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South East Water fined in damning Ofwat judgement

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South East Water fined in damning Ofwat judgement

On 5 March, Ofwat proposed a fine of over £22m to lax water firm South East Water. The news comes on the heels of an investigation into the companies repeated failures across 2020-2023.

These supply disruptions affected upwards of 286,000 people. Often, customers were left without running water, meaning they were unable to bathe, clean dishes, or even flush the loo.

However, the fine isn’t a done deal just yet. Ofwat is running a customer consultation on the fine until 13 April. If you want to have your say, follow the link here.

South East Water ‘failed to plan sufficiently’

The report itself was damning, finding that South East Water:

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failed to plan sufficiently, learn from incidents and conduct root cause analysis to maintain resilience within its water supply system, and was therefore unable to cope during periods of high demand or extreme weather. The company also failed to maintain key infrastructure such as service reservoirs, boreholes and major pipes.

Taken together, these issues meant that South East Water’s was more likely to fail in the face of both freeze-thaw events and long dry periods.

Ofwat accused the water firm of lacking organisation, responding slowly to key issues, and failing to learn from previous mistakes. Worse still, the water watchdog stated that:

South East Water has not taken ownership of these issues and as a result, supply interruptions are still happening too often. Our proposed enforcement order sets out the steps we expect the company to take, including senior management responsibility to fix the problems to prevent them from happening again.

‘Significant failings’

Given the severity of the issues, the full fine that Ofwat is proposing is £22.46m. That’s equal to 8% of the South East Water’s annual turnover.

The maximum penalty which the regulator could impose is equal to 10% of a company’s turnover. In South East Water’s case, this would run a bill of just over £28m.

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Ofwat’s consultation for customers and stakeholders is already open. After it closes on 13 April 2026, Ofwat will weigh the responses and make its final decision.

Chris Walters, Ofwat’s interim CEO, said:

South East Water’s significant failings caused major disruption and had a huge impact on thousands of its customers. Not only did the company fail in its duty to provide a water supply to meet the demands of its customers, but it also fell short when it came to providing support for customers who lost their supply. They must do better.

This investigation gets to the heart of the company’s supply resilience problems. We want to see South East Water take more responsibility and get on with fixing things for its customers.

Legal challenge

Funding body the Utilities Trust of Australia currently owns a 50% share of South East Water, along with a group of other pension and investment funds.

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South East Water has already filed for a judicial review in response to Ofwat’s proposed fine. The water firm also  requested an injunction, although the court swiftly rejected the plea.

Of course, given that the fine was issued for failures back in 2020-2023, it hasn’t taken into account any of the company’s more-recent massive fuckups. Back in December 2025, the Canary reported that:

Only last week, 6,500 properties were without water. Whilst the company restored the supply on Friday, January 16, it then left a further 5,500 homes without water on Sunday evening. This was due to a treatment works fault, a power outage and two burst mains – all at the same time.

And then again, on 19 January:

Over the last few weeks, South East Water left customers across Kent without water on several occasions.

Only last week, 6,500 properties were without water. Whilst the company restored the supply on Friday, January 16, it then left a further 5,500 homes without water on Sunday evening. This was due to a treatment works fault, a power outage and two burst mains – all at the same time.

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Adding insult to injury, South East Water had the nerve to claim that they’ll have to increase customers’ water bills. That’s in spite of Ofwat’s ban on further price hikes, which the company have appealed against.

Meanwhile, the water supplier’s profits have continued to climb. South East Water reported profit before tax of £18.2m for the six months up to October 2025, up from £2.6m the previous year.

To put that another way, South East Water are still failing to fix their mistakes, demanding that customers pay more, and raking in over £15m profit increases.

Further investigation

As such, Ofwat has already launched a new investigation of the supply interruptions in November and December 2025, and January 2026. The watchdog stated that:

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This investigation will determine whether the company complied with its customer-focused licence condition, which requires companies to provide a high level of support to customers when issues arise. This licence condition was introduced in February 2024.

However, as the failures from 2020 have made abundantly clear, the threat of fines hasn’t been nearly enough to make South East Water mend its ways. This company is doing less than the bare minimum, leaving customers without water, and letting its infrastructure go to ruin.

And it’s still turning a massive profit.

This is privatisation in action – a system that allows companies to extract money from customers who literally have no other choice. The system is, and has always been, wide open to abuse. We can’t allow this to stand – we must call to end the failed experiment that is privatisation.

Featured image via the Canary

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Britain’s graduates are being thrown on the scrapheap

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9 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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Britain’s graduates are being thrown on the scrapheap

The dire consequences of Britain’s student-loan racket are no longer a secret. They have become a major talking point in recent weeks. Contrary to the claims of UK chancellor Rachel Reeves, the system is anything but ‘fair and reasonable’. Equally unfair is the graduate-jobs crisis. Youth unemployment in London has now reached 18 per cent, while in the UK as a whole, it hit an 11-year high at the end of 2025. To complete the trifecta, there is the less tangible (but equally pressing) matter of how graduates are treated while navigating the job market.

