UK activists back Iraqi shoe thrower
By politics.co.uk staff UK human rights activists have backed Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw a shoe at George Bush, as his trial begins in Baghdad. “Mr al-Zaidi did not physically harm anyone or cause any damage – only embarrassment to President Bush and the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki,” said Peter Tatchell, human rights […]
Govt dismisses Lloyds TSB sanction concerns
By Alex Stevenson The government has brushed aside a Labour backbencher’s concerns about the damaging impact of Lloyds TSB’s sanctions-breaking past. Treasury minister Stephen Timms said yesterday the bank, part-nationalised in October after it experienced liquidity problems, had not broken UK or EU law when it engaged in what US authorities described as “stripping”. Last […]
British celebs hit out at Gaza war crimes
By politics.co.uk staff A group of British celebrities has spoken out against the “conspiracy of silence” over the alleged war crimes still taking place in the Gaza Strip. More than 1,300 Palestinians died during the 22-day Israeli military offensive in late December and January, but hundreds of thousands remain in desperate need of aid. Today […]
Hamas urged to pull back from the abyss
By Matthew Champion and Ian Dunt There is still time for Hamas to “pull back from the brink” and halt its slide into an organisation that rules purely through terror, aid workers have said. “Incontrovertible” evidence released this week linked Hamas militia to the torture of scores of men and the murder of at least […]
UK activists boycott Israel
By Laura Miller Demonstrators are planning nationwide protests today to boycott the sale of Israeli goods on UK high-streets. The national Boycott Israeli Goods (BIG) campaign, led by a coalition of pro-Palestine and anti-war groups, aims to impact on Valentines Day sales of flowers, many of which Israel exports to the UK. David Wilson, spokesperson […]
British Council halts operations in Iran
By Blaine Williams The British Council have ended their activities in Iran because of “intimidation and harassment” of staff by the Iranian authorities. Iran denied visas for all British staff and most of the 16 local employees have resigned after being summoned to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s office in December. The council, which promotes British culture […]
Israel called on to refund EU aid to Gaza
By Ian Dunt Two leading Green MEPs have travelled to the Israeli embassy in London today to demand Israel refunds all EU aid spent on Gaza’s infrastructure over the past decade. The two women – Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for the South East and leader of the Green party, and Jean Lambert, Green MEP for […]
Blair admits daily doubts over Iraq
By politics.co.uk staff Tony Blair, former prime minister and now envoy to the Middle East has admitted having doubts about his decision to invade Iraq in 2003. In an interview with The Times, due to be published tomorrow, Mr Blair spoke of his “sense of responsibility” over soldier and civilian deaths that have followed in […]
Pro-Palestinian protest targets the BBC
By Ian Dunt Pro-Palestinian activists have demonstrated outside the BBC in a protest against “bias in reporting the Israeli onslaught” against Gaza. It was the fourth consecutive Saturday demonstration to take place in London against Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Demonstrators gathered outside Broadcasting House, between Oxford Street and Regents Park, around midday in a protest […]
True cost of Gaza-Israel conflict to be revealed
By Laura Miller A report outlining the true cost of the Gaza war will be published today by a strategic research group. Lord Alderice, a leading expert in conflict resolution, said revealing the full cost of the war is an important step in persuading Israel and Hamas to build a viable and durable peace process. […]
