National threats bill clears Parliament amid criticism, awaits Royal Assent

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  • Post last modified:9 July 2026

The National Security (State Threats) Bill has completed its passage through Parliament and now awaits Royal Assent. Lords amendments to protect humanitarian workers and journalists from its new offences were accepted, providing some relief, but most criticisms against the Bill still stand. Sarah Champion MP, from the International Development Committee, welcomed the Government’s decision to introduce express defences for humanitarian organisations but expressed regret that ministers stopped short of a full exemption. Johnson and Corbyn raised concerns about journalists Kim Johnson (Labour) and Jeremy Corbyn (Your Party) raised significant concerns about the legislation’s potential impact on journalists in the final debate…

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FIFA clears VAR official of racism after concern over hand gesture

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  • Post last modified:17 June 2026

A few seconds of television coverage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup turned into an issue that sparked widespread controversy in sporting and media circles. Australian VAR official Sean Evans was seen making a controversial hand gesture ahead of the match between Germany and Curaçao. As the Canary previously reported, Evans was seen to have: briefly formed an “OK” gesture with his right hand near his leg, a symbol that has been co‑opted by white extremist groups.  The gesture was quick, but it was enough to trigger immediate concern from FIFA’s anti‑discrimination unit, which monitors all matches for offensive behaviour. The monitor…

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