Right-wing rags the Daily Mail and Metro have been forced to issue “full apologies” and pay “substantial damages” to actress Nadia Sawalha and her filmmaker husband, Mark Adderley.

The papers had smeared the couple with atrocious and completely false smears claiming they had made antisemitic statements.

The pair announced their court victory in a joint video statement this morning.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nadia Sawalha (@nadiasawalha)

Sawalha and Adderley ‘push back’

The couple said their victory showed that the smears had put them and their family in danger, but the win showed that it is possible and vital to “push back against a legacy media that will go to any lengths to try and destroy lives and reputations with false allegations”.

Their lawyer, Zillur Rahman, of Rahman Lowe law firm, said the pair had triumphed over “serious and damaging allegations”.

These were serious and damaging allegations which falsely suggested that our clients supported terrorism and promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories for simply calling out Israeli war crimes, and opposing Zionism.

Our clients have consistently opposed racism in all its forms. We are pleased that both publishers have now accepted the falsity of these claims, issued public apologies, and agreed to pay substantial damages.

Newspapers backtrack

The Daily Mail’s apology reads:

An article “Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha claims ‘dark forces’ are at work after husband suspended from the Green Party over ‘antisemitic’ YouTube rant” (30 April) said that Mark Adderley had shared videos celebrating the ‘courage’ of Hamas as well as conspiracy theories blaming Jews for the September 11 and Bondi Beach attacks.

While Mr Adderley does have strong views about Israel and Zionism, he did not make these statements suggesting support for terrorism or hatred of Jews.

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The article also said that Mr Adderley and his wife, Ms Sawalha, run a YouTube channel, and that Ms Sawalha fully supported her husband, which may have suggested that she endorsed the statements and videos wrongly said to have been shared by him.

These allegations were false and we apologise to Mr Adderley and Ms Sawalha for the error and distress caused.

The Metro’s statement is essentially identical:

An article “Nadia Sawalha hits back at ‘lies’ after Loose Women axe claims” (8 May) said that Mark Adderley had shared videos celebrating the ‘courage’ of Hamas as well as conspiracy theories blaming Jews for the September 11 and Bondi Beach attacks.

While Mr Adderley does have strong views about Israel and Zionism, he did not make these statements suggesting support for terrorism or hatred of Jews.

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The article also said that Mr Adderley and his wife, Ms Sawalha, run a YouTube channel, and that Ms Sawalha fully supported her husband, which may have suggested that she endorsed the statements and videos wrongly said to have been shared by him.

These allegations were false and we apologise to Mr Adderley and Ms Sawalha for the error and distress caused

This is not the end…

The win is reminiscent of the repeated wins by Labour party left-wingers over right-wing rags during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party. Those lies had the same aim — remove or silence those who speak out against Israel, its crimes and its land theft.

Adderley and Sawalha said that they have other cases still ongoing and issued a warning to lying hacks.

We have a number of other cases pending. If you lie about us we will NOT take it lying down.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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3 min read17 min

The family of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain, has received a measure of justice from this government.

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Members of her family petitioned Justice Secretary David Lammy to recognise that had she been tried now, rather than in 1955, she would not have been convicted of murder, let alone executed. Last week, on Lammy’s recommendation, she was granted a conditional pardon by the King. I was pleased to have played a small part in the process by asking about her case in the Commons.

Ruth’s pardon asks that we reflect on what has changed in the past 71 years – but also what hasn’t. Women still face an unequal situation in the courts, and the law on homicide is currently under review. Ruth’s case offers insight into what needs to change.

My interest in her case goes back to my previous career as a crime historian. My research demonstrated the unfairness of certain ostensibly neutral standards of legal defences. Men who killed women were more likely to be successful in arguing that they had been ‘provoked’ than women who had killed men.

There is no doubt that Ruth shot and killed David Blakely on 10 April 1955. Arrested immediately, her trial took place two months later and lasted just over a day. She was hanged within three weeks. Her trial did not hear the reasons why she killed Blakely nor about the circumstances leading up to that night.

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Ruth was 28 and mother to two children. She had worked as a model and as a nightclub hostess. The media made much of her ‘scandalous’ past. Blakely, by contrast, was the public-school educated son of a doctor.

