The UK has been accused of fuelling the risk of accidental nuclear war, as a former UK defence secretary signed an open letter which said modernised safeguards must be introduced into nuclear command and control systems.

Des Browne is vice chair of Nuclear Threat Initiative as well as chair of the board of trustees and directors at the European Leadership Network. He’s also a former secretary of state for Defence. He signed the letter alongside senior figures from politics, diplomacy and the military.

The letter’s publication coincided with the Munich Security Conference, which took place over the weekend of 14-15 February 2026. Leaders including UK prime minister Keir Starmer came together to discuss international defence risks.

Starmer banged the drum for rearmament, saying:

Time and again, leaders have looked the other way, only re-arming when disaster is upon them. This time, it must be different. Because all of the warning signs are there.

He added:

NATO [the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation] has warned that Russia could be ready to use military force against the Alliance by the end of this decade. In the event of a peace deal in Ukraine, which we are all working hard to achieve, Russia’s re-armament would only accelerate.

The wider danger to Europe would not end there. It would increase. So we must answer this threat in full.

Speaking about nuclear warfare strategy, Starmer said:

We are enhancing our nuclear cooperation with France.

The UK and France are the only countries with their own nuclear weapons in Europe. France’s nuclear weapons are wholly manufactured and owned domestically, whereas the UK manufactures its own warheads, but relies on the US to supply and maintain the missiles which deliver the warheads.

Some other European countries host US-owned and controlled tactical nuclear weapons.

Starmer continued:

For decades the UK has been the only nuclear power in Europe to commit its deterrent to protect all NATO members. But now any adversary must know that in a crisis they could be confronted by our combined strength.

Likelihood of nuclear weapons use is growing – international security experts

Other signatories of the letter included:

• Nuclear Threat Initiative president and CEO and former US secretary of the army Christine E Wormuth.
• Nuclear Threat Initiative founding co-chair and former US senator Sam Nunn.
• Nuclear Threat Initiative co-chair and former US secretary of energy Ernest J Moniz.
• Munich Security Conference Foundation Council president and former ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger.

A total of 75 people signed the letter, including former secretaries of state, ministers, generals, admirals, and ambassadors, as well as senior policy experts from a wide range of countries across continents.

The statement said:

Safeguards essential to preventing nuclear catastrophe for nearly eight decades are now being tested by disruptive technologies, heightened geopolitical tensions, and the erosion of arms control.

The danger that a terrible decision may be made to use nuclear weapons in a moment of crisis is growing.

It went on to:

call on all countries that possess nuclear weapons to strengthen their safeguards to prevent unauthorized, inadvertent, or mistaken use of a nuclear weapon, including through accidental escalation or false warning of an attack.

This process could include internal nuclear ‘fail-safe’ reviews. Such strengthened national safeguards would be effective unilateral nuclear risk-reduction measures, not requiring any negotiation, treaty, or verification.

They could also motivate and inform new dialogues on arms control, nuclear risk reduction, and confidence-building measures, which are a necessity as global nuclear forces and threats grow.

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The letter added:

Preventing accidental or mistaken nuclear use is also a moral imperative, directly linked to the protection of civilian populations.

UK urged to support modernised nuclear weapons safeguards

The statement from the nuclear security experts called on the UK, as one of five nuclear weapons states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to publicly commit to modernised safeguards.

Those five states – the US, Russia, China, UK and France, are also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, referred to as the P5.

The statement said:

Most immediately, the five nuclear-weapons states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should consider making a Joint Statement in support of nuclear fail-safe connected to the NPT Review Conference beginning in April 2026, as a demonstration of their commitment to prevent the unauthorised or unintended use of nuclear weapons.

Such a statement would reinforce the important January 2022 P5 declaration that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and would help reduce the risks of miscalculation and escalation in an increasingly complex security environment. It should be welcomed by all non-nuclear weapons states.

All nuclear-armed states should take immediate action to prevent a possible catastrophe. The world cannot afford to wait for more peaceful times to reduce the risks of nuclear use.

As a member of the P5, the UK was recently accused of “sitting on the sidelines” for failing to use its diplomatic influence to pressure the US and Russia to extend their participation in New START – a treaty designed to limit the number of large nuclear weapons held by the two countries, and which expired earlier in February 2026.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the Canary:

We have absolute confidence in the safety, security and reliability of the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent.

