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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Scourge of modern slavery in 21st-century Britain
The tragedy of the 39 people who died in the back of a lorry in Essex has brought the whole issue of modern slavery to the forefront, writes PAUL DONOVAN
Desperate migrants are often prey to modern-day
slave bosses
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
THE prevalence of slavery in 21st-century Britain is an often hidden problem but nonetheless continues to grow. The Met Police reported 263 cases of modern slavery in London last year. The Global Slavery Index estimate that there are more than 130,000 people living in modern slavery in Britain today.
A number of sectors seem to attract slave labour. They include car washes, nail bars, construction, agriculture and factories, domestic service, catering and the sex industry.
A number of the pitiful tales of how people have been trafficked to the UK, then effectively sold into slavery, have been exposed. Shayne Tyler, the compliance director at vegetable suppliers Fresca Group, is a passionate campaigner against modern slavery.
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