After the verdict, however, it became clear that Blakely had been violent towards Ruth. While pregnant, he punched her so hard that she miscarried. On another occasion, her brother said she was “hobbling on two sticks” after Blakely beat her up. She was, in short, a victim of domestic violence.

Since 1955, the law has changed for the better. Only two years after Ruth’s hanging, Parliament passed a law allowing the defence of ‘diminished responsibility’. In 2009, it was made easier for someone in a similar position to Ruth to claim the defence of ‘loss of control’. This allows a murder charge to be reduced to manslaughter when someone kills while in fear of serious violence. This informed Ruth’s conditional pardon and posthumous life sentence.

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Ruth’s pardon matters for two reasons. Most immediately, it lifts a weight from her family’s shoulders. They now have affirmation that their grandmother was not a callous murderer but a woman pushed beyond her limits.

More widely, it sends a strong message about the need to better understand the causes and consequences of abuse. We know more about coercive and controlling behaviour and abusers are being prosecuted. However, there is still more to do.

In June, the Law Commission launched a consultation on possible changes to the homicide law. Evidence of the need for change comes from an independent review by Clare Wade KC, and recent academic research that examined 110 homicide cases heard between 2010 and 2024 involving ‘loss of control’ defences.

The research suggests that the need to prove an ‘explosive’ loss of control is at odds with the experiences of women suffering domestic violence and that men are better able to make use of the defence than women. There are parallels with the situation that Ruth faced in 1955. Ostensibly neutral guidelines have given greater advantages to men than to women. The Law Commission’s review addresses this.

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I hope it will lead to greater fairness in the courts and better outcomes for today’s victims of domestic violence.

 

Pam Cox is Labour MP for Colchester and was co-author of ‘Victims and Criminal Justice: A History’

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The Health and Social Care Committee has just delivered one of parliament’s strongest calls yet for action to protect children from junk food marketing. And Bite Back’s young campaigners are urging the incoming government to seize the moment.

After a year-long inquiry, MPs have concluded that children’s health has been undermined by unhealthy food environments and decades of industry influence. They’re recommending stronger protections including action on outdoor junk food advertising.

The report echoes the evidence given directly to the Committee by Bite Back campaigners Jayda and Alice. They told MPs how children and young people are surrounded by junk food marketing every day.

With a new prime minister taking office shortly, Bite Back says the Committee has handed the new government a ready-made roadmap for improving children’s health. The charity is calling on ministers to move quickly. And it wants them to begin with a national ban on junk food advertising in outdoor spaces.

Bite Back campaigner Jayda said:

Children and young people are surrounded by junk food marketing every single day. Whether it’s on billboards, at bus stops or on the journey to school or even online, it’s almost impossible to avoid.

In 2025 I had the opportunity to give evidence to this Committee, so I’m really pleased to see MPs recognising what young people are experiencing.

We also saw first-hand how coordinated the food and advertising industries can be when they pushed back against Bite Back’s Commercial Break campaign. The campaign simply called for children to get a break from junk food adverts. Young people are becoming increasingly aware of these commercial pressures and deserve better.

This report is an important step towards creating healthier environments for children and young people. Now the government must act quickly rather than delay. Children’s health should always come first, ahead of industry lobbying.

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Bite Back campaigner Alice said:

The government needs to put children’s health ahead of industry lobbying, and a really important first step would be banning junk food advertising in outdoor spaces.

We need to make it easier for children and young people to grow up in places where healthier food is supported instead of unhealthy food being promoted everywhere.

In 2025 we had the opportunity to give evidence to this Committee, and it’s encouraging to see MPs recognising what young people shared with them. They listened. Now the new prime minister needs to listen too.

D’Arcy Williams, chief executive of Bite Back, said:

The Health and Social Care Committee has sent one of the clearest messages parliament has delivered in years: if we want healthier generations, we must create healthier environments for children and young people.

For too long, we’ve expected children to navigate a food environment stacked against them. Our young campaigners have shown how junk food advertising dominates bus stops, billboards and high streets, while our research has highlighted the concentration of unhealthy food marketing and fast-food outlets around schools.

That is not an accident, it is the result of a system that has consistently put commercial interests ahead of children’s health.

In 2025, through our award-winning Commercial Break campaign, young people reclaimed outdoor advertising space to show what our streets could look like without junk food adverts.

