Politics
Brexit legislation ‘paused’ after MPs reject Boris Johnson’s timetable – as it happened | Politics
Key events
Closing summary
That’s all from us this evening. Here’s a summary of the day’s events:
- Brexit looked set to be delayed until next year at the earliest after the prime minister suffered another major Commons defeat. The European council’s president, Donald Tusk, said he would recommend the extension be signed off and it was suggested that 31 January 2020 would be set as the new deadline, though it would be superseded if there was an earlier ratification of Brexit by MPs.
- Boris Johnson paused his attempt to get his deal through parliament after MPs refused to allow him to fast-track it. Despite MPs having decided to pass the legislation that would implement the deal to the next parliamentary stage, Johnson took it off the agenda because they refused to agree to accede to his demand for a three-day timetable.
- Downing Street indicated the PM was likely to push for a general election, rather than continue trying to get his deal through parliament. Johnson had promised to pull the bill altogether if MPs did not go along with his fast-track timetable, as well as to seek an election. While the former did not materialise, his intention to pursue the latter was underlined in anonymous late-night briefings from No 10.
- The chancellor suffered a squeeze on public spending in the run-up to next month’s budget after an increase in borrowing to £9.4bn in September. A spending increase across Whitehall departments and the rising costs of the winter fuel allowance for pensioners pushed borrowing beyond last September’s £8.8bn, dealing a blow to Sajid Javid’s plans to inject billions of pounds into public services and infrastructure projects in his first budget on 6 November.
If you’d like to read yet more, my colleague Heather Stewart has the full story:
If, as expected, Brexit is delayed until the end of January, a general election would have to follow, the Press Association reports, citing an unnamed No 10 source.
Parliament and Corbyn have repeatedly voted for delay. On Saturday, parliament asked for a delay until January and, today, parliament blew its last chance. If parliament’s delay is agreed by Brussels, then the only way the country can move on is with an election. This parliament is broken.
The public will have to choose whether they want to get Brexit done with Boris or whether they want to spend 2020 having two referendums on Brexit and Scotland with Corbyn.
The prime minister did not use his opportunity at the dispatch box following his Commons defeat to refer to such a plan, preferring only to confirm he was pausing the passage of his bill, and the comments above are not attributable to an official No 10 spokesperson.
But the language deployed closely follows that used by Johnson when he made a similar warning to MPs earlier today.
LBC’s political editor has this take:
No10 source tonight.
Three points. 1). Parliament hasn’t blown its last chance. The 31st deadline was set by Brussels. The PM has said it’s his final deadline but Brussels is open to an extension.
2). Benn Act was passed by MPs but PM sent the letter.
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) October 22, 2019
The shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, has said:
Johnson is the author of his own misfortune. He only tried to bounce his deal through parliament because he knows it will not withstand scrutiny. A Brexit deal driven by the ideology of deregulation must be stopped.
The European council president, Donald Tusk, has said he will recommend the EU accept the UK’s request for a Brexit extension.
Following PM @BorisJohnson’s decision to pause the process of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, and in order to avoid a no-deal #Brexit, I will recommend the EU27 accept the UK request for an extension. For this I will propose a written procedure.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 22, 2019
As we reported earlier, it is thought the EU will favour a delay until 31 January 2020:
Donald Tusk has tweeted to say he will recommend accepting the UK’s request for a Brexit extension:
Following PM @BorisJohnson’s decision to pause the process of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, and in order to avoid a no-deal #Brexit, I will recommend the EU27 accept the UK request for an extension. For this I will propose a written procedure.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 22, 2019
The Tories are trying to sell this evening’s votes as a victory for the prime minister on the substance – and a refusal by Labour to then let him make the progress he wants to:
Labour, on the other hand, are calling it a victory for those who simply don’t want to allow the deal to be rammed through parliament without proper scrutiny:
Really significant votes tonight. Parliament defeated Johnson’s attempt to rush through his deeply flawed deal. I spoke with many colleagues who agonised over these votes. Whether you agree or disagree, they should be respected.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 22, 2019
And, as has become traditional on such nights, the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, has his own unique take:
Labour MPs who voted for the government’s Brexit deal at second reading this evening have called for more time to discuss it at committee stage. Gareth Snell has said:
The injury inflicted this evening was a mere flesh wound, and if the Leader of the House was willing to bring forward a motion tomorrow with a more considered timetable for committee stage, it would pass this House.
Some of us voted for second reading precisely so we could get on to the next stage for more scrutiny, and didn’t support the programme motion because we did not believe there was sufficient time.
His fellow Labour MP, Ruth Smeeth, said:
All we’re asking for is the opportunity to ensure that the deal which was only presented to us last night works for our constituents and my local economy – we need slightly more time.
Speaking in the Commons, Lucy Powell told the Leader of the House:
We could have a lot longer on committee stage and he could bring forward tomorrow morning a fresh programme motion which allows us longer in committee for us to actually put amendments in a timely fashion.
Jacob Rees-Mogg replied:
I am not unsympathetic to the point about time, it is simply the deadline of 31 October which was set by the European Union and, therefore, we are compressed in the time available to get this bill delivered, which is why I was willing to support the programme motion and felt that it was reasonable under the circumstances.
