Politics
1 in 3 terminally ill people don’t claim benefits
One in three people living with a terminal illness in the most deprived areas of England and Wales aren’t claiming the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits they’re entitled to. This is despite the constant government and media narrative about the increase in benefit claimants.
DWP: many miss out on vital benefits
Terminally ill people with less than 12 months to live are eligible to receive fast-tracked benefits without a medical assessment. This is under the DWP Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). This applies to both non-means-tested and means-tested benefits, so it includes Personal Independence Payments, Disability Living Allowance, and Universal Credit.
However, new research shows that many are missing out
The Office for National Statistics has published a report with Marie Curie that explores the take-up of benefits from those living with a terminal illness. Although SREL applies to all benefits, the ONS specifically looked at means-tested benefits.
It found that over 350,000 people who were terminally ill did not claim the benefits they were entitled to in the last 12 months of their life. That’s around 34%. And the uptake is even worse in the more deprived areas of England and Wales. In Wokingham, the take-up was just 53%.
The claimant rate also varied significantly between different terminal conditions. 59% of people dying of HIV don’t claim. There’s also a huge portion of people living with liver disease (58%) and heart failure (46%) who didn’t claim. The highest conditions that were claimed for were dementia, with 85% claiming and neurological conditions, with 90% claiming.
Better access needed
The problem is that many don’t know that they are entitled to claim, so they miss out on vital support. The analysis was carried out as part of a broader study by King’s College London into the take-up of benefits by terminally ill people
Around 90,000 people die in poverty each year in the UK. Better access to benefits for people living with a terminal illness can help to lift people out of poverty and improve dignity.
The study aims to find out how they can best uncover “groups most at risk of underclaiming” in order to make policy recommendations to the DWP on how to better target people.
In 2024, the KCL researchers reviewed the campaigns put out by the government, local authorities, and the non-profit sector carry out to encourage “severely disabled people and those with serious health conditions to apply for benefits.”
A 2024 study the KCL researchers carried out reviewed the campaigns the government, local authorities, and non-profit sector have in place to encourage take-up among “severely disabled people and those with serious health conditions”.
This report found that the government needs to:
Develop and fund a comprehensive strategy for actively promoting and monitoring take-up of benefits by severely disabled people and people who have serious long-term health conditions (including those with life-limiting (terminal) illness), their families and carers.
DWP failing terminally ill people
Dr Joanna Davies, from the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation at King’s College London (KCL), told Hannah Sharland at Disability News Service that there needs to be a “wider awareness” around “access to benefits”, and suggested that applications “could be better integrated into other processes, such as advance care planning and hospital discharge”.
Dr Sam Royston, executive director of research and policy at end-of-life charity Marie Curie, also told Sharland:
Last year, Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty report revealed that more than 280 people die in poverty every day across the UK.
A key step in addressing poverty at the end of life is to ensure the benefits system provides adequate protection to everyone who needs it. But this ONS research data, funded by Marie Curie, shows the extent to which people with a terminal illness are failing to be protected by our social security safety net
He continued:
Every dying person should be able to access the benefits they need, so they can spend their limited time focusing on what really matters: making memories with friends and family, and living their final months, weeks, and days as well as possible.
It’s clear that the government isn’t doing enough to ensure that sick people don’t die in poverty. At a time when all you hear about is the increased benefits bill, it’s almost like they’re banking on people not applying. At the rate it’s going, people will be offered assisted dying before support their final months.
I suppose it’s easier for the DWP if people die before they claim than for them to have to finish the job by cutting their benefits.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
FIFA opens investigation into racism against Muslims in Spain
FIFA has opened an official investigation into the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The investigation follows racist chants during last week’s friendly match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona, as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
The incident sparked widespread controversy and condemnation in both the sporting and political spheres, at a time when international pressure is mounting to combat racism in football stadiums.
Disciplinary proceedings and official investigation
According to a report in the Athletic, FIFA confirmed it has opened disciplinary proceedings against the RFEF following the events that occurred during the friendly against Egypt, which took place during the international break.
The referee documented the racist chants in his official report, leading to the case being referred to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for review and appropriate action.
Offensive chants spark crisis
Racist chants, most notably ‘Anyone who doesn’t jump is a Muslim’, were heard in the stands of Barcelona’s RCDE Stadium, sparking widespread outrage and being considered a blatant violation of FIFA’s anti-discrimination regulations.