The response from the advertising industry demonstrated just how difficult it can be to challenge the status quo. That’s why government leadership matters.

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The Committee has now laid out a clear roadmap – one that also urges the government to protect the policy process from further food industry interference tactics.

The incoming government has an opportunity to show real leadership by introducing a national ban on outdoor junk food advertising, strengthening protections for children in and around schools, and ensuring that every child grows up in an environment that supports their health rather than undermines it.

Young people have done their part. Parliament has listened. Now it’s time for the government to deliver.

Featured image via Bite Back / David Madden

By The Canary

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Crewe (Alamy)

3 min read22 min

In June, Andy Burnham set out his vision for the country. Bringing Manchesterism to Labour’s 2024 manifesto, he is putting “place before party” – building non-partisan consensus on local issues.

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‘Place’ refers to the areas that make a community – where social ties are formed and strengthened.

Andy recognises that high streets should become “the new symbol of Britain’s renaissance”. Independent hospitality businesses are an essential part of that landscape.

They know their customer inside out, setting up shop to offer something new to their neighbours – without a financial model crunching the numbers, identifying your high street as the most lucrative option for the next branch.

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Manchester has successfully supported a growing number of local bars and restaurants. The number of food and beverage spaces in the centre has doubled over the past 10 years.

Labour’s £20m Pride in Place strategy forms the building blocks for stronger communities. We’ve bolstered High Street Rental Auctions to give councils more powers to take over empty units. We’ve launched a £30m crackdown on rogue vendors taking advantage of deserted town centres, a dedicated High Street Organised Crime Unit and increased enforcement measures for trading standards.

These measures are welcome and necessary to turn our high streets around. However, as new sites become available, the government needs to support entrepreneurs to take them over and keep their doors open.

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A quarter of pubs, bars and restaurants are losing money, according to new survey data. Without intervention, there will be fewer businesses left to revive the high streets at the centre of a place-based politics.

One of the levers available to provide immediate relief to the sector is VAT reform. The UK’s standard 20 per cent rate on food and beverages is the second highest in Europe – double that of Spain, France and Italy. There are growing calls from independent businesses to reduce VAT to 10 per cent.

There is a significant fiscal cost associated with this plan, which HMRC claim would create a deficit of £1bn. However, with 21 hospitality businesses closing each week, the Treasury must also consider the revenue losses happening in real time.

The industry is in a state of paralysis; businesses are unable to hire new staff or invest. Some have taken to limiting their opening hours just to stay afloat. They’re built up over decades but are closing down each week. That’s income tax, corporation tax and key youth employers lost to the Treasury.

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Any intervention should also be ringfenced for independent hospitality. Currently, VAT applies equally to all businesses with an annual turnover of over £90,000. The scale of (and taxes levied against) many chains are fundamentally different to those set up by local people.

Beyond VAT, our business rates system disproportionately burdens bricks-and-mortar venues taxed on the rateable property value. Rateable values can be calculated using three different methods which have been known to generate different results. They often jump significantly between the three-year assessment periods and multipliers are set at a cliff-edge, meaning higher rates apply to the whole property once the threshold is reached.

The removal of Small Business Rate Relief and Retail Hospitality and Leisure Relief has left independents facing significantly higher charges than in previous years.

In our manifesto, we promised to replace business rates with something more progressive. We need a fairer system that allows small businesses to settle into our high streets and grows with them. Whether that means partial landlord liability or tapered rates similar to income tax, the case for reform is clear.

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A place-based government means economic growth where it matters: in the areas which were decimated during austerity and for the people who care about their community. The unique struggles faced by independent hospitality businesses must be considered under this approach.

Connor Naismith is Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich

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Content warning: This article contains terms of misogynistic and racial abuse, alongside descriptions of sexual violence

The “protectors of women and children” are at it again, proving their credentials once more with a vile pro-rape message daubed on a wall in the loyalist Sandy Row area of Belfast.

The message reads:

Gisèle Pelicot
Salope
Free Dominique

‘Salope’ is a French misogynistic term of abuse that translates as ‘whore’ or ‘slut’.

The revolting vandalism targets Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman whose husband Dominique drugged and repeatedly raped her over a period of 10 years. He invited other men to the couple’s home, who also raped her while she was unconscious.