Ironically, those tasked with graduate employment (typically human-resources departments) preach inclusivity, respectful workplace behaviour and ‘people-centricity’. To examine whether these values are put into practice, I’ll walk you through a typical graduate recruitment process – though calling it a ‘process’, which implies some kind of structure and eventual conclusion, is generous.

First, you’ll submit your application. On many job descriptions, you see the ominous phrase ‘minority groups encouraged to apply’, which seems to be a heavy hint that if you’re white, straight and male you probably shouldn’t bother. You are asked to trawl through various questions about your ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. I’ve known people to lie about their sexuality, and even their ethnicity, with one friend from the Mediterranean claiming to be mixed race.

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If they pass this racial screening, graduates are invited to submit CVs and cover letters, which are frequently written by AI. This is hardly a moral failing, given that they are then read by AI and ultimately rejected by AI. So-called human resources have engineered a system that is, in practice, the least-human process imaginable.

The lucky few are then instructed to complete ‘assessments’. Since companies tend to use the same assessment providers, the good news is that you have likely completed them before. Maths graduates from top universities must do maths assessments. Everyone is made to complete personality tests. Occasionally, you play games involving stopping stopwatches at designated times. The value of your academic record, even for those with strong academic records, is zero.

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A tiny percentage will then reach the ‘interview’ stage. But no, this is not an interview in the traditional sense. Instead, you answer five questions to your laptop camera while eyeing up the recording of yourself, which are then submitted to be ‘reviewed’ (usually by AI again). If you do speak to a human, it will rarely be in person, but online.

Now you are firmly ‘in the process’. You have submitted a CV, a cover letter, your family and sexual history, a nervy, stuttering video of yourself and, perhaps three months in, you might even have spoken to a real person. But you’re not quite finished yet. Months later still, you might hear you have reached another stage. Though more likely, you will never hear from the company again – or else receive a letter informing you of your rejection, with little explanation as to why. I still receive the occasional rejection email, despite having not submitted a job application since September.

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One friend woke up on the day of his final-round interview to be told that the position no longer existed. The same friend reached an assessment centre, only to find every interview slot booked up. He was informed that no more would be added. Another graduate told me he reached the final interview stage only to be ghosted. Two months later, he received an email explaining that the role had been removed. Such stories are common. Most out-of-work graduates have many.

Senior management has handed too much power to HR departments, which have created processes that are automated, outsourced and designed to minimise difficult decision-making. HR is the fastest-growing industry in the UK, and much of that growth resides in what David Graeber called ‘bullshit jobs’. If HR ‘executives’ create months-long processes with eight different stages, they can justify hiring more HR ‘executives’ to help run them. Their inefficiency is self-rewarding.

This experience, compounded by a regressive student-loan system and a failing graduate-job market, will have tangible consequences for politics. If the Labour government refuses to address these concerns, young people will only continue to abandon traditional parties for those that promise real, radical change. No one should be surprised when the reckoning comes.

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Jake Weston works on comms and press at the Academy of Ideas. This is an edited version of a piece that appeared on the Academy of Ideas Substack.

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Spain defies Trump, withholds support for Iran War

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18 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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Spain defies Trump, withholds support for Iran War

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has responded firmly after US president Donald Trump threatened to cut all trade with its European ally. Sánchez made his opposition to the illegal US-Israeli assault on Iran clear, saying:

one can be against a hateful regime… and at the same time be against an unjustified, dangerous military intervention outside of international law.

Sánchez, undeterred by Trump’s latest tantrum, has asserted that his country will not bow or change its stance even as the US presses down harder.

Same players, another dirty war

Sánchez made a clear call for peace and compliance with international law, highlighting the devastation of the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Expressing no love for Iran’s government, Sánchez nonetheless insisted:

The question is whether we are in favour of peace and international legality…

You cannot answer one illegality with another, because that is how the great catastrophes of humanity begin.

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He also suggested that Trump may be using the illegal assault on Iran as a distraction from his failures elsewhere, saying:

Governments are here to improve people’s lives, to provide solutions to problems, not to make people’s lives worse. And it is absolutely unacceptable for those leaders who are incapable of fulfilling that mission to use the smoke of war to hide their failure and fill the pockets of a select few, the usual suspects – the only ones who win when the world stops building hospitals to make missiles.

Trump’s words and policies aren’t impressing ordinary people in Spain either. A recent poll, for example, showed that 77% of the Spanish population dislikes Trump.

The spectre of the invasion of Iraq

Spain has also been overwhelmingly critical of the fallout from the calamitous US invasion of Iraq. Commenting on its aftershocks in Europe, Sánchez said the invasion had made people’s lives “more insecure” and left them “worse” off.

At the time of the invasion 23 years ago, Spain’s conservative government joined the “coalition of the willing” (the main force that enabled the illegal offensive), contributing 1,300 troops. Due to the backlash at home, the Spanish conservatives lost the 2004 general election to the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party.

Spain: a voice for peace

The Spanish government is not perfect – no government is. But during Israel’s genocide in Gaza, it has been one of the few European countries with the common decency to:

In fact, as Trump was having a tantrum over its opposition to the illegal assault on Iran, Spain reportedly participated in a Hague Group emergency meeting on Wednesday 4 March discussing accountability measures against Israel for its war crimes.

