UNITED KINGDOM

Patrick COCKBURN

Twenty years ago, a novelist went to see his publisher to discuss his proposal to write a dystopian novel set in Britain in 2020 when newspaper columnists have taken power and are running the country.

These opinion-makers, sometimes called the Commentariat, had for years been expressing outrage at the failings of the government and everyone else. Now they had a chance to show what they could do to put things right.

Dr Mike Yeadon is the former CSO and VP, Allergy and Respiratory Research Head with Pfizer Global R&D and co-Founder of Ziarco Pharma Ltd. I never expected to be writing something like this. I am an ordinary person, recently semi-retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry and biotech, where I spent over 30 years trying to solve problems of […]

“It’s impossible to sit through every day of the hearing and believe this is a fair and impartial process — because it isn’t.”
Former diplomat Craig Murray discusses Assange’s extradition hearing and new disputes over the publisher putting people in danger with his leaks.
The post "What I've told you won't be reported on the BBC" first appeared on Dissident Voice.

Cynics of the “historic” peace deals signed this week at the White House between Gulf Arab rulers and Israel were further emboldened in their criticism with reports that former British premier Tony Blair was a leading mediator behind the development.

Censorship concerns are mounting in Britain after the Council of Europe issued a level-two press freedom alert over a UK Ministry of Defence decision to blacklist Declassified UK, a military and foreign policy news website. Declassified UK discovered on 25 August that had it had been blacklisted by the MOD because of its coverage of the war in Yemen. It had just submitted a request […]

September 18.  Central Criminal Court, London.
The extradition trial of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey moved into a higher gear today.  Testimonies spanned the importance of classified information in war journalism, the teasing offer of a pardon for Assange by US President Donald Trump, torture inflicted by the US Central Intelligence Agency, the chilling effect of indictments under the Extradition Act and the legacy of the Collateral Murder video.
Hager, war and journalism

A billboard van calling for an end to extradition proceedings against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange waits at traffic lights in Parliament Square in London, England, on September 14, 2020.

The seemingly longest divorce proceedings in history continue as the United Kingdom is still struggling to ever so slowly wiggle its way out of the EU. The British are trying to work out a post Union trade deal that will work out for their best interests and is hammering home the threat of abandoning negotiations and bailing without any agreement if they don’t get what they want in time.

September 17.  Central Criminal Court, London.
The extradition trial of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey struck similar notes to the previous day’s proceedings:  the documentary work and practise of WikiLeaks, the method of redactions, and the legacy of exposing war crimes.  In the afternoon, the legal teams returned to well combed themes:  testimony on the politicised nature of the Assange prosecution, and the dangers posed by the extra-territorial application of the Extradition Act of 1917 to publishing.

September 16.  Central Criminal Court, London.  Proceedings today at the Old Bailey regarding Julian Assange’s extradition returned to journalistic practice, redaction of source names and that ongoing obsession with alleged harm arising from WikiLeaks releases.  John Goetz of Der Spiegel added his bit for the defence, making an effort to set the record straight on the events leading up t