Gisèle bravely waived her right to anonymity as part of her husband’s trial. In December 2024, a French court sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 24 years in jail for his crimes.

Nearby, racist graffiti had also been sprayed. Without the asterixes, it read:

N*ggers out
P*kis fuck off

Alongside it there also appears to be a crudely drawn star and crescent with a stop sign drawn over it, indicating Islamophobic hate.

Belfast: French racists given VIP treatment in city

The racist and Islamophobic graffiti are sadly par for the course at this point, in a region where overt racism, bleeding into ethnic cleansing, is rapidly becoming the norm. In contrast, the attack on a heroic French feminist icon seems a little incongruous and inexplicable.

However, sources have told the Canary that a group of French racists have recently been given the VIP treatment by local loyalist bigots.

The Ainsworth Drive Facebook account are another group of frauds who tout their eagerness to “protect women and children”, merely as an excuse to vomit out racist, anti-migrant bile. On 9 July, they posted the following:

I have a group of French patriots/activists coming into the area over the 12th period, some are part of the Turning Point movement, the legacy Charlie Kirk left behind.

They wish to speak to local people/parents concerned about the mass enforced movement of immigration being forced into deprived working class areas like Ainsworth/Woodvale.

If anyone wishes to be interviewed, can be off camera and can academically speak well then please drop this page a private message, thank you.

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The Canary has previously covered the US-based Turning Point’s intention to make inroads in the north of Ireland. That French racists are now also drawn to the region proves a point we’ve previously made. That is, the extreme chauvinism of loyalism, like that of Zionism, is a huge lure to reactionaries the world over.

The capacity of these two twin settler-colonial ideologies to deploy violence as a means of achieving their supremacist goals also has obvious attraction to would-be ethnic cleansers.

An Ainsworth Drive post on 12 July describes the:

…good company of around 20 french [sic] patriots from Normandy and other surrounding towns in southern France.

Leaving aside the geographic impossibility of the northern French region of Normandy having surrounding towns situated in southern France, the post goes on to boast of a joint mural effort between the groups.

The weird ideology of ‘The Normal Ones’

Activists monitoring the far right identified the French group as attending the Sandy Row bonfire marking the 12 July Battle of the Boyne commemoration. They are believed to be linked to an outfit called Les Normaux, translating as ‘The Normals’ or ‘The Normal Ones’.

According to StreetPress, a French investigative team that track the far right, Les Normaux are:

…a small far-right identitarian group based in Rouen, established in the spring of 2021.

The group fixate on Norman identity specifically and hold a March of the Normans event each year, despite authorities banning it. Far-right actors from across Europe are known to attend.

StreetPress also report Les Normaux are active within “traditionalist Catholic circles”, so it would be interesting to know what they made of the torrent of sectarianism loyalists produced over the 12 July hate carnival.

The French group has previous in terms of hatred directed at women, with StreetPress saying in June 2021 the group:

…disrupted a lecture by elected official Alice Coffin, directing misogynistic remarks at her.

The foolishness of identitarian politics

Many of the group members have taken down their social media accounts since news of the Sandy Row graffiti emerged. However, sources who spoke to the Canary got a look at some of them beforehand.

They told us many previously displayed an enthusiasm for Irish republicanism, presumably mistakenly believing it would embrace the prejudices often found in nationalist ideologies elsewhere. That is rarely the case in republican circles, so the racists seemingly switched to loyalism.

That absurd trajectory, of stumbling hopelessly around for some purist notion of identity, underscores the folly of identitarian politics more broadly.

All human culture, and the movement of peoples that form it, is a process of constant transition. Chauvinists insist on freezing time at an arbitrary point, around an arbitrary group of people, and rule that all who exist outside those bounds must be excluded.

To see the degeneracy that mode of thought produces, one need only look at what was scrawled on the walls of Sandy Row.

Featured image via the Canary

By Robert Freeman

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The pace of settlement advancement in the occupied West Bank is unprecedented. Bezalel Smotrich – finance minister and illegal settler – has long opposed the creation of a Palestinian state. He has now not only called for the complete conquest of the Gaza Strip, but is also promising a settlement “revolution”.

