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Long Covid Awareness Day On March 15

March 14, 2025 The Canary. , , ,
Saturday 15 March marks Long Covid Awareness Day, a critical opportunity to raise awareness of the ongoing and often debilitating effects of Long Covid, which continues to impact millions of individuals across the UK. As the pandemic’s long-term consequences remain stark, communities and advocacy groups across the country are coming together to raise their voices in solidarity and demand urgent action from the government. This year’s awareness day is marked by a series of coordinated campaigns, focusing on increasing government commitment to funding crucial research and support services.

Britain Wants Ukraine’s Minerals Too

March 13, 2025 Mark Curtis, Consortium News. , , ,
When U.K. officials signed a 100-year partnership with Ukraine in mid-January, they claimed to be Ukraine’s “preferred partner” in developing the country’s “critical minerals strategy.” Yet within a month, U.S. President Donald Trump had presented a proposal to Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky to access the country’s vast mineral resources as “compensation” for U.S. support to Ukraine in the war against Russia. Whitehall was none too pleased about Washington muscling in.  When Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Zelensky in Kyiv last month he reportedly raised the issue of minerals, “a sign that [Keir] Starmer’s government is still keen to get access to Ukraine’s riches”, the iPaper reported. 

UK Lifts Sanctions On Syria’s De Facto Government; Massacres Continue

March 7, 2025 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
The British government has lifted sanctions on 24 entities in Syria, including the country’s central bank, coming during a severe economic crisis and an indiscriminate government crackdown on the uprising launched this week by elements of the former Syrian military. The UK is the first country to unfreeze all Syrian central bank assets. Sanctions on the state airliner and state-owned oil firms were also removed on 6 March. “This approach underscores our commitment to help the people of Syria rebuild their country and economy, including through support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process,” a UK government spokesman said.

Europe’s Face-Saving Theater On Ukraine

March 6, 2025 Joe Lauria, Consortium News. , , , , , ,
Europe stands ready to fight and die as peacekeepers to save Ukraine if necessary, but only with the Americans. So when they refuse to come and the disastrous Project Ukraine at last comes crashing on our heads, don’t blame us, blame the U.S.A. Trump will become even easier to blame now that he has cut off military aid and intelligence to Ukraine. The theater piece directed by Starmer at Lancaster House with an assembly of 15 European heads of government (and Justin Trudeau of Canada) was not really choreographed to try to convince Trump to reverse course, which appears unlikely, but as an elaborate presentation to save the hides of politicians who invested so much of their own political capital and wasted so much of their citizens’ money in the inevitable and humiliating defeat of Ukraine.

Tesla Showroom Occupied By Activists In Clear Message To Elon Musk

March 3, 2025 The Canary. , , , , ,
Far-right miscreant Elon Musk got a taste of the opposition to him in London – as protesters occupied his Tesla showroom over his multiple crimes against people and planet. At midday on Saturday 1 March, the Tesla showroom in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush was disrupted by Climate Resistance protestors. A massive banner with the demand “Abolish billionaires” was dropped over the Tesla logo from a balcony above as a group of 30 staged a sit-in inside the showroom. The disruption took place as part of the new Abolish Billionaires campaign from campaign group Climate Resistance.

A UBI Pilot Could Be About To Help Hundreds Of Homeless People

February 23, 2025 Hannah Sharland, The Canary. , , ,
Academics at Northumbria University and campaigners from the UBI Lab Network have launched a groundbreaking proposal for a UK first-of-its-kind Universal Basic Income pilot. Crucially, it’s one that could start the ball rolling towards ending absolute poverty in Greater Manchester for good. The pilot would help to build the case for the eventual roll-out of a country-wide Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme. However, its potential seismic impacts aren’t only limited to these longer-term goals. This is because the Basic Income scheme itself could be about to make a difference for young homeless people across Greater Manchester – and it could do so right away.

Over 230 Groups Call On The UK, Others To Stop Supplying F-35 Jets To Israel

February 19, 2025 The Canary. , , , ,
Over 230 global civil society organisations have called on governments producing F-35 fighter jets to immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel, including the these jets. The F-35 jet programme partners include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the US. On top of the letter, civil society organisations around the world have taken legal action to hold their governments accountable for the F-35 programme, and complicity in Israel’s crimes in Gaza. And in the UK, groups are calling on the Labour Party government to end its complicity now.

Chaos In London As McKinsey & Co Targeted By Extinction Rebellion

February 18, 2025 The Canary. , , , ,
On Monday 17 February, Extinction Rebellion climate activists occupied McKinsey & Co and its London headquarters to demand it cuts all ties to its fossil fuel industry clients and starts putting planet before profit. Dozens of police arrived on the scene and arrested four campaigners, including two who were stood outside the building holding a banner. The protest began at midday when activists sprayed fake crude oil over the building’s glass and steel exterior. A group of climbers scaled the entrance portico, lighting up smoke flares and unfurling a massive banner reading, “McKinsey & Company: Cut the Ties to Fossil Fuels”.