Confronted with a similar claim from the government benches earlier in the evening, some MPs have pointed out that, despite the tight deadline, the prime minister sought to prorogue parliament.
Much has been made of the significance of the prime minister’s decision to “pause” his bill, rather than pull it altogether – as well as that of his decision not to explicitly refer to 31 October when telling the Commons the UK will still leave the EU under the terms of his deal.
The leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has now said it is “very hard to see how it is possible” for the withdrawal agreement bill to pass by that date. The Conservative MP and ardent Brexiter, Peter Bone, asked:
Leader of the House, can we interpret from what you are saying that it is now impossible to get the deal through this House and the other House prior to 31 October, and in that case it is effectively dead for approval before that date.
Rees-Mogg replied:
Impossible is a very strong word, but it is very hard to see how it is possible.
And here’s a little more from the lobby on what, exactly, happened this evening and what, exactly, it means:
Boris Johnson still paying the price for losing DUP with his Brexit deal. — Asa Bennett (@asabenn) October 22, 2019 “Under no circumstances will I ask for a delay”. He asked for a delay.
“We will leave on 31 October do or die.” We will not leave on 31 October.
“I will pull the bill”. He is not pulling the bill. — Benjamin Kentish (@BenKentish) October 22, 2019 Boris Johnson’s promise to “get Brexit done” by October 31 seems to have evaporated at the precise point he spotted the right opportunity to force a general election.
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 22, 2019 The whole of the Conservative parliamentary party – 285 MPs – backed both the second reading and the programme motion. Impressive whipping.
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) October 22, 2019
Letwin amendment would not have passed if the DUP had voted with the government.
If the 10 DUP MPs had voted tonight for his breakneck programme motion, it would have passed.
The Times’ political correspondent has another take:
Counterpoint is that the ex-Tory independents killed the programme motion tonight. Had the decision not been made last month to withdraw the whip, how would they have voted? In fact, had the attempt to prorogue parliament not been made, how many would even have backed Benn act? https://t.co/XQXT4KoERw
— Henry Zeffman (@hzeffman) October 22, 2019
We’re getting some reaction now from senior EU27 figures. The Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said:
It’s welcome that the House of Commons voted by a clear majority in favour of legislation needed to enact withdrawal agreement. We will now await further developments from London and Brussels about next steps; including timetable for the legislation and the need for an extension.
Then there’s this from the European commission spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva:
🇪🇺🇬🇧 @EU_Commission takes note of tonight’s result and expects the U.K. government to inform us about the next steps. @eucopresident is consulting leaders on the UK’s request for an extension until 31 January 2020.
— Mina Andreeva (@Mina_Andreeva) October 22, 2019
Sky News’ Europe correspondent reports that the EU is ready to offer a delay until the end of January 2020:
NEW: Multiple Brussels diplomats telling me they expect EU to follow Benn Act and give (a prob flexible) extension until January 31st. — Adam Parsons (@adamparsons) October 22, 2019
*Crucially* am told that, if there is unanimous backing, this could be done in writing – rather than going through full council.@SkyNews
We reported similar earlier this evening:
But the BBC’s Europe editor has this:
EU source rejects the PMs assertion in Parliament just now that the ball is back in the EUs court now (regarding extension etc). EU leaders say they wait to hear from Boris Johnson as to what his next steps are /1
— katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) October 22, 2019
The division list for the programme motion shows just five Labour MPs rebelled to support it. They were joined by 285 Tory MPs and 18 independents in supporting the motion. Those Labour MPs are:
- Kevin Barron
- Jim Fitzpatrick
- Caroline Flint
- Kate Hoey
- John Mann
The list showed 233 Labour MPs opposed the motion along with 35 SNP, 19 Lib Dem, 10 DUP, four Plaid Cymru and the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas; as well as five Independent Group for Change MPs and 15 independents.
No current Tory MPs rebelled but nine of those 15 independents were recently kicked out of the party for rebelling against the government. They are:
- Guto Bebb
- Ken Clarke
- Justine Greening
- Dominic Grieve
- Philip Hammond
- Richard Harrington
- Anne Milton
- Antoinette Sandbach
- Rory Stewart
No current Conservative MPs voted against the government on the withdrawal agreement bill. But three former Tory members from whom the whip was withdrawn last month did:
- Dominic Grieve
- Justine Greening
- Guto Bebb
In all, 19 Labour MPs rebelled to support the prime minister’s withdrawal agreement bill. They were:
- Kevin Barron
- Sarah Champion
- Rosie Cooper
- Jon Cruddas
- Gloria De Piero
- Jim Fitzpatrick
- Caroline Flint
- Mike Hill
- Dan Jarvis
- Emma Lewell-Buck
- John Mann
- Grahame Morris
- Lisa Nandy
- Melanie Onn
- Stephanie Peacock
- Jo Platt
- Ruth Smeeth
- Laura Smith
- Gareth Snell
Barring Barron, Cooper, Fitzpatrick, Flint and Mann, none of those supported May’s deal during any of the three meaningful votes on it.