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In the midst of the US-Spain spat, French leader Emmanuel Macron and European Council president António Costa expressed solidarity with Spain. And it’s clear that there’s broad support for Sánchez’s position in Europe.

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As other European countries oscillate between lukewarm statements and indifference, it’s clear that the world sorely needs more politicians like Pedro Sánchez – and fewer like Donald Trump.

Featured image via the Canary

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BBC are peddling war propaganda

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24 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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BBC are peddling war propaganda

The BBC has faced accusations of “war propaganda” over the illegal and unprovoked US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which have killed over a thousand people since Saturday 28 February.

Having spent over two years putting out pro-Israel propaganda amid the apartheid state’s genocide in Gaza, the British state broadcaster doesn’t exactly hide its pro-establishment bias. But author Trita Parsi directly called its Iran coverage out after a report only selected pro-war Iranian voices. As he said:

Those views exist. But when you ONLY air those voices, you are doing war propaganda.

Israel has also invaded Lebanon during the latest offensive, killing 50 people and injuring hundreds more. And on that front, the BBC‘s propaganda has also faced criticism:

As Saul Staniforth pointed out, the start of one answer sums up the BBC‘s role as a PR outlet for Israel:

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So, the Israeli military said…

Elsewhere, more independent media has exposed the illegal US-Israeli actions for the dangerously destructive farce they are:

And as Steve Howell insisted, the UK doesn’t have to – and should not – participate:

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Your Party’s Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has called for parliament to ensure such a decision isn’t just in the hands of the corrupt, pro-Israel cabinet:

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Spain has also been showing that there is another way:

Don’t let the BBC push us to another costly, devastating quagmire

Commentators have emphasised how expensive the US-Israeli assault on Iran is, and how much more expensive it could get:

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In the US, even Democrats (who have enabled Israel’s genocide) have read the room and spoken out. They know how unpopular the offensive already is, and they have spoken out en masse:

Countless Democratic officials have raised their concerns about the assault.

In the UK, meanwhile, US-Israeli terror is also unpopular. And if we want to avoid further entanglement in another costly, devastating quagmire, we need to raise our voices so loudly that the establishment – including the BBC – can’t ignore us.

Featured image via Saul Staniforth

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Navigating the Surge in Health-Conscious Consumer Demand

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33 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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Navigating the Surge in Health-Conscious Consumer Demand

The consumer landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade as health consciousness moved from a niche concern to a mainstream priority. Today’s consumers scrutinise ingredient lists, demand transparency about sourcing and production methods, and willingly pay premiums for products perceived as healthier, more natural, or better aligned with wellness goals. This shift presents both enormous opportunities and significant challenges for businesses across sectors, particularly in the FMCG industry, where product reformulation, marketing pivots, and supply chain adjustments are required to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Understanding this trend requires recognising that it extends well beyond simple preference changes. Health-conscious consumption reflects deeper cultural shifts around personal responsibility for wellbeing, distrust of traditional food systems, and the influence of social media in the spread of nutrition information and misinformation alike. Businesses that successfully navigate these waters do so by genuinely responding to legitimate consumer concerns rather than simply capitalising on trends through superficial marketing adjustments.

The Drivers Behind Health-Conscious Consumption

Several converging factors explain why health consciousness has intensified so dramatically. The obesity epidemic and rising chronic disease rates have made the connection between diet and health impossible to ignore. Consumers increasingly understand that daily food and beverage choices accumulate into significant long-term health impacts. This awareness drives them toward products they perceive as supporting rather than undermining their health.

Information accessibility via smartphones and social media means consumers can instantly research ingredients, compare products, and access nutrition expertise (genuine or otherwise) that previous generations lacked. Whilst this democratisation of information creates problems when misinformation spreads, it fundamentally empowers consumers to make more informed choices and hold brands accountable for claims.

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The wellness industry’s explosive growth has normalised conversations about nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle choices that were once confined to specific subcultures. What was alternative or fringe twenty years ago is now mainstream, with concepts like plant-based eating, intermittent fasting, and gut health microbiome optimisation discussed routinely in popular media and everyday conversation.

Younger consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, have grown up with unprecedented awareness of health, sustainability, and corporate practices. Their expectations for transparency and authenticity differ markedly from those of previous generations, and their purchasing power continues to grow as they age into their peak earning years. Brands targeting long-term success must adapt to preferences this demographic considers non-negotiable.

What Health-Conscious Actually Means to Consumers

The term “health-conscious” encompasses diverse, sometimes contradictory priorities across consumer segments. Some prioritise reducing calories and managing weight. Others focus on specific nutrients, such as protein or fibre. Many seek to avoid particular ingredients, including artificial additives, refined sugars, or specific allergens. An increasing segment prioritises “clean” ingredients, often defined more by what’s absent (no artificial colours, preservatives, or unpronounceable chemicals) than what’s present.

