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
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Education Maintenance Allowance is essential but must be updated
EMA is a life raft for many young learners in Wales and now also in Tower Hamlets — however, it is now far too small and its current form isn’t fit for purpose given the crises we face, writes LUKE FLETCHER MS
The Education Maintenance Allowance benefit system that supported children to stay in school was abolished by the Tory-Lib Dem government in 2010 in England, causing large protests across the country. Where it has survived in Wales, some argue that it is now far too low.
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
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
Opinion polls point to electoral collapse, parliamentary rebellion and a looming leadership challenge as Starmer’s Labour haemorrhages working-class support and the far right exploits the vacuum left by a hollowed-out party, says NICK WRIGHT
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
LAST month, Welsh poverty and inequality think tank the Bevan Foundation noted that the value of social security benefits is now at its lowest levels in decades.
This, at a time when levels of in-work poverty and inflation are at their highest, is driving many into desperate circumstances if they aren’t already there. Amid high costs and low temperatures, these are the despairingly loose threads of support to which people are clinging.
The Welsh government has been among the myriad voices contributing to the conversation around uplifts to various forms of social security. In October, along with the Scottish government, it called for a £25 weekly uplift to all means-tested benefits, including legacy benefits.
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