A government source added that the UK’s nuclear weapons systems have inherent safety features in their designs which render them safe until such a time as they may be used.

The UK has taken certain unilateral actions to reduce tensions such as not targeting missiles at a specific state since 1994, and keeping nuclear-armed submarines at several days’ notice to fire, the source pointed out.

That contrasts with some nuclear weapons in the US and Russia which can launch within seconds, minutes or hours.

According to the source, the UK government is committed to working with nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states, including those who threaten the UK’s interests, to build trust, confidence, transparency and mutual understanding, with the aim of reducing the risk of nuclear war.

Nuclear weapons states must stop expanding arsenals – CND

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) called on the US and Russia to take political leadership on international nuclear disarmament.

CND general secretary Sophie Bolt told the Canary:

This statement is a welcome contribution to pressuring nuclear weapons states to move away from modernising and expanding their nuclear weapons, and instead towards taking action to stop the risks of nuclear war.

Ultimately, if we are to see a halt to this new nuclear arms race that means the US and Russia – as the biggest nuclear weapons states – taking the political leadership to actively reduce nuclear tensions by continuing to abide by New START.

It means the ratification by all nuclear weapons states of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the active engagement in the process of disarmament as laid out in the NPT.

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UK fuelling risk of accidental nuclear war – campaigner

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) accused the UK of fuelling nuclear risk with its nuclear weapons arsenal.

ICAN director of programmes Susi Snyder told the Canary:

It is welcome that [UK defence secretary] Mr Healey recognises the nuclear we face, but he fails to acknowledge his own government’s part in creating and fuelling that risk.

When a country relies on nuclear weapons in its defence strategy, it contributes to the risk of nuclear weapons being used – including accidentally.

The increased danger with the end of the New START agreement is an excellent moment to draw attention to those risks, and to the reality that the only way to eliminate the risks from nuclear weapons, is to eliminate nuclear weapons, something the UK and others are obliged to do under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and the global majority of countries have reaffirmed in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

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The United Nations is currently producing a scientific assessment of just what consequences we can expect from a nuclear war, yet Britain voted against doing such a study, saying that we do not need new information to change our collective understanding of the horror of a nuclear war.

Actions speak louder than words, and while opposing updating our understanding of what is at stake, the UK is also contributing to increased nuclear risks by not publicly opposing the argument we heard at the Munich Security Conference over the past few days that Europe needs more nuclear weapons to protect itself, as well as by continuing to invest upwards of £8bn per year in its own nuclear arsenal.

Featured image via the Canary

Three years of war has devastated Ukraine’s children. Now Lush is trying to help them heal.

A soap born from hope

Lush’s new ‘There Will Be Sun’ soap launches in Ukraine on February first, then hits the UK shelves on March 2. This stunning bar sends 75% of sales (minus tax) directly to children’s mental health services in the Ukraine.

The design comes from Mila Bannerman who was born in Ukraine and has worked for Lush since 2005. Bannerman said she wanted to create something that shared her hopeful vision for peace.

‘There Will Be Sun’ is shaped like a sunflower, reflecting that the Ukraine is one of the biggest producers of sunflowers in the world. The wheat bran it contains represents Ukraine’s role as Europe’s breadbasket. And the charcoal centre represents the Donetsk region where Mila is from, an area that has been illegally occupied since 2014.

Lush — a history of solidarity

We know this isn’t Lush’s first giving product. The company has a long history of creating limited edition products to support so many causes. In 2015 they launched the #GAYISOK campaign to raise money for LGBTQ+ rights organisations in countries where it is illegal to be gay.

In 2018 they raised nearly half a million pounds for Trans Rights with the ‘Inner Truth’ bath melt (which was an absolutely stunning product by the way, trust me).

Then in 2023 they released the ‘Proud to love you’ wash card to help to fight against conversion therapy. Lush has raised over £100m for grassroots organisations since 2007, directly supporting LGBTQ+ peoples and over 800 campaigns supporting migrants and refugees.

I fucking love Lush.

Why this matters

Lena from the Lush Ukraine team knows the reality. She says:

People in Ukraine continue to live under uncertainty, everyday stress and fear caused by the ongoing war. This especially affects children, who are growing up surrounded by air raid sirens, displacement, separation from loved ones and instability.

The emotional burden remains heavy, even when life looks normal. Access to mental health for these children is limited or inconsistent. So Lush has decided to change that.

The soap goes on sale in the UK and Ireland on 2 March.