Potential sanctions without stadium closures
According to reports, the potential sanctions against the Spanish Football Federation could range from a fine to requiring them to display anti-racism awareness messages during upcoming matches.
However, the same source indicates that the sanctions are not expected to extend to closing stadiums to fans, despite the seriousness of the incident.
A sensitive test before the 2030 World Cup
These developments come at a sensitive time for Spain, which is preparing to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Morocco and Portugal, potentially placing it under international scrutiny regarding its anti-racism record.
FIFA continues to tighten its measures against racist behavior, having previously clearly supported Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in his repeated stances against racist abuse in European stadiums.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Arsenal beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in first of CL tie
Kai Havertz scored in the 90th minute to give Arsenal a 1–0 win away to Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in Lisbon. The result hands Arsenal a slender but valuable advantage heading to the second leg at the Emirates.
Early shock
In the sixth minute, Sporting displayed a leading stance when Maxi Araújo’s rising shot met a diagonal from Ousmane Diomande. David Raya pushed the ball onto the crossbar with a fingertip save. This early intervention proved empirical in keeping the score level (UEFA match analysis). After the game, Raya said:
Those saves give you confidence. We believe 100% that we can win it…If you don’t believe then you’re never going to win it.
Midfield chess — Arteta’s plan and its limits
Mikel Arteta started Martin Zubimendi alongside Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard to win space in midfield. Zubimendi’s positioning allowed Rice to press forward and gave Ødegaard room to probe between Sporting’s lines. Yet Arsenal struggled to find a clean final pass. Gabriel Martinelli threatened down the left but had cutbacks blocked. Noni Madueke found Matheus Reis a tough matchup.
Sporting invited Arsenal to play and relied on counters. Viktor Gyökeres worked hard to bring teammates into the game, while Sporting’s best moments came from long range, a sign of Arsenal’s defensive discipline.
Momentum swings
Arsenal believed they had taken the lead in the 58th minute when Zubimendi finished a neat move. VAR intervened and ruled Viktor Gyökeres offside in the buildup, wiping the goal out. The emotional swing was sharp: Arsenal had to reset after the disallowed goal, and Sporting found fresh belief.
The match opened up after that. Trincão curled a shot wide and Geny Catamo forced another save from Raya. Arsenal pushed but could not break Sporting’s compact defence.
In the 76th minute Arteta brought on 16yearold Max Dowman for Zubimendi. Dowman became the youngest English player to appear in a Champions League knockout match. Arteta said of Dowman:
He’s ready. He’s shown it every day. Moments like this are part of his growth.
Havertz’s late moment of quality
As the match looked destined for a draw, Martinelli delivered the decisive pass in the 90th minute. He threaded a weighted ball between Diomande and Eduardo Quaresma; Havertz ghosted into the gap, took one touch and slotted the finish past Rui Silva. It was a composed, well-timed strike that broke the deadlock. After the goal, Havertz said:
It’s something very special that is happening at Arsenal. We believe until the last second.
What it means for the tie
Sporting leave Lisbon with pride intact. They matched Arsenal for long periods, created chances, and conceded only to a late lapse. Their compact, aggressive defensive shape gives them a platform for the return leg.
On the other hand, Arsenal controlled key phases, rode the VAR setback, and produced a decisive moment at the end. The tie is far from finished, but Arsenal will head to the Emirates in a stronger position.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Cyprus is being used as a British military base
Anti-war activist group Genocide-Free Cyprus have warned that despite pressure the UK wants to keep its colonial presence on the island intact. The group are vocal opponents of the use of Cypriot bases for Israeli genocide and the US/Israeli war on Iran.
They said in a post on 7 March:
They previously warned on 3 April:
The UK government is actively ramping up personnel and military equipment at RAF Akrotiri as the US and ‘I$rael’ intensify their attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran.
Increasing numbers of foreign military aircraft are now passing through the bases, with no transparency or public disclosure about their purpose.
Adding:
These bases in Cyprus are being exploited to enable and sustain military operations that are deepening suffering and devastation across the region.
Cyprus is a war base for Britain
Cyprus is a hub for British military flights over Gaza. The flights are suspected to be gathering intelligence for Israel.
A suspected Hezbollah drone of Iranian manufacture hit Cyprus on 2 March 2026. Locals have raised their concerns about British colonial bases:
The British military has openly stated it considers Cyprus to be an aircraft carrier to project military force, As the Canary reported on 17 March, the head of the military Sir Richard Knighton said:
We don’t need the carrier. We don’t need the Navy. We have an aircraft carrier – it’s called Cyprus.
