UNITED KINGDOM

Veterans For Peace: Christmas Truce by Fenya

Song, Christmas Truce (below) by Fenya. From the VFP UK website: Veterans For Peace UK is a voluntary ex-services organisation of men and women, who collectively have served in every war that Britain has fought since World War 2. We belong within a wider international movement that began in the USA in 1985. We have members all over the UK with Action […]
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The Fake News The UK Government Has Fed Us About Yemen

People inspect the aftermath of a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a busy funeral hall in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016.
(OPINION) — Fake news was one of the biggest themes of 2016, and Donald Trump and his supporters on the alternative right were not the only culprits.
One important manufacturer of fake news was the British government, especially when it came to ministerial statements on tragic, war-torn Yemen.

Road Blocks to Data Retention: Invalidating the Snoopers’ Charter

Deemed by the Home Office an exemplar of legislation balancing security and freedoms, the UK Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIPA), otherwise known as the Snoopers’ Charter, did not impress the EU Court of Justice.  The case had been brought in 2014 by two MPs, David Davis and Tom Watson.  Davis had since evacuated from the brief, leaving Watson to savour the proceedings.

Christmas Memo to PM Theresa May

Prime Minister,
This is still a Christian country, as your colleague David Cameron reminded us not so long ago. But you wouldn’t think so when non-Christian creeds are given exceptional protection and privileges to smooth their ruffled feathers. Your government is even introducing new laws to stifle questions about Israel’s legitimacy and quash criticism of its criminal policies. We have entered a sinister era of censorship and harassment as the gulf between government and public widens.

The Liberation of Aleppo: A Regional Turning Point. Setback for US-Led Aggression

The liberation of Aleppo, Syria’s second city and an ancient marvel, represents the most serious setback for the 15-year long Washington-led aggression on the entire region. An effective recolonisation of the region has stretched from Afghanistan to Libya, under a range of false pretexts. Invasions and proxy wars have been backed by economic sanctions and wild propaganda.

Is the CIA editing your newspaper?

Here is a great overview by Ed Jones of why corporate media are the arch-exponents of “fake news”. The media are overwhelming owned and controlled by billionaires and gargantuan corporations, who depend on the support of other corporations for ad revenue, and employ journalists from a narrow, privileged class whose careers depend on maintaining access to elite sources.

From White to Black: The Colours of Brexit

While the shattering Brexit vote of June had a deservedly chilling impact in Brussels and other European capitals, the grey suits have been busy pushing various lines on the consequences Britain faces for leaving the European Union. The technocrats in Europe will be making sure they make things as difficult as possible.  Back in London, rhetoric and deflection is in heavy supply.