raised this concern himself with Zeteo, even describing British party diktats as "imperial" sounding. (I will not get into the somewhat historically absurd use of this particular word choice…)

I agree with much of this, because it makes my exact case. In an ideal world, it would be up to those who live there. But that is the problem with confronting an apartheid state, which most scholars of apartheid agree is the correct term here. Those on the subjugated side get no say in how their state is run. They cannot decide anything until the structure oppressing them is dismantled.

The historic anti-apartheid campaign aimed to dismantle the racist, colonial state project that sustained the South African regime. Supporters of this motion propose doing exactly that. Yet now, for some reason, critics treat this version of opposition differently. Apartheid did not crumble without a mass campaign establishing it as a vile racist project. Why not do the same now?

We should help from afar, in any way we can. Our imperial Britain created this prolonged, murderous mess. We can now do our bit, however large or small, to end it.

Gaza holocaust continues during another weekend of Zionist atrocities

Is this 'just semantics'?

An exasperated objection says anyone in the Green Party obviously opposes the genocide. But arguing over words does nothing for the victims, critics say. We should help Palestinians or fight racism directly. Some call this armchair activism, or "over-intellectualising". Novara Media framed the motion more or less this way: a non-materialist venture into a murky culture war.

First, the motion is not only about words. The Party already rightly describes Israeli conduct as apartheid and genocide. It backs a full arms embargo, sanctions, and an end to occupation and illegal settlements. Most radically, it has even voted to recognise the IDF as a terrorist organisation. This motion goes further. Novara's own analysis says it commits the party to declaring itself anti-Zionist and supporting a single democratic Palestinian state. It demands freedom for Palestinian political prisoners, opposes the Palestine Action ban, affirms Palestinians' right to resistance and equates Zionism with racism.

All this is true, and right. Most importantly, the closer such positions get to UK-wide policy, these can have material consequences for those on the ground. Resistance is not a war of words alone.

Furthermore, in a committed anti-racist party, being found racist carries serious consequences for members. Defining an ideology as racist therefore has real ramifications. It is not just "for show". If passed, Zionists will hopefully not get a say in how future party debates are run — or indeed, not run.

Yet even if it were only semantics, semantics do matter.

Much of the British media and many politicians misrepresent Zionism, and so anti-Zionism. They justify genocide and normalise anti-Muslim racism. Refusing their framing is essential to ending the genocide, securing Palestinian self-determination and fighting true racism.

Any disciplined party line on why a project is racist strengthens us everywhere. Whether the target is Restore Britain's fascists, Mahmood's hostile immigration policies or Zionism, it equips us to counter bad-faith opponents. It also helps us talk honestly with the public and, with perseverance, raise consciousness.

Revealed: the insiders who filibustered the 'Zionism is Racism' motion at the Green Party conference

Is 'Zionism is Racism' rushed, 'rigged', or divisive?

Finally come the procedural complaints against Zionism is Racism. I have heard it said that this motion is "rushed." However, after well over a year of debate, including stalling and filibustering, that's clearly untrue. It also echoes the historic UN assembly vote in 1975 to equate Zionism with racism, so it's hardly brand new.

Other people have told me the motion is "divisive," "problematic" and "toxic." Some feel an E-motion with so many items should have been split into several. (It is an A-motion, however, now voted top of conference prioritisation.) Others dislike that Greens4Palestine encouraged people to join and vote on it — Guardian reporters included. That "feels rigged," they say, since single-motion members rarely stay or engage in internal democracy. (I'd note such objections were made in the Corbyn-Momentum member surge too.)

Sure, joining a party for one issue is probably unwise. (Green officials also deny it's happening.) But most joiners undoubtedly come for a constellation of reasons: the climate emergency, wider anti-war sympathies, affordability. Even if some join for this motion, it shows how deeply people feel Palestinians' suffering. Few issues have sustained a comparable mass movement this century. Any newcomers who then see this motion pass, with an openly ex-Zionist Jewish leader (more or less) on board, may regain faith in party politics.

