Charlie Alford

Minister responsible for regulating social media quits X after two years of inaction

Post author:Maddison Wheeldon
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:3 July 2026

Lisa Nandy has announced that she and her government department for culture, media and sport are leaving the social media platform X as it: favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate. It isn’t healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don’t want to support it. However, many have pointed out that one of Nandy’s crucial responsibilities for the last two years since taking up her position has been to regulate social media. Her decision to just walk away from the platform suggests she’s either giving up, or alternatively – and more likely – the trillionaire has made regulation impossible…

‘Don’t burn em’ Burnham!’ campaigners protest new oil outside parliament

Post author:The Canary
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:3 July 2026

Campaigners from Fossil Free London challenged prime minister elect Andy Burnham in a protest outside parliament on 2 July. Uncertainty lingers over whether he will approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea oil fields once he enters No.10. People held flame cut-outs and stood behind a banner reading ‘Fossil Fuels? Andy, Don’t Burn ’em!’. Others held placards that read ‘Stop Rosebank’, ‘Stop Jackdaw’ and ‘Stop North Sea Drilling’. The Burnham protest comes just after the UK endured a record-breaking heatwave. It closed hundreds of schools, as this June became the hottest the UK has ever seen. Scientists stress this extreme heat…

The defiance of Nabatieh, Lebanon

Post author:Guy Smallman
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:3 July 2026

Since the latest war began in October 2024, the city of Nabatieh, and its surrounding district, has suffered Israeli aggression on an unprecedented scale. It has a long history of fierce resistance to occupiers — going back to the 1978 invasion and every major war since. A major economic hub and stronghold for Shia-Muslim parties like Hezbollah and Amal, it is also considered to be of great strategic importance, as the southern gateway to the Bekaa valley. The fighting here has been intense and the human cost to local people enormous. The Shia festival of Ashura, which commemorates the martyrdom of…

Labour MPs set out plan to try and push Andy Burnham leftwards

Post author:Ed Sykes
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:4 July 2026

The Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs believes that changing the party’s leader isn’t enough. Instead, it is trying to encourage Andy Burnham (or whoever else becomes the next Labour leader) to pull the party back towards more left-wing positions. In a statement, the MPs criticised the dominant Labour right for ‘chasing Reform voters‘ with right-wing positions. The small minority of 24 left-leaning Labour MPs want “immediate bold steps” that understand the “deep structural changes” Labour should be pushing to “reverse over forty years of neoliberalism“. MP Ian Byrne shared an image of the key changes the Socialist Campaign Group are…

Foreign minister swerves questions about Britons fighting for Israel

Post author:PHIL MILLER
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:4 July 2026

Hamish Falconer ran through traffic in Whitehall when asked why his government allows British citizens to fight in Gaza Foreign minister Hamish Falconer refused to answer questions on Wednesday about the UK government’s failure to stop British nationals fighting for the Israeli army in Gaza. It comes after more than 25,000 people signed a letter to the Foreign Office demanding they investigate UK citizens who fought in Gaza and may have committed war crimes. Thousands of British nationals have served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) since the Gaza conflict began in 2023, according to a Freedom of Information response from…

New research shows at least 3.3 million suffered under Dutch slavery

Post author:Robert Freeman
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:4 July 2026

Dutch investigative journalist Leendert van der Valk has revealed that the minimum number of people enslaved by the Netherlands in the transatlantic slavery system is a shocking 3.3 million. The figure is five times higher than the previous number of 600,000 commonly cited in the country. That’s the low-end estimate – he said Dutch slavers may have stolen the freedom of up to 5.3 million people. The Guardian note that King Willem-Alexander and then prime minister Mark Rutte have previously used the much lower number when apologising for the Dutch role in the hideous trade in human beings. Van der Valk…

Starmer issues apology on forced adoptions, but Labour still failing families

Post author:Robert Freeman
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:4 July 2026