Following the programme motion vote, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, told MPs:
The facts of the matter are this is yet another humiliating defeat for the prime minister this evening who has sought to railroad through this house legislation that requires proper scrutiny.
Furthermore, it is absolutely clear what must now happen, because there is legislation passed by this house, it is the law of the land. On the basis of not agreeing a deal, that the prime minister is instructed – instructed, prime minister – to seek an extension.
The Father of the House, Ken Clarke, said:
Can I ask the prime minister and everybody else to reconsider the suggestion he made that we pause the progress of the bill tomorrow?
I can’t quite see the logic of pausing progress on the bill when the whole house is expecting the next two days to be spent on it.
It would enable us to see how quickly the house is actually proceeding, what sort of time is being looked for, it may enable then, if people start filibustering, which I hope they won’t, for the government to get a majority for a timetable motion if it came back which was a modest adjustment to the one he had, because I think three or four days more would certainly do it.
The leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, is on his feet setting out how the government intends to proceed. He tells MPs there will be a debate on the Queen’s speech on Wednesday and Thursday and that the Commons will not sit on Friday.
The shadow leader, Valerie Vaz, reiterates Labour’s offer to work to find a consensus on the Brexit bill’s timetabling.
Following the defeat of the programme motion, the prime minister told MPs:
Can I say in response how welcome it is, even joyful that for the first time in this long saga, this house has actually accepted its responsibilities together, come together, and embraced a deal?
I congratulate honourable members across the house on the scale of our collective achievement because, just a few weeks ago, hardly anybody believed that we could reopen the withdrawal agreement, let alone abolish the backstop. That is indeed what they were saying.
And certainly nobody thought we could secure the approval of the house for a new deal and we should not overlook the significance of this moment.
And I pay particular tribute to those members of the house who were sceptical and who had difficulties and doubts and who decided to place the national interest ahead of any other consideration.
I must express my disappointment that the house has again voted for delay, rather than a timetable that would have guaranteed that the UK would be in a position to leave the EU on 31 October with a deal.
And we now face further uncertainty and the EU must make up their minds over how to answer parliament’s request for a delay. And the first consequence, Mr Speaker, is that the government must take the only responsible course and accelerate our preparations for a no-deal outcome.
The Commons Speaker has indicated that the government intends to set out in a business statement shortly how it wants to proceed.
Boris Johnson did not mention an election once in his statement.
— Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) October 22, 2019
Politics
FIFA hypocrisy after Israel murder over 400 Palestinian footballers
The Board of Peace and FIFA have announced plans to build 55 football pitches, an academy, and a national stadium in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has murdered over 400 footballers, destroyed every football pitch in the country, and made millions of Palestinians homeless.
Yet now, a board of rich, old, and (all but one) white men is deciding Gaza’s fate. This is after supplying weapons and supporting Israel’s genocide for over two years.
The hypocrisy is off the charts.
🚨🇵🇸 WATCH: FIFA and the Board of Peace have announced they are building 55 football pitches, a FIFA academy and a national stadium in Gaza pic.twitter.com/G1cB5NVSe1
— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) February 26, 2026
Follow for the very latest political news!
The proposals include:
– 50 FIFA Arena Mini Pitches ($50,000 per pitch)
– 5 Full Sized Pitches ($1 million per pitch)
– A FIFA Academy ($15 million)
– A National Stadium ($50 million)— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) February 26, 2026
Since October 2023, Israel has murdered at least 437 Palestinian footballers — and that figure could actually be far higher.
At least 437 registered Palestinian footballers murdered by Israel since 7 October with half of them being children and FIFA continues to allow Israeli domestic and international teams to play in their competitions and tournaments https://t.co/ubzxvkKH0R
— Cllr Martin Abrams (@Martin_Abrams) February 26, 2026
Over half of these were children.
Built on child’s corpses.
— Antifa HR Director (@berniehoe2) February 26, 2026
Israel destroyed all 51 football clubs, along with 9 stadiums and the communities that came with both.
51 clubs and 9 stadiums destroyed in Gaza. Many of them date back to before 1948. At least ten football academies were erased.
FIFA’s plan is to build only one stadium and 50 mini-pitches as well as 1 academy.
This is colonialism but packaged as sports reconstruction. https://t.co/gDjx74LrU5
— Abubaker Abed (@AbubakerAbedW) February 27, 2026
Turning pitches into graveyards
At one point, Israel bombed a football pitch at a Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon, whilst 13 children were playing on it.
Israel then claimed it struck a ‘Hamas training compound’.
Of course, FIFA has turned a blind eye for over two years as Israel has murdered innocent people.
FIFA quickly suspended Russia from international tournaments after it illegally invaded Ukraine. But of course, it did not take the same action when Israel launched its full-scale genocide on Palestine.
As the Canary previously reported:
FIFA has ignored restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and the targeting of stadiums and sports facilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the imposition of Israeli clubs in settlements at the expense of Palestinian federations.