I concede both supporters and opponents can behave badly, from unfair accusations of antisemitism to accusations of backing genocide. I won't accuse just anyone who disagrees with me of backing genocide, certainly not within the Green Party. That is far-fetched. But hand-wringing, moral panic and leaks to right-wing press hacks about supposedly "problematic" policy are deeply misguided. That energy is much better spent on a united front against the racist ideology underpinning genocide.

Some people won't state their positions on the Zionism is Racism motion, or opt out because the debate "gets heated." But the heat is on — nowhere more than on Palestinian's lives — and voting is here. I will happily defend a policy that detractors call divisive, problematic or toxic. I would apply those adjectives a thousand times over to Zionism itself.

Featured image via the Canary

By Cameron Baillie

Wanted Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu has linked Israel to the Fairford air base farce. The evident false-flag attempt rapidly collapsed in farce after police released the supposed 'terror suspects' on bail and admitted their vans had contained no explosives. But Netanyahu is clearly still hoping to turn it into an excuse to escalate his and Trump's war of aggression on Iran.

The farce grew yesterday, when police revealed that the first '999' call about the men came from one of the men themselves. Police then took around an hour to respond. But Netanyahu is still happy to boast that Israel was behind the initial 'intelligence'.

Netanyahu — 'Wild'

In an interview with Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, Netanyahu crowed that Israel told the UK about the (non-) 'attack' and insisted Iran was behind it — then tried to leverage it further to claim the UK was being antisemitic in its dishwater-weak sanctions on illegal, land-theft 'settlements'.

You talked about the thing in Britain. Do you want to hear how absurd things are there? And how far the anti-Israeli propaganda has gone?

We gave the Brits the intel, that there was going to be an attack, and it's an Iranian-sponsored attack, and pretty much the next day they slap sanctions on us.

It's wild, the caving in, the collapse before the Islamist-Marxist alliance is very dangerous for the future of the West.

Israel's involvement in a false-flag incident is entirely unsurprising, given its long history of them — and its apparent new 'FlyDubai' attempt. What is 'wild', of course, is that Netanyahu and many western media outlets continue to try to use the Fairford farce as a false-flag to drag the UK into even more war and war crimes.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

The genocidal US-Israeli rampage in the Middle East since 2023 has shown the world how billionaire power, colonialism and the far right work together. The pro-Western dictatorships in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also fit into this dystopian patchwork. Both Gulf regimes have long fuelled devastating conflicts of their own. But increasing tensions between the two have threatened to make matters even more complex, so we absolutely need to pay close attention. Love affair with Israel and Western far right

The UAE is a repressive dictatorship with a love for extreme capitalism.

It's a major global player in the gold trade, alongside Switzerland and the UK. And a lot of that gold has reportedly come from conflict zones in Africa. One such place is Sudan, where the UAE has been turbocharging a catastrophic and genocidal civil war.

Although the UAE is religious, it is mostly pragmatic and has focused primarily on expanding its economic and political power in recent years. To that end, it normalised relations with Israel in 2020, massively boosting bilateral trade and setting the two up as key regional partners.

In the US, the dictatorship cultivated close links with far-right lobbyists and fundraisers. And it courted elitist Tom Barrack, a longtime billionaire friend of Donald Trump who has secured important diplomatic roles in the Middle East under Trump's second presidency. The UAE has also invested heavily in the Trump family crypto brand.

The UAE has been cosying up to the European far right too. And extreme capitalists like Reform UK (which is also very close to Israel) have been more than happy to sing the regime's praises.

A September report from research group FairSquare, for example, explained how senior Reform figures:

have strong and increasing ties to the UAE, [and] have enthusiastically advanced the Gulf state's interests in the UK.

Noting UAE "torture of UK nationals" and "violations of UK sovereignty", it highlighted:

…multiple instances where the UAE has behaved more like an adversary than an ally of the UK.

Evidence of "meddling" by this "deeply authoritarian actor", FairSquare's Alex Carlen argued, is "overwhelming".

The group urged the British government to "counter the risk that the UAE poses to democracy in the UK".

The UAE has historically reacted badly to Western scrutiny about its brutally repressive regime, seeking to smear or silence its opponents.