British prime minister Keir Starmer issued an apology on Thursday July 2 for the state’s role in forced adoptions over multiple decades. It rings hollow, however, given the man anti-poverty campaigners christened ‘Kid Starver’ continues to fail British families. Forced adoption is the practice of taking a child from parents without their full consent, and transferring that child to a foster family. The British state funded the system which between 1949 and 1976 resulted in the forced adoption of 185,000 children. It was often mothers who had given birth outside of marriage who were victims of the cruel practice. Social norms…

Welsh Reform politicians are embarrassing themselves in the Senedd

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:3 July 2026

Reform’s Wales representatives in the Senedd are showing themselves up in multiple serious discussions. Supposedly the formal opposition in the nation’s devolved parliament, Reform look increasingly foolish. The Members of the Senedd (MSs) are on record making various bloopers, not taking subjects seriously, and generally cocking-up. Not worth the £80,000 salary they’re plumped with. Reform ‘having a mare’ Cardiff-based Welsh journalist Will Hayward caught one Reform MS sorely lacking when he was entirely unprepared to ask a follow-up question, or ‘supplementary,’ on the Senedd floor. MS Gareth Beer asked a question which couldn’t have taken more than 30 seconds to think of,…

Senegal fall short as Youri Tielemans drags Belgium back from the brink

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:5 July 2026

Belgium were dead on their feet. Two goals down with four minutes left, outplayed for long stretches, and staring at a World Cup exit that felt both deserved and inevitable. Then Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans ripped up the script. And in extra time, Tielemans delivered the final twist: a penalty awarded after a marathon VAR check, slammed home in the 125th minute, sealing a 3-2 win and a last‑16 date with USA. This was chaos, drama, and a comeback built on pure nerve but without the overblown theatrics. Belgium survived because they finally woke up. Senegal took control Senegal’s start…

Heartbreak for DR Congo as Harry Kane saves England

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:5 July 2026

Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes as England came from behind to beat DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta, setting up a World Cup last‑16 tie against co‑hosts Mexico and dodging what would have been a disastrous early exit. Thomas Tuchel’s team were given a genuine scare in their round‑of‑32 opener at the Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, falling behind to Brian Cipenga’s seventh‑minute strike and spending most of the night wrestling with DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who kept England out until Kane finally broke through. The win sends England on to Mexico City with momentum on the scoreboard if not…

UK Student Accommodation White Paper 2026: A Practical Guide for Students

Post author:Nathan Spears
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:5 July 2026

The UK student accommodation landscape in 2026 is defined by demand continuing to outpace supply in major university cities such as London, Manchester, and Edinburgh, alongside ongoing Renters’ Rights reforms reshaping the private rental sector with stronger tenant protections. For students, securing accommodation for the 2026/27 academic year requires early planning, clear budgeting, and reliance on verified booking channels. This guide outlines the UK rental landscape and a structured approach to safe housing search. Regional Differences in UK Student Accommodation Regional differences in UK student accommodation are driven by supply, student demand, and infrastructure. London, Manchester, and Edinburgh face higher pressure…

What To Do If Your Jaguar Needs a Replacement Turbo

Post author:Nathan Spears
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:3 July 2026

A failing turbo on a Jaguar is not something to put off. Whether it is an XF on the daily commute or an F-Type out for the weekend, the turbocharger plays a big part in how the car drives. Once it starts to go, waiting around usually makes the job bigger and the bill higher. Here is a clear path to follow, from spotting the problem to getting the right part fitted. First, Confirm It Is Actually the Turbo Some of the symptoms of turbo failure overlap with other engine issues, so it is worth ruling those out first. Common signs…

Smotrich announces establishment of three Jewish settlements in north Gaza

Post author:Charlie Jaay
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:5 July 2026

Ethnic cleansing genocidaire Bezalel Smotrich, says he is ready to immediately establish three Jewish settlements in northern Gaza. And, he has claimed he is only waiting for Netanyahu to approve his plans. At the same time, Israeli occupation officials are coordinating “voluntary migration” or “Free Movement” campaigns for Palestinians in the Strip. Gaza occupation Smotrich is the occupation’s finance minister and head of the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Administration. He is also an illegal settler and leader of the Religious Zionism Party. Last year he announced plans to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank. He has now announced he has…