Plant-based and alternative proteins have expanded from niche vegetarian products to mainstream categories as consumers reduce their consumption of animal products for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. Functional foods and beverages promising specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition represent one of the fastest-growing segments, with products offering gut health support, immune boosting, stress reduction, or cognitive enhancement commanding premium prices.

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Sugar reduction has become perhaps the most universal health-conscious priority, with consumers actively seeking lower-sugar alternatives across categories from beverages to snacks to condiments. However, they’re simultaneously suspicious of artificial sweeteners, creating complex reformulation challenges for manufacturers trying to reduce sugar without triggering concerns about synthetic ingredients.

Understanding these diverse priorities matters because there’s no single “health-conscious consumer.” Successfully navigating this landscape requires segmentation strategies that speak to different health priorities rather than attempting a one-size-fits-all healthy positioning.

Reformulation Challenges and Opportunities

Product reformulation to meet health-conscious demand involves substantial technical and financial challenges. Removing or reducing ingredients that consumers now avoid often affects taste, texture, shelf life, or production economics in ways that require significant investment in research and development. Sugar provides not just sweetness but also texture, bulk, and preservation functions that replacement ingredients must somehow replicate.

Natural preservatives typically cost more and are less effective than synthetic alternatives, putting pressure on supply chains and potentially increasing food waste. Plant-based proteins often require extensive processing to achieve textures and flavours comparable to animal proteins, sometimes resulting in highly processed products marketed as “natural” despite lengthy ingredient lists.

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Despite these challenges, reformulation creates competitive advantages for brands that execute it successfully. Early movers in reducing sugar, removing artificial ingredients, or developing compelling plant-based alternatives have captured significant market share from competitors slower to adapt. The premium pricing that health-positioned products command can offset higher ingredient costs whilst improving margins.

Successful reformulation requires transparency about changes. Consumers respond better to brands that explain the rationale for reformulation and acknowledge that recipes might differ from original versions than to silent changes that loyal customers notice and interpret as cost-cutting rather than health improvement.

Marketing and Communication Strategies

Marketing to health-conscious consumers requires authenticity that goes beyond claims on packaging. Today’s consumers research brands, read reviews, and share experiences on social media, meaning that marketing messages unsupported by actual product quality or corporate practices get exposed quickly.

Transparency has become table stakes. Consumers want to understand ingredient sourcing, production methods, and the reasoning behind formulation choices. Brands succeeding in this environment provide detailed information readily, rather than hiding behind vague “proprietary blend” language or making unsubstantiated claims.

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Certifications from credible third parties carry significant weight. Organic certification, non-GMO verification, fair trade status, and similar credentials signal that external organisations have verified claims rather than relying on self-assertion. The proliferation of certifications creates both opportunities and confusion, but established marks from respected organisations continue driving purchase decisions.

Storytelling that connects products to broader values resonates strongly. Brands that communicate not just what their products are but why they exist and what values guide their decisions build emotional connections that pure nutrition messaging cannot achieve. The most successful health-conscious brands inspire loyalty not just through superior formulations but through alignment with consumer values.

Distribution and Retail Considerations

Where products sell matters as much as what they contain. Natural food retailers and specialist health stores once dominated sales of health-conscious products, but mainstream grocery retailers have dramatically expanded these categories as demand has grown. This mainstreaming creates opportunities for volume growth whilst requiring brands to compete in more crowded retail environments.

E-commerce has become crucial for health-conscious brands, particularly smaller players who struggle to secure shelf space in conventional retail. Direct-to-consumer models allow brands to tell their stories more fully, build customer relationships, and capture margins that retail distribution would otherwise consume. Subscription models work particularly well for health-conscious products as consumers commit to ongoing purchases of products integrated into their daily routines.

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Retail placement within stores affects perception. Products positioned in health or wellness sections signal their health orientation, but may miss mainstream shoppers who don’t visit those sections. Placement in conventional categories alongside traditional products normalises health-conscious alternatives whilst reaching broader audiences, but may dilute the health positioning that attracts core consumers.

Balancing Health Claims with Regulatory Compliance

The enthusiasm for health-conscious products has attracted regulatory attention as authorities work to prevent misleading claims and protect consumers from pseudoscience. Regulations govern what health claims products can make, what substantiation is required, and how benefits can be communicated.

Navigating this regulatory landscape requires careful compliance work. Claims must be accurate, substantiated by appropriate evidence, and not misleading, even if technically true. The boundary between permissible marketing and prohibited health claims varies by jurisdiction and product category, requiring expertise to avoid violations that could result in enforcement action, product recalls, or reputational damage.

Some brands push regulatory boundaries, making aggressive health claims that attract consumer interest but risk regulatory challenges. Others take conservative approaches, focusing on ingredient transparency and letting consumers draw their own conclusions about health benefits. The optimal strategy depends on risk tolerance, regulatory expertise, and brand positioning.

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The Future of Health-Conscious Consumption

Health-conscious consumption shows no signs of declining. If anything, the trend continues to accelerate as younger consumers with strong health priorities represent a growing share of the market. Successful businesses will continue adapting by genuinely improving product health profiles, communicating transparently about ingredients and sourcing, and building brands around authentic values rather than opportunistic trend capitalisation.