And I know I will be buying one.

Will you?

Featured image via Lush

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced what it described as a “historic” partnership agreement with the Peace Council to launch a comprehensive programme to rebuild football infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which suffered widespread destruction during the recent war.

The agreement comes amid a catastrophic sporting reality. All football stadiums and facilities in the Strip were destroyed by Israeli bombing. Local sports estimates indicate that nearly 1,000 athletes, including hundreds of football players, were killed during the two-year war, which ended with a ceasefire that came into effect last October.

FIFA plan to rebuild the football system

According to a FIFA statement, obtained by the Canary, the agreement aims to “harness the power of football to support recovery, stability and long-term development.” It plans to mobilise international investment to build an integrated football system, including modern infrastructure and sustainable community programmes.

The first phase, lasting three to six months, will see the creation of 50 mini-stadiums near schools and residential neighbourhoods as part of the FIFA Arena initiative. It will also include a school football programme and equipment for younger age groups.

The second phase, lasting one year, includes the construction of five full-size pitches. This is intended to support the re-establishment of organised local clubs and the revival of official competitions.

The third phase, spanning 18 to 36 months, plans to establish a modern academy within the FIFA Academy Network. The academy will focus on discovering talent and providing professional pathways that combine education and sports training.

The fourth phase includes constructing a new national stadium with a capacity of 20,000 spectators. It is intended to host sporting and cultural events and generate income and employment opportunities.

Sport at the heart of recovery

The statement emphasised that the programme prioritises job creation for young people, training local talent, launching organised leagues for girls and boys, and stimulating economic activity linked to sport. FIFA noted that implementation will remain contingent on ongoing security assessments, with a monitoring mechanism to measure progress and ensure transparency.

The partnership is being presented as an effort to revive sporting life in a region that has lost its stadiums, players and infrastructure. It forms part of broader reconstruction efforts following a war that left widespread destruction across multiple sectors, including sport.

What is common between the billionaire Murdoch family (Australia/US/UK), Larry Ellison (US), Paul Marshall (UK), Pier Silvio Berlusconi (Italy), Lőrinc Mészáros (Hungary), Gautam Adani (India), Yildirim Demirören (Turkey), Vincent Bolloré (France), Miriam Adelson (Israel/US), and Edir Macedo (Brazil)?

Apart from being billionaires and sharing a similar right-wing ideology, they own a significant portion of the world’s media. Ellison’s TikTok recently banned the Canary’s account.

A recent report from think tank Transnational Institute, called ‘Mapping Fascism: Global networks, power, and the rise of the far right,’ shows how a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals with far-right affiliations have systematically acquired newspapers, television networks, and digital platforms across multiple countries — concentrating media ownership to a degree that shapes public debate.

Their “Pulling the Narrative” infographic shows the transnational web spreading right-wing propaganda and undermining democracy.

Other research has shown that media concentration enables an oppressive and undemocratic status quo.

But media failure is not limited to the overtly right-wing press. In fact, the Gaza genocide shows that even the centrist and liberal-leaning Western legacy media like the BBC, the New York Times, and the Guardian’s coverage of the war on Palestinians consistently breached core journalistic principles of accuracy, impartiality, balance, and context.

Big Tech fuels fascism

As Transnational Institute’s report documents, Elon Musk‘s growing involvement in politics illustrates how concentrated private power in the tech sector is fuelling fascism.

Elon Musk’s platform and money is growing extremist parties and causes worldwide. Algorithmic manipulation. Meeting with far-right leaders. Public support for far-right causes.

As we’ve reported before, Elon Musk is not the free speech absolutist he claims to be. He does like using ‘free speech’ as a defence, however. Instead, it’s a convenient shield for platform owners. Their algorithm changes consistently boost right-wing voices. Meanwhile, independent outlets like the Canary find themselves banned.

In the UK, Musk has thrown his weight behind the Reform splinter party, Restore party and its leader, Rupert Lowe having abandoned Nigel Farage.

Join Rupert Lowe in Restore Britain, because he is the only one who will actually do it! https://t.co/sa5VkSRWXD

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 14, 2026

Media serving the billionaire status quo

The Epstein affair proves the Transnational Institute’s report right.

As Jeremy Corbyn told the House of Commons, the Epstein affair exposes a “gilded, friendly web” of power where favours are done, contracts are awarded, and influence traded by insiders like Peter Mandelson. These actors move seamlessly between government, business, and the media elite.

