Politics
BBC lead the charge on pile-on against disabled woman
The mainstream media – led by the ever-toxic BBC – are frothing at the mouth over a disabled woman who ‘stole’ £23,000 in benefits, then was ‘caught’ zip-lining on holiday.
You can barely move for news stories about benefits. And no, I’m not talking about the news that Motability plan to restrict how far disabled people travel. Or that the DWP will be using AI to read responses to the PIP review. Or even that MPs are calling for another carers allowance inquiry
No, the story taking up so many column inches is that of a ‘benefit cheat’. or more accurately, a disabled woman who dared to live her life and go on holiday.
BBC rabid for ‘benefit cheat’
The BBC ‘reported’:
A woman who claimed more than £23,000 in benefits, saying she was too ill to go outside, was caught surfing and ziplining in Mexico.
Catherine Wieland, 33, claimed she suffered anxiety so crippling she was housebound but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found evidence of her surfing in Cancun and visiting Thorpe Park three times.
Wieland, from Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, claimed tens of thousands of pounds in Personal Independence Payments (Pip) over more than two years, spending the money on manicures, tanning sessions and trips to a private Harley Street dentist.
Obviously, the BBC is a bin fire, but fuck me, they could at least pretend to be unbiased. This reads as if it came straight from The Sun, not the BBC.
And while the BBC article was disgusting, it set the tone for the rest of the media to be just as disgusting. There are so many stories spewing the same hatred that when you Google DWP and click the news tab, there’s a whole section dedicated to just this story.
At one point the BBC ‘news’ article even details exactly how many times Wieland treated herself:
While claiming her health was so poor she could not cook or wash herself, Wieland made 76 beauty appointments, visited 60 pubs, clubs and restaurants and spent money in foreign currencies.
Media turning public against benefit claimants
Unfortunately, this all makes sense when you consider that a YouGov survey found that just 11% of people think those on benefits should be able to afford beauty treatments. 27% said you should be able to afford to go out if you’re on benefits. In the same survey, 26% said people on benefits shouldn’t be able to afford to eat a balanced diet.
Most people on benefits have experienced being asked, ‘how can you afford that?’ when they buy themselves a treat. The implication is always ‘you shouldn’t be able to afford that’. And that’s a direct effect of stories like this, where the media are screaming about how benefit cheats are ‘stealing’ taxpayers hard earned cash.
It’s also not just the media finding these stories coincidentally. As the Canary’s Hannah Sharland reported, the DWP plants benefit fraud propaganda when they need to turn the public against disabled people
It’s absolutely no coincidence that this is happening whilst the government is trying their hardest to cut disability benefits. The fact that Wieland’s anxiety was highlighted plays nicely into the DWP trying to tighten the criteria for PIP and exclude mental health conditions.
It’s also coincidentally at the same time that they’re still trying to find a way to cut the LCWRA element of Universal Credit and move it to PIP. Meaning many will be forced to work despite being too unwell to.
Disabled people should be allowed to live
This absolutely rabid coverage from the media shows just how willingly our papers are prepared to throw disabled people under the bus if it means they’ll make more money. But more than anything, it shows that society has been so turned against disabled people that it’ll only be happy if we’re all miserable and destitute.
Disabled people deserve to live full lives, without fear that our benefits will be cut for daring to enjoy ourselves. But until the media stops working for the DWP and turning the public against us, they’ll keep us afraid. And that’s exactly where the DWP wants us so we don’t attempt to fight their cruel cuts.
Featured image via the Canary
I struggle with sleep maintenance insomnia, which means that I have no problem falling asleep: it’s staying asleep that I struggle with.
But roughly 15% of adults find it hard to nod off to begin with. That can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which is linked to worse blood pressure, an increased risk of heart attack, and even a higher chance of getting into a car crash.
Here, we’ve listed some science-backed ways to speed up your journey to the land of nod:
1) Put your phone away at least half an hour before bed
I love a late-night scroll as much as any of us, but there’s a reason the NHS says we could consider putting our screens away before bed.
Even having an unused phone near participants’ pillow seemed to increase their sleep latency, or how long it took them to doze off, in one study, while those who looked at their phone 30 minutes or less before hitting the hay also had a tougher time sleeping.
2) Will yourself awake
It sounds paradoxical, and that’s because, well, it is. A phenomenon called “paradoxical intention,” which involves willing yourself awake at night, can actually help you to fall asleep because it removes some of the pressure that can keep your mind busy.
A meta-analysis found this approach led to “great reductions in sleep-related performance anxiety”.
3) Give the “military method” a go
Designed to help soldiers fall asleep in minutes, the approach involves lying still on your back and slowly relaxing each muscle, breathing deeply as you do so.