Now, FIFA is using a Trump-esque AI video. Could they create something more fucked up if they tried?
an AI generated video of a fifa stadium erupting out of the leveled ruins of gazan neighborhoods is the most disturbing and dehumanizing thing i’ve seen on this godless app, no one involved in this will be seeing heaven i can make that guarantee
— ℑℭ𝓔𝔅𝔒𝔜 (@exsdys) February 27, 2026
Anyway, in what world is this Gaza:
This looks more like the UAE than Gaza.The men’s attire shown above is primarily associated with Gulf states. The racist AI video generator clearly cannot distinguish between different Arab populations — and FIFA apparently didn’t bother checking what its own use of AI produced before publishing it.
Orientalism at its finest.
FIFA enabling ethnic cleansing
As if it was not bad enough that FIFA has been allowing Israel to compete internationally. Now, it is an active participant in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
This is as disgusting as the Trump Gaza AI video…
FIFA is participating in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza directly with the Board of Peace.
BOYCOTT FIFA. BOYCOTT THE CRIMINALS. https://t.co/5J8ZvkjeL5
— YourFavoriteGuy (@guychristensen_) February 27, 2026
Israel has murdered tens of thousands of Palestinians, and the West collectively ignored it. Now they’re going to jump on the graves of children to expand their capitalist empires as if Palestine has not suffered enough for the last 70 years.
I want to fucking cry, tens of thousands of innocent people slaughtered without a care in a world, just so that the capitalists can expand their empire further, all on top of the body of a nation that suffered for the last 70 years. You cant hate these people enough. https://t.co/LDOv34XQv9
— Radya🇵🇸 (@radishart_) February 27, 2026
We can only presume that this is some sort of soft launch for a future tournament in Israel. Of course, the powers that be – who happen to be mainly friends-of-nonces- will have no intention of including Palestine in said tournament. That’s if there are even any footballers left to invite because Israel has murdered them all.
Fifa are testing the waters and soft launching a tournament in Israel https://t.co/pRrloFVMx9
— Лайк! 🔻 (@_Ventfull_) February 26, 2026
sportswashing a genocide by building football pitches on the bodies of dead Gazans? using AI garbage to depict fast-tracked construction around the rubble? truly, truly sick. they’re paying $70m to put the FIFA stamp on ethnic cleansing. may these depraved ghouls never know peace https://t.co/YoIfR65Ire
— amadí (@amadoit__) February 27, 2026
If the board of peace, Israel, or FIFA think that a few new stadiums will make the world collectively forget the brutality of the last two years, they have another thing coming.
And who’s to say Israel would not bomb new stadiums as soon as Palestinians set foot in them? The rest of the world watches on as Israel labels whatever the hell they like Hamas targets and gets away with cold-blooded murder.
Neither a sporting governing body nor a ‘board’ made up of rich old men should be allowed any part in building on the graves of children.
Politics
Churchill statue branded ‘zionist war criminal’ in Whitehall
Conservatives and fascists got two absolute spankings last night. First, their man lost in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Then an activist graffitied Churchill’s statue in Whitehall — and not for the first time. That’s a tough 24hrs for people who think they’re living in the movie Zulu because they once saw an Asian person in Big Asda.
Here’s the Canary’s news report on the incident.
You can see the ‘damage’ — I mean, it does just wash off — below:
⚡️Churchill statue in London defaced with “Zionist war criminal” graffiti pic.twitter.com/SlCkWCAGUs
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 27, 2026
Poor Winston got called a ‘Zionist war criminal’. Another part of the graffiti said ‘stop the genocide’. Thing is… Churchill was a proud Zionist and a key architect of several British imperial genocides. So while it is a bit naughty to spray that stuff on his statue… what was said isn’t technically inaccurate. The graffiti also said ‘free Palestine’, which doubtless added to the right-wing meltdown.
Met Police said a man was arrested at the scene at 4am on 27 February. It’s striking that he was detained for “racially aggravated criminal damage”:
Overnight, the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square was graffitied with red paint.
Officers were on scene within two minutes of being alerted shortly after 4am.
A 38-yr-old man is in custody having been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 27, 2026
Proud Zionist
Churchill was a racist, Zionist and imperialist to his core. In fact to be fair to him he never said he wasn’t. He held these views proudly and loudly. The only people who have an issue with this basic fact are his weird cultists. Who, perversely, are often also racists.
Left-wing writer Tariq Ali wrote a (bloody good) book about the cult of Churchill and the reality of the man’s views. He told Current Affairs in May 2022:
He was a supporter of the Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco. He supported Franco like Hitler and Mussolini did in the Spanish Civil War.
Churchill was also “a terribly open admirer” of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini:
He said, what a great role Mussolini was playing in Italy. [“I could not help being charmed by his gentle, simple bearing,” Churchill said of Mussolini.
Then we have the 1943 Bengal famine, which may have killed 3mn people. A British-manufactured horror which:
Churchill refused, explicitly, to intervene to stop that famine.
And don’t forget Churchill’s 1944 crushing of the Greek resistance in favour of fascism:
the order given to the British commander, who the resistance had allowed to enter Athens, that if the resistance doesn’t do as we say, treat Athens as a colonial city. And the bloodbath that occurred in Greece as General Scobie tried to crush the Greek resistance.