The brands that will thrive are those that treat health-conscious demand not as a temporary trend to exploit but as a permanent shift in consumer expectations requiring fundamental business model adaptation. In markets where health consciousness has become the norm rather than the exception, this is simply smart business rather than niche positioning.

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Trump demands control of choice of ‘next’ Iranian leader

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40 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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Trump demands control of choice of 'next' Iranian leader

Deranged and arrogant US president Donald Trump has demanded personal control over the choice of Iran’s ‘next’ leader.

Trump, who joined Israel in launching an illegal war on Iran on 28 February with the assassination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, has said publicly that he “refuses to accept” a successor for Khamenei who would “continue Khamenei’s policies”. In other words, one who would continue to resist Israel’s regional hegemony instead of capitulating like rebranded ISIS killer Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria.

Trump went on:

They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son [frontrunner Mojtaba Khamenei] is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela. Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.

The idiot wants to ‘pick’ the new Supreme Leader as if it’s some beauty pageant.

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Trump has continued to claim that Venezuela’s Rodriguez is now collaborating with him. However, Rodriguez insists that the Bolivarian revolution continues. She is considered an entrenched opponent of US domination — the old Venezuelan US puppet regime killed her father — and Trump’s posturing appears to be propaganda to cover the failure of his abduction of Nicolas Maduro to topple Maduro’s government.

Trump’s arrogance in assuming he can murder Iranians then decide who leads them is doubly arrogant given the Iranian military’s claim to have inflicted a loss of hundreds of sailors in a strike on a US aircraft carrier, and the massive damage Iran has inflicted on US military and commercial interests and its Israeli ally.

But if there’s anything Trump is known for beyond narcissism and Epstein-recorded paedophilia, it’s arrogance. So of course it’s no surprise.

Featured image via the Canary

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IDF misuse classic protest anthem

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53 minutes ago

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5 March 2026

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IDF misuse classic protest anthem

You could almost mistake an IDF – Israel’s occupational genocidal army – tweet for satire or parody: occupation forces playing the anti-establishment song “Fortunate Son” in a post showing their fighter jets flying.

The IDF’s X post says: “On our way to make history.” But if anything, history is repeating itself as the West sends its soldiers out like cannon fodder to die for its elite.

The 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival classic was a protest anthem written specifically to call out the American wealthy and powerful for dodging the Vietnam War draft while working-class kids were shipped off to die.

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In “Fortunate Son,” the senator’s son is the original draft dodger in a tailored suit, born with a silver spoon so far down his throat he’s choking on it. Perhaps an apt time to mention Donald Trump. In the original song, the draft dodger waves a flag he’ll never have to bleed for. He’s the one shouting “support our troops” from his daddy’s country club while someone else’s kid—poor, Brown, working-class—catches a bullet in a jungle he can’t even find on a map.

Israel lobby elites are the “fortunate sons” now

The pro-Israel donor jokes write themselves.

Miriam Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate and Republican mega-donor has poured over $100 million into Trump’s campaigns, effectively purchased the U.S. ambassador to Israel and the move of the American embassy to Jerusalem.

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In October 2025, Donald Trump stood before the Israeli parliament- the Knesset and delivered a shockingly honest insight into how foreign policy actually gets made.

Gesturing toward Miriam Adelson in the gallery, he bragged about moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, then openly detailed how the billionaire casino magnate and her late husband Sheldon would simply call and request White House meetings.

He said:

Look at Miriam sitting there so innocently. She’s got $60 billion in the bank. And she loves Israel—probably more than America, honestly. I asked her once and she refused to answer, which tells you everything.

Author Keith Woods commented:

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Military conscription

Unlike America, Israel already has mandatory conscription, everyone serves, at least in theory. But crack down hard on those who refuse, and you start to wonder who really gets to sit this one out.

Yair Netanyahu is also a perfect “fortunate son” – he sat out the genocide and relaxed in Florida while everyone else’s kids got called up. When the backlash hit, he “volunteered” for ambulance duty.

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Meanwhile, Israel beats up the others who refuse. In February 2026, massive protests erupted across Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi communities over military conscription.

The UK, thankfully, doesn’t have conscription—though there’s been umming and ahhing over it lately.

Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP under Rishi Sunak’s government, was a proud supporter of bringing back conscription. In April 2024, he told LBC: “I do believe everybody should participate somehow in supporting our nation as a whole.” Labour has put it off the table – for now at least. 

With war drums beating higher than ever, feverish BAE Systems shareholders will be rubbing their hands together, counting their profits while counting on other people’s children to do the dying. All the rich will keep their sons at home to count the cash rolling in.

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Featured image via the Canary

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Zahwa Mukhtar case recieves a guilty verdict

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1 hour ago

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5 March 2026

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Mug shot of Duane Owusu who has a bald head and beard. He's wearing a crew neck jumper.

A man nicknamed “Nasty” has been convicted of murder for delivering the blow that killed “bright” and “bubbly” Zahwa Mukhtar, 27, on a night out. Duane Owusu, 36, pleaded not guilty to both murder and manslaughter, claiming he shoved Zahwa with an open hand rather than a clenched fist and didn’t mean to hurt her.