Mandelson was Epstein’s friend and associate. And Epstein’s client list included some of the world’s wealthiest men—names that overlap with TNI’s list of billionaires hoarding media.

For instance, one email in the files implies that Epstein stayed at Rupert Murdoch’s house, four years after being legally required to register as a sex offender. Murdoch, whose family tops the Transnational Institute’s list, owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the Sun, the Times, and hundreds of other outlets worldwide.

This email seems to imply that Epstein stayed at Rupert Murdoch’s house four years after being legally required to register as a sex offender. https://t.co/XgeROg5RVX pic.twitter.com/xU5aUT0Tmm

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) February 3, 2026

Corbyn is calling for a full, independent, judge-led public inquiry – on the scale of Chilcot – into the Mandelson web, including his influence over the media.

The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), with the support of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), has today submitted a detailed complaint to the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) concerning Israeli arms company Elbit Systems.

The case against Elbit Systems

The complaint asks SO15 to open a criminal investigation into four current and former British directors of Elbit Systems UK Ltd for possible complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 (ICCA) and related domestic offences of aiding and abetting.

Drawing on extensive evidence and findings from UN bodies, international courts, human rights organisations and open-source investigations, the complaint sets out the relevant legal framework, Elbit Systems’ corporate structure and UK operations, and the publicly available evidence linking the company to attacks in Gaza.

PILC is bringing the complaint on behalf of a Palestinian national living in the UK whose close family remain in Gaza. It asks SO15’s War Crimes Unit to investigate whether decisions taken by Elbit Systems UK and its UK-based subsidiaries, including the export of drone engines, targeting equipment and other military systems to Israel, may amount to aiding, abetting or otherwise assisting grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

The complaint comes amid growing recognition that serious crimes under international law are taking place in Gaza. The UK secretary of state for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, stated in private messages last year that Israel was “committing war crimes before our eyes” in Gaza.

Amnesty International UK has now warned the government not to row back from that assessment and reiterated its call for an immediate suspension of UK arms transfers to Israel.

CAAT has long documented Elbit Systems’ role in Israeli military operations and its UK-based subsidiaries. For more background, see CAAT’s factsheets.

Key points from the complaint

The complaint argues that the facts clearly meet SO15’s own ‘scoping criteria’ for opening a war-crimes investigation. In particular, it highlights that:

• There is serious, independent evidence that core international crimes have been committed in Gaza since October 2023. This includes findings and reports from the International Court of Justice, UN special procedures and human rights offices, the International Criminal Court, and major NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which describe patterns of unlawful attacks, starvation as a method of warfare, forced displacement and, according to several authorities, acts of genocide.
• Elbit Systems Ltd (Israel) is a central supplier of weapons and technologies used in Gaza. Open-source research shows that Elbit produces attack drones, guided munitions and targeting systems that have seen use in repeated military operations in Gaza, including during the current offensive.
• Elbit Systems UK and its UK subsidiaries form part of that supply chain. Evidence from NGOs and investigative journalists indicates that UK-based companies within the Elbit group have received multiple export licences for drone engines, targeting systems and other military equipment to Israel, and that shipments from UK sites to Elbit facilities in Israel continued during the current conflict.
• Four UK-national directors held oversight roles at Elbit Systems UK during the relevant period. As British nationals or UK-resident directors of a UK registered company, they fall clearly within the personal jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales under the ICCA.

The complaint argues that there is now sufficient credible information about these offences having been committed in Gaza, and about the potential contribution of UK based executives, to justify the opening of a formal SO15 investigation using the specialist powers available under the ICCA and domestic criminal law.

PILC said:

Our client has watched from the UK as her community in Gaza was destroyed. She has witnessed her loved ones and countless others subjected to mass killings, displacement, starvation, and devastation on an unimaginable scale.

The complaint submitted on her behalf today to the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit highlights the role of UK companies and their directors in acts that constitute war crimes and genocide.

Whether the Met chooses to investigate this complaint will show whether the ICC Act 2001 is worth the paper it’s written on. A proper investigation, using all powers to obtain evidence and determining whether prosecutions are possible, is the bare minimum required of a state that purports to respect international law and the Genocide Convention.

CAAT said:

Israel’s genocide in Gaza would not be possible without Elbit Systems. Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms producer, and Israel is the single largest market for Elbit’s products. It provides 85% of the combat drones used by the Israeli military.