Churchill’s views, as you can imagine, on Palestine flow quite naturally from these.
Churchill and Israel
Churchill, like so many imperialists in his day and ours, was both a supporter of Zionism AND an antisemite.
He supported the Balfour Declaration (the colonialist Middle East carve-up which helped get us where we are today) as British colonial secretary:
I am in full sympathy with the historical traditional aspirations of the Jews.
And said:
Jerusalem must be the only ultimate goal. When it will be achieved it is vain to prophesy; but that it will some day be achieved is one of the few certainties of the future.
Yet he wrote in 1940 that Jews
have been partly responsible for the antagonism from which they suffer.
And that:
there are times when one feels instinctively that all this is only another manifestation of the difference, the separateness of the Jew.
Of the Palestinians and their claim on their homeland, he had absolute contempt:
I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time.
He also denied that:
a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the Black people of Australia.
Churchill said such people had just been replaced with “a higher grade race.”
Nice bloke…
Now vandalising public monuments these days is going to get you in trouble — whether the politics are agreeable or not. In this case it seems to have been Dutch pro-Palestine activists. But if we’re talking about the graffiti itself, the claims made aren’t inaccurate. So maybe it’s time butthurt Churchill fans stop pretending and own their hero’s legacy as a racist and bigot.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Pakistan declares ‘open war’ as fighting with Afghanistan rages
Fighting on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has intensified. One Pakistani minister has described it as a state of “open war”. And Pakistan has hit the Afghan capital Kabul with airstrikes.
Afghan forces launched attacks across the British-created Durand line on 26 February. And Pakistan has called the Taliban regime — which replaced the US-led occupation in 2021 — illegitimate and accused it of harbouring militants.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on 27 February:
Afghan soil is not being used; but, the Afghan Taliban regime is fully aligned with these terrorists and is completely backing these terrorists.
Al Jazeera reported on 27 February:
Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as on Kandahar and Paktia, early on Friday. The attacks targeted Taliban military installations as Islamabad declared “open war” on the group’s government, in the most serious military confrontation between the two neighbours in years.
One Kabul resident described her terror:
Then we heard gunfire. When we looked out of our apartment window, we saw bullet-like flames going up in the sky.
Al Jazeera said the airstrikes:
came hours after Afghan forces launched coordinated cross-border attacks on Pakistani military positions in six border provinces late on Thursday. Kabul claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 outposts captured.
Border war
Border fighting broke out in October 2025. A subsequent Turkey and Qatar-brokered ceasefire has now broken down.
The origins of the fighting are complicated. Ahram Online reported:
Islamabad argues that the authorities in Kabul, led by the Taliban, have failed to curb the activities of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, a separate but ideologically aligned group that has intensified attacks inside Pakistan since 2021.
The Taliban deny this is the case. Kabul-based political analyst Obaidullah Baheer said:
Pakistan claimed that it was doing that in response to TTP attacks based on the bogus claim that the Taliban are supporting the TTP, an insurgent group operating within Pakistan.
Drop Site News posted a timeline of the breakdown in diplomatic relations since January 2026:
Lead-up: January – Mid-February 2026
▪️Early January: Pakistan warns that Afghanistan is becoming a hub for foreign militants.
▪️February 6: A suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad kills 31–36 worshippers. The attack is claimed by ISKP, but Pakistan blames the Afghan…
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) February 27, 2026
The Pakistan has also banned personal drones after Afghan forces used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in their attack:
The ban is effective nationwide immediately and will remain in place until further directives are issued. All provincial governments and chief secretaries have been asked to ensure strict enforcement of the directive.
Vast US arsenal
A vast arsenal of US military equipment and weaponry was left behind in 2021. Those weapons are now fuelling the war. As the Canary reported on 4 February:
those weapons have flooded neighbouring Pakistan
The Foundation for Economic Education broke down some of the numbers involved. They said the giant arsenal included:
includes up to 22,174 Humvee vehicles, nearly 1,000 armored vehicles, 64,363 machine guns, and 42,000 pick-up trucks and SUVs.
There were mind-boggling amounts of small arms — and even artillery:
the list of allegedly abandoned weaponry includes up to 358,530 assault rifles, 126,295 pistols, and nearly 200 artillery units.
CNN reported that the border region holds vast quantities of copper and other minerals and metals which the US craves:
Pakistan says there is much more wealth beneath its soil –– an estimated $8 trillion in copper, lithium, cobalt, gold, antimony and other critical minerals.
This reality has:
oiled an unlikely friendship with US President Donald Trump, who has put mineral acquisition at the heart of US foreign policy
Pakistan and Afghanistan’s colonial underpinnings
The colonial nature of the conflict zone can’t be ignored either. National Geographic describes the Durand Line as:
part of a long history of colonizing countries establishing borders that serve their own political purposes while ignoring the cultures and ethnicities of the people living there.
As Ahram Online explained:
The roots of the crisis trace back to 1893, when British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand signed an agreement with Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan to demarcate a frontier between British India and Afghanistan. That line split Pashtun tribal lands between two political entities.