Expansion of settlements will further tighten the occupation’s control

The occupation is actively advancing major settlement and infrastructure projects across the occupied Palestinian territory. According to Peace Now, most of these new settlements are deep inside the West Bank, where there is very little or no Israeli occupation presence. This is how “Israel” tightens its grip on these areas, and how any chance of Palestinian development is prevented.

On 14 July 2026, Israeli occupation ministers celebrated a major new government investment, which they described as a “historic” moment for the settlement movement. It is aimed at accelerating the establishment and expansion of illegal “Israeli” settlements across the occupied West Bank.

The government announced the Security Cabinet had allocated 1.3 billion Shekels – approximately £324 million – in June to advance the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. This had been approved during the previous three and a half years.

Smotrich and Settlements Minister Orit Strock described it as a landmark step for the settlement movement. In statements, Strock said:

There has never been a Zionist-settlement decision of this size in the whole history of Zionism since it was founded.

Smotrich declared:

We are strengthening the security of the State of Israel, killing the idea of establishing a terrorist state in the heart of the country, and strengthening our hold on the homeland in Judea and Samaria.

Killing the idea of establishing a Palestinian state

Nine of these 34 settlements are planned for the Northern West Bank, seven in the Central region, four in the Hebron area, seven in the Jordan Valley, one in the Jericho region, and six in the Gush Etzion area – a settlement bloc located just south of Jerusalem.

The announcement also mentioned additional funding of 1.075 billion shekels for infrastructure projects, especially roads to connect the settlements. This decision is another step toward permanent “Israeli” control over occupied territory. And it is intended to destroy what is left of a future Palestinian state. This brings the number of settlements in the occupied West Bank, initiated under Smotrich’s four-year period in office, to 103.

The “Israeli” government has also signed a deal worth around 8.5 billion Shekels, or £2 billion. This includes plans for around 12,000 new housing units, plus related infrastructure, in the northern West Bank. The agreement was signed between the “Israeli” government and the so-called “Samaria Regional Council.” It also requires additional legal challenges if a new government wishes to stop settlement construction.

According to Peace Now, this agreement will result in “unbridled construction in the settlements”. It will also:

shackle the next government to commitments that will make it difficult to roll back this terrible government’s reckless policy.

Changing the face of the region

The Israeli occupation says it is aimed at “changing the face of the region.”

Israel has approved a $2.3 billion plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 12,000 new housing units and major infrastructure projects pic.twitter.com/8ETmnT58D1

— TRT World (@trtworld) July 14, 2026

Earlier in July, the occupation’s Security Cabinet approved plans for 13 new settlements in the central West Bank.

The proposed locations for these settlements are along the vital Route 60 north-south main road, and will make up one of the largest settlement blocks in the territory. Palestinian officials warn they will sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.

The Jerusalem governorate condemned the move, saying it marks “a dangerous escalation”, and aims to create “new geographical realities on the ground.”

Illegal settlement of Giv’at Ze’ev has become the fifth “Israeli” city in the occupied West Bank

Alongside the approval of these 13 settlements is a $350 million initiative that includes legalising and accelerating the development of dozens of previously unauthorized outposts. “Israeli “settler outposts now control nearly a fifth of the territory, and this is now set to increase even more.

In yet another move to strengthen and expand its illegal settlements, “Israel” has also just declared the Giv’at Ze’ev settlement a city. The settlement, which is northwest of Jerusalem, is home to more than 35,000 illegal settlers. It becomes the fifth recognised “Israeli” city inside the occupied West Bank.

The move follows an order signed by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) Central Command chief and war criminal Avi Bluth, whose actions in al-Mughayyir in August 2025 amounted to collective punishment.

The recent surge in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been driven by a combination of factors. Since the return of Netanyahu’s government in late 2022, a coalition of pro-settler and religious-nationalist parties has expanded funding for settlements. It has also accelerated planning approvals, legalised previously unauthorized outposts, and invested heavily in roads and infrastructure linking settlements.

Historically, only the occupation’s military chain of command held authority over Area C. But now, Smotrich is the one in charge of the Settlement Administration and the Civil Administration. This structural shift transfers vast civilian, zoning, and construction oversight from the military to his direct ministerial control.

Settlement expansion will bring more violence and forcible displacement of Palestinians

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its civilian population into occupied territory.

In July 2024, a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements and called on states not to support any situations that violate international law in occupied territory.

