Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
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Money-grubbing Conservative MPs disgrace Parliament
The cosmetic ‘facelift’ offered by the Tories in the Westminter corruption scandal fools nobody, as the need for drastic reform becomes obvious, writes JON TRICKETT MP
Cartoon: Zog
After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
THE mounting public disgust at corruption in Westminster has forced the Conservatives onto the back foot.
But we have to be vigilant, as any concessions they offer will be limited to prevent wholesale system change.
In the two weeks since Conservative MPs voted down sanctions on their former colleague Owen Paterson — after he was found guilty for his “egregious” paid lobbying of ministers — there has been an avalanche of stories regarding corruption in Westminster.
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Labour’s long-promised Act has scraped through the Lords. While the law marks a step forward, its lack of collective rights leaves workers short-changed — and sets the stage for a renewed campaign for an Employment Rights Bill #2, argues TONY BURKE
Focus on equal access to assisted death rather than risks of legalisation for oppressed groups wrongheaded, MPs and campaigners say