After independence in 1947, Pakistan:
inherited the Durand Line as an international boundary under the principle of state succession. Successive Afghan governments, however, avoided formally recognizing it as a permanent border. The dispute has simmered for decades, occasionally flaring but rarely disappearing.
The neighbours view the border very differently:
Pakistan views the border as legally settled and central to its territorial integrity. Afghanistan’s position has historically been more ambiguous, shaped by ethnic ties, nationalist sentiment, and resistance to what many Afghans see as a colonial imposition.
This explosive combination of competing territorial visions and competition for vast mineral resources is compounded by colonial history and the presence on both sides of the border of vast arsenals of lost American weapons. And ordinary people of the region aren’t without agency, yet to some degree they remain hostage to imperialisms both old and new.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Brit Awards 2026: What Geese Star Max Bassin Said In His Censored Speech
It’s fair to say that the censors had plenty to keep them busy during this year’s Brit Awards.
Saturday night’s Brits broadcast saw the sound being pulled on numerous occasions due to a variety of comments that were made over the course of the event.
One such moment came during musician Max Bassin’s acceptance speech, after he accepted the International Group Of The Year prize on behalf of his band Geese.
Choosing to keep things short, he began his speech by stating simply: “What’s up, ‘the Brits’? I just want to say, free Palestine…”
However, after Max said the word “free”, the audio was pulled, resulting in the rest of what he had to say being cut from broadcast.
It later emerged that Max concluded his speech: “Fuck ICE, go Geese.”
Many Brits viewers were quick to voice their upset at what appeared to be ITV censoring Max’s politically-charged speech right as the drummer was about to speak out in solidarity with Palestine.
However, in response to this backlash, the broadcaster has indicated to HuffPost UK that Max’s speech was censored due to his language after his pro-Palestine message – in other words, his use of the word “fuck” – rather than because of his political statements.
Earlier in the night, the Brits also pulled the sound when Jack Whitehall made a seemingly unscripted joke about Peter Mandelson, after spotting Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Labour minister Lisa Nandy in the awards show’s audience.
“I wonder who else is here,” he quipped. “I think I saw Peter Mandelson on the list. Oh wait, that was another list…”
Politics
US citizens’ support for Israel plummets, new data confirms
Israel’s Gaza genocide and constant demands for money and military support have caused its popularity to nosedive among US citizens. A new Gallup poll shows a dramatic about-turn in the colony’s standing across the board, especially among Democrats and unaligned voters, but reaching even to the Republican party.
The change is even more dramatic considering how stubbornly Americans held onto their support for Israel through decades of its abuses and slaughter of Palestinians. Almost two and a half years of ongoing genocide have finally shifted things in a healthier direction and the change has Israel and its lobby flailing.
Before 7 October 2023, more than half of Americans favoured Israel over Palestine, while less than a third felt the opposite. Now, 41% say their sympathies are with the Palestinians and support for Israel is barely over a third:
US support for Israel plummets
The fall has been accelerating. In May 2025, Gallup found that support for Israel among Americans was 46%, a figure that was already significantly down. Since then, Israel has lost almost a quarter of the support it still had at that point.
However, Gallup’s data show that the change was already underway before the 7 October 2023 raid into southern Israel, though it accelerated markedly after that. This is almost certainly indicative of the US right’s growing dissatisfaction with what it perceives as an “Israel first” approach of US government and many politicians. Even the late right-wing icon Charlie Kirk had disavowed his support for the colony and rejected its money before he was publicly murdered in September 2025, though the Israel lobby moved quickly to try to hide it after his death.
The fall has been sharpest among registered supporters of the US Democratic party. Ten years ago, half of Democrats supported Israel; now, that has fallen to just 17%:
In a sane world, or even a genuine democracy, such a shift in support would have a profound effect on US foreign policy. That the US continues to pursue war on Israel’s behalf — with Democrat lawmakers scarcely less supportive than Republicans — shows just how diseased, bought and corrupted US politics is under the Israel lobby, like its counterpart in the UK.
Featured image via the author
Politics
Campaign Against Antisemitism wrist slapped for ‘mismanagement’
The Charity Commission has found what it described as “mismanagement” by the misnamed ‘Campaign Against Antisemitism’ (CAA) for political activities at odds with its status as a ‘charity’. The CAA claims to combat antisemitism, but is in fact an Israel-funded lobby group that specialises in “defaming Palestine solidarity campaigners.”
CAA has been under scrutiny since September 2024, when it attacked as “obscene” the Starmer government for daring to make even a phantom reduction in arms licences to Israel. A further complaint was lodged with the Commission by human rights group CAGE in 2025. CAGE describes CAA, along with its fellow lobby group ‘UK Lawyers for Israel,’ as “Britain’s apartheid lobby” for their vexatious attacks on support for the Palestinian people against occupation, oppression and genocide.
However, the Commission’s announcement falls far short of the appropriate step of stripping a political lobbying group of its charitable status. This is hardly surprising: the Commission has been investigating CAA since at least 2018 without effective action.