UAE falling out with fellow dictatorship Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia got UAE support for its decimation of Yemen (2015-2022). When Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi leader in 2017, he emulated the UAE in many ways — reducing religious power and increasing corporate power. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia remains much more theocratic than the UAE.

The UAE can possibly be a bit quicker to change because only around 1.3 million of its more than 11 million inhabitants are actually Emiratis. In Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, the nation of 37 million people consists of about 21 million Saudis. And this population difference also makes it harder for the Saudi regime to ally fully with Israel.

Ordinary Saudis, for example, strongly oppose Israel's crimes in Palestine, so any official move to normalise relations with Israel could potentially create serious problems for the Saudi regime.

Despite (and perhaps because of) its smaller size, the UAE has rapidly become a major regional challenger to Saudi Arabia's power. This has seen the two regimes battling for influence in the Middle East and eastern Africa. But it's their ongoing struggle in Yemen that has noticeably pushed them apart since 2025.

While Saudi Arabia backed the official Yemeni regime, the UAE opted to support the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which made big (but temporary) gains in late 2025 and early 2026. The Saudis responded by attacking and seriously weakening the STC. The UAE then announced it was stepping back.

The UAE soon challenged Saudi power openly, though, by leaving oil group OPEC. As one of the world's largest oil exporters, Saudi Arabia essentially leads OPEC and exercises power over oil prices. Amid the oil squeeze during the US-Israeli war on Iran, the UAE's willingness to offer oil at lower prices looked very much like a gift for the US.

The Saudi-UAE competition for US favour

Saudi Arabia has had military and intelligence ties with the US since around the 1940s, and has regularly funnelled its petrodollars into wars against allies of both Iran and the USSR. A major buyer of US weapons, it has continued to invest heavily in the US whilst also forging alliances with likeminded conservative capitalist states.

Because Israel is a key junior partner of US imperialism, however, the ongoing Saudi refusal to normalise relations with the apartheid state remains a sore point for Washington. Some analysts suspect that the US' recent refusal to give direct support to Saudi Arabia's efforts to defeat the Houthis in Yemen was part of Washington's efforts to push the Saudis into recognising Israel.

The UAE, on the other hand, isn't just investing (potentially more than the Saudis) in the US. It has also previously collaborated with Israel in Yemen. The UAE has also associated more strongly with the US and Israel during their war on Iran than any other regional power.

Traditionally, the UAE has hedged its bets by cannily dealing with everyone and anyone (including China and Russia). But with its own strikes on Iran, it has made its allegiance to US-Israeli interests clearer than ever.

The UAE has also fully embraced US artificial intelligence corporations, aiming to be a regional leader in the area. The Emirati embassy in the US has boasted about the dictatorship's "role as the US's largest trading partner in the Middle East".

It also insisted it is "on track to becoming the leading source of foreign direct investment into the US".

UAE taking over from Saudi as key driver of conflict?

For decades, it was Saudi Arabia fuelling regional conflicts, but it seems the UAE has increasingly taken on that task for itself in recent years.

The Horn of Africa — home to conflict and refugee crises that few regions in the world can match — has been a particular target for the UAE dictatorship.

Having fought to get its way in both Egypt and Libya after the Arab Spring (while repressing dissent to avoid unrest at home), it soon helped to undermine the possibility of a civilian revolution in Sudan too.

Sudanese activist Husam Mahjoub wrote that:

Sudan's gold, its fertile agricultural land, its Red Sea coastline, and its sheer size make it a central testing ground [for the UAE's regional sub-imperial project].

These are also reasons for Saudi Arabia's development of close ties with Sudan's military regime in recent years.

As Mahjoub added:

Sudan is also a critical node in the UAE's continent-wide strategy of port and logistics dominance, part of an investment program now worth more than $110 billion across the continent, with dozens of port concessions, dry ports, and logistics hubs.

With this in mind, the UAE has cultivated close ties with the genocidal regime of Ethiopia (another friend of Israel) to help funnel resources to Sudan's RSF paramilitaries in their fight against the Saudi-backed government.