Knighton was answering criticism that the UK was unprepared for war. But his attitude betrays the same old colonial arrogance.
Snowden leaks show the truth
And as reporter Matt Kennard said on 17 March the US also used the island as a colonial spy base:
Top Secret (Strap1) document leaked by Edward Snowden
First time we knew the specifics of UK spy sites on its Cyprus colonies
First time we knew that every single one was a joint site with US spies
Snowden did the world a major service – a hero for the ages pic.twitter.com/oCqRzDlSal
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) March 17, 2026
The Snowden leak Kennard is referring to states:
Cyprus hosts a wide range of UK and US intelligence facilities.
Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on 3 March:
Despite the assurances given in yesterday’s address by the prime minister of the United Kingdom, there was no clear clarification that the British bases in Cyprus would not under any circumstances be used for any reason other than humanitarian.
Adding:
The information we had, through many communications and at various levels, was clear, that the British bases would have a strictly humanitarian role.
Genocide-Free Cyprus clearly feel their country has been colonised. They’re well within their rights to say so. UK and US control of sovereign Cypriot territory should end. And the sooner the better.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Starmer comes out of hiding to comment on Iran
Iran and the US have agreed to a two week ceasefire. Mostly, it appears, on Iran’s terms. Israel has said Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire deal. UK PM Keir Starmer effectively vanished from sight ahead of the deadline for US president Donald Trump’s genocidal threat to wipe out Iran at 8pm EDT on 7 March 2026.
Starmer nowhere to be seen
Starmer re-emerged at 7.10am on 8 March once the ceasefire was announced. His comments were typically milquetoast:
I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world.
Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 8, 2026
His only tweet on 7 March – commencement day of a potential genocide and nuclear war – was in reference to far-right rapper Kanye West’s cancelled appearance at the Wireless festival:
Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless.
This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.
We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 7, 2026
Starmer’s absence at that critical moment in world affairs was so obvious that even right-wing TV fool Mike ‘Concrete Grows‘ Graham belittled the PM:
Like a fart in the wind… https://t.co/PNHI9Tcwig
— Mike Graham 🇬🇧 (@Iromg) April 8, 2026
UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper also released a statement:
It is vital that the proposed talks lead to a full end to the conflict and ensure that Iran does not continue to threaten the Strait or its neighbours. I also call for an urgent end to hostilities in Lebanon.
We will continue to work internationally to support this ceasefire, to promote progress on negotiations, and to restore and protect security and stability for the region, and freedom of navigation for the world.
And the BBC reported that Starmer would visit the region in light of the ceasefire. A move bound to lift the spirits of the embattled people of the Middle East…
Trump is still trying to claim a win
Trump, who started the war without provocation, said this was a day for world peace and the start of a “golden age” for the region:
💢 Trump declares “big day for World Peace” following announcement of two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran
🔹Trump said that the U.S. “will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” without stating what the U.S. role would entail. “There will be lots of… pic.twitter.com/azlVKtwhEN
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 8, 2026
US-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.
The US has achieved none of its original war aims. Iran predictably closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil channel, once attacked – creating a global energy crisis. Far from being defeated, Iran has said the war will continue until “the enemy’s inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender”. Trump came to power on an anti-war ‘America First’ ticket. He now faces worldwide humiliation.
There is some confusion over the details and origin of the ten-point ceasefire deal. But there is a strong sense that Trump accepted Iran’s terms while trying to rehash them as his own for the benefit of less media savvy audiences:
This is nuts, Trump really did do exactly what Ryan Grim suggested he do hours earlier: pretend Iran’s ten-point plan is a new proposal, counting on the fact that the media hasn’t been reporting on Iran’s demands to make it look like a new offer Tehran put forward in desperation. https://t.co/ywm6f4e3PZ pic.twitter.com/5sTfJlrQGH
— Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) April 8, 2026
You can read over the initial terms of the deal here:
🚨 REPORT | Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the Islamic Republic’s top security decision-making body, announced that “negotiations will begin with complete distrust of the American side on Friday, April 10, in Islamabad,” with 2 weeks allocated for talks to finalize the… https://t.co/QExSWLTZU4
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 8, 2026
Pakistan and China
Pakistan helped broker the deal. A last minute push from China appears to have gotten it over the line:
Associated Press (AP) reported on 8 March:
China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, spoke with the Iranians to get them on board, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to find a path to a ceasefire deal as the negotiations were evolving, the officials said.
