Charlie Alford

Egyptian coach’s X gesture sparks unjust backlash

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

It took just seconds for a gesture from Hossam Hassan, manager of the Egyptian national team, to become one of the most debated moments of the 2026 World Cup. After raising his arms to form an ‘X’ while protesting the decisions of French referee François Loutixier, Hassan’s gesture quickly came under international scrutiny. Some interpreted it as FIFA’s official anti-racism symbol. Meanwhile, others saw it as a familiar football protest against refereeing decisions. The controversy was not just about the gesture itself, but the context around it. It came during a furious reaction to the referee’s decisions. As a result, it…

Responses from disabled people detail “soul-destroying” DWP PIP assessments

Post author:Grace
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

The 9 July interim report from the Timms Review of the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system found that the benefit was both vitally necessary and deeply unfit for purpose. After putting out a call for responses back in March, the reviewers received over 38,000 responses. This was in spite of the fact that the response period was limited to 10 weeks, rather than the customary 12. Within these, the vast majority — around 90% — of the responses were negative. Roughly half mentioned PIP’s financial inadequacy, and over a quarter referenced decisions or appeals that…

Maysa Daw unites with global artists on music track to ‘break silence’ on world’s hidden crises

Post author:The Canary
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

Four artists from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Palestine have released (No More) Radio Silence, a new collaboration with music producer Kensaye, in partnership with Oxfam. The track features Congolese-born artist Espoir Dekin, South Sudanese rapper Gatkuoth Wan, Palestinian musician and member of hip-hop group DAM, Maysa Daw, and London-based Palestinian composer and oud player Saied Silbak. Together, they blend afro/Arab hip-hop, industrial and electronica to turn lived experiences of conflict into a piece of sound and protest, calling for unity, visibility and resistance. Artists share their experiences The artists’ stories and experiences are woven into every…

Interim Timms Report brands DWP PIP system “not fit for purpose”

Post author:Grace
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

On 9 July, social security and disability minister Stephen Timms published his interim report on the state of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system. The initial findings were damning, recognising that the payments were vitally necessary for disabled recipients, but ultimately “not fit for purpose”. In large part, this failing was due to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)-managed assessment system. Participants branded those assessments as “dehumanising”, “soul destroying”, and “degrading”. The review also highlighted pressing concerns regarding: whether the functional assessment and descriptors fully reflect real-life impacts, particularly for fluctuating, multiple, and less visible conditions, as well as about…

Cuba and Iran: the duality of American power

Post author:Rares Cocilnau
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

The war on Iran was brought to a provisional close this month when Donald Trump finally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Palace of Versailles, on the sidelines of the G7. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the same document electronically from Tehran. The president has presented the deal as a win – in the narrow sense that he has stopped an active war spilling into global catastrophe and reopened a global oil chokepoint. Nevertheless, the terms of the deal tell a story at odds with the triumphalist narrative, since almost every substantive concession in the fourteen-point framework favours Iran.…

Israeli occupation attempts to assassinate Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem

Post author:Charlie Jaay
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

The Israeli occupation, on 9 July, tried but failed to assassinate Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem. “Israeli” drone targeted Hamas spokesperson’s car An Israeli occupation drone targeted Qassem’s vehicle near Abbas Junction, West of Gaza City, on the afternoon of 9 July. Qassem was not in the vehicle at the time. But his bodyguard, Mohammed Al-Fayoumi, was killed. Three others were also wounded, as the car was hit on a crowded street. Qassem had attended a press conference on 7 July, in which Hamas announced it was dissolving its civilian governing body in Gaza. He told the AFP news agency at the…

Mosque replica on loyalist bonfire reveals moribund ‘culture’ circling the drain

Post author:Robert Freeman
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

Loyalists in the village of Moygashel have torched a replica of a mosque, sparking predictable outrage. There’s little question the action was a grotesque, hateful display, and such sentiments represent a real material threat to Muslims, as recent racist pogroms prove. What the blaze truly shows, however, is a dead-end loyalist culture that will ultimately burn itself out through its own bigotry and parochialism. Its only hope may lie in the embrace of its core tenets by reactionaries beyond the north of Ireland. This is perhaps the punt being taken by the pyromaniacs of the County Tyrone village, and those elsewhere…

Jarell Quansah receives two-match ban after Mexico red card

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:10 July 2026
Post last modified:10 July 2026

England’s last‑16 win over Mexico came at a cost. Jarell Quansah, starting at right‑back in the Azteca stadium, was sent off just before the hour mark and has now been handed a two‑match suspension after FIFA ruled his challenge on Jesús Gallardo amounted to serious foul play. The decision leaves Thomas Tuchel short of options on the right side of defence as England prepare for Norway on Saturday. Corrupt FIFA extends ban The incident came in the 54th minute. Quansah slid in on Gallardo, catching him high on the shin. Referee Alireza Faghani initially let play continue, but VAR intervened. After…