He told jurors he acted in defence of other women they were with after several altercations between them and Zahwa on a car journey from Stoke Newington, east London, towards Dagenham last August.

Meanwhile,the prosecution called Owusu’s “assault” an “act of pure aggression”.

The jury sided with the prosecution returning an unanimous guilty verdict for murder after nearly 12 hours, following a two-week trial at The Old Bailey.

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Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, from Specialist Crime North, said:

Our thoughts today are with Zahwa’s family, who have demonstrated great dignity and patience after losing their daughter in such horrendous circumstances.

CCTV footage collected by the investigation team painted a damning picture of Owusu’s guilt. The evidence revealed him to be a remorseless killer, who acted with callous disregard towards his victim.

Mug shot of Duane Owusu who has a bald head and beard. He's wearing a crew neck jumper.

Zahwa suffered unsurvivable head injuries, the court heard.

Summarising the evidence, Judge Richard Marks KC described how Zahwa was struck by Owusu at the side of her neck “his arm coming almost in line with his head”.

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He said:

She fell backwards on the ground, landing on her back, her arms flailing, making no attempt to break her fall.

She suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain “which led to her tragic and untimely death”, Judge Marks said.

He went on to say the “traumatic brain injury” Zahwa sustained would not have been “survivable”, according to expert medical evidence given in the trial.

Zahwa Mukhtar was “kind and loving”

Known as “Zee” within east London’s Deaf community, Zahwa was a much-loved member of Hackney Deaf Club and a keen volunteer, including at Glastonbury music festival.

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She became deaf in one ear after contracting meningitis at age three.

Henrietta Paget KC, prosecuting, described the financial assistant as “bright, bubbly, enthusiastic and very eager to learn”, during the opening of the murder trial.

A statement released by her “heartbroken” family last year said: “Zahwa was a kind and loving person with high aspirations in life and her presence brought warmth to those around her.

“She was dearly loved by her family and friends.”

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In the early hours of Saturday 16 August 2025, Zahwa was killed outside Chadwell House care home by a single strike to the neck.

Once police officers had finished a nearly hour-long stop and search of Owusu and his five friends nearby, Zahwa was eventually found unresponsive at 5.31am.

Passersby who alerted police thought she was either drunk or had fallen asleep. Zahwa was pronounced dead at the scene within an hour of being discovered.

Speaking to Owusu, Ms Paget said:

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You had lost your temper with Ms Mukhtar and was intent on giving her a beating. You kicked her and the second kick was aimed at her face. You missed because Ms Winter had arrived.

I suggest you were out of control and you wanted to do Ms Mukhtar some real damage. I suggest that your actions on that video had nothing to do with defending yourself or anybody else. This assault was an act of pure aggression.

How the night unfolded

Zahwa Mukhtar happened to meet Owusu and his group in Hackney a few hours earlier when the Mercedes he was in pulled into Palatine Road, near The Pubb. They continued to socialise in the street, taking nitrous oxide using balloons. The witnesses had taken other drugs that night, such as ecstasy, and had been drinking alcohol.

A toxicology report found Zahwa was two-times the legal drink driving limit when she died, which is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, and there was a small amount of cocaine in her blood.

Despite objections from best friends, Paige Allen and Abigail Winter, Zahwa got into the overcrowded car going back to Dagenham.

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Fights erupted between all three women and verbal insults were exchanged. Tensions spilled outside of the car once before in Chadwell Heath before stopping outside the care home.

Inside the vehicle, Zahwa had allegedly threatened to harm the women and was seen scrolling through her contacts. Owusu started to think “the worst”, he told jurors when giving evidence.

Then Zahwa started filming from the back of the car. The video lasted just a few seconds.

Judge Marks said:

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Ms Mukhtar started the video function on her mobile phone to which others in the car took exception and it was that, you may think, which finally triggered the tragic events which then rapidly unfolded.

Owusu demanded Zahwa leave the parked car and threw out her phone as bait so she’d leave. She refused and gripped on to his clothes, the court heard.

The judge continued:

She then ended up outside the car through the rear passenger door, ending up on her bottom…There followed two kicks from the defendant. The first as he’s in the process of getting out of the vehicle, followed by the second

Ms Paget rubbished Owusu’s claims that Zahwa fell from his lap instead of being pushed or he tried to sweep her legs away from the Mercedes rather than stamping down at her.

She stated Owusu had launched a “callous attack” and showed Zahwa “utter contempt”.

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Owusu, of Althorne Way, Dagenham, will be sentenced on 12 March.

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Cyprus rebukes UK – again

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5 March 2026

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Cyprus rebukes UK - again

In an interview with BBC Newsnight, the Cypriot government have challenged the UK government’s response to drone strikes on the airbase on Monday 2nd March. The drone attack targeted an RAF base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, a couple of days after US-Israel’s initial strikes on Iran on Saturday.

The base has long faced scrutiny for its involvement in Israel’s genocide on Gaza. Now it appears to be at odds with the British government, as Healey scrambles to address the collateral damage borne as a result of the US and Israel waging an illegal war of aggression on Iran.