Adding:
Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the diplomatic matter.
China’s foreign affairs spokesperson Mao Ning told AP:
All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.
She said China was deeply worried:
about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.
Timing of ceasefire taking effect still unclear
Israel continues to attack Lebanon. In fact, strikes appeared to intensify:
Israeli strikes pummel various neighborhoods in Beirut, Bekaa and Jnoub simultaneously. pic.twitter.com/mdadHWTvsm
— courtneybonneauimages (@cbonneauimages) April 8, 2026
Many strikes were focused on the capital Beirut:
Chaos in Beirut as Israel carries out a wave of airstrikes across the country hitting what it said were more than 100 targets in ten minutes. pic.twitter.com/t0If72xogY
— Will Christou (@will_christou) April 8, 2026
And Clash Report claimed strikes were still underway inside Iran:
Strikes hit an Iranian oil refinery on Lavan Island today.
Iran is now retaliating with strikes on targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE. pic.twitter.com/xOptoGRjbB
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 8, 2026
Open source accounts also said Lavan island, home to an oil refinery, had been hit. Neither the US or Israel commented:
Iranian state news outlets are blaming the U.S. and Israel for recent strikes on the oil refinery on Lavan Island. No word from the Israel Defense Force or CENTCOM at the time of writing pic.twitter.com/jBD3ekyMJI
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 8, 2026
As AP reported:
Neither Iran nor the United States has offered any time for the ceasefire to begin
But a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said American forces had halted offensive operations.
And:
Iran continued to fire at Gulf Arab states and Israel, despite Pakistan saying the ceasefire had taken hold immediately.
Much remains unclear. No timeframe has been set of cessation of hostilities. Iran and the US are both claiming some form of victory. And Israel is still battering Lebanon despite cessation of Israeli attacks being a key point in the ceasefire plan. In the coming days the framework of the ceasefire may become clearer. But it is important to keep in mind that this is only a pause, not a long-term peace deal.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
The stolen ‘cheat sheet’ that eliminated Italy from the World Cup
It wasn’t just any night for the Italian national team; it was a crucial match. The Azzurri entered it with the weight of history and the experience of their star players – most notably, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has a history of being the deciding factor in their most difficult moments.
All indications pointed to a penalty shootout, if it came to that, favoring the goalkeeper who had built his reputation on reading minds before feet.
But football, as is its wont, held up a small, unexpected detail – a detail that hadn’t been accounted for and wasn’t included in any statistical or tactical analysis.
A carefully placed piece of paper vanished in an instant, transformed from a helpful tool into a turning point, from a minor detail into a decisive factor that altered the course of a match… and perhaps even the entire history of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Donnarumma without his secret weapon
Donnarumma entered the penalty shootout relying on a tactical sheet of paper, containing a detailed analysis of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian penalty takers. It is a tool that has become an integral part of goalkeepers’ preparation in modern football.
But moments before the kick, the paper disappeared from its place under a towel, revealing one of the strangest incidents in a match of this magnitude.
A theft that changed the game
It later emerged that a 14-year-old ball boy, named Avan Čejmić, had picked up the paper and hidden it after realizing its nature and importance.
A seemingly simple act, but it undid one of the most crucial elements of mental and tactical preparation for a goalkeeper of Donnarumma’s calibre.
In televised remarks reported by AFP, the boy said:
I saw the paper next to the towel. I knew what it was immediately, so I took it and hid it. It contained all the instructions, and without it, Donnarumma relied solely on his intuition.
Confusion translates into a harsh exit
The absence of the paper wasn’t just a minor detail; it immediately impacted Donnarumma’s performance in goal.
The goalkeeper, accustomed to reading the direction of the shooters based on precise data, suddenly found himself facing impulsive decisions devoid of any guidance.
This confusion was evident in his movements. He appeared slow to react and hesitant in choosing his angle, losing the mental battle before the actual kicks were taken.
With each successful shot from the Bosnian players, the gap widened. Then the penalty shootout became a one-way street, ending with Italy’s elimination after a 1-1 draw and their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.
Widespread controversy and an unexpected hero
The incident sparked a wide-ranging debate that extended beyond the match itself, raising questions about the line between intelligence and unfair play.
While some saw the ball boy’s actions as a clear violation of sportsmanship, others considered it part of the ‘wisdom of the game’ and a legitimate exploitation of the chaos inherent in football.