Expansion of settlements not only violates international law; it also reshapes the landscape, the politics, and the prospect of peace for generations of Palestinians.

Settlements entrench the occupation and fragment Palestinian territory. They also undermine the prospects of a future Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

A new illegal settlement for “Israeli” colonists requires not only roads, but electricity and water systems – and, of course, the occupation’s security and military. Over time, these settlements fragment Palestinian communities and entrench the occupation, while prospects of a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital are undermined. In addition, an increase in the number of “Israeli” colonists also increases the systematic violence faced by Palestinians every single day in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Unprecedented levels of settler brutality

According to the UN:

settler brutality has reached unprecedented levels.

In 2026:

both fatalities and injuries are outpacing figures from previous years.

The sole purpose of this brutality is to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land and ethnically cleanse the occupied Palestinian territory.

As of 10 July, ”Israel” has forcibly displaced over 3,200 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank so far in 2026. That is an average of 17 people per day – double the daily rate over the previous three years. Settler attacks have been responsible for about 75 percent of these displacements.

More than 750,000 Jewish settlers live in these illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay

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Graham Stuart CON Matt Turmaine LAB David Chadwick LIB Alistair Carmichael LIB Danny Kruger REF Alison Bennett LIB Jerome Mayhew CON Helen Morgan LIB Melanie Onn LAB Will Forster LIB Rachael Maskell LAB Julia Buckley LAB Lola McEvoy LAB Lloyd Hatton LAB Susan Murray LIB

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A Scottish father has been smeared online after he stood up to an anti-migration protest in his area. Among those smearing him is the notorious racist agitator Tommy Robinson:

Far right thug Tommy Robinson was one of the highest profile Twitter accounts who pushed this video, falsely accusing this innocent brown British man of filming children in a park and now making him fear for his life.

Any comment @elonmusk? Are you ok with this? https://t.co/d4pJot7tSC

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 14, 2026

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Smear and loathing

The man Robinson and others smeared was the 43-year-old Quroum Beg – a fourth-generation Scotsman.

Beg staged an impromptu counter-demonstration against an anti-migration protest, which swept through his area. In response, the protesters targeted Beg with racist abuse.

As STV news reported:

Mr Beg said he was made aware of an approaching demonstration in the nearby streets while he was at the park with his family.

All of those in the park, including Mr Beg, left the area. After returning his children home, he then made his way back to the park to stage a counter-protest.

Beg told the protesters:

I’m not afraid of you, keep on walking

The police advised Beg not to engage with the protest, with the father subsequently walking away to sit on a swing. It was at this point the protesters began accusing Beg of filming children in the park, chanting “get him out”.

In other words, they didn’t like being challenged, and they resorted to the grimmest untruths to attack the man.

Robinson labelled the fourth-generation Beg an “invader”:

The tweet remains up at the time of writing, having gained 141k views. Robinson also has many other posts labelling people of colour “invaders”.

Beg has faced harassment since, telling STV:

These false narratives affect everything people do and their day-to-day lives.

It affects their families and everybody around them. People need to think if sharing these narratives online is something they are proud of.

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I haven’t been able to sleep since then. People are sharing things all over the world, so I worry about people recognising me without seeing the full context of what happened around it.

Robinson

Robinson has form when it comes to smearing people of colour to further his fascist, far-right ideology.

Famously, Robinson lost a libel case after he told lies about a Syrian refugee – who was also a child no less, and who had suffered a vicious attack.

Robinson recently lied about his libel loss, which is what you’d expect, isn’t it, because the guy’s a f*cking liar, isn’t he:

Tommy Robinson was allowed to rewrite history completely unchallenged in a friendly interview.

While discussing his libel loss over the Syrian schoolboy, Tommy fired off a series of claims that simply don't stand up to scrutiny:

• Tommy says he merely suggested "there was… pic.twitter.com/7LkTQvewoS

— Gadget (@Gadget440) June 23, 2026

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This isn’t even the only person of colour Robinson has smeared this week:

We know the woman in this video (who was rescuing the seagull). So we'd recommend you remove this post and apologise for your anti-Muslim, racist tirade.