Elbit Drone Factory Landlords Cut Ties

February 14, 2025 Palestine Action. , , , , , ,
LondonMetric, the landlords of Elbit’s ‘UAV Tactical Systems’ drone factory, has sold the site on after a targeted direct action campaign calling on them to cut ties with Israel’s largest weapons company. After struggling to find a buyer, LondonMetric have now relinquished their interest in Elbit Systems, despite what it claims is a strong commercial potential of the site. Business at ‘UAV Tactical Systems’ has been regularly disrupted and prevented due to its production of Israeli military drones [1]. The result comes after concerted efforts by Palestine Action, joined by the Youth Front for Palestine (YFFP), against the offices and premises of LondonMetrics.

Palestine Action Hits Eagle Strategic Consulting A Third Time

February 12, 2025 The Canary. , , , , , ,
In the early hours of 10 February 2025, Palestine Action struck again at ‘Eagle Strategic Consulting Ltd.’, the weapons consultancy firm owned by Richard Applegate. Activists from Palestine Action smashed the door of Eagle Strategic Consulting’s London registered office and sprayed red paint into the building: Applegate, Elbit’s former Chairman, is the current Head of Strategy and New Business for Elbit Systems UK and serves as Director for Elbit’s drone-producing subsidiaries in Britain. This is the third direct action taken against this company, and Palestine Action will continue to escalate its campaign until the arms dealers behind the Israeli occupation are held to account.

The United Kingdom Must Push Back Against Trump’s ICC Plan

February 10, 2025 The Canary. , , , , ,
Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), placing financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their immediate family who assist ICC investigations against Israelis and Americans. The Executive Order comes after last week’s efforts to pass a bill entitled the ‘Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act’ in Congress. The bill hit a stumbling block when it received 54 votes in favour and 45 against, falling short of the 60 votes required for it to go ahead to a final vote. Instead, Trump has issued an Executive Order to implement the sanctions.

Austrian Police Detain Richard Medhurst; Accuse Him Of Being Hamas

February 8, 2025 Joe Lauria, Consortium News. , , , , ,
British independent journalist Richard Medhurst said Thursday he was detained this week by Austrian police and intelligence agents and accused of being a member of Hamas. Medhurst, who lives in Austria and is a fierce critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, said police raided his home on Monday, took his devices and interrogated him. “They essentially lured me into a trap,” he said on a video posted on X. The journalist said immigration authorities called him to a meeting where they threatened to revoke his residency because of his reporting on Palestine and Lebanon.

United Nations Censures United Kingdom’s Abuse Of Terrorism Act

February 7, 2025 Craig Murray, Consortium News. , , , , ,
Four U.N. special rapporteurs have written jointly to the U.K. government demanding explanation of its inappropriate persecution of journalists and political activists under the Terrorism Act. They state that those persecuted: appear to have no credible connection to ‘terrorist’ or ‘hostile’ activity. The cases taken up by the United Nations are those of Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray (yes, me), Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst. Under this U.N. special procedure, the letter is sent to the government in question which has 60 days to respond. This letter was sent by the U.N. to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government on Dec. 4. No reply having been received, it has now been published.

Palestine Action Applying Heat To Another Genocide-Complicit Company

February 3, 2025 The Canary. , , , , , , ,
On Monday 3 February, Palestine Action targeted yet another new firm complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza – this time, a well-known household name. Biffa Limited. Overnight, activists from Palestine Action Scotland targeted the Glasgow and Edinburgh premises of Biffa Limited. They smashed windows, spray-painted ‘Drop Leonardo’, and covered the sites in red paint to symbolise the company’s complicity with spilling Palestinian blood. Biffa Limited dispose of hazardous waste for Leonardo and Thales, two weapons companies based in Scotland which arm Israel.

In ‘Historic Win,’ Court Rules Against UK’s Rosebank Oilfield

February 1, 2025 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. , , , ,
The decision by the previous Conservative government in the United Kingdom to approve the giant Rosebank oilfield off Shetland was ruled unlawful by an Edinburgh court on Thursday. The judgment by Lord Ericht at the Court of Session said the carbon emissions that would be created by the burning of oil and gas at the largest untapped oilfield in the UK had not been taken into consideration. “Today’s ruling is part of a clear trend we’re seeing from courts in the UK – marking the third time in the last year that judges have found that ‘downstream’ emissions must be considered in planning decisions,” said ClientEarth lawyer Robert Clarke, in a press release from ClientEarth.
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