This division wasn’t limited to fans; it extended to the media, where questions were raised about the responsibility of the organizers and the limits of interference by those surrounding the match.
Meanwhile, the boy became an unexpected symbol in the Bosnian street. He was celebrated as a hero who contributed – albeit indirectly – to a historic achievement.
Politics
Qatar and other Gulf states wait to see if ceasefire will hold
The Qatar government has issued the following alert to residents ordering them to stay indoors and away from windows because of a heightened state of threat that must be attributed to likely Iranian retaliation for anticipated or ongoing US-Israeli escalation:
The move from Qatar comes in spite of the apparent ceasefire between the US and Iran. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain also issued warning alerts to citizens as the region waits to see if the ceasefire will hold.
The US has already bombed Iran’s biggest aluminium works, releasing mass clouds of highly toxic vapours. The White House and western media have now (late 7 April 2026 US time) claimed that a ‘conditional ceasefire’ has been agreed, but Trump has made similar claims of a ceasefire being close before that Iran has rejected and mocked. If there is an agreement, it seems politicians across the Gulf do not yet believe it.
Little wonder, given both the US and Israel are involved, and their long track record of breaking ceasefires.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Palestine Declassified targeted by Zionists
The Israel lobby are trying to shut down ‘Palestine Declassified,’ an online analysis programme “about the worldwide struggle to liberate Palestine”. The show was set up, and is presented by, well-known former Labour MP Chris Williamson, alongside anti-Zionist David Miller,
Since Starmer conned his way into Downing Street with the help of fascist Reform’s ‘ghost candidates’, his regime has waged a constant war on pro-Palestine free speech, protest and activism, with direct action group Palestine Action unlawfully banned and a number of activists, writers and journalists prosecuted and/or persecuted by state power.
But, equally typically, Williamson is defiant. Explaining the attack on his show in a post on X, he said:
I’ve been presenting a weekly programme, alongside [David Miller], for the last four years called @PDeclassifed, about the worldwide struggle to liberate Palestine. But the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is now trying to shut us down.
The studio where Palestine Declassified has been recorded since 2022 has now been targeted by Zionists via the Home Office and corporate media. The studio recently received an unsigned and highly unusual letter from the Home Office threatening potential legal action under the National Security Act because of supposed ‘foreign influence’.
Since then, an absurd and defamatory Telegraph article claimed that the studio was owned by Press TV and, laughably, that it acted as a spy recruitment hub! But the studio has no relationship with Press TV or Iran, and our show is independently produced.
This is pure state intimidation. But we will not be cowed by these bureaucratic bullying tactics. Rest assured, the show will continue, and so will its groundbreaking reports.
This drastic step by the British government, operating at the behest of the Zionist regime, only shows how fearful they are about the information we are exposing about the global Zionist war on Palestine.
Given this campaign of harassment, we will be finding a new studio and changing the format of the show. This, unfortunately, will come with associated production issues and costs, so we will be launching an appeal soon to help ensure that Palestine Declassified continues every week.
Watch this space.
The so-called ‘Foreign Influence Registration Scheme’, which Mahmood is using against Palestine Declassified, was specifically created to target opponents of US-Israel aggression against Iran. It was described by the government as part of:
a robust package of measures to tackle threats from the Iranian regime.
Unsurprisingly, however, despite the mass presence of Israel front groups and lobbyists in the UK and of its agents in UK government and state, it is not – fancy that – being used against those who propagate and carry out Israeli influence in the UK. Despite one in four MPs accepting funds from Israel a recent, farcical government report on foreign influence in UK politics does not mention Israel even once.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
BBC backtrack on Iran nuclear attack quote
Did the BBC really think it was unremarkable that a young Iranian told its reporters he would be ‘fine’ with a nuclear strike on his own country?
On Tuesday 7th April 2026, it ran a piece called ‘We’re sinking deeper’: Iranians brace for infrastructure strikes as Trump deadline nears – and included his quote without challenge or caveat.
BBC have lost it
In the initial piece the BBC quoted Radin, 20, from Tehran, saying:
About them hitting energy infrastructure, using an atomic bomb, or levelling Iran. My honest reaction is that I’m OK with all of these.
Lowkey shared the screenshot of the initial article.