Responsibility for the immeasurable horror and suffering that has been inflicted upon the people of Gaza lies not only with the Israeli regime, but with a globally sanctioned system of militarised corporatism that facilitates – if not outright encourages – impunity for the most serious violations of international law.

Individuals directing this profit-making arms company and its subsidiaries, including Elbit Systems UK, must be held accountable for their role in perpetrating and facilitating war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Featured image via the Canary

Former PM, genocide supporter, and on-the-loose war criminal Tony Blair’s full support of Donald Trump’s vision for Palestinians was slammed for its cruel irony: the man who helped destroy Iraq wants you to believe he and Trump have Gaza’s best interests at heart.

In Washington, the first session of what has been dubbed Donald Trump’s Board of Peace was held. NBC reported that “representatives of at least 40 countries” attended, including heads of state. The recent House of Commons Library briefing lists specific members: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Hungary, Belarus, Bulgaria, Argentina, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

The UK Government officially declined to join, citing concerns about Russia’s potential membership and the board’s remit going beyond Gaza.

Tony Blair front and centre

Yet there was Blair — front and centre on the executive board alongside Kushner, Trump, Rubio and the other board members. Maybe sitting with them is just irresistible to him.

Blair gave his war criminal seal of approval to Trump’s 20-point plan, calling it the “only hope for Gaza, the region, and the wider world.”

Having Tony Blair a member of the so-called Board of Peace is like having Prince Andrew chair an inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein https://t.co/79nG85Xc1H

— Socialist Voice (@SocialistVoice) February 20, 2026

Kieran Andrieu, a British-Palestinian contributor at Novara Media, shared the clip of Blair singing Trump’s praises, saying:

My Palestinian ancestors could never – in a thousand nights of nightmares – have dreamt-up a future so bleak and dystopian for their descendants. But paedophiles and cannibals in charge of Gaza, know this: Palestinians will NEVER submit to you. We will NEVER go away. We WILL return home, however long it takes

My Palestinian ancestors could never – in a thousand nights of nightmares – have dreamt-up a future so bleak and dystopian for their descendants.

But paedophiles and cannibals in charge of Gaza, know this:

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Palestinians will NEVER submit to you.

We will NEVER go away.

We WILL… https://t.co/TxtS5Qo1ww

— Kieran Andrieu (@kieran_andrieu) February 20, 2026

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Chris Doyle of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) attacked Blair’s colonial mindset and his grovelling praise of Trump.

Blair showing why he has been a serial failure in Palestine. He has scant understanding of the issues, a colonial mindet, (he knows best for other peoples) and is addicted to cosying up to power and money, in this case Trump. https://t.co/YtFwZxMJoK

— Chris Doyle (@Doylech) February 20, 2026

Howard Beckett called soulless Blair “repulsive” — and contextualised what the Board of Peace actually represents.

Blair on Trump 🇺🇸 plans for Gaza 🇵🇸

‘You can rise on you own efforts’
‘Not feel a government on your back’
‘On your side’

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20,000 murdered children
70,000 murdered Palestinians 🇵🇸

Land illegally stolen

This man lost his soul a long time ago

Repulsive.pic.twitter.com/i8VNoEkvpz

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— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) February 19, 2026

Mike Wallace, former Irish MEP, put it bluntly: listening to war criminal Tony Blair lie about Israel’s apartheid regime, which has been ethnically cleansing Palestinians since 1948, is sickening.

Is there anything more sickening than listening to the War Criminal Tony Blair telling Lies about the Apartheid Israeli Regime who’ve been carrying out the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians since 1948… https://t.co/d9eTm56QOJ

— Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) February 20, 2026

Arnaud Bertrand laid out everything that repugnant Blair happily omitted.

How, he asked, do you build “effective institutions” when your airport is destroyed, your ports blockaded, your universities bombed, your civil servants trapped, your economy strangled, and your people killed on a routine basis?

Looks like Tony Blair is very determined to confirm his status as one of the worst persons alive.

His speech is pure 19th century colonialism: he frames the Gaza issue as one of “ineffective governance” on the part of the Palestinians, without as much as mentioning the 17-year… https://t.co/QOTQtWxgXJ

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) February 20, 2026

Andrew Feinstein pointed out Blair’s bloody war profiteering record.