“Move from the top of your body to the bottom when relaxing your muscles, picturing yourself sinking into your bed,” the University of Minnesota Medical School shared. Visualise something calming, if you can.
Progressive muscle relaxation was found to lead to faster sleep onset, while slow, deep breathing and “imagery distraction” (picturing nice thoughts) can also help you fall asleep sooner.
4) Check your thermostat
There is a “best temperature” for sleep; around 18-20°C will do it for most of us.
Much hotter than that, and our sleep latency, sleep satisfaction, and hours slept all shrink.
And if you feel really cold before you fall asleep, you might be more likely to get up in the night.
5) Exercise four to eight hours before bed
Exercising four to eight hours before bed can improve the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and lower our odds of waking back up in the middle of the night, too.
But, a narrative review published in Nature cautioned, that timeframe matters: “Exercising more than 8 hours before or less than 4 hours before bedtime, however, may have negative effects”.
6) Stick to a regular sleep routine
The NHS stressed the importance of sticking to a regular sleep routine if you wanted to fall asleep faster.
Some research has found that sleep consistency is a better indicator of mortality risk than sleep duration; a wind-down routine, like reading before bed, can help to improve your sleep quality.
“We have a terrible habit of wanting to go-go-go all day long then expect to fall asleep immediately when it is convenient for us – it simply doesn’t work that way,” psychologist Dr Leah Kaylor previously told HuffPost UK.
But an hour-long “wind-down” period might help.
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The Associated Press (AP) has finally used the word invasion to describe Israel’s illegal actions in Lebanon.
Of course, it could have used something far more accurate – like an “illegal invasion by a supremacist ethnostate” – but that’s probably pushing the boat out a bit too far.
Israel reported on with a crumb of accuracy
In true Western media fashion, it felt the need to publish a whole think piece on why it finally decided to tell the truth.
Such brave journalists, finally opening a dictionary.
Why are you so terrified of reporting basic facts?
— AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) March 26, 2026
It only took two and a half years for the journalists at AP to actually do their jobs.
BREAKING: AP uses word to mean what word means https://t.co/d3rsQAS5pU
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) March 27, 2026
And, the article should indeed have been just one sentence.
This article coulda been one sentence: “We are calling Israel’s invasion of Lebanon an invasion because that is what you call it when a country invades another country”. https://t.co/0eoZFNVNGp
— Colter Louwerse (@ColterL) March 27, 2026
But instead, AP decided to quote ‘Israeli officials’, i.e. terrorists, in detail.
AP also decided to state that:
Israel has invaded Lebanon four times in the past 50 years: 1978, 1982, 2006 and 2024.
It did this without offering any context or mentioning that all four invasions were very, very illegal.
There is literally no other circumstance where an international news outlet would feel the need to justify such a basic editorial decision. But because it’s Israel…
Imagine the kind of iron control over the media that requires a full published explanation when a word is used correctly against Israel https://t.co/kIlUzWrtIr
— Sarayu Pani (@sarayupani) March 27, 2026
Jokes aside, this is actually really telling. In no other circumstance would AP feel it has to explain/justify reporting news accurately. They only feel the need to do this because they are constantly being hounded by pro-Israel orgs like CAMERA that demand a pro-Israel bias. https://t.co/ASdwGTKf4U
— Tariq Kenney-Shawa (@tksshawa) March 27, 2026
Israel could tell the right-wing media the sky was green and they would probably publish it, because… ‘antisemitism’.
‘Israel says the sky is green. Others say it’s blue. Here’s why we’re now calling it blue.’ https://t.co/RE80ZqFQyu
— Davide Mastracci (@DavideMastracci) March 26, 2026
Still minimising the truth
Yes, a Western news outlet is finally admitting that it doesn’t usually tell the truth.
“We’ve decided to tell the truth. Here’s why we usually don’t.” https://t.co/v2YK1FuWeV
— Omar Sakr (@omarsakrpoet) March 27, 2026
However, notice how no media outlets describe Russia’s invasion as an invasion of ‘Eastern Ukraine’. It’s simply an invasion of Ukraine – a sovereign nation which has the right to self-defence under international law.
To make matters worse, it took AP only two days to correctly name Russia’s invasion.
It took @AP two days to call Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an invasion. I found the article.
It took four weeks of total destruction for them to call Israel’s actions in Lebanon an invasion, and they even felt the need to explain why.
That comparison is truly remarkable.…
— Abdullah Hassan (@8abdullahhassan) March 26, 2026
AP describing Israel’s actions as an ‘Invasion of Southern Lebanon’ is a precursor to one thing and one thing only. That is Israel annexing the south of Lebanon – and the media whitewashing it.