The BBC claims to have found an Iranian inside Tehran to whom it attributes the following statement:
“About them using an atomic bomb or levelling Iran… I’m OK with all of these.” pic.twitter.com/pllyexaCI2
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) April 6, 2026
The latest version of the article has now changed the quote to:
If attacking targets in the country brings down the Islamic Republic, I’m fine with that. Because if the Islamic Republic survives this war, it will stay forever.
The BBC has added a clarification saying –
Update 7 April: This article originally included a longer quote from “Radin” in which he spoke about the attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and referred to the levels of destruction which he suggested would be personally acceptable to him to bring down the Islamic Republic. Radin’s comments were made directly to the BBC and were initially included in full to illustrate the strength of feeling of some of those who are opposed to the country’s leadership. However, after further review, this part of the quote was removed from the article due to concerns over the way in which the speaker expressed his views and the extent to which they reflected wider Iranian viewpoints.
The BBC has belatedly included a note explaining its removal of a quote from a young Iranian claiming to be “OK” with a nuclear strike on his country. This whole episode raises questions about the journalistic ethics/integrity of BBC News Persian & BBC News online as a whole pic.twitter.com/y6MRePpM4f
— Nicholas Guyatt (@NicholasGuyatt) April 7, 2026
History professor Nicholas Guyatt said the whole episode raised questions about journalistic ethics and the integrity of BBC News Persian and BBC News.
The BBC has not explained what changed between Monday, April 6, when the article was first published, and Tuesday, April 7, when the quote was replaced and a clarification was added, other than public criticism.
Whitewashing war crimes
The BBC’s decision to run the initial quote is egregious, especially given the extraordinary nuclear threat facing Iran from American and Zionist forces.
‘A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again, I don’t want this to happen, but it probably will’ is Trump’s latest escalation which seemingly calls for the nuclear genocide of Iranians.
Why did the BBC dangerously normalise the unthinkable for Iran? And, it did so in the exact same manner that it has manufactured consent for attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
For instance, the BBC, in a piece on Lebanon in March, the broadcaster described Israel’s Gaza genocide, and its replication of the same tactics in its war of aggression on Lebanon, as Israel’s “path to peace.”
This is a pattern – BBC has repeatedly whitewashed crimes by the UK/USA/Israel’s war on West Asia.
The BBC is complicit in Israel and the US’s war crimes — and maybe one day the world will hold it accountable.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
So Iran’s civilisation is safe. Now what about the West’s?
Imagine calling for the destruction of a civilisation. Imagine dreaming about violently scrubbing an ancient nation from the face of the Earth. Imagine flirting with the idea of obliterating a land with thousands of years of rich history. I am referring, of course, to the activist class and its annihilationist hatred for the Jewish State. For nearly three years, these people have beat the streets and swarmed the digital networks to agitate for the erasure of Israel, all the way ‘from the river to the sea’. President Trump’s juvenile bluster on Iran has nothing on their existential loathing for the Jewish homeland.
The frenzy of the past 48 hours, following Trump’s potty-mouthed and threatening social-media posts about Iran, has felt unhinged. The nukes are coming, influencers wailed. Trump must be ‘removed as president’ in order to ‘prevent a catastrophe that our species will never recover from’, said the Guardian’s Owen Jones. Within hours of this giddy apocalypticism, this huddled descent of the chattering classes into the pit of End Times prophesying, Trump had done what many of us expected he would: struck a kind of deal. The great detonation was not of a nuclear bomb but of the common sense of the cultural establishment. That’s the only thing that got vaporised yesterday.
Then there was the sheer cant. It was Trump’s ominous yelp that ‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’ that got leftists and liberals frothing. It’s genocidal lunacy, they said. Let’s leave to one side that the target of his digital ire appeared to be the Islamic Republic, not Persia. ‘Forty-seven years of extortion, corruption and death will finally end’, he said. The more striking thing is the industrial-level gall of a cultural elite that is devoted to the dismantling of Israel, puffing itself up in fury over Trump’s hyperbole on Iran.
I agree that ‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’ is a chilling thing to say. That’s why I’m so horrified by the frenzied anti-Zionism of our times. Our intellectual classes furiously deny Israel’s ‘right to exist’. Our activist classes openly call for Israel’s excision from the family of nations, by intifada (violence) if necessary. Our celebrity classes cheer the armies of anti-Semites (Hamas, Hezbollah) that were founded with the express intention of vaporising the Jewish nation. One minute the keffiyeh set is accusing the likes of Pete Hegseth of being in the grip of an anti-Iranian ‘bloodthirst’, the next it’s chanting for the death of the Jewish nation’s soldiers.