Tony Blair’s Commission on Africa reported that the continent needed better governance & less corruption, at the time he was negotiating corrupt arms deals on behalf of BAE Systems in Tanzania & South Africa. He is a repulsive, corrupt war profiteer! https://t.co/krnrLFFgiD

— Andrew Feinstein (@andrewfeinstein) February 20, 2026

Blair’s insistence on standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most grotesque people on earth, like Trump, Milei and Rubio, is a perfect illustration of the saying: birds of a feather flock together.

The so-called Board of Peace should be more accurately described as the Board of Occupation, which is hungry to strip Gaza for political gain.

But then again, the question that begs an answer is: Why is this criminal not in jail?

Featured image via RTHK

Wasn’t rightly facing derision for awarding the warmonger Donald Trump a made-up ‘peace prize’ enough? Football’s governing body FIFA has announced that it will collaborate with Trump in his and Israel’s forced annexation of Gaza.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said that FIFA will ‘partner’ with Trump’s Orwellian scam ‘Board of Peace’ in Gaza to bring “the greatest stars in the world” to the occupied and soon to be stolen territory. FIFA promised to raise $75m to spend in Gaza on ‘football-related projects’ — very, very expensive genocide-‘sportswash’.

Further key details of the collaboration are:

• $50m on a new ‘national stadium’ with a capacity of 20,000. Quite which ‘nation’ the stadium will be for is not clear. But it’s clearly not Gaza, since Israeli war criminal Netanyahu has said Israel will never accept Palestinian statehood.
• a $15m ‘FIFA Academy’
• $7.5m on new ‘FIFA Arena’ football pitches – analogous to the nazi ‘sport facilities’ constructed for show in Auschwitz, Birkenau and other death camps.
• Bringing “the greatest stars in the world” to whitewash the land theft and attract ‘international investment’.

Israel has destroyed 98% of arable land in Gaza and almost all its buildings, while slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians by bombing, starvation and disease. The craven FIFA management is helping sanitise Israel’s crimes and Trump’s arrogant take-over of land that none of them belong in.

Featured image via SwissInfo

Reform parachuted-in Gorton and Denton candidate Matthew Goodwin has been accused by a female GB News staffer of sexually harassing her. And Reform boss Nigel Farage is thought to have known about the allegation before he named Goodwin as the party’s candidate in the by-election.

Usually, ‘Labour’ PM Keir Starmer tries to mimic Farage, but for a change Farage is mimicking Starmer’s serial blind-eye-turning to appointing sex pests and paedophiles.

The junior TV staffer complained to the channel’s HR department that Goodwin had made inappropriate comments, including on her appearance. The victim of the alleged harassment was deeply disturbed by it, with a colleague saying that:

She was very upset at the time, and her colleagues were upset on her behalf that she was so distressed by the situation.

Reform dismissed the revelations as a “desperate, last-minute smear” by the Guardian. Goodwin is said to have denied the allegations, while his lawyers admitted the complaint was made – but the situation is quite a turnaround.

Reform scrabbling to recover

Goodwin wrote in 2014 about a series of sexual harassment scandals by what was then called UKIP. He called the latest scandals were “another bad week” for Farage – but found it “intriguing” that the string of appalling behaviour by UKIP politicians and candidates wasn’t damaging the party’s popularity. Goodwin said that people were “rightly shocked” by the revelations, but that UKIP voters had decided to give the party “a free pass”:

All of this raises an obvious and intriguing question – why is none of this negative coverage reducing support for Farage and Ukip, which is quickly becoming the Teflon party of British politics? … The latest revelations rightly shocked the progressive and socially liberal, but they are unlikely to feature prominently on the radar of the average Ukip voter….

…They have found Britain’s social and economic transformation profoundly unsettling and are watching the country evolve into a society they simply do not like … unsurprisingly, many of them have decided to give Ukip a free pass: “So what if that Farage has a few friends who are nutters,” they say.

Goodwin went on to note the importance of fighting racism and decry the “rise of radical right politics”:

Calling out racism where racism exists is important. But over the longer term this will not get our society very far. If it did, then Europe as a whole would not have seen a stubbornly persistent rise of radical right politics over a 30-year period.

Now he’s standing as a candidate for a far-right, racist party, has made comments that “young girls and women” should be given a “biological reality” check – and is the subject of a sexual harassment complaint.

If voters didn’t care in 2014, will enough of them care now to reject his – and Starmer’s – politics and scandals in 2026?

Featured image via the Canary