Cyprus: “Disappointed”

Cypriot High Commissioner to the UK Dr Kyriacos Kouros spoke to BBC Newsnight and said Cypriots were “disappointed” with the quality of information the UK government shared with residents. Kouros said people in Cyprus were left “scared” and would “expect more” from the UK, adding that he would be grateful if UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer “paid attention to their worries”.

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Home Office Minister Alex Norris told the BBC today that the UK was “resolute” in its commitment to protect our interests in the region and that “significant” efforts are being put into strengthening defensive capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to the BBC:

Norris told BBC Breakfast on Thursday that defensive systems set up in the eastern Mediterranean have had a “really significant impact in recent days”.

The UK has announced that British warship HMS Dragon – which has air defence capabilities – will be deployed to Cyprus, although it is not due to sail until next week.

“We are absolutely resolute in protecting the nation’s interests – and that’s what we’re doing and we’re working of course with our partners of which Cyprus is obviously a really close one,” Norris said.

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Following the drone attack at the weekend, Cyprus was quick to criticise Starmer’s government. They even refused to rule out going back to the table in deciding how the base can be used:

UK Defence Secretary John Healey arrived in Cyprus today to meet with his counterparts and discuss potential UK air defence support:

“Strictly humanitarian role”

Our own Joe Glenton wrote about the issues being brought to surface between the UK and Cypriot counterparts. As divides are growing and consent on the island appears to be diminishing, Glenton wrote:

UK PM Keir Starmer effectively announced to parliament on 2 March that the UK would be a party to the war. He tried to insist the UK’s role would be defensive – but said the US would use British bases to hit Iran.

The UK has two bases in Cyprus at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Britain has used the bases to launch hundreds of spy flights over Gaza over the course of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians.

Letymbiotis said the UK had failed to take into account Cyprus’s wish to be a humanitarian hub. He added that the UK had communicated poorly.

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The damage inflicted is reported to be a little more than ‘minimal’, as the UK government have sought to convince the wider public. However, it also appears the attack was towards US military on the island. Simply highlighting the threat inherent in our support of the US-Israel flagrantly breaking international law:

RAF Akrotiri has long faced criticism for its use in the mass murder and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Declassified UK’s Matt Kennard has investigated the flights from the base since the genocide began:

Careful the company you keep

This escalating military situation has a common thread weaving throughout. This can be seen in the reports of attacks on Gulf states and those against the UK military base in Cyprus. Choosing to be bedfellows with genocidal war criminals and the compromised US president have understandably made those territories fair game in the eyes of Iran.

Under international humanitarian law, Iran’s response may be valid. After all, military bases that play a direct and active role in military operations against Iran may be considered legitimate military targets. Nevertheless, any attack by Iran must still comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and necessity.

However, the British government’s spineless refusal to prioritise international law is dangerous. It cannot be understated that our stance is making us a villain on the world stage.

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Therefore, it cannot be clearer: breaking ties with the US and Israel will ultimately be safer for all involved.

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US media spread false claims of Kurds joining Trump’s Iran War

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5 March 2026

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US media spread false claims of Kurds joining Trump’s Iran War

Some Kurdish factions are going to start a popular uprising in Iran – least, that’s what Trump hopes – reimagining them as guerrilla shock troops for his aerial war against Iran. The CIA may have been organising them for months to storm Iran’s ramparts. The internet is abuzz with these rumours, so let’s unpack some of them.

Firstly, their accuracy so far is tenuous – something we’re accustomed to. In a fast-paced, rapidly globalising war mired in inaccuracy, rumour, propaganda, and outright bullshit, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The furore started with a CNN report by war correspondent Clarissa Ward, aired on 4 March. It’s worth noting that, in recent years, Ward has faced criticism over the veracity of reporting on Gaza and Syria.

CNN‘s piece opened with a weighty claim:

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The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN.

The Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support.

The source? Well, they were on many occasions, they were literally just – nameless “sources”. And some key claims weren’t even attributed to ofifical agencies such as the CIA – but we appreciate these are “state secrets.”

The article, which can be accessed here, also claims that:

CIA support for Iranian Kurdish groups began several months before the war, one of the sources and a senior Kurdistan Regional Government official said.

A unnamed Kurdish official…well that narrows it down.

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The anonymisation of security and military sources is, in itself, not uncommon. But CNN’s core assertions have been picked apart by journalists, experts and politicians with extensive knowledge of Kurdish politics.

Are they coming or not?

As rumours proliferate, journalist Mark Ames asked:

And he might have a point. It’s worth noting here that this isn’t the first time US President Donald Trump has publicly announced ‘covert’ operations.

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He did the same ahead of the 3 January raid in Caracas, Venezuela.

We can’t know if this was the US Yapper-in-Chief Trump running his mouth, again, or part of a planned strategy or a veiled threat. Nor do we know how Trump’s announcement was received by the CIA itself.

On X, the questions multiplied, with Journalist Afshin, engaging in on-the-ground fact checking efforts.

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Wladimir van Wilgenburg, a Dutch reporter specialising in Kurdish affairs, suggested that while some Kurds have stated they may fight, mobilisation hadn’t commenced.