Future historians will marvel at the brass neck of an influencer class that took 24 hours off from calling for the destruction of Israel to bash Trump for posting about the destruction of Iran. I raise this not to be facetious but to draw attention to the moral disarray here on the home front that has been so spectacularly exposed by events in Iran. For it is undeniable now – we are surrounded by people who salivate over the violent disappearance of Israel but who fret over the withering of the Islamic Republic. They have taken sides – the side of the barbarous regime that dreams of ‘Death to America’ over the side of the democratic state rebuilt by Jews in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I’m delighted the Persian civilisation is safe – now what about the West’s?
The mistake the media elites made these past 48 hours was to forget that diplomacy is always done behind closed doors. You won’t find any justification here of Trump’s impolitic, unpresidential language, but if you are viewing the Iran War through the prism of his purple prose, then more fool you. For as long as politics has existed, there has been a bright line between backroom machination and public spectacle. So as Trump threatened mayhem online, he pursued a ceasefire offline. Everyone should have known this was the likely situation.
We now know a two-week ceasefire has been agreed. Trump says it is conditional on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The remains of Tehran’s ruling class have issued a 10-point plan, which includes a commitment never to seek nuclear weapons and to end all conflict in the region, so long as US sanctions are lifted and Iranian assets held by America are released. The US and Israel are likely to agree to some of it, but not all. For instance, Iran has called for a cessation of hostilities against Hezbollah in Lebanon, but Israel says No.
The public discussion about this no doubt fragile half-deal feels unhinged, too. Perusing the press, you might be forgiven for thinking America has just suffered a Vietnam-level defeat while the Islamic Republic is buoyant from teaching the filthy West a lesson. That’s been the tenor of the coverage for weeks. ‘Advantage Iran’, said the front page of that bible of the boss class, The Economist. It’s beyond delusional. Yes, the regime survives, but vast layers of its leadership have been taken out and its weapons systems have been decimated. The mullahs’ capacity to rule has at the very least been diminished. The current tendency to exaggerate both the menace of Trump’s America and the stamina of the Islamic Republic strikes me as wholly ideological, even as wishful thinking. Some in the West seem to hope, possibly in spite of their better wisdom, that Tehran will help tame Trumpism.
That’s what has been confirmed by the past 48 hours of frantic anti-Americanism. That some are now so consumed by voguish wariness of the West that they have come to see even the murderous regime in Tehran as a possibly useful cudgel against our arrogant societies and wicked rulers. One feels as though one is in a Kafkaesque vortex of moral duplicity watching the media elites paint Trump as a singular threat to civilisation. For that is to be wilfully blind to the swarms of Westerners who have spent the past two-and-a-half years openly cheering the enemies of our civilisation.
This is why the Israelophobia of Trump’s hypocritical haters really matters. For nothing better sums up the anti-civilisational turn in our societies, the West’s revolt against itself, than these twisted dreams of Israel’s demise at the hands of the barbarous armies sponsored by the Islamic Republic. The media rage over Trump’s ill-advised invective acts as a distraction from this far more serious corrosion of our civilisational values. Here’s the thing: Trump clearly didn’t mean it when he said Iran would ‘die tonight’, but the virtuous and educated of our cultural elites do mean it when they say the world would be a better place if Israel didn’t exist. His intent was to deceive, theirs is to destroy. The genocidal imagination belongs less to Trump than to his noisy critics in the new moral clerisy.
I’ll tell you what alarmed me more than Trump’s posts – that large gathering outside Downing Street last night, where mobs waved the flag of Tehran’s anti-Semitic, homophobic, misogynistic regime and chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’. Any Brit who frets more over the oafish posts of a US president than he does over the presence in his own country of people who prefer Islamist tyranny to Western civilisation has entirely forfeited the right to be taken seriously. Let Iranians decide the future of their civilisation – we should focus on saving ours.
Brendan O’Neill is spiked’s chief political writer and host of the spiked podcast, The Brendan O’Neill Show. Subscribe to the podcast here. His latest book – After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation – is available to order on Amazon UK and Amazon US now. And find Brendan on Instagram: @burntoakboy.
Politics
Israel unleashes barrage of attacks
Israel is refusing to include Lebanon in the US-Iran ‘ceasefire‘ agreement.
Instead, the Zionist entity is continuing to bomb Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley simultaneously.
Apocalyptic scenes in Lebanon’s capital right now.