* tirade means angry verbal outburst if your followers were wondering https://t.co/dEjOsMhqkT

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— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) July 10, 2026

As Maddison Wheeldon reported for the Canary:

One of Britain’s self-styled “patriots” shared the video, with many claiming the woman was catching the bird to eat it – parroting the same racist theories that falsely accused immigrants in the US of eating pets.

However, Mubarak was actually doing a good deed in rescuing the seagull that had fallen from a roof. More footage shows her working with other locals – white locals, for the record – to reunite the gull with its mother.

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Robinson also incited white riots earlier this year; the sort of thing these ‘anti-migrant protests’ inevitably turn into:

I wrote this – I think he’ll struggle to make a case for his income or reputation being damaged given that his income is reliant on him begging for money on the back of doing racist things https://t.co/qDEz7AnWt7

— Willem Moore (@willem_moore_uk) June 13, 2026

Problem

Tommy Robinson and the racist sh*theads he stirs up are a scourge on this country.

To be clear, people aren’t wrong to feel like Britain is broken; they’re also not wrong to think that they’ve been shafted, or to acknowledge that their circumstances keep getting worse.

They are wrong to blame people of colour for the problems caused by the rich, though. And they’re especially wrong to spread lies as soon as they face any sort of pushback.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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Further to Monday’s letter from the Deputy Chief Constable, we’ve submitted the following Freedom Of Information request to Police Scotland.

———————————————————————-

To: FOI

15 July 2026

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This week I received a letter from DCC Stuart Houston. It notes in part:

“During this time, Police Scotland utilised financial investigators, financial analysts and a forensic accountant to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding reported irregularities. Consideration was given to other crime types, such as, but not limited to, those listed in your letter. 

These matters were also fully investigated, and all of the circumstances were reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for advice and guidance.”

As Police Scotland announced that Operation Branchform was closed on 26 May 2026 and is no longer a live investigation requiring confidentiality, and as the matter is of such great public interest – involving as it does the extremely grave matters of public confidence in the Scottish Government and the integrity and independence of Police Scotland and COPFS when investigating potential crimes committed by members of that government – the information I request is therefore as follows:

(1) What advice and guidance was received from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service specifically regarding the initial complaint about the Scottish National Party’s suspected misappropriation of “ringfenced” fundraiser money (rather than the subsequent offence of embezzlement against the Party for which Peter Murrell was prosecuted and convicted)?

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(2) On which date/s was this advice and guidance received?

(3) On which date (an approximate one, eg “August 2023” or “Spring 2022”, will suffice if a more precise one cannot be identified) did Police Scotland cease investigations into the original complaint of misappropriation of funds by the SNP (again as opposed to Peter Murrell’s subsequent embezzlement from the Party)?

(4) Did they do so on the grounds that (a) no crime was identified, or that (b) there had been a crime but the perpetrator/s could not be identified, or that (c) there had likely been a crime but evidence was insufficient for a prosecution, or for some other reason?

In the interests of transparency I can see no justifiable reason for these facts being withheld from the public.

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The integrity of the government, police and prosecution service is not a matter of mere curiosity or prurience. It is vital to public faith in national institutions and I will pursue this matter with the Information Commissioner if necessary.

———————————————————————-

We’ll be sending a similar one to the Crown Office, and our solicitor will also be writing to Police Scotland separately. We’ll continue to keep you posted.

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Spain are into the World Cup final after a controlled, clinical 2-0 win over France in Dallas.

The semi-final was billed as a meeting of the tournament’s two standout sides, but one which never caught fire for Didier Deschamps’ team. Goals in each half from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro settled it, sending the European champions through to Sunday’s showpiece against either England or Argentina.

France arrived with the joint-top scorer Kylian Mbappé and the World Cup’s top assist-maker Michael Olise, but neither could influence a game Spain managed from the opening whistle.

Luis de la Fuente’s side, unbeaten in 37 matches across all competitions, were simply sharper, cleaner and more cohesive. France, by contrast, produced one of their poorest displays of the tournament at the worst possible moment.

Spain took control

The semi-final had been hyped as a heavyweight clash, but Spain settled quicker and imposed their rhythm. Their first breakthrough came at 22 minutes. Lucas Digne, attempting to clear inside his own box, caught Lamine Yamal. The contact was clear, the penalty awarded, and Oyarzabal stepped up to slam his finish past Mike Maignan.