Only because it’s become untenable to deny manifest reality. Also though note how it’s still “southern” Lebanon and not just Lebanon. Whereas Russia of course is always referred to as invading Ukraine, not eastern Ukraine https://t.co/phkEZHTmcR
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) March 27, 2026
Meanwhile, AP and the majority of other corporate media outlets still refuse to use the words genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and illegal occupation. I know that’s a lot of letters to get in the right order, but come on…
Ethnic cleansing too spicy? Land theft too onerous? Vandalism too old school? https://t.co/QAj1LFFK9v
— Robert Young Pelton (@RYP__) March 26, 2026
Allow me to congratulate myself for reluctantly telling the truth eventually.
We needed to wait until it was a full-blown ethnic cleansing and annexation to use “invasion,” which will now be used to minimize it. https://t.co/sLy9Ca5ee1
— Y Disassembler (@loomdoop) March 27, 2026
Next, they’ll tell us that naming an invasion an invasion requires a meeting at the Avengers compound with Tony Stark.
Since when does calling an invasion an invasion require analysis, deliberation, a newsroom vote, & an announcement?
— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) March 26, 2026
The essay is, no doubt, intended to preemptively address antisemitism claims. Because we all know that only Israel can be invaded by illegal terrorists.
The article is much like Israel’s ‘pre-emptive strikes’ – absolute bullshit.
The Associated Press has to write an essay pre-emptively defending themselves from “antisemitism!” shrieking after reaching the difficult decision to report accurately about even one thing israelis have done.
This agency controls almost half the news Western press contains! https://t.co/irGjKBPrTb
— Crixiv 2 🇵🇸 (@solzhenidiot) March 26, 2026
It’s a ten out of ten to the Associated Press for learning the correct definition of a word. Get them a Pulitzer Prize.
Maybe they’ll try genocide next? Or ethnic cleansing? We’ve linked the definitions, just in case you’re struggling, AP.
Of course, they won’t – because it’s only genocide or a war crime when it’s not Israel committing it.
This whole stunt by AP is nothing but a hilarious attempt to claw back any remaining credibility.
Featured image via Al Jazeera English/ YouTube
About 40% of Brits hadn’t finished a book in the 12 months between 2024-2025, YouGov reported.
Of those who had, 30% listened to an audiobook; 18% had ticked titles off their list through headphones, without ever picking up a physical book.
Some people think that shouldn’t “count,” though. For instance, author Nathan Bransford said in his blog, “Consuming an audiobook is a fundamentally different activity than reading. We already have a word for it: LISTENING”.
He also argued that reading from a page engages the brain differently. But not everyone agrees.
What does science say?
In 2016, Dr Beth Rogowsky, a professor specialising in language learning styles from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, co-authored a study comparing comprehension rates for people listening to audiobooks to those who read from an e-reader page and another group who did both.
It tracked how much they remembered right after taking in the information and two weeks later.
Speaking to NPR, Dr Rogowsky said, “We found that there was no significant difference between reading a book using a Kindle or listening to a book or doing both – listening and reading simultaneously.”
Of course, that was only for adults who already knew how to read; the professor said physical books might be more helpful to children who can’t yet read.
But, to be fair, the “do audiobooks count?” debate does not rage among three-year-olds so much as it does those with Goodreads accounts and access to Reddit.
OK, but what about the word “reading”?
Fine, you might take in information from listening to an audiobook. But that isn’t the definition of the word reading – is it?
Well, major dictionaries don’t seem to agree about that.
Merriam-Webster defines “to read” as “to receive or take in the sense of (letters, symbols, etc.) especially [but not exclusively!] by sight or touch”.
Another definition – “to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printing” – does not technically preclude listening.
Cambridge Dictionary, however, puts the first definition as “to look at words or symbols and understand what they mean,” and Collins Dictionary puts “look” in their main definition too.
TBH – who cares?
A very compelling article, written by visually impaired author James Tate Hill for Literary Hub, reads: “It was hard to say if the words read with my ears reached my brain differently from everything I had read with my eyes”.
For instance, he said, the narration of audiobooks placed a new layer on top of the experience – but it took “minutes” for the author’s words to override the narrator’s voice.
He identified as a “reader” thanks to his love of audiobooks, and added it “didn’t matter if I was reading or listening” to his favourite titles; “the words in my ears were the same words other people saw when they held a book in their hands.”
I have to agree. The strongest argument I can find against calling listening to audiobooks “reading” is a (disputed) semantic nuance, but I don’t find that compelling enough to stop someone calling themselves a reader if they want to (side note: self-identifying as a reader is linked to increased happiness).