Israel has launched 100 airstrikes on Lebanon in 10 minutes.
Striking South Lebanon, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley simultaneously.
This isn’t a ceasefire.
It’s mass bombardment of civilian areas. pic.twitter.com/ygTf2Pscrn
— sarah (@sahouraxo) April 8, 2026
Lebanon bombarded
Benjamin Netanyahu said that the ceasefire does not include Lebanon. This is despite Pakistan’s prime minister explicitly stating that the agreement covers “everywhere, including Lebanon”.
🚀🇮🇱🇱🇧 NOW: ISRAEL IS STILL BOMBING BEIRUT, LEBANON pic.twitter.com/tD12qLZWVB
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) April 8, 2026
So it appears that once again, Israel and its war crimes are just magically exempt from international law. But we could have predicted this would happen, given that Israel is an illegal ethno-supremacist state.
There is approximately a zero percent chance Israel will abide by a ceasefire.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) April 8, 2026
Lebanese politicians have urged the Pakistani ambassador to pressure Israel over its ceasefire violations.
BREAKING: Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Berri urges Pakistani ambassador to press Israel over ceasefire violations
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/zygwIgJdmZ pic.twitter.com/DvX7zqHDim
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 8, 2026
Additionally, the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union have issued a joint statement calling on “all parties” to implement a ceasefire, including in Lebanon.
Not the first time
Of course, this is far from the first time Israel has broken a ceasefire agreement.
100% agreed. There has never ever been a ceasefire that Israel have abide in their short history.
ایرانیهای عزیز بسیار محتاط باشید. https://t.co/wcAjKTwDYT— Sayed Wasi (@iamw786) April 8, 2026
In 2025, Israel violated various ceasefire agreements more times than we can count. In October alone, the total was 47. Israel murdered 38 Palestinian civilians and injured 143 others. Along with being a clear and explicit violation of the ceasefire, it is also yet another breach of international humanitarian law.
Israel has also repeatedly refused to let aid into Gaza, which is yet another violation of previous ceasefires.
In Lebanon, Israel has also repeatedly broken ceasefires.
In November 2024, after Israel’s thirteen-month-long attack on Hezbollah, a ceasefire was agreed. However, it seemed that the IOF didn’t get the memo. Within hours of the 4am ceasefire coming into force, the IOF opened fire on vehicles as tens of thousands of Lebanese people started to return to their homes.
But as far back as 1949, immediately after the UN-brokered Armistice Agreement between Israel and its neighbours went into effect, the newly created ethnostate started violating the truce. It invaded designated demilitarised zones its military attacked numerous civilians.
Then, in 1956, alongside Britain and France, Israel violated the agreement again by invading Egypt and occupying the Sinai Peninsula.
What is clear is that since Israel’s inception, it has held no regard for the rules of international law.
the ceasefire terms do not include the parasite zio state. https://t.co/jnyv3N3MgZ
— susan abulhawa | سوزان ابو الهوى (@susanabulhawa) April 8, 2026
Bullshit ‘ceasefire’
Israel wants to take a two-week break from being bombed by Iran so that it can get on with pummelling Lebanon.
All in an effort to pursue Israel’s ‘Greater Israel’ project, which it has been talking about since 1967.
He is determined to pursue his #GreaterIsrael project, and break international law, regardless of all the suffering and destruction! https://t.co/njFPi8hZSu
— Dr Philippa Whitford (@Dr_PhilippaW) April 8, 2026
Despite Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, Hezbollah has been abiding by the agreement.
UPDATE: Hezbollah abides by ceasefire despite Israel’s attacks on south Lebanon
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/vdFpZ16DLB pic.twitter.com/rB94KvOPOo
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 8, 2026
This demonstrates once again that Israel is, in fact, the problem. Israel is an ethnostate, which means that annexation, war crimes, genocide, and murder are its bread and butter.
They will not halt the annexation. It is embedded in their nature. This constitutes a clear violation of the terms that were agreed upon. https://t.co/oyY7GJW8v2
— Ilias (@iliasazg) April 8, 2026
Israel’s definition of a ceasefire is one-sided bullshit. Iran stops bombing Israel so it can continue its illegal attacks on Lebanon. Does it think ceasefires are only for everyone else? Are white Jewish supremacists exempt from ceasefires under make-believe 3,000-year-old rules? Or do Israelis just think they are better than everyone else?
The international community needs to step up – and fast.
Featured image via CNN-News18/YouTube
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