As an apparent thank you for Ethiopia's support, both the UAE and Israel have backed the African state's controversial efforts to ensure access to the Red Sea via Eritrea (risking regional conflict in the process).

In Somalia, meanwhile, a UAE firm has invested around $450 million to develop an economically crucial port in the breakaway province of Somaliland. It has also helped to build up an airport (since late 2025) and a military base there. This base reportedly hosts not just UAE forces, but also Israeli and US forces.

Competing dictatorships but Western allies in the end

The US empire clearly values both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whether that's for their resources and money, their willingness to keep business running smoothly for the rich and powerful, or their opposition to Iran. This is perhaps why it has been careful not to take sides in the Saudi-UAE spat, preferring reconciliation.

The two regimes definitely care mostly about their own interests. Ultimately, their interests align with the interests of both the US and Israel, so they seem to be trying to de-escalate tensions. For example, 29 September saw the first official visit of a senior UAE figure to Saudi Arabia since 2025.

Whether reconciliation comes or not, the dictatorships' economic competition and fuelling of conflict in the region is unlikely to end any time soon. The same goes for their role in supporting the international growth of a dystopian billionaire-colonial-fascist alliance. Therefore, the actions of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE must remain firmly on our radar.

Featured image via Reuters

By Ed Sykes

The massive holes and comedy in Israel's narrative of the supposed 'Fly Dubai' 'drama' (as in fiction) are already being exposed and mocked.

The 'drama'

Supposedly, the co-pilot on the flight stabbed the captain. Initially, Israeli narrators claimed that the plane plummeted thousands of feet and then the stabbing took place. Then the passengers stormed the cockpit and overpowered the attacker, except airliner cockpit doors are secure, so the story changed to the badly wounded captain managing to open the secure door from inside, with his foot. Then there just happened to be two spare Israeli pilots who were able to land the flight safely.

This carefully-planned terrorist attack, we're asked to believe, didn't involve the co-pilot quietly killing the captain first and taking control of the flight while the passengers remained blissfully ignorant until too late.

This — excuse the pun — obviously won't fly. Unsurprisingly, it hasn't taken long for people to point out the gaping flaws and plot holes. That it happened as Netanyahu's election D-day approaches. Or to point out that Israel is desperate to be seen as the plucky victim again instead of the genocidal, warmongering, racist land-theft project:

 

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Israel — a history of false flags

Israel has a long, long history 'false flag' attacks designed to put blame on an uninvolved group or nation (like Hamas). In June 2025, former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levi warned that a false-flag attack was likely as Israel sought to increase US engagement in a direct war on Iran. His warning was inadvertently reinforced by the actions of pro-Israel mouthpieces in the US, who at the same time began setting the scene by predicting an Iranian attack on US soil or against a US vessel.

Israel has shown itself perfectly willing to endanger its own people in these false flags, including planting bombs and attacking Jewish businesses in Egypt to drive Jewish people to flee to the colony. It has shown itself perfectly willing to murder even Israeli citizens outright, slaughtering hundreds in a long day of 'Hannibal' attacks on 7 October 2023.

And it is even more willing to kill citizens of other nations, like its air attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 to try to provoke the US into attacking Egypt. In 1994 it bombed Jewish targets in London and blamed the attacks on Palestinian activists.

The false-flag 'attack' on a US air base last week, meant to justify full UK entry into the war on Iran, fell apart in farce in barely a day. Israel's 'FlyDubai incident' is so far-fetched it has taken only hours, despite the efforts of UK media and politicians to shore it up.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

In July, Israeli settlers, supported and protected by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) succeeded in forcibly displacing the Tubasi family from their two homes. These illegal colonists had laid siege to their houses in the West Bank village of Jalud, near Nablus.

Not only did they withhold food and water, but they also assaulted the family every day. These actions were intended to expel the Tubasis from their properties, so settlers could take them over. Once the family was displaced, the settlers and soldiers took over their homes and caused extensive damage.