Another Middle East-based US journalist Matthew Petti exposes similar gaps in US media coverage of Trump’s Kurdish shock troops.

So what is happening?

As one X wit put it, we’re faced with:

Meanwhile ex-CIA director Mike Pompeo — who made unverified and inflammatory claims about Mossad being among the protestors during the January uprising in Iran — said:

Anyone with the slightest knowledge of America’s long history of using and discarding the Kurds, like some burner phone, might disagree with Pompeo’s post.

As Drop Site News reporter Alexis Daloumis was not convinced that the Kurds were about to pull the trigger:

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Drop Site News speculates that:

These reports may be aimed at sparking an uprising that is not yet happening. Reporters for CNN, Axios, and the Economist, some of whom are well sourced with the U.S. security establishment, have been leading sources of the claims. U.S. and Israeli officials have made no secret that they want to create conditions for an internal uprising to implement their regime change agenda on the ground.

Kurdish Peace Institute director Meghan Bodette was not convinced either:

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Bodette also tweeted a useful explainer thread of Kurdish politics:

Breaking Points presenter Krystal Ball had a similar view, warning of ‘psy-ops’:

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Ryan Grim, from Drop Site News, warned that the suggestion of Kurdish uprising might be a ploy to drag Iranian forces in a particular direction.

Commenting on those strikes, Erbil-based member of Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Hemn Hawrami said:

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Reports about the Kurdistan Region of Iraq or the Iraqi Kurds being a part of a plan to arm & support the Iranian Kurdish opposition to cross the borders into Iran 4 an arm struggle is incorrect & false. We are not a part of this war & our goal is to preserve, maintain peace and security of our region & beyond.

In the meantime we condemn these unjustifiable attacks on Kurdistan & call on the international community to help us and stop this aggression and protect our region.

Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, commenting on the pitfalls of a possible Kurdish-led revolt in Iran said:

An ethnic-based insurgency, however, is unlikely to attract broad support across Iran’s population. It will also raise immediate alarm in Ankara. Turkey has long opposed U.S. cooperation with Kurdish armed groups in Syria and will certainly view the emergence of a U.S.-backed Kurdish militant foothold inside Iran with equal concern.

Extreme caution advised

Misinformation, disinformation, and the language of ‘false flags’ and ‘psy-ops’ have become ubiquitous — especially on social media. The Canary previously wrote that there’s a delicate balance to be struck between citing and challenging state sources, especially “anonymous” security sources:

Anything uttered by unnamed ‘security sources’ must be taken with extreme caution.

We must always ask a crucial question when confronted with seductive ‘insider’ information:

It might not be the case here, but one of the key media stories of the War on Terror era is that journalists often fail to ask the key question: Why are spies telling me this?

The warning is clear:

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Don’t be bedazzled, mainstream media journos. Intelligence agents, agencies and their spokespeople are not your friends. Contest everything they say.

Additionally, we should remember that Kurds in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey and a broader diaspora (who should never be flattened into a single political bloc) are once again caught up in an imperialist war they did not choose.

Let’s recall the US and Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

States, corporations, and political groups—all of them, even those we might feel some misguided affinity for—lie and deceive in peacetime, and even more so during war. In a situation as explosive as the one the US and Israel have thrust the world into, reporters have to take extra caution.

Anything can be newsworthy, even a rumour, but the basic rule still stands: if you can’t prove it, don’t report it as fact.

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La Liga launches investigation after allegation of racist abuse

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2 hours ago

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5 March 2026

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La Liga launches investigation after allegation of racist abuse

La Liga has launched an official investigation into allegations that Elche player Rafa Mir directed a racist remark at Espanyol’s Moroccan player Omar El Helali during their La Liga match on Sunday evening.

El Helali informed the referee that Mir had racially abused him, saying, “you came here on a dingy,” a phrase with obvious racist connotations.

Following El Helali’s complaint, the referee immediately activated the anti-racism protocol and temporarily halted play.

The referee included the incident in his official match report, prompting La Liga to refer the case to the relevant disciplinary bodies for review.

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Espanyol’s stance

A source at the Spanish club added that midfielder Urco was next to Al-Hilali and heard the remark attributed to Rafa Mir.

The source also indicated that Al-Hilali trained normally the following day and is in good condition, emphasizing that the club fully supports its player.

As the BBC reported:

Espanyol later posted a picture of 22-year-old Spain-born Morocco international El Hilali on social media with the message “with you”.

The Moroccan Federation’s stance

Following the incident, the Moroccan Football Federation issued an official statement declaring its full support for Al-Hilali, considering what happened a “blatant violation of fair play principles.”

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The Moroccan Federation is monitoring the investigations launched by La Liga to ensure the player receives justice and legal redress.

As of now, no official penalty has been issued. Spanish press reports indicate that the case has been referred to the Competition Committee and the Anti-Violence and Discrimination Committee, with a decision expected in the coming days.

The case is now before La Liga’s disciplinary bodies, with anticipation surrounding the nature of the decision, especially given the increasing strictness within Spanish football regarding discrimination and racism in stadiums.

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