Campaign Against Antisemitism guilty of mismanagement
The Charity Commission criticised CAA’s ‘failure’ to retain records relating to its 2024 political attack as “mismanagement”, said it had doubts that CAA’s statement “furthered the charity’s [supposed] objectives” and said it had issued the CAA with a “remedial Action Plan”. This treats CAA as if its conduct were merely shoddy and in need of improvement, rather than in line with its real, Israel-supporting goals — even though the Commission admitted it had received other complaints about its behaviour.
The Commission views failing to retain records relating to this decision making as mismanagement in the administration of this charity.
Further complaints have also been raised about CAA’s attack on the UK’s judicial system because a jury had dared to declare the Starmer regime’s ‘terror’ ban on anti-genocide group Palestine Action unlawful. CAA has boasted of its role in securing the ban.
CAA boss Gideon Falter is one of the central figures in the Israel lobby’s attacks on the Labour left during the Corbyn era. In 2024, as hundreds of thousands protested peacefully against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, he tried to claim that police had prevented him from ‘crossing a road’ because of the threat posed by a ‘hateful’ anti-genocide march. In fact, he had turned up with a security detail — not to ‘cross’ the road but to try to barge through the demo in the opposite direction.
Jewish anti-genocide group JVL lodged a 2020 complaint that CAA is a “highly politically partisan organisation which does not deserve charitable status”. JVL welcomed the Commission’s action against CAA as “not before time”. However, in reality it amounts to nothing more than a light slap on the wrist for one of the Israel lobby’s worst offenders. It evidences once again how spineless UK institutions are against the genocide lobby.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Arrested At The SOTU… For Standing
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Politics
Netanyahu reportedly abandons Israelis
War criminal Benjamin Netanyahu has fled and flown to Greece – like he did in last year’s ’12-day war’ – as retaliatory Iranian missiles batter Israel.
What else would the butcher of Gaza, Netanyahu, do but display his wide yellow streak, turn tail and run – leaving ‘his’ country and its occupying population to burn behind him.
Genocidal Netanyahu is a coward
And how it showed. While Netanyahu ran away, Iran’s missiles skipped past Israel’s defences as easily as they did in June 2025 and wrought havoc. There were scenes of utter panic at Israeli ports and shelters:
This is not even Iran’s full response yet. Whereas last year it used swarms of drones and missiles to overwhelm Israel’s defences, now it apparently needed just thirty:
🇮🇷🇮🇱Israel Army Radio: Nearly 30 missiles were used in the latest attack; this is the largest and most organized attack by Iran since this morning‼️ pic.twitter.com/RIrApw9rpl
— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) February 28, 2026
US news station NBC broadcast one major strike:
A Mossad-run call centre was hit, according to not yet confirmed reports:
🚨🇮🇷 BREAKING
Iranian missiles have struck Israel’s Mossad-run call centers employing Indian workers near the Al Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai.
These call centers were reportedly responsible for large-scale scams targeting Americans and Europeans. pic.twitter.com/LvBITWKK2C
— Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) February 28, 2026
Israeli TV was broadcasting live as a missile struck:
Footage showed other missiles breaching Israel’s ‘dome’:
Iranian missiles hitting central Israel just now. pic.twitter.com/Q1VU2khQQT
— Irves (@Irves_Watch) February 28, 2026
Some of the missiles, though not all, were ballistic – though not yet apparently Iran’s most effective hypersonic types:
🚨⚡️BREAKING: Missile alerts are sounding across Israel as footage emerges appearing to show multiple ballistic missiles launched earlier from inside Iran pic.twitter.com/uWRCk7aS4Z
— Segun (@segungideon10) February 28, 2026
Israeli propaganda account ‘Stand With Us’ has just reported ‘red’ warnings across Israel, showing the scale of danger and panic:
And new footage posted by an ABN News producer shows that the attack continues to intensify:
Another footage of interceptors launched from Patriot air defence batteries defending Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base against Iranian missiles.
One interceptor missile appears to have failed.#Qatar #Iran #Israel
pic.twitter.com/dmawZ4fDfh— Syed Askar Ali Shah (@syedaskar451) February 28, 2026
Locally-shot footage showed devastation where the missiles struck:
The coward Netanyahu and his colony love to bomb and murder children and the defenceless. They run away when a victim can strike back.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Brit Awards 2027: All The Must-See Moments You Might Have Missed
The biggest night in British music was an especially big one this year.
On Saturday night, the 2026 Brit Awards took place in Manchester for the first time, in a night that delivered glittering performance, a few surprise wins and plenty of moments that kept ITV’s censors busy.
If you missed this year’s broadcast and want to catch up (or, indeed, if you were only half-watching, and you’re wondering if there were any bits that completely passed you by), then you’re in luck, because we’ve rounded up X of the top must-see moments from the 2026 Brit Awards…
Before the ceremony was even underway, Harry Styles made us smile on the red carpet with this business suit/ballet pumps combo

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
Rosalía got her night off to a suitably dramatic start with this complete serve

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
And it was a strong showing all-round from some of our fave celeb couples, including Jade and Jordan Stephens…


Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
…and darts icon Luke Littler and his long-term girlfriend Faith Millar

Comedian Jack Whitehall kicked off his sixth time hosting the Brits with a skit paying homage to his love of Harry Styles
The man himself then opened the show properly with a performance of Aperture, complete with a lot of hand-ography and bum-wiggling
Jack Whitehall pulled absolutely no punches with his introductory Brits monologue, coming for everyone from Alex Warren (‘what you get if you order Ed Sheeran on Temu’), Lily Allen (‘her album was launched into the charts like a torpedo – only this torpedo didn’t sink a ship, it destroyed a Harbour’), Robbie Williams (‘he’s had more comebacks than his hairline’) and Noel Gallagher (‘Songwriter Of The Year… 1996’)
Oh, and he also delivered this jibe at the expense of the BBC
The voices of Huntr/x brought the joy with a performance – a pre-recorded one, we should add – of their hit Golden
And Olivia Dean’s rendition of Man I Need was similarly just… absolutely lovely, to be honest
Raye’s vocals on her renditions of Where Is My Husband! and Nightingale Lane were truly jaw-dropping
…and they were similarly quick to censor an introduction by Angry Ginge, to (he was jokingly calling London a ‘shithole’ if you’re interested)

Jack Whitehall then told us we were about to have ‘our minds blown by the incomparable Rosalía’ and he was absolutely not wrong
Oh and yes, Rosalía actually managed to get Björk back performing at the Brits for the first time in more than 30 years

The sound was pulled once again after Geese musician Max Bassin declared ‘free Palestine, fuck ICE’ during his International Group Of The Year speech
Jack Whitehall’s exchange with Shaun Ryder and Bez started off chaotic and only ventured into increasingly surreal territory
Alex Warren’s performance included a surprise guest spot from James Blunt because hey why not?

Noel Gallagher kicked off his Songwriter Of The Year speech by thanking his brother and Oasis bandmate Liam
Mark Ronson’s Outstanding Contribution performance featured some lovely tributes to Amy Winehouse…
…as well as a surprise(-ish) appearance from Dua Lipa

Rosalía’s special night just kept getting better as she was crowned International Artist Of The Year, beating some seriously stiff competition including Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga

And CMAT had some fun with the cameras at losing out in this category for the second time

The night’s top winner Olivia Dean was visibly elated to pick up the Brits’ top honour, Album Of The Year

And finally, following a speech by Sharon Osbourne and her daughter Kelly, Robbie Williams was absolutely spot-on with his musical tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, which closed the show
Politics
Tel Aviv gets a taste of its own medicine
In maybe the only good news of the year so far, Iranian ballistic missiles have struck both Tel Aviv – including Mossad HQ – causing major damage.
JUST IN: 🇮🇱🇮🇷 Major damage in Tel Aviv, Israel following Iranian ballistic missile strike.
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 28, 2026
Mossad HQ and Israeli military intelligence HQ in Tel Aviv hit by Iran.
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 28, 2026
Of course, white Jewish Israelis will be running to their cosy little bomb shelters. Meanwhile, as we have seen previously, the illegal settlers exclude minorities.
Nothing to see here.
Just Israelis hiding in bunkers. Dancing and cheering as bombs rain on schoolgirls in Iran.
And as American soldiers are sent to die for Israel’s war.
CNN and BBC won’t show you this.pic.twitter.com/ZpXv2ImU3T
— sarah (@sahouraxo) February 28, 2026
And Netanyahu? The dickhead responsible for the chaos across the entirety of the Middle East flew out of Tel Aviv quicker than Donald Trump can post to Truth Social when new Epstein files drop.
🇮🇱✈️ Netanyahu’s plane just left Israel. Circled for hours. Now over Greece.
The man who started the war. Who promised victory. Who declared Khamenei dead.
Now flying away while his country burns.
They’ll call it a trip. They’ll call it strategy. They’ll call it anything… pic.twitter.com/89OtANR4qF
— New Direction AFRICA (@Its_ereko) February 28, 2026
IsNOTrael is getting a taste of its own medicine.
BOOM BOOM #Telaviv, please #Iran make them feel what they have done to #Gaza https://t.co/8HXtdxInnV
— kandang puyang (@KandangPuyang) February 28, 2026
If you play with fire you can get burned. God save the Middle East. https://t.co/UX9uspqsyr
— Neil Nevim (@NeilNevim) February 28, 2026
And I’m guessing all media broadcasts will be banned from Israel in 3, 2, 1…
Tel Aviv is in tatters right now. Israelis are banned by military order from filming the damage (one of their many democratic values).
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 28, 2026
Israel is finally getting an iota of what it deserves for murdering thousands of Palestinians.
Netanyahu and Trump bomb civilian areas, killing children in the process, and then run, hide or party. They give zero fucks about the lives they are taking.
Anyone who has chosen to stay in Israel after watching Netanyahu and his terrorist government wage war on Palestinians for the last two and a half years needs to give their head a shake. And quite frankly, I have zero sympathy that they now have bombs falling on them.
Featured image via the Canary
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