It’s true that you can’t fold laundry while you’re rifling through War and Peace, and accents and pace changes are more in your control when you read from a page.
But seeing as two in five people aren’t enjoying books in any form, that information seems to land similarly whether it’s read from a page or some headphones, and that reading is good for us, whether we listen or look, I’m not particularly fussed about how it’s done.
News that Israel have tortured a Palestinian baby have gone largely under-reported by a complicit Western media. It is a horror almost beyond comprehension; recent reports describe how a Palestinian father named Abu Nassar, has a one-year-old child was tortured in front of him during a 10-hour interrogation by the Israeli military. Salma Kaddoumi, a freelance video and photojournalist who interviewed Nasser’s family, later told the Canary that Nasser has not been heard from since.
Despite photographic evidence of the baby’s injuries trending on social media, and alarming claims of forced disappearance raised by Nasser’s family, Western media outlets have broadly failed to report on the incident. Unfortunately, at this point, few would expect them to. Nasser’s story is one more crime ignored amidst the gravest crimes against humanity seen this century.
Israel’s torture of Palestinian baby met with deafening silence
When Nasser’s story first broke on 24 March 2026, it was impossible to ignore the images of his baby on social media. We are all too used to encountering images of injured Gazan children in this way, often bloodied and covered in debris. What is so disturbing about the injuries suffered by Nasser’s child, however – two burns or punctures on each leg, in roughly the same place — is how deliberate they appear to be.
This story is different, making its absence across Western media all the more stark. Bogus claims about children caught up in the ‘realities of war‘ cannot be made here. This is a story about the Israeli state abusing a baby to extract a confession from the child’s father.
Stories about children who suffer abuse at home and abroad usually occupy Western news cycles for days, weeks, even years — so long as the children are white. Almost twenty years later, the BBC continues to report on the harrowing case of ‘Baby P’. Nasser’s baby, to the contrary, is outright ignored. What is the media afraid of? Having an emotional reaction in response to the suffering of the wrong kind of child?
Institutional racism
The reasons why the media is failing to report on this story are, by now, no doubt obvious. Institutional bias in favour of the Zionist regime, if not outright capture by its representatives, has led to a culture of silence where the horrors experienced by Palestinians are persistently absent from the news cycle.
This bias is compounded by racism, which leads to more scrutiny being applied to Palestinian civilian testimony than the claims of the Zionist regime itself. Whereas the media was more than happy to report on unverified claims of ‘40 beheaded babies’ on 7 October 2023, verified reports of beheaded Palestinian children, backed up by video footage, are left to the side.
We can imagine the excuses made by editors. Is the testimony provided by Nasser’s family members deemed untrustworthy? Is it too difficult to verify their accounts to report on them? Are the reports produced by freelance journalists on the ground, who continue to risk their lives to break through Israel’s blockade, not good enough for them?
A manipulated grey area of plausible deniability quickly amounts to a new form of censorship.
Citizen journalism sidelined
What a difference fifteen years makes. In 2011, the Arab Spring heralded a new era of ‘citizen journalism’. Mainstream media outlets were quick to fill their reports with footage captured by everyday people, who uploaded their testimony to the internet via smartphones.
But even at that time, the role of Big Tech companies in manipulating stories was becoming apparent. Haythem Guesmi, writing for Al Jazeera in 2021, showed how social media has since revealed itself to be a double-edged sword:
Big Tech companies have been allowed to be the ultimate arbiters on free speech online and a haven for hate speech and disinformation. They have piggybacked on the idea that they helped trigger the Arab Spring and are therefore a force for freedom and democracy.
Social media is seen as both a threat to and the last bastion of free speech. One side-effect of this contradiction is that citizen journalism is typically now confined to social media platforms, which are deemed lawless zones of misinformation. The disinformation pumped out by governments, however, is subject to less scrutiny than ever before. With citizen journalism maligned, the mainstream media defers unquestioningly to state power.
No accountability
As a result, we live in a dissonant world where those responsible for a genocide live-streamed across our smartphones avoid scrutiny and accountability. Stories like Nasser’s, quarantined on deregulated platforms, are both inescapable and ignored.
The fact that social media platforms are drowning in disinformation is self-evident to anyone with an Internet connection. But by placing all emphasis on the responsibilities of Big Tech companies, we let our legacy media off the hook.
In the same article for Al Jazeera, Guesmi reported how international civil rights organisations were calling:
on Big Tech companies to cease their unfair discriminatory practices, to invest in regional expertise of content moderation and become more transparent about policies and procedures.
In 2026, it is long past due that our legacy media organisations did the same. Until they do, they will continue to fail those who are subject to horrifying abuse at the hands of rogue states, like Nasser and his baby.