It was a moment that underlined Spain’s composure. Even with France’s frontline on the pitch, Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele, Olise could not trouble Spain. Their midfield combinations were crisp, their press well-timed, and their wide players constantly stretching the game.

France’s response was minimal. William Saliba’s injury on the half-hour, forcing Maxence Lacroix into action, added to their problems.

Spain continued to create the cleaner chances. A slick move on 38 minutes saw Dani Olmo backheel into Yamal, whose cross found Fabian Ruiz. His effort was blocked just wide – another warning for France.

Porro doubles the lead

Spain’s second goal arrived at 58 minutes and reflected the fluency they carried throughout. Porro exchanged passes with Olmo, broke into space, and finished low for 2-0. It was a simple, well-executed move, and it effectively ended the contest.

Three minutes later, Yamal thought he had added a third, bursting through and finishing, but he was narrowly offside. It didn’t matter. Spain were in complete control, and France had still not registered a shot on target.

Olise, who came into the match with five assists in the tournament, was substituted at 72 minutes. His output summed up France’s night. Just two chances created, no completed dribbles, and little influence.

Ferran Torres then headed wide for Spain as they hunted a third, while Unai Simon’s misjudged header gifted Désiré Doué a chance, but the France substitute shot straight at the scrambling keeper.

France’s first meaningful efforts on target didn’t arrive until stoppage time. By then, Spain were already cruising into the final.

Biggest test ends in defeat

Across this World Cup, France had looked complete. Their four-man frontline had been slick and decisive. Their defence had been solid, with clean sheets in all three knockout games before this one. Their depth was the envy of most nations.

Yet in Dallas, they were a shadow of that side. The first half was blunt, lacking tempo and invention.

Usually, France finds a second-half surge, but it never came. The air-conditioned stadium offered no lift, and Spain’s organisation denied them any rhythm.

The performance left France fans dejected. Bastille Day celebrations back home will have felt flat as supporters watched a team unable to produce their usual intensity. Spain were excellent, but this semi-final was defined just as much by France’s failure to fire.

France falls short

Didier Deschamps admitted his side were below their usual level. He pointed to technical errors, misplaced passes, and a lack of danger in attack. For a squad with such talent, it was a disappointing end and a subdued conclusion to his 14-year tenure.

France now head to Saturday’s third-place play-off, a fixture that will feel like a comedown after their ambitions of lifting the trophy.

Spain’s run continues

Spain’s consistency is remarkable. They beat France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, and again in the Nations League semi-finals in 2025. This win makes it three straight knockout victories over Les Bleus. More importantly, it extends their unbeaten run to 37 matches – a joint-record for a European nation.

Huge praise must be given to Luis de la Fuente and his players, for their commitment, solidarity, talent, and how they make difficult tasks look simple.

This Spain side began this cycle with a clear idea and have stuck to it. The result is a team primed to repeat the Euros–World Cup double they achieved in 2010.

They will take some stopping in New York.

Key moments

• 22 mins – goal: Oyarzabal converts from the spot after Digne kicks Yamal.
• 30 mins – injury: Saliba forced off; Lacroix replaces him.
• 38 mins – close: Olmo’s backheel releases Yamal; Ruiz’s shot blocked wide.
• 58 mins – goal: Porro finishes after linking with Olmo.
• 61 mins – no goal: Yamal scores but is offside.
• 72 mins – sub: Olise withdrawn after ineffective display.
• 79 mins – miss: Torres heads wide.
• 81 mins – error: Simon’s poor header gives Doue a chance; he shoots at the keeper.

Spain sharper, France subdued

Spain’s control was total. Their midfield dictated, their wide players stretched France, and their defensive structure kept Mbappé quiet. Dembélé, Olise and the rest of France’s attack were blunted, unable to find space or combine with any fluency.

France’s technical errors were costly. Passes went astray, transitions broke down, and their usual second-half lift never materialised. Spain didn’t need to be spectacular either; they simply needed to maintain their level. They did exactly that.

What’s next

Spain move on to Sunday’s final, where they will face either England or Argentina. Both opponents present different challenges, but Spain’s form, cohesion and unbeaten run make them formidable.

France, meanwhile, must regroup for the third-place play-off. It is not the stage they expected to be on, and the performance in Dallas will linger.

Featured image via NBC News

By Faz Ali

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