For two weeks, Israeli settlers besieged the Palestinian Tubasi family's home in Jalud Village West Bank, attacking them repeatedly until they were forced out today. Hours later, settlers were filmed inside the house. Israeli soldiers were on scene They didn't stop the takeover pic.twitter.com/rU5Ulg0ClH

— Government Communication Center (@pal_gcc_en) July 23, 2026

Staged compliance with court order from the occupation's military and police

But a court order ruled that the family of Mahmoud Tubasi, 60, must be allowed to safely return to their homes by 22 September at the latest. So, a week later than was demanded of them, the occupation's military and border police coordinated and escorted the family back to their homes on the night of 28 September.

According to Mahmoud Tubasi, as the family returned, settlers started throwing stones at the occupation's armed police and military. Instead of taking any action against them, Tubasi says the 'Israeli' authorities "didn't do anything, unfortunately."

Then, soon after their return, more than 100 Israeli settlers arrived and broke into the house. The IOF then forced the family to evacuate their home yet again. Their car and also two homes were then set alight, ensuring the Tubasi family could no longer live in them.

More than 100 Israeli settlers attacked a village in the occupied West Bank, preventing a Palestinian family from returning home and clashing with troops, witnesses said. The Tubasi family's houses in Jalud village were seized by settlers weeks ago https://t.co/VhYF5Ph2lo pic.twitter.com/GEezy3Ua0i

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 29, 2026

"They left nothing, everything was broken"

Wael Tubasi owns one of the two homes. He told Reuters:

They damaged everything — the doors, the tiles were removed, the stairs were removed. They smashed the bathrooms, doors and windows. They left nothing, everything was broken.

A video of the Tubasi family's homes ablaze after Israeli settler terrorists set them on fire last night in the village of Jalud in the West Bank. pic.twitter.com/X7BWRAkfWr

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) September 29, 2026

Israeli occupation soldiers and border police remained present during the attack, and knew what was happening. But they did not stop the settlers from destroying the homes of the Tubasi family, to stop them from returning again.

It's not just settler terror: over a hundred settlers broke into several Palestinian villages in the West Bank, setting homes and cars on fire. They even wounded several soldiers who were escorting the Tubasi family as they tried to return to their home in Jalud, from which they… pic.twitter.com/0nNix0FTxt

— Breaking the Silence (@BtSIsrael) September 29, 2026

 

The settlers then rampaged through the village — blocking roads and setting tyres alight. Several other properties in the village were then targeted, including residents' homes and agricultural or utility sheds, where windows were smashed. A school was also targeted in an attempt to set it on fire, although residents managed to prevent a fire taking hold. They confronted the attackers, then clashes broke out between them.

Zionists dismiss the Israeli settlers violence towards Palestinians

Netanyahu, unsurprisingly, has attempted to dismiss the uncontrollable violence in Jalud as the work of just a "handful of rioters." He mentioned nothing about the attacks on Palestinians when he said:

I strongly condemn the violent riots last night in the Samaria region and the harm inflicted on the security forces who arrived at the scene to maintain law and order…The handful of rioters does not represent the law-abiding settler community in Judea and Samaria, does them a grave injustice, and hinders our forces in fulfilling their mission.

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to 'Israel,' did exactly the same recently, when he talked about the settler siege on Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra:

Settlers are not the problem in Judea and Samaria. 'Unsettlers' are, …Very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel.

For almost two months, Palestinian residents continued to be trapped, as settlers attempt to forcibly displace them from their homes and land by cutting off their water and electricity supply.

It is clear to see that settler violence does not only involve a few individuals acting in isolation. UN reporting has documented thousands of settler attacks against Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank. These include killings, injuries, arson, vandalism and the destruction of homes and livelihoods.

Early morning on 29 September, around 150 settlers also carried out arson attacks on homes and vehicles in the village of al Mughayyir, east of Ramallah. These occurred while the occupation's military were carrying out one of their almost daily raids there. The settlers set fire to cars and various other structures.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2-1.mp4

The home of the late Hamdan Abu Alia — an 18-year-old who was killed by the IOF in August 2025 — was also attacked. Settlers then tried to set a house alight which had 20 children trapped inside it.

https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1.mp4

Before leaving, they left graffiti on the walls, which read: "we want revenge" and "death to Arabs." Although present during the arson attacks, the IOF again did not intervene to stop the crimes taking place. Instead, they prevented residents from confronting the settlers when homes were being targeted, by firing tear gas. As usual, no arrests of settlers were carried out.