This would require media organisations disentangle themselves from their cozy relationships with state power first. Until that happens, we can expect them to remain complicit in state violence and racism through their unwillingness to report on the stories that matter.
Featured image via the Canary
Nigel Farage dismissed a photo of a Reform UK candidate appearing to perform a Nazi salute by describing it as a “Fawlty Towers impression”.
Corey Edwards is Reform’s lead candidate for the Pen-y Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency in May’s Senedd election.
A photo of Edwards appearing to replicate the offensive salute recently resurfaced, though the date and location of the image are unknown.
While launching his party’s local election campaign, Reform Party leader told ITV News that his candidate was doing a “Fawlty Towers impression”.
He said: “The context I have been told, it was taking a Basil Fawlty sketch, and that’s why he did it. He’s a human being.”
Asked if Edwards would remain a candidate, he said: “I get the point – it looks terrible. Things in isolation often do. I wouldn’t approve of it.”
He then compared the incident to what he described “far more serious” case of a Plaid Cymru candidate withdrawing from the race over an offensive social media post from more than a decade ago.
Edwards also issued a statement saying the photo had been “misinterpreted” and that he had made “mistakes”.
“There is a clear distinction between ordinary use of the appalling gesture, compared with me imitating a Welsh footballer’s use of it, or indeed Basil Fawlty’s walk,” the Reform candidate said.
“The Nazi regime was the most barbaric ever and I’d never make light of nor dilute its seriousness.”
A Reform UK spokesperson also told ITV Wales: “We’re not willing to write people off forever because of mistakes they made when they were young.”
The incident is the latest drama threatening to overshadow Reform’s campaign in the run-up to the local elections.
Farage already had to publicly defend Reform’s Scottish leader, Malcolm Offord, after an offensive homophobic joke he made a rugby club dinner in 2018 resurfaced.
Offord later apologised and denied he was homophobic.
At his party launch in Sunderland this week, Farage said: “If we’re going to drum people out of public life for telling a joke at a boozy rugby club dinner that’s amongst friends, we’ll finish up with the dullest group of individuals, looking a bit like, sounding a bit like Keir Starmer.”
He added: “When you take something as it is, yeah, of course it looks awful.”
However Farage said Offord “probably regretted doing it” even on the night, and accused critics of adopting a “po-faced purism attitude”.
Reform also had to drop its mayoral candidate for the Hampshire and Solent 2028 election, Chris Parry, this week, after he compared a Jewish community group to “Islamists on horseback”.
At a certain age, you just have to accept you are officially too old for some things. Now firmly in my 30s, my previously cemented love of budget hostels has expired. Once upon my twenties, a broken night’s sleep thanks to an anonymous bunkmate’s snoring was simply a minor inconvenience; now it will ruin my entire next day. The gymnastics of shuffling in and out of clothes under a bunkbed’s duvet used to be a breeze; now I’d probably end up slipping a disc.
However, my budget doesn’t exactly stretch to my developed taste for ‘comfort over everything’. I’m firmly in my accommodation ‘inbetweener’ era and there aren’t a whole whack of digs that bridge the gap between boutique and budget.
This struggle becomes even more of an issue when you factor in an expensive travel destination like Iceland. A trip to ‘The Land of Fire and Ice’ notoriously comes with a serious price tag, and according to The Times, Iceland is facing a reduction in tourism as a result, with international visitors dropping by 6% last year.
So, how can I make a trip to the top destination of many a travel wishlist achievable on a budget, without compromising on comfort? Well, CityHub might just have the answer.
CityHub Reykjavik
Now, when I say ‘pod hotel,’ you need to immediately banish the thought of those tiny, coffin-sized capsules in Japan. Yes, while CityHub Reykjavik is technically a pod hotel, I can guarantee that you’ve never seen something quite like this before.
CityHub hotels (they also have locations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Copenhagen) blend private sleeping spaces with vibrant hangout areas and premium amenities at an affordable cost. A concept that is, quite frankly, music to my ears, back and bank account.
Their private, pod-esque if you will, sleeping areas are called Hubs and despite being small, they pack a big punch – we’re talking king-size beds, smart storage that doesn’t compromise on space, Bluetooth speakers, air con and heating. The best bit? You can enjoy this all without the fear of someone cracking the big light on at 3am.
The secret? Opting for an L-shaped pod over the stereotypical coffin. Hubs are a bit like a clever game of accommodation Tetris – one ‘up’ Hub is connected to a ‘down’ Hub, offering vertical space at the start of each that acts like a foyer.
CityHub invited me to try out their accommodation for myself and honestly, the biggest shock was the silence – I was so surprised at my inability to hear anyone in the adjoining Hub. I’m a tall gal and unlike other pod hotels I’ve been to, I could comfortably sit upright in bed without fear of a concussion. Even with a second person in the Hub with me (ooo-er), there was plenty of space for our suitcases and room to get changed in – we just had to take it in turns.
‘Shared bathrooms’ don’t exactly scream luxury (pause for flashbacks to the horrors of a hostel shower), but CityHub does things differently. You’d be forgiven for thinking that you were actually in a spa while popping to the loo – their Pinterest-worthy bathrooms boast warm terracotta walls and high pressure showers as well as complimentary towels and Rituals amenities.
As for the communal spaces, again, it’s a far cry from the hostel lounges and kitchens of yore. The Hangout (CityHub’s reception, bar and lounge area-in-one) features a self-service system in which guests can tap their own beers and refreshments using the digital wristband they’re given on checking in (which also doubles as your Hub key). Forget someone badly playing Oasis on a guitar in the corner – The Hangout is perfect for relaxing or even working in.
The real showstopper, though? CityHub Reykjavik’s rooftop hot tub. There really isn’t anything like soaking yourself in geothermally heated water while sub-zero Icelandic air whips around you – all with an incredible view of the night sky. If you’re lucky, sometimes it’s even possible to see the Northern Lights from the comfort of the tub.
Thought it couldn’t get any better? Buckle up, because the best bit of all of this? The cost. While the average hotel price in Reykjavik for April is hovering around £156 per night, you can snag a Hub for as little as £60 to £80 – and you could get this price even lower depending on what promotions and discounts are available.
CityHosts
Now, the issue with Iceland trips is that you only have to step outside your hotel and it suddenly feels like you’ve spent £20. It’s notoriously expensive and with endless guides online as to where you should and shouldn’t go, which tours you should and shouldn’t book, it can all be really overwhelming.
Enter the CityHosts – CityHub’s onsite concierge service that does a whole lot more than just check you in. As Reykjavik locals themselves, the hosts on duty will happily help you set up cost efficient tours to experience as much Icelandic culture as possible without the hefty price tag. After all, who actually knows the best spots better than people who live in Iceland all year round?
We were pointed toward a walking foodie tour that let us sample the most iconic Icelandic dishes from local businesses (although I still can’t say fermented shark is for me). And on one (utterly freezing) evening I fulfilled my dream of seeing the Northern Lights in all their glory after being sent out exploring with a pocket-friendly guide who knew the best viewing points. Another Iceland expert took us on a day trip around the country’s most famous natural landmarks and we knew we were guaranteed a brilliant meal afterwards thanks to the restaurant recommendations from the CityHosts.
So what exactly is the key to CityHub’s ability to provide accommodation that bridges the gap between budget and bougie? Well, it’s all in their very clever climate-friendly planning.
CityHub transforms empty urban buildings into hotels, avoiding new construction which as a result cuts CO₂ emissions per guest by 89% compared to the European hotel average. Their modular, recyclable rooms, in-house smart tech and harnessing of Iceland’s famous geothermal energy all add up to a model that’s efficient, scalable, and certified B Corp, a title held by just 0.1% of hotels globally.
I’m already planning a trip to Copenhagen purely based on the fact that there’s a CityHub there – because as someone’s outgrown dorms but not budget-friendly travel, I know I’m guaranteed the perfect fit.
To book a stay at CityHub visit: https://cityhub.com/reykjavik/
Dean Lewis has lost a Dutch court case against a former partner who claimed that the relationship was abusive on social media. Lewis demanded that ex-partner Sanne van Ooijen retract several statements she made about the nature of their two-and-a-half-year relationship.
At the heart of the case was the fact that Sanne van Ooijen had been in a relationship with Dean Lewis – the world-famous pop star and singer she had been a devoted fan of. She experienced this relationship as a victim, as she felt it had been abusive. She then shared her account of that relationship on her social media channels and in personal conversations with others.
This prompted the now disgraced singer to send multiple demand letters from his Australian lawyer. This was followed by a demand letter from his Dutch lawyer. On 25 February 2026, Dean Lewis then filed summary proceedings against Sanne van Ooijen before the Dutch court.
Ultimately, this culminated in summary proceedings on Friday, 27 March 2026.
Dean Lewis loses case
It was only after the relationship ended that Van Ooijen was able to reflect on it from a distance and with greater objectivity. During the hearing, she stated the following:
I came across so many different stories from other girls on social media sharing their experiences with Dean. And that’s when it really hit me — I wasn’t crazy, it wasn’t my fault. What he did to me is not okay, and I’m allowed to feel that way and talk about it, because that is how I experienced it. And it appears to be a pattern that repeats itself with him, based on what I’ve seen and heard.
The Dutch court case brought by Lewis was to:
1. To prohibit Van Ooijen from, regardless of the manner and via which medium, making statements public, and/or disseminating false accusations about Lewis via personal or group messages, or suggesting these, including in any case the accusations of having a narcissistic personality disorder, rape, the (sexual or psychological) abuse of women, or that Lewis has otherwise (rb: presumably meant otherwise) committed sexually transgressive behavior, or qualifications and/or terms of similar purport:
IE. To order Van Ooijen to, within 48 hours after service of this judgment,
a. remove all messages about or referring to Lewis and keep them removed from all social media pages of Van Ooijen, including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube (and subsidiaries)
However, the Dutch court ruled that what Sanne van Ooijen expressed falls well within the bounds of freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Therefore, the court dismissed all seven claims brought by Dean Lewis in their entirety. Sanne van Ooijen is also not required to issue any retraction. Additionally, Lewis is required to pay her legal costs in full.
The court considered:
The use of the word ‘abusive’ does not therefore (automatically) constitute an accusation of criminal conduct. The fact that Van Ooijen retrospectively described her relationship in those terms, as that is how she felt, is not unlawful.
A pattern
But Sanne van Ooijen was not the only one to speak out about her experience with Dean Lewis.
As the Canary has previously reported, many other young female fans have reported similar experiences with Lewis.
Hundreds more women and girls have come forward on social media with a wide range of abuse allegations against Lewis. From domestic abuse and sexual assault, to messaging underage girls with extreme content – it has become clear that Lewis has an ever-growing raft of allegations against him.
The Canary also previously reported on an alleged cover-up of Lewis’ behaviour by Island Records Australia.
Lewis then blocked journalists and refused to refund fans who no longer wanted to attend his shows. He even threatened the Canary.
Since then, the Canary has heard from many women about Lewis’ tirade of cease-and-desist letters and threats to sue unless they issue apologies. Of course, many of these young girls lack access to lawyers and have no choice but to comply.
Dean Lewis thinks he can throw his money, power, and weight around to get what he wants. From threatening young girls with legal action (because yes, Dean, 19-year-olds are still girls!) to sending journalists threatening emails, it has become clear that when the truth fails, powerful men believe that attempting to intimidate and scare people will get them what they want.
Merel Teunissen (Liaise Advocaten), Sanne van Ooijen’s lawyer, commented on the case:
I find it enormously courageous that Sanne refused to be intimidated by a world-famous pop star with deep pockets, who first instructed an Australian lawyer and later a Dutch lawyer to make far-reaching legal demands. A pattern he is now repeating with other women — women who, unfortunately, do not have access to legal assistance and therefore yield to those sweeping legal demands. Sanne chose not to be silenced and fought back through legal means. With success!
Featured image via Dean Lewis/YouTube
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has announced its new ‘Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport‘. It amounts to a total ban on trans women/transfeminine athletes, and a near-total ban on intersex athletes, competing in the women’s category.
Normally, we might argue with the science that the IOC used to make its decision. However, nobody has been allowed to see the science – though we’re assured it exists.
What we do know is that this latest ruling completely contradicts the IOC’s science from just five years ago, which stated that trans people “should not be deemed to have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage”.
We also know that this decision is not a reaction to an explosion of trans women winning in the female category at the Olympics. That’s because exactly one trans woman has competed at the Olympics, and she didn’t medal.
We’re not going to argue that this is a horrific roll-back of intersex and trans rights, or the basic concept of inclusion. (It is). Likewise, we’re not going to argue that this decision was politically motivated (although the science suddenly said the opposite of what it used to immediately after a leadership change at the IOC).
What we are going to argue is that this is that sex-testing in women’s sport is a disaster for privacy and women’s rights. That means cis women, trans women and intersex women, and whatever combination thereof – all women.
We know this because we’ve fucking been here before.
Olympics: IOC document
The IOC plans to introduce universal sex screening for the women’s category. It will achieve this through a one-time SRY (Sex-Determining Region) test. The SRY gene is usually present on the Y chromosome, and causes the development of testes during foetal development.
The IOC’s new document states that:
All Biological Female athletes screened will be negative and eligible, and virtually all athletes who screen positive will have testes/testicles that naturally produce testosterone at adult Male levels.
This is a deception. The document writers know that it’s a deception, because they include a carve-out:
Because a positive SRY Gene screen does not establish a specific DSD diagnosis, further evaluation should be made available to the athlete to determine whether they have CAIS or another rare XY DSD that precludes testosterone’s anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects.
The DSD there stands for “differences/disorders of sexual development”. We will be using the term ‘intersex’. The number of intersex people among the general population varies according to the definition used, but it may be as high as 1.7%.
CAIS stands for Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. This means that the body doesn’t have the receptors to make use of the circulating testosterone.
However, beyond CAIS, levels of testosterone sensitivity can vary massively, i.e. Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. As such, that “testosterone at adult Male levels” tells us very little.
The document also states that:
XY Transgender athletes and athletes with certain XY differences/disorders in sex development (DSD) (as defined in Schedule 1) have anatomical and physiological advantages in line with being Male even as their legal sex, the manner in which they were raised, and/or their gender identity may vary.
The bit about legal sex and the “manner in which they were raised” is also significant. This is because many intersex people go their whole lives without learning that they’re intersex.
As such, some intersex athletes can find that they’re intersex for the first time due to a sporting test. This has happened before – and it’s a massive problem.
‘Scientifically and ethically unjustifiable’
The IOC previously instated universal sex testing back in 1968. At first, the tests consisted of having the women appear naked in front of a panel of judges. Later, the IOC moved on to more elaborate tests, such as the Barr body test.
The last universal sex testing at the Olympics took place in 1996, in Atlanta. At the time, eight women came up positive on the DNA-based test. As explained by rights organisation the International Commission of Jurists:
After the 1996 Olympic Games, the IOC voted to discontinue universal sex testing for being scientifically and ethically unjustifiable, since it was an inaccurate test of both sex and athletic advantage and was resulting in considerable harm to affected athletes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the World Medical Association, American Medical Association and, most recently, a group of independent UN experts have long condemned sex testing and medically unnecessary interventions as discriminatory, unethical, and harmful.
Since then, decisions on sex testing were left with individual sporting bodies. Often, testing was weaponised against individual – often brown or Black – women like Imane Khelif and Caster Semenya.
The consequences of mandatory sex tests are often severe. Whilst being intersex is simply another variation of human existence, sex is given such a primacy by our society that learning one’s assumptions were wrong can be a severe shock.
Beyond the exclusion from an elite sport than the woman has worked her life towards, other harms can include severe sex and gender identity crisis, social isolation, demeaning reactions from the public, depression, and suicide.
Klobukowska, Patiño, Soundarajan
Competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Poland’s Ewa Klobukowska of Poland helped set a new 100m-relay world record. However, she submitted to sex testing after the media mocked her for her ‘masculine’ appearance:
The test results were never made public, but the IAAF ruled that Klobukowska had a chromosomal anomaly that disqualified her from competing in the female category. The organization publicly criticized Klobukowska for being a male imposter, and stripped her of her medals. After being disqualified from competing at the age of 21, she said, “It’s a dirty and stupid thing to do to me. I know what I am and how I feel.”
She had a son in 1968. Thirty-one years later, the IOC returned her medals.
Klobukowska never re-entered professional sport, and her records are remain largely unknown.
Another case in point is Maria José Martínez Patiño, a CAIS intersex woman and former Spanish hurdler. She fell victim to a sex chromatin test at the 1985 World University Games in Kobe, Japan. She was told to fake an injury and retire quietly, as was common practice.
However, she then went on to compete in the 1986 National Championships. Whilst she was told again to withdraw quietly, she refused. After winning her race, she was attacked in the Spanish press. She was expelled from her residence, and lost her scholarship, her records, and her fiance.
Another example is Santhi Soundarajan, who won silver in the women’s 800m race at the 2006 Asian Games. Soundarajan also has AIS, causing her to fall victim to a genetic screening test.
After being told she could no longer compete, and being stripped of her medal, Santhi fell into a deep depression and later attempted suicide.
‘Human dignity’
The IOC stated in its announcement that its related organisations should work to:
Ensure that the athlete’s human dignity, physical and psychological well-being, health and safety, and
right to privacy and confidentiality are respected.
It is also insisting that we perform these potentially life-upending tests “early in the athletic career”, with “age appropriate explanations” for minors.
However, this respect for their athletes’ human dignity and psychological well-being apparently doesn’t extend to the IOC restraining itself from calling these women “biological males” throughout the document, and insisting that “biological sex does not and cannot change”.
We have watched, over the last few years, our media, politicians and public figures hound and mock athletes they suspect of being intersex or trans. This cruelty is a direct consequence of the primacy we place on sex – and our rhetoric around that primacy is only becoming more extreme by the day.
The IOC insists that we need a hard border to “protect” women’s sport. Any border creates an ‘other’, and requires police to protect that border from the ‘other’. And policing, as we have seen time and again, begets violence. In this case, that violence is directed towards women – intersex, cis, and trans women.
Many are celebrating today, and many athletes among them – but this is no victory for women’s rights.
Featured image via the Canary
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