Israeli settlers carry out these attacks on Palestinians with no accountability, every day

These attacks take place within a broader system in which settlers — all of them illegal under international law — are armed and funded by 'Israel's' genocidal government. These settlers are also repeatedly accompanied and protected by Israeli occupation soldiers and police. They all work together to carry out 'Israel's' colonial project of ethnically cleansing the Palestinian territory.

The scale, frequency and geographic spread of the violence make Netanyahu's portrayal of it as the work of a "handful" of troublemakers impossible to take seriously. This is not just a few people causing trouble. It is a pattern of violence, intimidation and dispossession that Palestinians have been forced to endure for decades, again and again.

Featured image via Instagram

 

By Charlie Jaay

The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network UK has condemned the hypocrisy of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BOD) in seeking to lay claim to the radical history of Cable Street. This comes ahead of the 90th anniversary of the historic battle in London's East End when the local community drove out Oswald Mosley and his fascists.

The BOD has organised a "festival of Jewish culture, history and solidarity" to mark the anniversary. In reality, in 1936, the BOD actively opposed Jews taking any part in the defence of Cable Street and its local communities. The Jewish Chronicle, the ever-reliable mouthpiece of the BOD warned:

Jews are urgently warned to keep away from the route of the Blackshirt march and from their meetings. Jews who, however innocently, become involved in any possible disorders will be actively helping anti-Semitism and Jew-baiting. Unless you want to help the Jew baiters, keep away.

Working-class Jews ignored the BOD, and formed part of more than a hundred thousand anti-fascists. This included local Jews, socialists, communists, anarchists, Somali sailors and Irish dockers. And miners came from as far away as Wales and the North of England.

Together they routed Mosley his thugs and the charging police. It was a hugely significant victory at a time of rising fascism across Europe. Mosley's British Union of Fascists never recovered.

Not just Cable Street

The BOD is also claiming the radical history of Jews who volunteered to fight in the International Brigades against Franco's fascists in Spain.

But again, deeply reactionary then as now, the BOD remained silent about the Spanish Civil War. It gave no help to the hundreds of working-class Jews from across the UK and the world, who went to Spain. Many of them gave their lives confronting fascism and in support of a truly socialist government.

It is a rarely mentioned fact that a number of Palestinians also volunteered and went to fight for the Republicans, including Muhammad Najati Sidqi, and other members of the Palestinian Communist Party.

Zionism is fascism today. The BOD and other Zionist groups have no place at Cable Street 90.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

A £500m surplus in the school support staff pension pot, used to raise teachers' salaries, could have been used to hand every teaching assistant in the country more than £1,000 each, Labour Conference heard on 30 September.

If the share-out included all 800,000 non-teaching school staff in the country, it would work out at £600 each. That's almost a 3.3% pay rise for the school staff on the lowest pay. This would include catering staff, caretakers and admin workers.

The Department for Education announced last week that the £500m surplus in the pension fund teaching assistants, catering staff, school caretakers and other workers pay into would go to fund a pay rise for teachers.

School support staff have the lowest pay among workers in education. Many have term-time-only contracts, leaving their annual salary as low as £12,000 per year.

GMB Union has a motion opposing the move at Labour's Annual Conference in Liverpool.

GMB president Barbara Plant will tell Labour Conference:

This Labour government has made a shameful choice.

It was decided that the surplus in our pension pot would help the government fend off strike action by teachers over their pay.

Let me be clear, all workers in schools deserve properly funded pay and pensions. But instead of increasing central funding to do it, Labour used disgraceful divide-and-rule tactics.

£500m savings from support staff pension contributions could fully fund a 3.3% pay rise for the lowest paid school staff.

It is unfair, unjust, and our members are rightly furious.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary